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Google Drive leads in malware hosting, with majority of downloads attributed to the cloud – SC Media

Most malware downloads have originated from the cloud, with the percentage of cloud-based malware increasing from 46% in 2020 to 66% in the fourth quarter of 2021, SecurityWeek reports citing a study from Netskope.Google Drive was also discovered to be the leading malware hosting source, surpassing OneDrive.We dont yet know which cloud app will prove most popular in 2022 but we can be almost certain it wont still be Google Drive, said Netskope Threat Research Director Ray Canzanese.The report also revealed that while credential stuffing attacks against cloud apps have not significantly increased between 2020 and 2021, most attacks last year originated from the U.S.Meanwhile, the ongoing Great Resignation phenomenon has also prompted increased data exfiltration, according to the study.The increasing popularity of cloud apps has given rise to three types of abuse: attackers trying to gain access to victim cloud apps, attackers abusing cloud apps to deliver malware, and insiders using cloud apps for data exfiltration, Canzanese added.

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European Parliament pushes to ban targeted ads based on health, religion or sexual orientation – POLITICO.eu

STRASBOURG The European Parliament movedcloseron Thursday to banningtargeted ads based on sensitive data including religious beliefs, sexual orientation and racial or ethnic origin.

A large majority of lawmakersvotedto prohibit online platforms such as Facebook and Google from showing commercials to users based on their most intimate information, in the EUs draft content moderation bill, known as theDigital Services Act(DSA).

The move comes amid sustained calls from activists to bolster online privacy and crack down on what they say is abusive surveillance exploiting peoples vulnerabilities, the likes of which resulted in large-scale manipulations such as in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

U.S. lawmakers also on Tuesday introduced a bill with similar provisions prohibiting tech platforms and data brokers from using sensitive information to push their ads.

The new potential EU restrictions on targeted advertising could reshape the tech industry. They could affect the widely popular marketing practices underpinning tech behemoths' business models and fueling the advertising industry and traditional media organizations.

Lawmakers will now have to negotiate with the Council, representing the 27 EU governments, which has shown no interest in tackling online advertising in the DSA.

France, which is at the helm of the Council and plans to finalize the DSA, has previously shown reluctance to take heed of Parliaments appetite for new privacy rules.

On January 12 at an event organized by the Atlantic Council, French Digital Minister Cdric O said limits on targeted advertising could hamper the rhythm and progress of the adoption of the EUs tech laws, the DSA and its sister bill focused on online competition, the Digital Markets Act.

Proposed by the European Commission in December 2020, the DSA aims to create Europe-wide rules for online services. The bill seeks to crack down on illegal content, regulate online advertising and impose transparency measures on platforms' algorithms.

Galvanized by a widely supported but nonbinding call in the European Parliament to rein in targeted ads in 2020, several left-wing political groups including the Socialists & Democrats and the Greens laid out ambitious plans early on in the negotiations of the DSA to outlaw the practice of micro-targeted online advertisements.

But facing fierce opposition from center-right and liberal lawmakers, negotiators compromised on a ban on manipulative designs to nudge users to consent to online tracking, including so-called dark patterns and website notices to accept online trackers known as cookies. They also added that online platforms needed to clearly get consent from users before tracking them.

Meanwhile, tech companies wouldnt be able to target minors with ads.

Then, on Wednesday, left-wing MEPs pulled off an unexpected feat by winning the support of conservative and far-right lawmakers in what Greens MEP Alexandra Geesecalleda huge win for European citizens.

The privacy changes gave a strong signal that Parliament wants to be crystal clear on the need to do something on [tracking ads], lead lawmaker Christel Schaldemose, a Dane from the S&D, told POLITICO.

Parliament also approved an amendment to force online platforms to make sure that users who declined to be tracked could still have alternative options to access the services, meaning that a platform like Instagram couldntde factooblige users to be tracked to view posts on its app.

MEPs approved the preliminary lead committeerulesas lawmakers also decided to force online services to respect fundamental rights enshrined in the EU charter, including freedom of expression and information, in their terms and conditions.

Cloud hosting companies and platforms, meanwhile, could have to enable anonymous use of and payment for their online services.

Parliament also agreed that small- and medium-sized companies could request assistance when seeking legal representation in the EU, a requirement to comply with the DSA.

An amendment to get platforms to inform media organizations of content moderation decisions based on their terms and conditions, and give them a chance to challenge those decisions, before taking action was rejected. However, MEPs voted to ensure online platforms would also have to respect the freedom and pluralism of media.

The final rules could come into force as soon as 2023.

This article has been updated.

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European Parliament pushes to ban targeted ads based on health, religion or sexual orientation - POLITICO.eu

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Cloud Hosting

ISG to Conduct Study on Private and Hybrid Cloud Providers – Business Wire

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm, has launched a research study examining providers of private and hybrid cloud services targeted to enterprise clients.

