TELUS launches brand-first sweepstakes to raise funds to support to students through bursaries

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 22, 2024 by itnerd

 TELUS Friendly Future Foundation has launched its inaugural Friendly Future Sweepstakes, a nationwide initiative to raise funds for socially minded post-secondary students in need of financial aid. 

This unique contest offers Canadians, 18 years and older, the chance to win a one-of-a-kind family trip for four to Oahu, Hawaii. Tickets can now be purchased online until November 30thand start at just $25 for a five-ticket bundle, with one hundred percent of proceeds going directly to the TELUS Student Bursary program.

Launched by TELUS Friendly Future Foundation in 2023, the $50 Million TELUS Student Bursary, the largest national bursary fund in Canada, supports students in financial need who are making a difference in their communities. By the end of 2024, the fund will have supported nearly 1000 students attending post-secondary institutions across Canada. 

By participating in the Friendly Future Sweepstakes, Canadians are directly contributing to the TELUS Student Bursary program. To date, the Sweepstake has raised enough funds to support bursaries for nearly 40 additional students. By purchasing tickets, Canadians will be helping even youth across the country achieve their dreams of attending post-secondary.  

Bell Expands TV Offerings with 11 New Free, Ad-Supported Channels

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 22, 2024 by itnerd

Bell has announced the launch of 11 new free, ad-supported television (FAST) channels, available nationwide on the Bell TV and Virgin Plus TV apps and by visiting  TV.Bell.ca and TV.VirginPlus.ca. These channels are available with all TV packages and are seamlessly integrated into your TV guide, appearing alongside your favourite live channels in the 3000s section.

The new channels offer a diverse range of programming, including lifestyle, comedy, news, sports, and movies. Bell customers in Ontario and Atlantic Canada with the latest version of Fibe TV can also access these channels directly through their TV set-top-box.

Here’s a list of the channels:

English

  • CTV @Home: Lifestyle programming like The Marilyn Denis Show, Mary’s Kitchen Crush and more
  • Corner Gas Channel: All episodes of Corner Gas and Corner Gas Animated
  • CTV Gridlock: Classic episodes of Highway Thru Hell and the entire Heavy Rescue: 401 series
  • CTV Laughs: Sitcoms, roast battles and stand-up
  • The Mightiest by CTV: Includes Mighty Trains, Mighty Cruise Ships and more
  • CTV News: The best of CTV News, Power Play, Question Period and W5
  • TSN The Ocho: Unusual sports programming like table tennis, ultimate frisbee and more
  • CTV Gets Real: Reality TV with episodes of The Challenge, Battle of the Generations and more

French

  • Noovo cinéma: A wide selection of movies, from romantic comedies to mysteries and dramas
  • Ça c’est drôle: Comedy clip channel of disasters, fails and more
  • Les débatteurs Noovo: Michel Bherer and guest debaters discuss current events

Cyber Week Predictions From Salesforce: AI is set to drive $61 billion in Sales, 27% average discounts in Canada

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 22, 2024 by itnerd

Here’s some Cyber Week Predictions from Salesforce about how AI is on track to influence up to 19% of Cyber Week orders and why retailers should leverage AI-powered customer service to beat their competition.

With AI expected to drive over $61B in sales, Salesforce’s data shows AI-powered agents have the potential to be the ultimate holiday helper, assisting customers to find exactly what they’re looking for and supporting retailers by offering personalized, fast, and efficient service.

AI is critical for retailers to drive conversion during this pivotal shopping season. The Salesforce Shopping Index indicates that retailers using generative AI and agents have increased their Average Order Value (AOV) by 7% compared to those not using it ($117 vs. $109).

Below is an overview of Salesforce’s Cyber Week 2024 predictions.

