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What is PSaaS and is it Worthwhile? – Security Boulevard

Cloud computing has been adopted more rapidly in recent years, and we see more cloud applications in security. As businesses return to the office, they need to rethink physical security to futureproof their security strategy against the constantly evolving security landscape. Is physical security-as-a-service (PSaaS) the solution for a futureproof security strategy?

PSaaS refers to a security strategy where data resides in an outsourced data center. The data center allows businesses to delegate data management tasks and provide a more convenient and user-oriented experience for system administrators and security staff.

There are many different applications of PSaaS. The service is consumed on a subscription basis, and companies can choose which security elements are necessary for their plan.

With PSaaS, your security staff can manage all security information in a cloud-based online portal, allowing them to view security data and operate security tools from anywhere. And all your data will be encrypted, with strict authentication processes that ensure your data isnt accessible to third parties.

Many businesses prefer PSaaS because it helps them to streamline security and allows for scalability, allowing them to adapt their strategy to their growing business.

To help you understand PSaaS further, below, youll find a list of the different security elements one can include in their PSaaS plan.

Cloud-based video security helps businesses minimize the costs associated with local NVR setup and reduce the amount of wiring and hardware required to operate their surveillance system. Additionally, it allows all video security information and monitoring to be stored on the cloud. This means that security staff and system administrators can video security data from anywhere using a mobile application or cloud-based control center.

Additionally, you can perform any updates your system needs over the air, doing away with regular servicing. It can be time-consuming for administrators to handle visits from security experts, and eliminating the need for manual updates can reserve valuable time.

Video security primarily serves two core functions:

First, surveillance cameras in plain view will help deter crime on the property, letting building users know they are on camera.

Second, video surveillance provides evidence should a crime occur on the property, aiding in an insurance claim or police investigation.

Video security is rarely instrumental in helping security professionals to prevent security incidents. Since security professionals have a wide range of tasks to attend to throughout the day, they cannot consistently monitor security data from their surveillance system.

This monitoring gap makes them less likely to spot a potential security threat. Thus they are less likely to be able to act quickly and prevent the dangers from evolving with your security incident response strategy.

With cloud-based monitoring, the service monitors all your cloud-based surveillance data and performs threat detection. If there is an anomaly in the data or a potential security threat, your security staff will receive a notification, allowing them to act quickly.

Cloud-based access control in PSaaS allows you to manage your buildings access control across multiple sites. Using a cloud-based control center mobile application, you can approve entry, lock, and unlock doors from anywhere.

Some cloud-based access control solutions allow you to implement keycards, fobs and mobile applications. You can even perform over-the-air updates to ensure your buildings access control solution doesnt have long periods of downtime.

Cloud-based alarm systems allow for more agility in security management. As soon as smoke detectors, glass break detectors, or gunshot detectors pick up a potential threat, your security staff will immediately receive a notification allowing them to act quickly.

When paired with a cloud-based access control system in your PSaaS plan, cloud-based alarm systems allow your security team to instantly initiate lockdown safety procedures and measures using their mobile device.

If youre looking for a new approach to physical security, then PSaaS might offer a solution. To help you determine whether PSaaS is right for your business, here are some of the main benefits of implementing PSaaS:

Scalability Since cloud-based security operates wirelessly, this makes it more scalable and allows you to connect your security system across multiple locations. If you need a security system to keep up with the growth of your business, PSaaS is the right choice.

Easier access and management By hosting all of your security data in an outsourced cloud-based data center, you can ensure your security information is readily accessible to your team.

Secure cloud-based data center When you opt for PSaaS, you dont need to worry about the security of your cloud-based data. The service will encrypt your data, and rigorous authentication methods will ensure that only authorized individuals can access your security data.

Unified security By unifying all your different security elements under one platform, you can eliminate data silos and make all your security information readily available to your team.

Since the pandemic, businesses have explored cloud-based options to keep their company operational. Cloud-based technologies and services are also emerging in the security sphere, and PSaaS is becoming an increasingly attractive option. If youre reimagining your security strategy in light of the modern threat climate, consider opting for PSaaS.

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Business was always a way of serving people – New Hampshire Business Review

Entrepreneur of Year Ryan Barton reflects on the role of business in the community

Ryan Barton, founder and CEO of Mainstay Technologies, holds fast to the business practice of so-called conscious capitalism.

A measure of business success, according to the concept advanced in 2009 by Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and marketing professor Raj Sisodia, is more than profits and the value of stockholders shares. Their philosophy of conscious capitalism also embraces the responsible treatment of employees, humanity and the environment.

Unlike Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange who also claimed to be a believer in the conscious capitalism credo, Barton actually walks the walk in his beliefs.

This concept of business as an agent that creates value shouldnt it create value for everyone? said Barton. Why should it be a zero-sum game? Why cant it create value for the team and for the company and for the environment and for the community? All these stakeholders can actually flourish because of the business if were intentional and virtuous in how we do it, and thats what we strive towards.

Barton is the 2022 NH Tech Alliance Entrepreneur of the Year, presented with the award in an event last fall.

Ryan is very deserving of this recognition. Not only has he led a company that has grown every year since their founding but he has continuously cultivated an award-winning workplace culture, Julie Demers, executive director of the Tech Alliance, said in announcing Bartons achievement. His company is continuously recognized as an outstanding employer, and we are proud to have Mainstay as a fixture in the New Hampshire tech community.

The entrepreneur label could be applied to Barton at an early age.

By age 13, he was building web pages for family and friends, earning $100 here and there. But more than the few bucks it earned him, it taught him about connection.

I became the fix-it person for everyone in the family, said Barton. Technology became not only a place to explore, according to Barton, it quickly became connecting to people, connecting people in the internets early days, and then connecting to friends and family in a way that I could help them.

Connection in a community sense is as important to Barton as connection in a business sense. Its a reason that Barton, born and bred in the Granite State, chose to remain here.