The study results will be published in a comprehensive ISG Provider Lens report, called Next-Gen Private/Hybrid Cloud Data Center Solutions & Services, scheduled to be released in June. The report will cover a range of private and hybrid cloud services hosted in data centers.

Enterprise buyers will be able to use information from the report to evaluate their current vendor relationships, potential new engagements and available offerings, while ISG advisors use the information to recommend providers to the firms buy-side clients.

The new report will look at ways private and hybrid cloud providers are helping enterprise clients achieve their business goals, said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. Private and hybrid cloud providers are an important piece of many enterprises IT infrastructure, he said. These providers free up enterprises resources to focus on the core business, while offering secure and reliable cloud services.

ISG has distributed surveys to more than 400 private and hybrid cloud providers. Working in collaboration with ISGs global advisors, the research team will produce five quadrants representing the services the typical enterprise client is buying in the private and hybrid cloud space, based on ISGs experience working with its clients. The five quadrants that will be covered are:

The report will cover the hyperconverged systems and hybrid cloud management platform markets on a global basis and the managed services, managed hosting and colocation services markets in the U.S., the U.S. Public Sector, Brazil, Germany, the Nordics, Switzerland, the U.K., Australia, the Benelux countries, France, and Malaysia/Singapore. ISG analysts Shashank Rajmane, Pedro L. Bicudo Maschio, Ulrich Meister, Wolfgang Heinhaus, Ian Puddy, Rohan Thomas, Angus Macaskill, Bruce Guptill and Richard Marshall will serve as authors of the report.

An archetype report will also be published as part of this study. This report, unique to ISG, is the study of typical buyer types of private and hybrid cloud services as observed by ISG advisors.

A list of identified providers and vendors and further details on the study are available in this digital brochure. A separate brochure for the U.S. Public Sector is also available. Companies not listed as private and hybrid cloud providers can contact ISG and ask to be included in the study.

About ISG Provider Lens Research

The ISG Provider Lens Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit thiswebpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the worlds top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countriesa global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industrys most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit http://www.isg-one.com.

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Cloud Hosting

Rethinking Enterprise Data Protection Strategies in 2022 and Beyond – CXOToday.com

The incessant rise of ransomware attacks and other data threats has made backup and data protection services all the more essential for organizations today. While theres no way to predict the extent of these attacks in the years to come, it is clear that a sound data protection, especially a cloud backup strategy, will increasingly become pivotal for organizations to guard against future cyber threats.

In a recent interaction with CXOToday.com, Shiva Pillay, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, Veeam Software, explains how data backup and protection requirements are changing, as organizations shift to remote work amid the pandemic and adopt new working models worldwide. He also explains the companys growth plans for the APJ region especially the India market for the next one year.

Data itself is becoming increasingly critical because it is the real asset when we talk about data backup and protection. Without it, not only does an organization face business continuity challenges, but it also hinders organizations efforts to aspire for digital growth and transformation.

The COVID scenario puts the CIOs in a situation wherein they must tackle the challenge of how their businesses will run remotely. This has given rise to workplace trends like work from home (WFH) and bring your own device (BYOD), which in turn has resulted in the organizations witnessing proliferation of data, put very simply, its now a lot more difficult to control, manage and protect as you have many people working remotely demanding access to data.It also represents a significant increase in the potential for hacks and data loss. And that data is critical for the businesss ability to generate revenue and touch their customers.

If an organization is unable to understand data and to use it as an asset, it will inhibit their ability for digital growth. As per the Veeam Cloud Protection Trends Report 2021, Data is moving, and IT platforms are changing. Physical to virtual to cloud to containers, this evolution and expanded deployment mix shows that data lives in multiple places, so organizations need the flexibility to protect their data regardless of physical location, hypervisor, or application. Irrespective of where a workload is stored, it always needs protection even when in the public cloud.

The report states that public cloud is now a primary means of storing and delivering an organizations data. In APJ, 49% of organizations, run their high priority workloads on the cloud, and they host as a mainstream platform for hosting data.

Another change in the landscape is cloud-hosted IT delivered models infrastructure as a service, Software as a Service, and containers are gaining a lot of traction for production and disaster recovery, which means legacy providers, typically, served on-premises style engagements, must keep up with these mechanisms.

Talking about containerization, in APJ 40% of back up data belongs to containerized applications separately. Majority of the organizations believe their container architecture is durable, so they dont need to back up at all. Also, as per Veeams Data Protection Report 2021, 82% APJ organizations have an availability gap face an issue with recovering applications in an acceptable time frame and 77% of them face a protection gap.

The 3-2-1-1-0 strategy is fairly simple. It stems from cyber attacks, which are becoming extremely prominent in todays day and age. When you think about cyber-attacks, they really impact a companys ability to drive their business and hamper their ability to move their businesses forward. The 3-2-1-1-0 strategy means you have three copies of your data, on two different media types one copy should be off-site and one copy being offline, air-gapped, or immutable and lastly there should be 0 errors after automated backup, testing and recoverability verification.