  • Global sales to climb: Cyber Week sales are expected to reach $311B worldwide, accounting for 23% of all holiday purchases in 2024. 
  • This year, Canada can anticipate 7% expected Cyber Week Growth.
  • AI grows opportunity for greater wallet share: AI and agents will likely influence 19% of Cyber Week orders, accounting for $61B in global sales.
  • AI has already contributed 17% of global purchases in the last seven weeks.
  • Consumers embrace AI agents for faster customer service: Retailers who have invested in AI-powered service agents have seen growth in their customer service engagement double compared to those who have not invested in AI-powered agents.
  • Discount rates are expected to be attractive: Average discounts will likely peak at 28% globally and 27% for Canada, fueling 5% YoY global sales growth. 
  • Top discounts rates globally are expected in: Beauty & Makeup – 38% |  Skincare – 33% | General Apparel – 33%|
  • Mobile takes over: Mobile orders will make up 70% of sales, driven by better on-the-go experiences in recent years, and presenting a new sales opportunity with AI agents on mobile messaging apps.

Mission Cloud Shares Their 2025 Predictions

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 22, 2024 by itnerd

Jonathan LaCour, CTO, Mission Cloud shares a few predictions for 2025 that you will find interesting.

AI Integration with Existing Services: Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google will integrate AI capabilities into their existing services rather than offering them as standalone features

  • Example: AI agents could help with operational tasks, automatically resolving problems instead of just sending alerts

AI-Enhanced Products Rather Than Pure AI Services: Focus will be on practical applications built into existing products

  • Example: Amazon QuickSight Q was cited as a good example where generative AI is built into a product that anyone can use without needing to build AI capabilities themselves

App and AI Integration: Rather than AI completely replacing apps, there will likely be a hybrid approach where:

  • Apps will declare their capabilities to other software
  • AI agents will orchestrate between different apps
  • The actual actions will still be handled by apps, but AI will coordinate between them

Traditional Cloud Trends:

  • Continued growth in serverless computing
  • Increased containerization of workloads
  • Decrease in directly managed EC2 instances

The most interesting developments will be in how AI gets practically integrated into existing tools and services, rather than being offered as standalone capabilities.

To add to this, Dr. Ryan Ries, Chief AI and Data Scientist, Mission Cloud shares his predictions:

Prompt Configuration Management

Right now, everyone is trying to figure out how to store, maintain, and update their prompts.  People are often just putting them into Python notebooks and storing them in GIT repositories, but it doesn’t feel quite right. My team has been working through methodologies and trying to figure out the best way to track and update prompts.  This will be a big topic going forward, and we will see new systems coming online to help.

Autonomous Workflow Management

Autonomous workflow management refers to AI agents taking on entire business processes, from initial customer contact to final delivery, with minimal human intervention. I don’t think this is fully a 2025 thing — but we can expect to see autonomous workflow management crop up more and more in the next 5 years.

New Job Opportunities

Yes, AI agents will start to work autonomously, eventually requiring minimal human intervention.  But, this means we will need a new kind of role: AI agent managers – someone who will make sure these AI agents perform their tasks and is able to fine-tune these agents over time.

2025 Predictions: Self-Optimizing Clusters, Cross-Cloud HA, & Enhanced Security and Isolation

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 22, 2024 by itnerd

When it comes to AI and High Availability (HA) Clustering, the synergy between AI’s capabilities and HA’s needs is expected to drive more advanced, resilient, and self-managing clusters. Here are a few predictions from Don Boxley, CEO and Co-Founder, DH2i on how this convergence will shape the future.

1.)  Self-Optimizing Clusters – AI will enable HA clusters to self-optimize by analyzing workload patterns, resource usage, and performance metrics in real-time. This means that clusters can automatically adjust resource allocation, distribute workloads more evenly, and maintain optimal performance without human intervention, even under fluctuating loads.

“Managing HA clusters manually often leads to inefficiencies, with resources sitting idle during low usage and systems struggling to keep up under peak loads.”

“AI eliminates these inefficiencies by continuously analyzing workloads and resource usage, allowing clusters to self-optimize and maintain peak performance without manual oversight.”