I left for a couple of years around college, but came back because my family was here, he said. I think that we in this hyper-individualized society can forget that theres something very rooting about a place. For me, that ended up unintentionally being a great blessing, because my family knew people here, I knew people here and so then I got a client that was a private Christian school. It was connected to a church and then all the businesspeople connected there said, Oh, weve heard great things. So there was a community there that, as I started providing service, that community grew, and then that morphed into the business community, which is a very supportive one in New Hampshire.

Balancing workforce habits

His first business was Barton Computer Consulting in 2004 located, mostly, in his two-door Ford Explorer.

By 2006, he became an outside contractor for a Tilton IT company while still servicing his own clients. The IT company wanted him as its full-time manager no more doing his own thing. Barton said no and dove head first into the idea of growing a business of his own.

In 2007 and 2008, he had his first team and a new company name, Paradigm IT Group, but that name wasnt a right fit.

They brainstormed, settled on Mainstay Technologies, and in 2012 they renovated and moved into the old headquarters of Granite State Glass in Manchester. They also have a satellite office in Laconia. Employees number about 80.

Their mission statement We give more than we get reflects the commitment to conscious capitalism. We will give our careers to ensure our business will always be a force for good. For success is found in the lives of people. Period, the company says.

Mainstay Technologies provides IT services to companies without their own IT departments.

We take the stress away from the business leader who is in charge of IT but isnt technical, said Barton, and we do that by providing the IT department that they always wish they had, which is a team that they can trust completely and enjoy working with, thats giving them the long-range planning and training, and then carrying all of the grind in the background of the backups, in the cybersecurity, and all of the details in the help desk, and do that really effectively. Their work includes compliance and governance.

Gone, mostly, are the days of large, humming network server rooms that individual IT departments were so dependent upon. Very few folks have any kind of significant, dedicated infrastructure locally anymore, said Barton. The primary option for probably 90 percent of organizations is some form of cloud hosting, because it isnt just that the costs have come down so much, the benefits just keep climbing.

Mainstay, like companies everywhere, is balancing workforce habits as needs changed, perhaps permanently, by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some people who worked from home continue to want to work from home, while others were eager to return full-time to an office.

We provide tremendous flexibility, said Barton. We do team meetings in the office and encourage use of the offices if it makes sense for everybody. Most of us get out of the office, say, one day a week. Some are out every day; its their preference. We believe very much in letting the office be a tool for the culture, for the teams and for the individuals.

Be more intentional

Its a challenge for a CEO, such as Barton, who learns so much about his workplace temperament by walking the floor, chatting with people who also find comfort and inspiration from the collegiality of being in an office.

It means that what we have to do is be more intentional, said Barton. We now do lunch and listening sessions where Jason (Golden), the president, and I say, OK, were buying everybody lunch, come have lunch and share everything, share your thoughts, what are your ideas. We like to be more intentional because there is less opportunity for some to share that kind of thing.

Mainstay has won several best of awards over the years: Best of Business Managed IT Services in New Hampshire, Best Companies to Work For, Coolest of Companies for Young Professionals, Fastest Growing Company, to name but a few. Both Barton and Bolden have won NHBRs Business Excellence Awards for Technology Barton in 2014 and Golden in 2022.

Batton called winning the Tech Alliances Entrepreneur of the Year award humbling.

Ive been doing this since I was a teenager, he said. Im trying to do right by people, genuinely care for them as clients and as a team, and do the best that I can. Ive attracted people who embody that even more fully and take this to new heights.

I want this to outlive me and be a 100-year company, Barton added. Its doing good things in the community and creating meaningful jobs. Its very important to me. To me, business was always a way of serving people, of helping people, said Barton.

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Squire Patton Boggs assists in the acquisition of Sered – Iberian Lawyer

A team led by corporate partner, Matt Canipa, and Roco Garca, legal director of Madrid corporate department, has advised the international web hosting business Miss Group in the acquisition of Sered to expand its foot print across Spain.

Joining Miss Groups existing brands in the spanish market, ProfesionalHosting and ADW, Sered is one of the countrys most established providers of web hosting products, servicing over 25,000 customers with a turnover in 2022 of 2.5 million euros. With strong growth across each of these three brands, the total turnover in 2023 for the entire expanded spanish portfolio is expected to be more than 10 million euros.

Launched in 2009 and headquartered in the spanish city of Ourense, Sered operates under a co-location model owning its product infrastructure while renting data centre space to house its servers in Madrid and Barcelona providing flexibility to scale and better latency for customers websites. Its web hosting products range from low value shared hosting packages, through to cloud hosting packages for larger corporations.

The team was completed by Mona Mojtabavi, Alejandra Castaeda and Jorge Bogua, associates in Manchester and Madrid corporate team.

Pictured: Roco Garca (legal director), and associates Alejandra Castaeda and Jorge Bogua from the Madrid Squire Patton Boggs team.

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Whats Ahead for the Future of Data Streaming? – DevOps.com

Data is everywhere. Its being produced by almost everyone and everything around us. For businesses to be competitive, they need to build resilient, scalable systems that can efficiently tap into and react to this ever-increasing volume of data. Companies are meeting this need by moving to real-time data streaming to develop new solutions and improve their businesses and customer experience.

This category of data streaming has been growing. And, driven by the rise of real-time digital experiences like ride-sharing, fraud detection, inventory management and more, the growth has accelerated.

So whats next for data streaming?

The concept of data as a product will become more mainstream. Across many industries, data streaming is becoming central to how businesses operate and disseminate information within their companies. However, there is still a need for broader education about key data principles and best practices, like those outlined through data mesh.

Data as a product is foundational to rethinking how data produced in one part of a business can be reliably used in another. Data products with formalized ownership and responsibilities, combined with a platform for discoverability and accessibility, result in significantly fewer barriers and a much easier data access experience for all. Schemas, the Kafka API and maturing specification standards like ASyncAPI can be a part of this evolution.

As more folks embrace this mindset, I expect to see companies shift from using ad-hoc data pipelines to ones based on data products, driving a centralized system that can power both better analytical insights and operational execution.

With the rise of cloud-based offerings, I expect to see more companies offering more accessible, pay-as-you-go, self-service solutions. Weve already seen this shift over the past few years; cloud-based offerings are making it easier for companies to try out a data product based on their usage (or lack thereof). Given the current market conditions, these offerings will be more appealing to organizations that arent ready to sign a multi-year contract for a product offering or focus solely on a single technology.