Having an ultra-resilient copy of backup data that is either offline, air-gapped or immutable is an incredibly resilient specimen to help ensure data recovery in a ransomware event. It is a life insurance policy for you to get your data back up and running, while your security teams go back and solve the root cause of ransomware attack.

Also, having 0 surprises upon restore is a big benefit today. Sure Backup recovery verification by Veeam is a great way to confidently know that you can restore data. This isnt because a Veeam backup isnt good it is just that certain behaviour are only manifested on restores or reboots that may inhibit a restore going as planned.

Ransomware attacks are inevitable in todays time. It is not something that you can defend against. So, my advice to companies having worked in both security and the data backup space is if you have an immutable copy of that data, thats the ideal way of ensuring that youve got zero errors and you protect the integrity of the data.

New-age technologies, techniques are changing the game. Talking about how Veeam is playing in that space, we have had 20 new product releases in the last year. This spans the ecosystem of not only the cloud business, which is what weve started talking about, but the virtual, physical infrastructure, SaaS and application-specific environment.

Last year, Veeam has released the v11a a product, which is, even stronger and more robust platform. It comprises of a number of things which are quite interesting for our cloud users. One, it has increased value for customers as they expand to the cloud, including native and advanced protection for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. It has also delivered massive new support for leading public cloud platforms to help organizations accelerate cloud adoption by ensuring data is reliably secured, protected, and managed, while optimizing spends.

Our fastest growing product, Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 reported 73% growth YoY in Q321.The #1 backup and recovery solution for Office 365 enables users to securely backup to any location, including on premises, in a hyperscale cloud, or with a service provider.

Moving on to Kubernetes, we are now doubling down on modern infrastructure in this space, with the recent acquisition of Kasten. This acquisition enables us to deliver not only in the physical-virtual but also in the container-based environment; it has enabled us to offer K10 platform to our customers across the region.

With Kasten K10, organizations can store backups in the cloud, on-premises, and ransomware-proof immutable environments. It further enhances the data security posture and will add value to the data protection solution.

The intent for us is to deliver modern data protection solutions for the multi-cloud enterprise and help customers manage and back-up all the new types of data that are critical to their environment.

We have the same code that runs on an SMB environment. For instance, if you are backing up on Veeam, the same license will protect hundreds and 1000s of machines for enterprise customers. It really goes down to the concept of where we differentiate ourselves in the market and what we feel is one of the reasons for growth is the simplicity of the product and how it applies to an SMB customer all the way through to very large, complex enterprise customers.

In fact, 100% of our solutions cater to all enterprises across sectors. Veeam is continuously innovating with its solutions and the strong focus on innovation has helped the company reach where it is today. Veeam continues to deliver consistent, double-digit revenue growth because of its unmatched scale and market expansion.

Globally, in Q321 Veeam witnessed a double-digit growth with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) increase of 28% year-over-year (YoY). With the fastest revenue growth YoY (25.3%) in the most recent IDC Semi-Annual Software Tracker for Data Replication & Protection 1H21. Globally, we achieved double-digit growth for the 15th consecutive quarter.In APJ, Veeam reported an annual recurring revenue (ARR) increase of 30% year-over-year (YoY). Veeams momentum was fueled last year by new product releases and major feature updates, and the company is gearing up for a couple more this year in Q1 2022, including Veeam Backup for Office 365.

The APJ region we have expanded our partnership with Ingram Micro following the launch of Veeam on Ingram Micros cloud marketplace in ANZ, were also now available in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Recently, Veeam expanded its business partnership with Ingram Micro India by signing a distribution agreement in India.

This quarter we added some great referenceable customers to the region, including: Parul University in India, Qingdao Huanghai Pharmaceutical in China, Diamond Group in Indonesia, Midosuji Tax Office in Japan, TRC Thailand, Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia and Essilor Group in Singapore spanning across multiple verticals such as education, healthcare, construction, F&B and government. This is a testament to our commitment in providing the best-in-class data protection technologies to businesses across all industries and markets.

In India, we also work with major companies like Hero MotoCorp, Future Generali, and 63 Moons to name a few. Automotive, BFSI, healthcare, telecom, ITeS and PSU are the key focus verticals for Veeam in India. We cover the whole gambit of these types of customers.

Our plan is very simple in terms of growth. We will be driving high growth. And it needs to be a sustainable one for our customers, our channel partners, our own team, and the organizations we partner within

The alliances ecosystem will be focused on vertical lead orientation. We have a great leadership as well as sales team and I have a focus that will be on taking share. So, we continue to take share in India, were pushing towards that number one spot

Secondly, we will build more scale by investing into headcount and the areas that help our customers and partners use our products more effectively

And then lastly, we will continue to invest in futures and the way we drive our business. Veeam is continuously innovating and the strong focus on innovation has helped us reach where we are today. From doing $100,000 sales in 2008 to reaching over 1 billion dollars (globally) in 2020, our innovation-driven approach has paid off well.