2.)  Cross-Cloud High Availability – As organizations adopt multi-cloud strategies, AI-driven HA clustering will help maintain HA across different cloud environments by managing clusters that span multiple providers. AI-driven HA clustering will also leverage adaptive load balancing, where AI learns usage patterns, traffic surges and analyzes performance across providers to intelligently distribute workloads across nodes. This approach will minimize latency and prevent bottlenecks, keeping HA clusters performant and responsive.

“Organizations relying on multi-cloud strategies frequently encounter challenges in ensuring consistent performance and availability across providers, leading to latency and bottlenecks.”

“AI simplifies cross-cloud HA by dynamically analyzing traffic and distributing workloads intelligently across providers, ensuring seamless performance and responsiveness.”

3.)  Enhanced Security and Isolation – AI-powered monitoring will enable HA clusters to detect unusual behaviors that may signify security breaches or potential insider threats. By identifying anomalies, AI can isolate affected nodes or reroute traffic away from potential threats, enhancing the security and reliability of HA clusters.

“Traditional monitoring tools often miss subtle threats or fail to respond quickly enough, leaving HA clusters vulnerable to breaches and downtime.”

“AI-powered monitoring detects anomalies in real-time and isolates threats immediately, ensuring the security and reliability of high availability clusters without delays.”

The top 7 tips to avoid cyber scams during the holiday season from a cybercrime expert

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 22, 2024 by itnerd

With Black Friday approaching next week, I have collected some thoughts from cybercrime expert Rafe Pilling, Director of Threat Intelligence for the Secureworks Counter Threat Unit, about scams that youmay see this upcoming holiday season and how to stay secure. First some commentary from Rafe:

“The sense of urgency around limited time deals coupled with the excitement of the holidays makes Black Friday a prime opportunity for cyber criminals. Every year we see an uptick in attacks based on significant consumer events including Black Friday. There is a sense of urgency created by a ‘limited deal’ shopping window which can mean our usual checks and guards get set aside in favour of trying to secure the best deal.” 

“From imitating the marketing we get, to SEO poisoning, to fraudulent delivery updates, there are a number of touch points cyber criminals can exploit. And with the growing use of AI, scam emails can be more convincing than ever, mimicking brands we trust to sidestep our normal defenses. As you look to cash in on the deals this Black Friday, don’t forget to prioritize your protection.”

Top 7 Tips for Staying Secure:

  1. Verify Email Sender: Check the sender address of any email that sends you a deal. Look for misspellings of domain names or discrepancies between the display name and the actual sender email address. Be especially wary of emails from retailers you do not recognize or have not previously used.
  2. Don’t just click: Some deals can be too good to be true. Beware of lookalike sites that offer deep discounts and hard-to-find products. Even if a website or email looks legitimate, open a new browser whenever possible to visit the real eCommerce site directly rather than clicking on links through an email or on high-ranking websites on search engines – these can be manipulated to prioritize fake and fraudulent sites.
  3. Delivery scam danger: Be cautious about text messages claiming to provide details on purchase deliveries. Scammers frequently send SMS phishing links under the guise of delivery notifications or delivery fee payment requests. Never click links provided via SMS. Refer back to original emails you have received or retailer apps detailing how to track your package.
  4. Watch Your Bank Accounts: Sign up for fraud alert notifications from your bank/card provider. This safeguards you against scams that falsely claim there has been unauthorized activity on your accounts in order to trick you into divulging your account login and password. 
  5. Add Security to Your Store Accounts: Use multi-factor authentication on all accounts that will allow it and a strong, unique password for every site. This can significantly reduce the chances—if your credentials do get stolen—of cybercriminals being able to use them to access your personal information, bank details or to conduct fraudulent transactions.
  6. Download cautiously: Malware infections can occur via malicious advertising (‘malvertising’) or third-party code running on ecommerce sites, so visitors get infected through no fault of their own. Never let a website bully you into running downloaded software or calling a tech support hotline.
  7. Control App Permissions: Only download mobile apps from authorized app stores. Even then, be aware of what permissions they are asking for. Apps that ask to access your text messages, contact lists, or passwords should be treated as highly suspicious. Remove any apps that you don’t need or don’t use any more.