Cloud is here to stay. Weve proven that it works, that its safe and secure, and for many folks, it just makes sense. This should come as no surprise to anyone, but expect the trend of cloud migrations to continue.

In the context of Apache Kafka, building out a Kafka-based data streaming solution used to mean hosting and managing your own Kafka cluster. If youve ever been in that position, you know that usually means more DevOps work and less focus on building applications to get the most out of your data. Not only do cloud-based Kafka offerings eliminate much of the DevOps headaches that come with a Kafka cluster, but they also make it much easier and faster to hit the ground running and begin streaming your data.

Im personally excited by what the cloud and SaaS can do to make Kafka and data streaming more accessible. In my visits to developers and companies around the globe, I see this enthusiasm shared by so many. Entire geographic regions and industries are taking the opportunity to move to the cloud and dive headfirst into data streaming.

As of Apache Kafka 3.3, the KRaft consensus protocol has replaced Zookeeper and is production-ready. Cluster metadata can now be maintained and managed from within the cluster, meaning theres one less thing to worry about when deploying Kafka instances.

While there are many options for cloud-based Kafka-as-a-Service, improvements such as KRaft in open source Kafka make self-hosting even easier. This, along with the work done to make it simpler to run managed Kafka services on local machines and test environments, means that Kafka no longer has to be synonymous with complexity. With the difficulty of managing and maintaining a Kafka instance no longer preventing folks from making use of data streaming, I predict that the adoption of Kafka will increase even more.

Data streaming will continue to mature as a transformational technology for companies of all sizes, serving as a critical infrastructure that most organizations will need to run their business.

If you havent yet explored what data streaming has to offer you, maybe this will be your year to check it out!

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How to create a new project in the self-hosted version of Orangescrum – TechRepublic

Learn how to create your first project in Orangescrum so you can start managing the PM tool with ease.

Now that you have a self-hosted instance of the project management platform Orangescrum up and running, the first thing youll want to do is create a project. After all, what is a project management tool without projects?

The first steps youll take when integrating new users to Orangescrum are:

Were going to walk through these steps, so you can focus on managing these projects in order for them to be completed in a timely and efficient manner.

SEE: Hiring kit: Project manager (TechRepublic Premium)

Jump to:

You need to have a self-hosted instance of Orangescrum running on your data center, stand-alone server or third-party cloud host wherever its running, the process is the same.

With the self-hosted instance of Orangescrum ready, open a web browser and point it to http://SERVER:PORT/onboarding, where SERVER is the IP address or domain name of the hosting server and PORT is the port you assigned in the Docker deployment command.

In my instance, I used port 8000, and its running on a server at IP address 192.168.1.60, so the address would be http://192.168.1.60:8000/onboarding.

When you reach that page, click Create Project (Figure A).

Figure A

In the resulting pop-up (Figure B), give the project a name and a short name, and then click Create.

Figure B

You will be taken back to the onboarding page, where you can invite users.

Click Invite User. In the resulting pop-up (Figure C), type the email address for the new user, select the new project you just created in the Project To Be Assigned and click Add.

Figure C

The user will receive an email invite with a clickable link that will finish the process.

Once again, youll be taken back to the onboarding window where youll need to click Create Task (Figure D).

Figure D

In the next pop-up (Figure E), give the task a name, assign it to a user, select a due date, configure the priority and select who would be notified.

Figure E

If you click More Options, you can add a task type, milestone, description, estimated hours, hours spent and attachments (Figure F).

Figure F

Click Post, and your task is saved. Youll be taken back to the onboarding window, which will automatically refresh and land you on the new task you created in your new project (Figure G).

Figure G

Now that youve created your first project in Orangescrum, invited users and added a task, its time to start managing that project. You can take advantage of all the features in the self-hosted instance of Orangescrum, which should be plenty.

Be sure to read my additional TechRepublic tutorials about Orangescrum: How to create an Orangescrum Project Plan, How to create an Orangescrum Task Group, How to create an Orangescrum Role Group for granular access to project management tools and How to use the Orangescrum bug-tracking feature.

Subscribe to TechRepublics How To Make Tech Work on YouTube for all the latest tech advice for business pros from Jack Wallen.

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The Global Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market size is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 15.0% CAGR during…

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Access control as a service (ACaaS) describes the provision of subscription-based services and solutions to regulate access to web applications and services provided by an organization. To monitor access remotely, backup, and store data securely, it combines on-site access control devices with software and servers kept at data centers.

New York, Jan. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Access Control as a Service Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Service Type, By Cloud Deployment Model, By Vertical, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 - 2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06412002/?utm_source=GNW

Across sectors, ACaaS is used to attest to and empower people, enhancing physical security at various sites. Administrators may primarily manage their web-hosted infrastructure with ACaaS. It offers customers access to a wide range of capabilities, including user authentication and authorization, support for the Windows Identity Foundation, well-known web identity services, and numerous additional platforms and services for identification and authorization.

SaaS applications are increasingly being used across all business areas by really successful companies. With demand continuing to rise, the industry is projected to experience significant expansion over the next years. However, rising SaaS use, such as file-sharing, file-storage, messaging, etc., poses problems since it causes important company data to leave the perimeters perimeter security and rely more on the individual security measures of each SaaS service.

The market turbulence was influenced by changes in the IT and telecom industries, digital transformations throughout industries, and the faltering global economy. Over the past few years, the market for access control as a service has steadily increased. Additionally, to expand the market, solution providers are always encouraging R&D investments to create new, customized solutions and services.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 Pandemic has raised the demand for access control as a service as businesses have moved to digital platforms. The markets initial reaction to COVID-19 was muted. A decline in supply and demand has halted the expansion of IT infrastructure. Businesses that offer solutions and services are also predicted to stop operating temporarily. But its expected that the use of collaborative apps, security measures, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) will increase in the 2nd half of the year. Businesses and governments were compelled to handle analytical issues that arose during the execution of critical business decisions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Market Growth Factors

Widespread BYOD Culture And Enhanced Performance

Bring Your Own Device is gaining popularity, and BaaS providers have invested a substantial amount of money to promote this trend. Due to this culture, the amount of data generated in organizations all over the world is increasing. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic also supported the expansion of the BYOD culture. There are three significant obstacles to the spread of BaaS, namely the increasing competition in the mobile apps industry, concerns over performance and security measures, and vendor choice. These factors are pushing Access Control as a Services Market forward.