Ransomware attack volumes have increased 151% globally, in the first six months, businesses of all sizes are aware of the threat. Rick Vanover, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Veeam has written a whitepaper which suggests five best practices CISOs should look at adopting if they want to drive and guarantee business continuity.

If you have the five best practices in place and have great backup solutionthat can help you repopulate your data, youre in a better position to not succumb to ransomware attacks.

In APJ, we are seeing some positive trends around the movement to cloud and containers, it is far more accelerated than we see in some of the other markets. And as you know, India is very central to innovation and driving cost efficiency. The new economical alternatives to build infrastructure become increasingly critical and explosive in those markets.

I always see India as a place of great innovation and forward-looking in terms of tech and driven from a cost efficiency standpoint, but then that has high demands on the type of technology. You must be present as a technology leader to be successful in that marketplace.

All in all, the criticality of data is one of the key messages from here. The move to cloud and the move to different types of Cloud container-based, SaaS, infrastructure as a service means that to keep your data available, you need modern data protection strategies. Veeam is doing well because were so focused on our customers, partners, and are so close to their trends. And as I said earlier, it is important for CXOs to address the changing data protection requirements and start thinking about a layered data protection approach i.e., identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.

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Pivotree to Host Exclusive Webinar on Digital Commerce Trends in 2022 – PRNewswire

Experts in Supply Chain, eCommerce, and Data Management Share Critical Strategies to Adopt in 2022 for Business Growth and Improving Customer Experience

TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Pivotree Inc. (TSXV: PVT) ("Pivotree'' or the "Company"), a leading provider of frictionless commerce solutions, invites business and IT leaders to attend an exclusive live webinar, Expert Discussion: What Emerging Trends Will Move Digital Commerce in 2022? Hosted byPivotree experts James Urbati, GM of Commerce, James Brochu, VP Operations and Vinny Maurici, VP of Strategy & Solutions.

To help retailers and brand manufacturers navigate the year ahead, Pivotree experts will share their thoughts on 2022 trends across the three critical areas of Supply Chain, eCommerce, and Customer Experience. Attendees can discover when and how supply chain woes could ease up, what's driving the shift away from 'one-stop-shop' marketplaces, the B2C and B2B eCommerce trends that are expected to accelerate and much more.

The pandemic caused major supply chain disruptions and after the peak holiday season of 2021, retailers are looking at different ways to improve their customer experience, and get a better handle on the supply chain channels involved in their business.

"No matter where you stand, one thing is clear: eCommerce has forever changed and the pressure is on to adapt,'' says James Urbati, GM of Commerce at Pivotree. "The good news is that 2022 holds a unique opportunity to take the lessons learned during the pandemic and accelerate your digital transformation journey. Looking ahead, everything from assortment and selection to payments and processing will all play important roles in providing unique and frictionless experiences to customers."

"The pandemic kicked off a perfect storm for supply chain disruption. Factory closings, material shortages, exploding consumer demand, and transportation bottlenecks have created chaos often surfacing as hard-to-find products and soaring prices," said James Brochu, VP Operations at Bridge Solutions Group, a Pivotree Company. "The ability to effectively solve these supply chain issues will be a significant differentiator for digital commerce leaders in 2022."

"Smart data management will play a critical role in 2022. Consumers are moving to digital commerce in droves but their patience for suffering through friction points is fading fast. If their experience feels hard at any point, they won't hesitate to switch where they shop and potentially never come back a daunting thought for many retailers," said Vinny Maurici, VP of Strategy & Solutions at Codifyd, a Pivotree Company.

Experts from Pivotree will explore the best practices to ensure a winning strategy for customer loyalty in 2022, and across all areas Supply Chain, eCommerce, Customer Experience, and beyond. One common factor of success for retailers will be their ability to remove points of friction (internally and externally) and deliver true end-to-end frictionless commerce for their customers.

To attend or learn more:

About Pivotree

Pivotree (TSXV:PVT) is a leader in frictionless commerce with expertise in eCommerce, MDM, Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Supply Chain solutions. Itis an end-to-end vendor supporting clients from strategy, platform selection, deployment, and hosting through to ongoing support. It operates as a single expert resource to help companies adapt relentlessly in an ever-changing digital commerce landscape. Leading and innovative clients rely on Pivotree's deep expertise to choose enterprise-proven solutions and design, build, and connect critical systems to run smoothly at defining moments in a commerce business. Pivotree serves as a trusted partner to over 170 market-leading brands and forward-thinking B2C and B2B companies, including many companies in the Fortune 1000. With offices and customers in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, Pivotree is widely recognized as a high-growth company and industry leader around the globe. For more information, visithttp://www.pivotree.com.

SOURCE Pivotree Inc.