Cyware Again Named to Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

 Cyware, the leading provider of threat intelligence management, low-code/no-code automation, and cyber fusion solutions, today announced that it has again been named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America. 

About the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Now in its 30th year, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2020 to 2024.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.

2025 Predictions by Cassius Rhue, Vice President, Customer Experience, SIOS Technology

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

Here are some 2025 Predictions by Cassius Rhue, Vice President, Customer Experience, SIOS Technology. This is what they see coming down the pipeline for 2025.

Real-Time Failover for AI-Powered Security Analytics – As AI-driven security analytics tools become standard for detecting and responding to threats, organizations will prioritize high availability to ensure these applications operate without downtime. Failover clustering will play a crucial role in maintaining continuous, real-time threat detection and response, preventing gaps in security coverage that could leave the enterprise vulnerable. By leveraging failover clustering, enterprises will mitigate risks and enable uninterrupted operation of their critical security monitoring and analytics tools.

Greater Adoption of Hybrid Cloud Failover Clustering – Enterprises will increasingly implement hybrid cloud architectures, combining on-premises data centers with public cloud platforms for failover clustering. This setup will ensure high availability and disaster recovery while offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Organizations will prioritize failover solutions that seamlessly bridge on-prem and cloud environments, allowing IT teams to leverage the cloud’s resilience without abandoning existing infrastructure.

Focus on Simplified, IT Generalist-Friendly Solutions – Many enterprises will invest in failover clustering solutions that are easier to manage, targeting the growing need for solutions that can be operated by IT generalists, not just clustering experts. With automation, simplified interfaces, and streamlined deployment, these clustering solutions will allow organizations to maintain high availability without the complexity typically associated with failover clustering—appealing particularly to small and medium-sized businesses looking to achieve enterprise-grade resilience.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure Takes Center Stage in Enterprise IT – Enterprises will increasingly migrate critical applications to hyperconverged infrastructures (HCI) to simplify management, cut costs, and enable dynamic scaling. HCI consolidates storage, compute, and networking, reducing the complexity of traditional systems. As IT leaders prioritize agility and resilience, HCI’s automation and reliability will present a strong alternative to traditional setups. This trend also aligns with growing demands for hybrid and multi-cloud flexibility, as HCI integrates seamlessly with public cloud providers.

Increased Reliance on Cross-Region, Multi-Cloud Failover Clustering – To achieve stronger resilience against regional outages, enterprises will adopt cross-region and multi-cloud failover clustering strategies. These setups will allow critical applications to failover seamlessly across different cloud regions or cloud providers, ensuring continuity even in cases of large-scale disruptions. This trend will drive demand for clustering solutions capable of handling complex, geographically distributed infrastructures and automating failover processes across subnets and cloud regions with minimal manual intervention.

High Availability for Zero Trust Security Architectures – With enterprises continuing to adopt Zero Trust architectures, there will be a growing emphasis on ensuring that security applications supporting Zero Trust (e.g., identity and access management, endpoint protection, and authentication systems) remain highly available. Failover clustering will become essential for these applications to operate without interruption, allowing enterprises to enforce continuous security measures and authentication processes even during maintenance or unexpected system issues.

Always-On Monitoring: The Future of Automated High Availability Clustering for APM – High availability (HA) clustering with Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools will become more streamlined and automated, making it easier to maintain continuous monitoring without disruptions. HA clustering solutions will feature improved integration with APM platforms, offering seamless failover, predictive analytics for proactive issue resolution, and reduced setup complexity. Users can expect more self-healing capabilities, where clusters can detect and address performance issues automatically, minimizing manual intervention and ensuring that critical monitoring remains active around the clock.