Increasing Demand For Internet-Connected Hardware And Cloud Computing

Cloud technology has been heavily utilized across a wide range of sectors. Technology has greatly improved the ability to store data in the cloud. As both individuals and companies find cloud computing technology valuable for everyday use, the government is investing extensively in its implementation across all industries. For instance, a number of locations plan to invest multiple billion dollars in the growth of the cloud computing sector in the future years.

Market Restraining Factors

Security Worries And A Lack Of Knowledge

Organizations struggle to keep up with the rising cloud compliance requirements because of the threat landscapes continual change. To provide ongoing visibility into their cloud assets and reduce the risk of cloud-based threats, they need a security team with the requisite technical expertise for creating, processing, analyzing, and securing cloud solutions. Due to this lack of awareness, the market for Access Control as a Service Market is expected to see a decline in adoption in the upcoming years.

Service Type Outlook

Based on the service type, the Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market is classified into Hosted, Managed, and Hybrid. The hosted category acquired the largest revenue share in 2021. The Hosted, Access control system connects numerous employees, points of entry, and locations to a centralized hosting and monitoring center as a managed and hosted service. Software upgrades and IT maintenance are eliminated by hosted access control, which utilizes secure Internet or two-way radio transmission to interact between each site and the host server.

Cloud deployment model Outlook

Based on the Cloud deployment model, the market is categorized into Public Cloud, Private Cloud, and Hybrid Cloud. In 2021, the ACaaS markets private cloud segment will generate the substantial revenue share. A private cloud is an adaptable and trustworthy architecture for computer services that are provided over either a private internal network or the Internet. Additionally, the services provided on private cloud infrastructure adhere to all legal requirements and can be used by numerous end users.

Vertical Outlook

Based on the vertical, the Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market is divided into Commercial, Manufacturing, Industrial, Government, Healthcare, Education, Residential, Transportation, and Retail segments. In 2021, the commercial vertical category held the highest market share. The rise in theft and robbery in commercial structures is blamed for this expansion. Property owners are purchasing security systems with ACaaS for remote monitoring to safeguard business assets. A key problem today is theft and criminal activity related to information security. In order to improve security, protect people, and address security challenges, corporations invest millions of dollars in security.

Regional Outlook

Based on geography, the Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and LAMEA. During the forecast period, Asia Pacific is estimated to grow at a high growth rate. The regions rise is ascribed to The demand for ACaaS in Asia Pacific is being accelerated by factors like manufacturing companies increased focus on optimum safety and security, strict government regulations regarding workplace and employee safety, and strict quality control standards that companies in the residential, commercial and industrial manufacturing units industries are required to adhere to.

The major strategies followed by the market participants are Acquisitions. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Microsoft Corporation is the forerunner in the Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market. Companies such as Cisco Systems, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell Commercial Security), Johnson Controls International PLC are some of the key innovators in Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market.

The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Johnson Controls International PLC, Thales Group S.A., Assa Abloy AB, Dormakaba Holding AG, Identiv, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell Commercial Security), AMAG Technology, Inc. (G4S PLC), and Brivo Systems LLC.

Recent Strategies Deployed in Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market

Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements:

Oct-2022: Brivo partnered with Mindbody, a US-based company, primarily into providing a technology platform meant for the fitness, beauty, and wellness industries. The partnership focuses on introducing better security in the wellness industry through Brivos cloud-based access control. This partnership allows studios and owners on Mindbodys platform to access Brivos cloud-based access control to shield their assets and businesses.

Jul-2022: Dormakaba partnered with Schco, a German company, primarily into developing and marketing solutions for facades, doors, and windows. The partnership involves both companies working together to advance development projects in digitalization and access control. As a beginning step, both companies together will develop a door-integrated access management system, and connect Dormakabas EntriWorX platform with the chCal configuration and calculation tool. As a result of this partnership, the companies provide increased customer efficiency.

Jul-2022: Assa Abloy came into partnership with Agora, a leader in communication and technology solutions distribution. With this partnership, Agora fulfills Assas need for a Value Added Distributor (VAD). This partnership with Agora further expands Assas market share and expands its customer base.

Jun-2022: Brivo came into partnership with Ambient.ai, a US-based provider of visual intelligence platforms. The partnership involves automating threat detection in access control to address and mitigate workplace violence. The partnership allows organizations to further advance security operations. The partnership brings together Brivos cloud-based system and Ambient.ais contextual understanding of video footage, which would enhance safety operations and allow customers to focus on more important, high-priority events requiring human intervention.

May-2022: Brivo partnered with Doyle, a US-based company, primarily into security systems, video surveillance, access control, fire alarm systems, etc. The partnership involves Doyle expanding its product offerings by including Brivo Access, Brivoss cloud-based access control. Doyles long-term devotion to deliver quality security products aligns with Brivos aim to protect assets, facilities, and lives.

Dec-2021: Dormakaba extended its partnership with Touchless Biometric Systems (TBS), a Swiss company, primarily into manufacturing and developing biometric recognition devices. The extended partnership involves integrating TBS biometric readers portfolio with Dormakabas modular access management platform.

Mar-2021: Honeywell collaborated with IDEMIA, a France-based global technology company. The collaboration involves developing intelligent building systems by integrating Honeywells security and building management systems and IDEMIAs biometric-based access control systems. The collaboration focuses on data privacy and security and provides an advanced, streamlined contactless arrangement with a building.

Sep-2020: AMAG Technology partnered with Suprema, a Korea-based company, primarily into providing access control, time attendance, cybersecurity, biometric readers, etc. The partnership involves integrating AMAGs Symmetry Access Control v9.1 and Supremas BioLite N2 and BioEntry P2 Biometric readers, thereby providing users who demand multi-factor authentication (MFA) security with a supreme, flexible solution.