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Pivotree to Host Exclusive Webinar on Digital Commerce Trends in 2022 - PRNewswire

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Cloud Hosting

What is the metaverse? Is it the future? – BCS

You will have heard the word metaverse a lot over the past few months, with more than a few articles written, but here is another one from the perspective of someone with decades of activity in the industry.

As early as the turn of the century, I was trying to get virtual world technology, inherited from the games industry, into enterprise use. This got some traction in 2006 when a group of us in IBM (initially in Hursley) started to explore the potential of Second Life.

This grew from a few of us with an unofficial blog called Eightbar, which evolved into a cross company movement of over 8,000 people. My actual business card had Metaverse Evangelist written on it; my sons birth certificate has it as his fathers profession for posterity.

During the Wimbledon tennis championship in 2006-2008, we created a social and data-powered experience, live in a virtual world. All this, and many more community projects and customer interest, led a global emerging business unit formed by IBM to investigate where this could all go. There still is a very large community of us from then, from all walks of life, with experience gathered and ideas to share.

Its great the metaverse concept is back I dont think it ever went away. Also, we werent the first to explore this. Here, I will explain why this is an important evolution for us all. Yes, Facebook did rename itself to Meta and put out a lot of metaverse PR, but this article isnt all about them, nor only about Microsoft Mesh, Nvidia Omniverse, Niantic, Virbela, Roblox, VRChat, Rec Room, Sinespace, Sansar, Second Life, the list goes on...

The metaverse was forged in science fiction. It was the term used specifically in Neal Stephensons Snow Crash in 1992 (you can now mark off a standard phrase on your metaverse buzzword bingo card). Writers like William Gibson also have a significant place in its literary life.

At its core, the metaverse is a unified way for people and things to interact in a virtual and spatial capacity. A collection of virtual worlds, which includes our physical one, make up the metaverse. Its often reduced to the idea of a giant virtual world by a single company but the pure concept is an evolution of an interoperable internet, now spatial.

It doesnt only have to be a computer screen with avatars wandering around, nor does it have to be experienced in virtual reality (VR), nor is it always projected onto the physical world with smart glasses or headsets for augmented reality (AR). It is all, or any, of those and will evolve to be much more.

With the web, using the internet, we were initially presented with the basics of text and hyperlinks. That steppingstone has quickly developed into where we are today. The metaverse is yet another step, helping our interactions with people and data, more suited to our evolution as spatial beings than to any technology restrictions.

We experience things around us, learn and grow based on that, yet we stare at flat screens, talk into a phone or type words in order to communicate at distance. Travelling and actual teleportation aside, dont you think that we should be able to find better ways to feel we are together with others and to have shared experiences? That is the role of the metaverse.

We need to start somewhere, hence avatars and virtual spaces are a logical place to begin; there are plenty already up and running and many more on the way.

Having spoken to thousands of people about virtual worlds and the metaverse, written papers and science fiction novels, I have heard a lot of objections to the technology. Is it just a new-fangled computer graphics powered concept?

The popular objection is someone claiming not to be a gamer, which leads them to not consider the idea of moving around and talking in a virtual space. Many games are virtual worlds but not all virtual worlds are games. Not that long ago, qwerty keyboards and even mouse/trackpad/touch screens didnt exist we all accept those to navigate applications.

We will evolve better ways to move around virtual environments, we know how to move around the physical world, whether deep in important business discussions on the golf course or kicking a football around with the kids.

These interactions are not objected to in the same way as a 3D, computer-mediated spatial interaction. Objections to evolving technology are fair enough, but have we reached the pinnacle of human communication and technology right now? I would suggest we have a way to go...

Another objection is that its not a serious business; the metaverse is just for escapism. Yes, there are places and things to escape into, just like losing yourself in a good book, but thats not all. In Second Life in 2006, as a programmer, I first tried to figure out how to pull data into the environment. This included x,y,z of tennis ball trajectories in a rally (gathered from Hawkeye) and the control of an internet connected lamp (before we used the term IoT). I also connected with people: we met, shared ideas and built things together. Those relationships remain today, decades on. I think there is enough evidence to show we are not considering escapism as the primary reason for the metaverse, so we can knock that one on the avatars head.

Then, there are virtual goods the I want to own the real thing! challenge. I am not going to get into an NFT conversation about provenance, cryptocurrency and blockchain thats a different conversation. Digital assets are virtual. So are enterprise software systems, operating systems and avatar clothing they are all virtual. You can, of course, turn some digital things into physical things, like 3D printing a model. It is the relevance of digital assets that is the core of the objection. You hear ideas like: Well pay for cloud hosting, an app on a phone or to stream movies, but we wont pay for an avatar t-shirt.

Lets consider the massive rise in the use of video-based meetings. Pre-pandemic enterprise remote meetings used voice teleconferences. Almost overnight, Zoom, Teams et al. became the norm for people suddenly working from home. Webcam tricks, formerly only used by geeks, such as replacing real backgrounds with something virtual rolled into the major applications.