Microsoft Defender Defeated by Crypto Malware

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

Recently the Safety Detectives Research Team found weaknesses in Microsoft Defender while investigating a malware-laced NFT game. The application compromised the user’s systems, bypassed their Google two-factor authentication, and stole over $24,000 in cryptocurrency.

The report with the highlights and a video analysis of this newly discovered vulnerability can be found here: https://www.safetydetectives.com/news/msdefender-malware-vulnerability/

EnGenius Announces Enterprise-Level Cloud Management and Wi-Fi 7 Products

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

EnGenius Technologies has launched EnGenius ECW Lite Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 indoor access points, ECW516L, ECW212L, and ECW210L to its Cloud product series lineup. The launch of the ECW Lite series offers small businesses simplified, but robust management with affordable, cutting-edge access points. With APs ranging from $99 to $199, any business owner running small offices, retail shops, small hotels, or restaurants can take advantage of essential connectivity features and secure and reliable next-generation Wi-Fi technology.  

Affordable High-Speed Access Points 

The ECW516L, priced at $199 MSRP, is a Wi-Fi 7 AP operating on 6 Ghz, 5Ghz, and 2.4 Ghz offering speeds up to 13.7 Gbps, covering approximately 1,200 sq ft office space, and supports up to 200 wirelessly connected devices. In addition, the Wi-Fi 6 ECW212L and ECW210L are priced at $169 and $99 respectively and will provide business owners with reliable options for varying budgets and business environments.     

Streamlining Management via Intuitive Cloud-based Platform  

The ECW Lite APs can be managed through a cloud-based management platform, eliminating the need for users to set up, monitor, and manage the devices manually. With a single interface, users can quickly create networks and set up Wi-Fi access points, easily monitor the real-time status of connected clients and manage multiple locations anytime and anywhere with just a few clicks. This streamlined approach to network management enhances efficiency and significantly boosts productivity for small businesses.  

 New ECW Lite Cloud Plan, Focused on Small Business Needs  

The new ECW Lite access points, integrated with EnGenius Cloud, offer a simplified version of a cloud plan that includes a user-friendly management dashboard and essential features. These features include basic network monitoring, automatic firmware updates, and centralized device control, all at no cost for small businesses. These ECW Lite access points are compatible with other cloud-managed EnGenius products, such as VPN routers, switches, and PDUs, providing a comprehensive and integrated network solution. Business owners can easily deploy secure Wi-Fi networks, ensuring reliable connectivity for employees and customers without needing extensive IT resources or expensive hardware.

Empowering Small Businesses Across Industries  

This new series of APs provides flexible Wi-Fi solutions for various small businesses. Whether in small offices, retail stores, restaurants, or hospitality venues, these access points deliver dependable connectivity and effortless management, making it the ideal choice for today’s small business. Key features include simple setup, remote monitoring, network segmentation, and secure access controls. ECW Lite is designed to meet the unique needs of each industry, helping to ensure smooth operations, enhance customer experiences, and streamline network management.

 Key Features and Benefits:  

User-Friendly Setup and Management 

  • The APs require no specialized technical resources for deployment, as they offer fast onboarding through the EnGenius Cloud app. Management can monitor the network status and adjust settings remotely, reducing downtime and improving user experience. 

Features adapted for small business applications 

  • The Cloud Lite series feature set is ideal for small-scale business scenarios, such as office environments, retail stores, restaurants, and hospitality venues. The Cloud Lite series enhances operational efficiency with minimal setup time by focusing on fundamental connectivity needs. 

Cost-Effective Solution with No Licensing Fees 

  • The series enables budget-conscious businesses to establish a stable network with essential connectivity features that meet everyday demands by providing core Wi-Fi capabilities without a licensing requirement.  

The ECW212L and ECW210L are scheduled to be available by end of November 2024, and the ECW516L will be available by the end of December 2024 through authorized EnGenius resellers and distributors. For more information about the ECW Lite series and the Cloud Lite plan, visit https://www.engeniustech.com/engenius-cloud-management.html