Acquisitions and Mergers:

Sep-2022: Assa Abloy took over Control iD, a Brazil-based company, primarily developing access control, commercial automation software, and solutions. The acquisition strengthens Assas access control in commercial and residential areas and biometric product offerings and further supports Assa to grow its market position in emerging markets.

Aug-2022: Assa Abloy took over Alcea, a France-based company, primarily into manufacturing and developing supervision, security systems solutions, and access control hardware. The acquisition will boost Assas market position as a comprehensive solutions provider, and further fortifies its critical infrastructure offerings.

Aug-2022: Johnson Controls acquired Vindex Systems, a UK-based company, primarily into providing system planning and design, turnkey security systems, etc. The acquisition reinforces Johnson Controls electronic security product offerings and further strengthens Johnsons expertise in design, and installation, for various complex security requirements. Additionally, the acquisition further expands Johnsons business in the United Kingdom.

Jul-2022: Thales completed the acquisition of OneWelcome, a developer of customer identity and access management (CIAM) platform, based in the Netherlands. The acquisition enables Thales to leverage OneWelcomes competence in CIAM to reinforce its authentication and data privacy product offerings and further complements Thales strategic plan to build up its position as a leading global player in cybersecurity.

Jun-2022: Johnson Controls took over Tempered Networks, a US-based company, primarily into developing zero-trust software. The acquisition enables Johnson to introduce zero-trust cybersecurity within its OpenBlue platform, thereby aligning with its vision to equip fully autonomous buildings with zero-trust cybersecurity.

Apr-2022: Johnson Controls took over Security Enhancement Systems (SES), a US-based company, primarily developing remote access security solutions and software. This acquisition allows Johnson Controls to provide keyless access control and data analytics to protect high-value infrastructures, and further benefits Johnsons clients by providing a single, credible source for security solutions.

Mar-2022: Dormakaba took over Atiqx Holding, a Netherlands-based company, primarily into providing workforce management services, and electronic access control. This acquisition expands Dormakabas presence in the Netherlands, by cashing on Atiqxs knowledge of the local electronic access control market, and customer base.

Jul-2021: Microsoft took over CloudKnox Security, a leader in Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management. Through this acquisition, the company aimed at providing privileged access and cloud entitlement management by integrating Microsofts identity, security, and compliance solutions with CloudKnox.

Jun-2020: Microsoft took over CyberX, a comprehensive, network-based IoT security platform. CyberX complements the capabilities of Azure IoT security capabilities. This acquisition aimed at accelerating and ensuring customers IoT deployments.

Product Launches and Expansions:

Mar-2021: Identiv introduced Primis Access Control, a security solution focused on running entry-level access control in under 10 minutes. The product is available in matte black, matte white, and gloss black.

Feb-2021: Honeywell expanded its MAXPRO cloud offering by introducing MPA1, and MPA2. MAXPRO Cloud is a security solution based on cloud for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) providing safety and security, at the same time minimizing costs. The new MPA1 and MPA2 complement the MAXPRO cloud offering and further strengthens the MAXPRO product by providing users with cost-effective access control and real-time security information from anywhere.

Nov-2020: Brivo introduced Brivo Access, a comprehensive security platform. The new product sets a benchmark for the access control industry, by combining business intelligence tools and machine learning technologies to convert raw data into insights, thereby benefitting building and security management teams.

Nov-2020: Identiv expanded its product offering by introducing Freedom Cloud in its Freedom Access Control solution. Freedom Cloud allows users to manage, and control the physical access control system (PACS) through Freedoms browser-based web administration. The new feature aids users to manage all aspects of PACS anywhere, anytime.

Oct-2020: Johnson Controls introduced Tyco Illustra Insight, a smooth and advanced access management solution intended for a workplace where a high level of security is required. Tyco Illustra Insight does not disrupt the flow of visitors, employees, and contractors, and can be applied in a wide variety of work places including healthcare, airports, and cleanroom environments, among others.

Sep-2020: Honeywell launched Pro-Watch Integrated Security Suite, a platform intended to support people to protect property, and advance productivity. The platform brings together video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection, and other functions in a single interface, thereby optimizing productivity, making rapid and informed decisions, and reducing risks, and costs.

Scope of the Study

Market Segments covered in the Report:

By Service Type

Hosted

Managed

Hybrid

By Cloud Deployment Model

Public

Private

Hybrid

By Vertical

Commercial

Government

Manufacturing & Industrial

Healthcare

Education

Residential

Transportation

Retail & Others

By Geography

North America

o US

o Canada

o Mexico

o Rest of North America

Europe

o Germany

o UK

o France

o Russia

o Spain

o Italy

o Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

o China

o Japan

o India

o South Korea

o Singapore

o Malaysia

o Rest of Asia Pacific

LAMEA

o Brazil

o Argentina

o UAE

o Saudi Arabia

o South Africa

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The Global Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) Market size is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 15.0% CAGR during...

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Amazon wanted to discuss opportunities for fine-tuning NZs policy … – New Zealand Herald

US tech giant Amazon pitched a number of ideas in correspondence with then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the lead-up to Overseas Investment Office approval for its hyperscale data centre investment in New Zealand, granted in March 2022.

In a September 2021 letter to Ardern, a correspondent from Amazons cloud computing division Amazon Web Services (AWS) says it will spend up to $7.5 billion on an Auckland AWS Region data centre build that will create up to 1000 jobs and provide a $10 billion indirect gain to New Zealands GDP by boosting the digital economy. It also promised digital skills training for up to 20,000 Kiwis.

The letter - among correspondence released following an Official Information Act request - says, We would very much like to discuss opportunities we see for fine-tuning New Zealands policy settings that can support public sector cloud.

Those opportunities included enhanced mechanisms to support public sector cloud adoption and refreshing and replacing the AWS-New Zealand Government Cloud Framework Agreement - that is, the all-of-government deal that Crown departments and agencies use for buying Amazon services.