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What is the metaverse? Is it the future? - BCS

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Co-location

Outlook on the Data Center Colocation Global Market to 2026 – Featuring China Telecom, CoreSight Realty and CyrusOne Among Others – PRNewswire

DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Data Center Colocation Market By Type, By Enterprise Size, By End-Users, And By Regions - Global & Regional Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast 2021 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global data center colocation market was about USD 39.56 Billion in 2020, with sales value projected to hit around USD 67.98 Billion by the end of 2026 and expected to register an excellent 15.6% CAGR during 2021-2026.

Data center colocations or simply carrier hotels are often referred to as the locational-based services that offer a retail-based approach for users in terms of equipment, space, and the technical bandwidth that is often required for these services. Additionally, these data centers often contain the space that can integrate spacing, cooling, and the groundwork that is required for storage, server, and networking equipment. The pivotal factors for the growth in the global data center colocation market are increasing demand for IT-based infrastructure and needs coupled with decreasing costs of IT expenditure to name a few.

Additionally, factors pertaining to decreasing costs of data centers coupled with a rising trend of business practices becoming more codependent on data centers are expected to blow the outlook for the global data center colocation market during the forecast duration. Increasing demand from social media platforms and over-the-top platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic will further boost the sales of the global data center colocation market during the forecast period.

Top Market Players

The key market participants for the global data center colocation market are Global Switch, NaviSite, NTT Communications, Inc., Telehouse, Interixon Holding N.V., Fabros Communications, Inc., Dupont, and American Telephone & Telegraph, Inc., and Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., to name a few.

Market Dynamics

On the basis of type, the global data center colocation market can be segmented into retail and wholesale. The segment pertaining to retail is expected to occupy the largest market share during the advent of the forecast owing to a range of flexible measures in its functionality coupled with increased integration measures for small-scale businesses due to a smaller flow of data streams to name a few.

On the basis of end-users, the global data center colocation market can be divided into retail, BSFI, IT & Telecom, healthcare, media & entertainment, and others. The segment pertaining to IT & telecom is expected to witness the largest market share during the advent of the forecast owing to a surge of mobile internet users coupled with a productive cycle of continuous development in the sector to name a few.

North America to Flourish During the Forecast Period on a Global Overview

North America is expected to witness the largest market share during the advent of the forecast owing to the rising presence of the key market players in the region coupled with an increasing number of cloud service providers to name a few.

Additionally, an increasing number of SMEs incorporating data centers in their functioning coupled with rising e-commerce sales are expected to boost the increase in the footprint of the data center colocation market during the forecast period. The increasing rate of investment from retailers in building strong IT infrastructures is further expected to increase revenue opportunities for the data center colocation market during the forecast period.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1 Executive Summary1.1. Introduction of Data Center Colocation1.2. Global Data Center Colocation Market, 2019 & 2026 (USD Billion)1.3. Global Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)1.4. Global Data Center Colocation Market Absolute Revenue Opportunity, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)1.5. Global Data Center Colocation Market Incremental Revenue Opportunity, 2020 - 2026 (USD Billion)

Chapter 2 Data Center Colocation Market - Type Analysis2.1. Global Data Center Colocation Market - Type Overview2.2. Global Data Center Colocation Market Share, by Type, 2019 & 2026 (USD Billion)2.3. Retail2.3.1. Global Retail Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)2.4. Wholesale2.4.1. Global Wholesale Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market - Enterprise Size Analysis3.1. Global Data Center Colocation Market - Enterprise Size Overview3.2. Global Data Center Colocation Market Share, by Enterprise Size, 2019 & 2026 (USD Billion)3.3. SMEs3.3.1. Global SMEs Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)3.4. Large Scale Enterprises3.4.1. Global Large Scale Enterprises Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)

Chapter 4 Data Center Colocation Market - End-Users Analysis4.1. Global Data Center Colocation Market - End-Users Overview4.2. Global Data Center Colocation Market Share, by End-Users, 2019 & 2026 (USD Billion)4.3. Retail4.3.1. Global Retail Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)4.4. BSFI4.4.1. Global BSFI Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)4.5. IT & Telecom4.5.1. Global IT & Telecom Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)4.6. Healthcare4.6.1. Global Healthcare Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)4.7. Media & Entertainment4.7.1. Global Media & Entertainment Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)4.8. Others4.8.1. Global Others Data Center Colocation Market, 2016 - 2026 (USD Billion)

Chapter 5 Data Center Colocation Market - Regional Analysis

Chapter 6 Data Center Colocation Market - Competitive Landscape6.1. Competitor Market Share - Revenue6.2. Market Concentration Rate Analysis, Top 3 and Top 5 Players6.3. Strategic Developments6.3.1. Acquisitions and Mergers6.3.2. New Products6.3.3. Research & Development Activities