AWS also pitched Amazons ability to help the Government with big digital transformation projects such as IT elements of Three Waters. And it said, we would like to discuss the potential of working with the New Zealand Government and the Auckland City Council on possible investments in water management projects and smart technology collaborations in the water sector as further collaboration on sustainability issues. (The Three Waters technology lineup has yet to be finalised, but the multinationals SAP and Oracle are heavily in the frame, due to their incumbency with major councils. The pair work with AWS at times, and rivals Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud at others. In transport, Auckland Council-controlled AT has thrown in its lot with Microsoft).

AWS also asked Ardern to appoint an empowered minister or senior officials to collaborate on getting Overseas Investment Office consent without delays and to discuss bringing in skilled IT workers from overseas for specialised roles.

And it asked for help cutting red tape. We would be grateful for the support of the New Zealand Government in facilitating, where appropriate, the timely consideration of consent applications to support the earliest possible Infrastructure launch. It was a forward request, but it did come at a time when the Government was working to accelerate projects across the board as a pandemic recovery strategy.

A response from Ardern was broadly positive, but non-committal. Her later correspondence with Amazon focused heavily on its support for the Christchurch Call effort to reduce online extremism. She thanked Amazon for being responsive after a mass shooting in Buffalo (which was livestreamed on Amazon-owned Twitch) but added that the incident showed our work is not complete. Ardern also wanted to discuss how the technologies that underpin the internet could be kept free, open, global, interoperable, reliable and secure while we are working to prevent terrorists and violent extremists from exploiting it for their own ends.

In July 2022, AWS announced it had struck a new cloud deal with the Government. But its difficult to portray that as the Government lining up to buy more Amazon cloud services because the tech giant had pledged to invest $7.5 billion here.

All-of-government deals were also refreshed with AWS arch-rival Microsoft, plus multinationals Oracle and SAP. The all-of-government deals involve panels of suppliers who agree to keen pricing and various other terms; government departments can then choose from the suppliers.

Amazon did not need an in. It has had an all-of-government cloud deal since 2017 and, with partners, has landed a string of contracts, including hosting the NZ Covid Tracer app and this countrys new online vaccination registry. The key difference with the new agreement is that government agencies can now deal directly with AWS if they dont want to buy via a partner.

The 2022 round of government cloud deals also involved local cloud contender Catalyst gaining a chair at the table.

Ours was a brand new agreement. Weve been trying to get this for years so it was a big deal, Catalyst director Don Christie told the Herald.

But while it was good to get inside the tent, Catalyst didnt get the same public displays of affection as enjoyed by its multinational rivals. Ardern met Amazon and Microsoft executives during her May 2022 trade tour of the US.

In a June 2022 letter, Catalyst invited Ardern to visit the firms Wellington offices to discuss the importance of data sovereignty and our specific alignment with NZ Government goals.

On your trip [to the US], you visited two of the three cloud computing providers who are authorised to provide cloud services to the New Zealand Government - AWS and Microsoft - both companies owned by the richest men in the world, based in Seattle. We applaud you for supporting these relationships which will create opportunities for NZ companies to better do business with the world, and bring our countries closer together, wrote Catalyst Cloud director Dave Moskovitz.

But did you know that there is a third cloud provider based right here in Wellington? Catalyst Cloud is NZs only cloud provider that is owned by New Zealanders, answers only to the New Zealand legal system, whose purpose is specifically for the benefit of New Zealand, and has a Cloud Framework Agreement with DIA. We dont own superyachts, private jets or spacecraft - I drive around in a 2007 Prius, because its the right thing to do.

Ardern did not visit the Kiwi firm.

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3 Reasons Why Wall Street Analysts Think Amazon Stock Could … – The Motley Fool

Remember the dot-com bubble in the late '90s? Even if it was before your time, you've probably at least heard of it. Internet stocks skyrocketed for years until their valuations got so out of hand that the bubble burst in spectacular fashion. Amazon (AMZN 3.04%) was among the stocks that were hit hard by the inevitable sell-off.

I don't think we've been in a bubble like the one experienced two decades ago, but for Amazon shareholders, it might feel like that's the case. Shares of the e-commerce and cloud-hosting giant have plunged more than they have at any time since the dot-com bubble burst.

But despite Amazon's dismal performance over the past year -- down 30% over that time frame -- there's still quite a bit of optimism about its prospects. Here are three reasons why some stock analysts think Amazon stock could soar over the next 12 months. The average analyst estimate is for a 40% jump.

What's the most important driver of increasing stock prices? Over the long run, it's earnings growth. Even over the short term, increased earnings typically push share prices higher. Analysts expect a huge jump in earnings for Amazon in 2023 -- and for good reason.

For one thing, Amazon is cutting costs in a significant way. In November, the company announced it was reducing staff by 10,000. Earlier this month, Amazon revealed a second round of layoffs of 8,000 employees. It has also taken other steps to control costs, including tightening its capital expenditure spending.

Lower costs lead to higher earnings when revenue holds up well. I'll touch on some factors that should help Amazon's top line in the next two points.

Amazon's impressive revenue growth of the past slowed considerably in 2022. Was it because customers don't want to shop online or organizations don't want to shift their IT operations to the cloud? Are competitors at long last slaying the Amazon dragon? No and no.

In Amazon's third-quarter conference call, CFO Brian Olsavsky blamed much of the company's sluggish sales growth on inflation. He particularly highlighted higher fuel prices and energy costs as reasons why customers were having to watch their spending.

The good news is that the inflation outlook appears to be improving. In December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the smallest 12-month increase in inflation in more than a year and the Federal Reserve has indicated that it will increase interest rates further (albeit by a smaller amount than in recent months).

This all means that the primary factor behind the company's slowing revenue growth shouldn't be as problematic in 2023 as it was in 2022. Analysts believe that Amazon's revenue will indeed grow at a faster rate this year than it did last year.

The biggest wild card for Amazon is what happens with the economy. A severe recession would no doubt hurt the company's top and bottom lines. However, most Wall Street analysts appear to think that the U.S. will only have a mild recession or perhaps no recession at all.

Major banks are bracing for a potential U.S. recession, but they don't think it will be a really bad one. Analysts at Moody's Analytics don't foresee a recession. Instead, they project a "slowcession" this year where the economy slows a little but not enough to enter a full-blown recession.

Amazon should be able to weather either of those scenarios relatively well. Also, stocks often begin to rebound well before the end of a recession so it's quite possible that Amazon stock could take off, especially in the second half of 2023, even if there is a recession.

I don't know if Amazon stock will soar 40% over the next 12 months. Wall Street analysts don't know for sure, either. However, I think the reasons behind their optimistic outlook for Amazon stock make sense.

More importantly, I think that Amazon will continue to be a big winner for investors over the next decade and beyond. The current situation isn't exactly like the period after the dot-com bubble burst, but it nonetheless presents a great opportunity for long-term investors.

John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keith Speights has positions in Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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3 Reasons Why Wall Street Analysts Think Amazon Stock Could ... - The Motley Fool

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OnePlus Cloud 11 launch event: Heres everything OnePlus is launching in India on February 7 – Times Now

OnePlus is hosting its Cloud 11 launch event on February 7 in India. However, unlike the OnePlus events in the past, this time OnePlus is all set to launch as many as five products on Feb 7 in India. The company had earlier confirmed that OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Buds Pro 2 were launching on February 7 and in the heads up to the launch event, OnePlus has now revealed its full slate of products it is launching in India. Heres everything OnePlus is launching on February 7 in India.

OnePlus 11 5G

The OnePlus 11 5G is the latest flagship phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. OnePlus has teased some of the key features and design of the OnePlus 11, but it has already launched the phone in China. The OnePlus 11 is tipped to feature a 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution, 50MP triple cameras on the back with Hasselblad tuning and a 5,000mAh battery to boot with 100W fast wired charging.

OnePlus 11R 5G

The OnePlus 11R has recently been confirmed to make an appearance but not much is known about this phone at the moment. The 11R succeeds the OnePlus 10R and is rumoured to be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. Likely, the OnePlus 11R wont have the Hasselblad colour tuning as the OnePlus 11.

OnePlus Pad

The OnePlus Pad is officially confirmed to launch alongside the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 11R on February 7 in India. The OnePlus Pad has been rumoured for quite some time. As per the teasers and rumours circulating online, the OnePlus Pad has a metal unibody design and features an 11.6-inch display. The back of the tablet has a circular camera module, similarly styled to the OnePlus 11.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 TWS earbuds will launch on Feb 7, succeeding the OnePlus Buds Pro. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are tuned by Dynaudio with dual drivers and features like spatial audio.

OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro

OnePlus Keyboard

OnePlus is also set to launch a mechanical keyboard on February 7. OnePlus has been teasing the OnePlus Keyboard for quite some time now. The OnePlus Keyboard is expected to have a good build quality and has a Type-C port along with an alert-slider-like toggle to switch between PC and Mac systems.

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OnePlus Cloud 11 launch event: Heres everything OnePlus is launching in India on February 7 - Times Now

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Auckland’s giant new data centres – and the power they’ll chug – New Zealand Herald

DCI Data Centres CEO Malcolm Roe, Digital Economy Minister David Clark and Brookfield managing director Udhay Mathialagan turn the sod for 'AKL02', a $400 million data centre campus that will be built in Albany on Auckland's North Shore. Video / NZ Herald

Power-hungry hyperscale data centres have begun springing up around northwest Auckland. And more - many more - are on the way.

Collectively, theyll consume about 200 megawatts of electricity at peak usage - roughly the amount required to power some 200,000 homes. For context, average demand in Auckland today is about 1700MW.

These are huge server farms for the cloud in cloud computing. When you use the likes of Zoom or Microsoft 365, play Fortnite or stream Netflix, its served from a data centre.

Having giant data centres in Auckland - particularly northwest Auckland, close to the landing points of the major subsea cables that connect us to the outside world, and to New Zealands largest peering exchange, for pointing the data in the right direction - means faster performance. And for the likes of government agencies and banks, it smooths issues over data sovereignty - keeping New Zealand data in New Zealand. Previously, the closest hyperscale data centres have been in Sydney.

But how will these energy-hungry giants fit in with a power system already facing a surge in electric vehicle ownership that has outpaced every experts prediction?

Bear in mind that Singapore placed a three-year moratorium on new data centre builds in 2019 (it was lifted mid-2022), citing the strain on the city states power grid. And in August last year, the Greater London Council told developers in west London they might be prevented from starting new housing projects in the area until 2035 because a spate of data centre builds had left the grid without spare capacity.

Hyperscale data centres are described by their peak power use as they run computers and the huge airconditioning systems required to prevent all those computers from overheating.

For example, Canberra Data Centres (CDC) opened two 14MW hyperscale data centres in Auckland: one in Hobsonville and one in Silverdale, 28MW in total, for what it said was an initial investment of more than $300 million. And in January, the firm said it had bought land to add another 12MW of capacity.

So far, CDCs twin centres are the largest hyperscale facilities in New Zealand - by default, given that theyre the first to build here in the supermassive hyperscale class - but competition is on the way.

Microsoft is building a data centre region in Auckland, with its first hyperscale data centre now under construction in Westgate, northwest Auckland, on land bought from Mark Guntons NZ Retail Property Group. Like others, Microsofts data centre has no signage and the firm prefers to keep its exact location secret for security reasons - although it is searchable in public records.

The centre is due to go live this year, and Microsoft hasnt put a price tag on the build, or detailed its specifications, other than to note that its above the Overseas Investment Offices $100m threshold for approval. Anchor customers will include Fonterra, ASB, BNZ (which is taking the opportunity to move some 1000 apps to the cloud), ACC and Auckland Transport. The transport agency says the development will trim $2.5 million from its $50m per year IT budget and make it easier to add artificial intelligence capability to apps.

And then theres the big daddy: a $400m hyperscale data centre being built by Sydney-based DCI Data Centres at a 5.8 hectare site in Albany, bought for $66m from the Knight family, who once wholesaled to garden centres). Ground was broken late last year.