Chapter 7 Company Profiles7.1. China Telecom Corp Ltd7.1.1. Company Overview7.1.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.1.3. China Telecom Corp Ltd Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.1.4. China Telecom Corp Ltd Revenue and Growth Rate7.1.5. China Telecom Corp Ltd Market Share7.1.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.2. CoreSite Realty Corp7.2.1. Company Overview7.2.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.2.3. CoreSite Realty Corp Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.2.4. CoreSite Realty Corp Revenue and Growth Rate7.2.5. CoreSite Realty Corp Market Share7.2.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.3. CyrusOne Inc7.3.1. Company Overview7.3.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.3.3. CyrusOne Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.3.4. CyrusOne Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.3.5. CyrusOne Inc Market Share7.3.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.4. Cyxtera Technologies Inc7.4.1. Company Overview7.4.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.4.3. Cyxtera Technologies Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.4.4. Cyxtera Technologies Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.4.5. Cyxtera Technologies Inc Market Share7.4.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.5. Digital Realty Trust Inc7.5.1. Company Overview7.5.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.5.3. Digital Realty Trust Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.5.4. Digital Realty Trust Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.5.5. Digital Realty Trust Inc Market Share7.5.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.6. Equinix Inc7.6.1. Company Overview7.6.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.6.3. Equinix Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.6.4. Equinix Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.6.5. Equinix Inc Market Share7.6.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.7. Global Switch7.7.1. Company Overview7.7.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.7.3. Global Switch Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.7.4. Global Switch Revenue and Growth Rate7.7.5. Global Switch Market Share7.7.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.8. NaviSite7.8.1. Company Overview7.8.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.8.3. NaviSite Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.8.4. NaviSite Revenue and Growth Rate7.8.5. NaviSite Market Share7.8.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.9. NTT Communications Inc7.9.1. Company Overview7.9.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.9.3. NTT Communications Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.9.4. NTT Communications Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.9.5. NTT Communications Inc Market Share7.9.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.10. Telehouse7.10.1. Company Overview7.10.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.10.3. Telehouse Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.10.4. Telehouse Revenue and Growth Rate7.10.5. Telehouse Market Share7.10.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.11. Interixon Holding N.V7.11.1. Company Overview7.11.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.11.3. Interixon Holding N.V Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.11.4. Interixon Holding N.V Revenue and Growth Rate7.11.5. Interixon Holding N.V Market Share7.11.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.12. Fabros Communications Inc7.12.1. Company Overview7.12.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.12.3. Fabros Communications Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.12.4. Fabros Communications Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.12.5. Fabros Communications Inc Market Share7.12.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.13. Dupont and American Telephone & Telegraph Inc7.13.1. Company Overview7.13.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.13.3. Dupont and American Telephone & Telegraph Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.13.4. Dupont and American Telephone & Telegraph Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.13.5. Dupont and American Telephone & Telegraph Inc Market Share7.13.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations7.14. Zayo Group Holdings Inc7.14.1. Company Overview7.14.2. Product/Service Portfolio7.14.3. Zayo Group Holdings Inc Sales, Revenue, and Gross Margin7.14.4. Zayo Group Holdings Inc Revenue and Growth Rate7.14.5. Zayo Group Holdings Inc Market Share7.14.6. Recent Initiatives, Funding/VC Activities, and Technological Innovations

Chapter 8 Data Center Colocation - Industry Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy, and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis

Chapter 11 Report Conclusion & Key Insights

Chapter 12 Research Approach & Methodology

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/in1ku6

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Outlook on the Data Center Colocation Global Market to 2026 - Featuring China Telecom, CoreSight Realty and CyrusOne Among Others - PRNewswire

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Co-location

TeraGo to Divest Cloud and Colocation Business Lines to Hut 8 Mining Corp. – Yahoo Finance

Strategic Divestiture Positions TeraGo to Focus on its 5G Private Networking Business

TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - TeraGo Inc. ("TeraGo" or the "Company") (TSX: TGO) (www.terago.ca), announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its cloud and colocation business lines to a subsidiary of Hut 8 Mining Corp. (Nasdaq: HUT) (TSX: HUT) ("Hut 8") for an aggregate consideration of Cdn.$30 million payable in cash upon completion of the transaction.

Under the agreement, Hut 8 is acquiring TeraGo's cloud and colocation customers, employees, certain other contracts, intellectual property rights, and other assets related to its cloud and colocation business lines. The company's senior executives and employees that are part of TeraGo's fixed wireless access and 5G business line will remain with TeraGo. Additionally, in order to ensure the smooth operation and transfer of the cloud and colocation business lines, TeraGo will provide support and transition services over the next few months.

"TeraGo is uniquely positioned in Canada with our broad customer base for wireless services and our extensive millimeter wave spectrum licenses; this transaction will enable us to focus on leveraging these assets in our move to become Canada's leading provider of mmWave 5G private networks for businesses," said TeraGo's CEO Matthew Gerber. "We see the need for 5G private networks accelerating in the next few years as manufacturers, distributors, transportation companies and other industries seek to leverage the benefits of ultra-fast, ultra-low latency, private and secure communications to improve operational efficiencies and lower costs. We also believe that we found a great partner in Hut 8 as it has the capabilities to support our cloud and colocation customers for the long term, and provides opportunities for our two companies to deliver services to each other's customers going forward."