DCI says the facility, dubbed AKL02, will be a 40MW data centre, housing a staggering 80,000 servers.

And that will be followed by the 10MW AKL01, near Whenuapai.

On top of all that activity, there is Amazons announcement that its Amazon Web Services division will spend more than $7.5 billion creating a local zone cluster of data centres in Auckland, with Netflix and potentially TVNZ and Spark as anchor customers.

Amazon says that head-spinning $7.5b total represents its planned investment over 15 years, including the cost of building at least three data centres and stocking them with hardware, plus operating costs including utilities and salaries. The tech giant says the project will create 1000 jobs. (If youre wondering, Amazon has separately calculated its value to NZs economy at $10.8b, for what thats worth.)

And on top of all that local contender, Datacom spent $52m upgrading its NZ data centres just before the pandemic hit. And in 2021, Spark unveiled a plan to supersize its Takanini data centre to 10MW (Datacom and Spark compete with the multinationals in some cloud hosting areas, put partner with them in a lot of others.)

Calculating the total megawattage of the various hyperscale data centres isnt as simple as adding together their individual published figures, because there is a degree of cooperation.

For example, DCI provides what it calls a wholesale white space and shell and core services for cloud service providers.

Will the firm be hosting AWS, Microsoft and perhaps another Big Tech peer on its AK02 Albany data centre campus? Its CEO Malcolm Roe cant confirm or deny, but close watchers of Overseas Investment Office and property documentation will have noted the same street address appearing on different providers applications (including Microsoft and DCI in Westgate).

Then theres the fact that Microsoft partners closely with CDC across the Tasman, meaning CDCs Hobsonville and Silverdale centres could form the second and third facilities in Microsofts region - but again, neither party will comment.

There is some cross-pollination with ownership, too. CDC is half-owned by NZX-listed Infratil and Infratil, in turn, co-owns Vodafone NZ with Canadas Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield owns 100 per cent of DCI.

Simon Mackenzie, chief executive of lines company Vector, is in a position to see the big picture.

The CEOs headline take: yes theyll be power hogs, but well see no west London-style moratorium on housing developments. We dont see that arise from any of our planning scenarios, he says.

As it stands at the moment, we are somewhere in the order of 200MW of data centres either under construction or committed or likely to proceed, Mackenzie told the Herald shortly after Vectors full-year earnings report last August.

Obviously some of those are still in the pipeline, but that is a significant load on our network, recognising that our network demand is about 1700MW on average. So thats a pretty big increase for us.

But two factors will ease the impact of that big increase.

First, Mackenzie points out that the new data centres are being built in stages. DCIs monster Albany plant, for example, will first go online in 2024, but only in stage one of several stages. That buys time for planning between Vector and national grid operator Transpower.

Data centre operators, like subdivision developers, are on the hook for 100 per cent of connection charges, but there is also the cost of upgrading upstream assets. Transpower is likely to add another grid exit point in Aucklands northwest, which is also home to rapidly expanding housing developments. It would be unreasonable to socialise the cost of such upgrades, Mackenzie says.

Second, it wont be simply a case of 200MW of demand being added to Aucklands existing 1700MW. The cloud providers argue that housing tens of thousands of shared servers in one data centre is more efficient than the older model of every organisation having its own servers in its own office (although its also fair to say that for the next few years well be in a messy transition period, with many organisations doing a bit of cloud, and a bit of old-school).

We can see use of the datacenter region as an alternative to other, less energy-efficient technology, being helpful in managing overall pressure on the NZ electricity system at times of peak demand, Microsofts Quesnel says.

With their tremendous thirst for power, there are limits to how green a data centre can be. DCIs Roe says, even if we covered the whole 5.8 hectares in solar panels, that would only generate a tenth of the power required by AKL02. Lots of the solar panels you see on data centres are just window dressing.

Still, while it will definitely be on the grid, and indeed is likely to require upgrades to that grid, DCI has pledged to work with its providers to run its new data centres using 100 per cent renewable power. So have Amazon, CDC and Microsoft. In Microsofts case, it says that from day one it will work with Carbon Zero-certified retailer Ecotricity, majority owned by Genesis.

CDC aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, while Amazon has committed to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Microsoft - which has set itself the goal of being carbon-negative by 2030 - also says its New Zealand data centres will be the first to be 100 per cent water-free - a key point, given data centres have traditionally been water hogs as well as power hogs.

The New Zealand datacenters will be cooled using outside air only, requiring zero water for cooling and zero water for humidification. The new datacenter facilities will have a WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) of 0.00 L/kWh [litres per kilowatt], Microsoft Azure product engineering lead Patrick Quesnel says.

Transpowers 2022 annual report says, we are already witnessing growing demand for electricity in New Zealand. Our 10 highest daily peak loads over the past decade have all occurred in the past year, with six of the top ten occurring in 2022. Industrial load is also set to increase. Alongside the rise from process heat, data centres will be a key player driving this demand, as evidenced by projects from DCI Data Centers, Datagrid and Amazon.

Datagrid, backed by rich lister Malcolm Dick and others, has plans for a 100MW hyperscale data centre in Southland, which would be 40,000sqm or the size of five rugby fields. However, that plan depends on funds being found for a new international cable and, more, Rio Tinto closing its aluminium smelter at Tiwai point, freeing up the necessary capacity from Meridians Manapouri power station - a development that is forever disappearing over the horizon.

Transpower says in response that it is supporting several renewable projects, including Contact Energys 168MW geothermal powerplant in Tauhara in the central North Island, due to open mid-year (Contact says 168MW is enough power for around 175,000 homes), and Meridians 176MW Harapaki wind farm in Hawkes Bay, set to come on stream in 2024.

But another major project - a huge, $4 billion hydro-electric scheme at Lake Onslow in Otago, pitched by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as a South Island battery to help New Zealand move to 100 per cent renewable electricity - hangs in the balance. The industry is watching to see whether the project survives new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins cull of Government policies. Pundits say without that substantial government backing, no private player is likely to take it on.

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Auckland's giant new data centres - and the power they'll chug - New Zealand Herald

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