Story continues

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

Advisors

DH Capital is serving as financial advisor to TeraGo and InHaus Legal LLP & Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP are acting as its legal counsel.

About TeraGoTeraGo owns a national spectrum portfolio of exclusive 24 GHz and 38 GHz wide-area spectrum licences including 2,120 MHz of spectrum across Canada's 6 largest cities. TeraGo provides businesses across Canada with cloud, colocation and connectivity services. TeraGo manages over 3,000 cloud workloads, operates five data centres in the Greater Toronto Area, the Greater Vancouver Area, and Kelowna, and owns and manages its own IP network. The Company serves business customers in major markets across Canada including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Ottawa and Winnipeg. For more information about TeraGo, please visit http://www.terago.ca.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond TeraGo's control. The completion of the proposed transaction with Hut 8 is subject to certain terms and conditions which TeraGo believes to be customary. Such terms and conditions may not be satisfied or obtained in accordance with their terms, in which case the proposed transaction could be modified or terminated, as applicable. Other forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to statements regarding the timing for closing of the proposed transaction, as well as statements regarding the further developing our 5G Fixed Wireless Access program, consistently executing across all fronts of the business, success in providing Canadian enterprises with managed services and the 5G fixed wireless trials being conducted by the Company. All such statements constitute "forward-looking information" as defined under, applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts constitute forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements reflect the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those risks set forth in the "Risk Factors" sections in the annual MD&A of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the MD&A of the Company for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, each available on http://www.sedar.com under the Company's corporate profile. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially include the inability to consistently achieve sales growth across all lines of TeraGo's business including managed services, inability to complete successful 5G technical trials, the impacts and restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are prolonged which may further delay customer trials and/or cause a negative impact on future financial results of the Company, TeraGo's Pandemic Response Plan may not mitigate all impacts of COVID-19, the results of the 5G trials not being satisfactory to TeraGo or any of its technology partners, regulatory requirements may delay or inhibit the trial, the economic viability of any potential services that may result from the trial, the ability for TeraGo to further finance and support any new market opportunities that may present itself, and industry competitors who may have superior technology or are quicker to take advantage of 5G technology. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as several factors could cause actual future results, conditions, actions or events to differ materially from the targets, expectations, estimates or intentions expressed with the forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by applicable Canadian securities laws, TeraGo does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether in words, oral or written as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE TeraGo Inc.

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View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2022/20/c9600.html

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TeraGo to Divest Cloud and Colocation Business Lines to Hut 8 Mining Corp. - Yahoo Finance

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Co-location

Springfield coffee house to close south-side spot 2 months short of one-year anniversary – The State Journal-Register

Jan. 30is Grateful Coffee Co.'s final day of operation at 1370 Toronto Road.

The locally-owned coffee house is closing two months shy of its first anniversary but owners say this only marks an end for the south side-address, not the business brand.

We arent getting the foot traffic we needed, said Brandon Austin, who co-owns the business with his wife, Cana. The people who were coming were fantastic, incredibly kind. There just werent enough to make it at that location.

But were considering alternate locations where either there isnt coffee already there or the traffic is.

Last year: Owners of new Springfield coffee shop want it to be more than a mocha spot

Austin said they are turning their attention to brick-and-mortar sites on the citys retail centers on the west side and North Dirksen Parkway. Other considerations, he added, could be operating a food truck or selling roasted coffee beans to a local third-party retailer using the Grateful Coffee Co. label.

Austin did not have a timeframe on how soon the Grateful Coffee Co. name might return in any of these capacities.

Grateful Coffee Co. opened in the former Three Twigs Bakerysite last April on the heels of the local bakery striking out westward itself. The newly-christened Three Twigs Bakery & Bistro operates at 3429 Freedom Drive in Parkway Pointe Shopping Center.

Several businesses have attempted to establish the Toronto Road address as a stop for south side commuters to pick up a cup of joe. Free Press Coffee Houseopened at the site in 2017, but just lasted a year. Three Twigs called the spot home for two years.

Natalie Morris can be reached at 737-7254 or by email at natalie.sjr@gmail.com.

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Springfield coffee house to close south-side spot 2 months short of one-year anniversary - The State Journal-Register

Categories
Co-location

On a growth spurt of its own, vertical farming startup Fifth Season announces second farm location, new leadership hires – Pittsburgh Business Times

On a growth spurt of its own, vertical farming startup Fifth Season announces second farm location, new leadership hires  Pittsburgh Business Times

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On a growth spurt of its own, vertical farming startup Fifth Season announces second farm location, new leadership hires - Pittsburgh Business Times