Month: November 2023

Why Mythic+ Dungeons Are the Most Popular End-Game Activity in WoW

World of Warcraft (WoW), the iconic MMORPG, has been captivating players for nearly two decades. With each expansion, the game evolves and introduces new end-game activities, but one particular feature has stood out as the reigning favorite: Mythic+ dungeons. These challenging, dynamic dungeons have become the go-to end-game activity for many players, and for good reason. In this article, we will delve into the depths of Mythic+ dungeons to understand why they are the most popular end-game activity in World of Warcraft.

Mythic+ Dungeons: The Most Popular End-Game Activity in WoW

The Appeal of Challenge

One of the primary reasons behind the popularity of Mythic+ dungeons is the challenge they present to players. As MMOs have developed over the years, players have continuously sought more difficult content to test their skills and push the boundaries of their characters. Mythic+ dungeons provide precisely that.

In these dungeons, players face ever-increasing levels of difficulty, with enemies gaining extra health and dealing more damage as the level of the dungeon rises. This escalating challenge caters to both casual and hardcore players. Casual players can enjoy Mythic+ dungeons at lower levels, which provide a moderate challenge and allow them to explore the game’s content at their own pace. Hardcore players, on the other hand, have the opportunity to tackle the most challenging dungeons, often requiring tight coordination and skill.

The variety of difficulty levels ensures that Mythic+ dungeons remain accessible to most players, while still offering the most demanding challenges. This adaptability is one of the key factors driving their popularity.

Dynamic Gameplay

Mythic+ dungeons breathe life into the WoW end-game experience through their dynamic gameplay. Unlike traditional dungeons and raids, where the encounters remain static, Mythic+ dungeons introduce a dynamic element. The dungeons change each week, with a rotation of affixes that modify the dungeon’s mechanics, making encounters feel fresh and unpredictable.

Affixes add unique challenges to each dungeon run, requiring players to adapt their strategies. For example, the “Quaking” affix causes players to explode in a shockwave upon death, while “Bursting” inflicts players with damage over time for each enemy defeated. These affixes keep players engaged and on their toes, as they must continually reassess their approach to each dungeon.

The dynamic nature of Mythic+ dungeons ensures that no two runs are ever the same, contributing to the longevity and replayability of this end-game activity. Players enjoy the excitement of unpredictability, making Mythic+ dungeons a constant source of entertainment.

Community and Cooperation

WoW is renowned for its multiplayer experience, Mythic+ dungeons foster cooperation and community in the game. To succeed in higher-level Mythic+ dungeons, players must communicate, strategize, and coordinate effectively. This cooperative aspect encourages players to form or join groups, forging social bonds that enhance the overall gaming experience.

Players often find themselves working with the same group repeatedly, and the togetherness that develops is one of the most rewarding aspects of World of Warcraft. As a result, Mythic+ dungeons have become a catalyst for building friendships and creating tight-knit gaming communities.

Moreover, the competitive nature of Mythic+ dungeons, with players striving to earn better rankings and faster clear times, encourages them to push their limits and improve their performance. This constant drive for self-improvement and competition has contributed to the enduring popularity of Mythic+ dungeons in the WoW community.

Rewarding Progression

The reward structure of Mythic+ dungeons is another driving force behind their popularity. Completing higher-level dungeons grants players better loot, including powerful gear, cosmetic items, and in-game achievements. The sense of accomplishment that comes with conquering a challenging dungeon and earning desirable rewards keeps players coming back for more.

The Great Vault, introduced in the Shadowlands expansion, further incentivizes players to engage with Mythic+ dungeons. Each week, players can select a piece of loot from the Great Vault based on their achievements in various end-game activities, with Mythic+ dungeons being a significant contributor. This system ensures that players can work towards specific gear upgrades, adding a layer of predictability to the loot grind.

Furthermore, the competitive aspect of Mythic+ dungeons extends to the race for high-level dungeon completion, with the top players and teams being recognized and celebrated within the WoW community. This competition serves as an additional incentive for players to invest time and effort into mastering Mythic+ dungeons, as the prestige of being among the best is a significant reward in itself.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Mythic+ dungeons have managed to strike a balance between providing challenging content for experienced players and being accessible to a broader audience. Players do not need to be part of a large raiding guild to enjoy this end-game content. It is easy to assemble groups through the group finder tool or join a community of like-minded players, making Mythic+ dungeons a more inclusive option for solo players or smaller groups.

This accessibility is further enhanced by the scaling mechanics of Mythic+ dungeons, which ensure that players of varying skill levels and gear can engage in the content. Lower-level Mythic+ dungeons are approachable for players who may not have the best gear or extensive experience. As players improve and acquire better gear, they can tackle higher-level dungeons, maintaining a sense of progression and achievement throughout their WoW journey.

Fastest Way To Complete Mythic+ Dungeons

Taking the assistance of professional gamers can undoubtedly be the fastest way to conquer Mythic+ Dungeons in World of Warcraft. These seasoned experts bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and finely honed skills to the table, enabling them to navigate these challenging dungeons with incredible efficiency. Their strategic insights, coordination, and in-depth understanding of the game’s mechanics can significantly expedite dungeon runs, leading to quicker clear times and a higher likelihood of success. By teaming up with pro gamers and taking World of Warcraft M+ boost, players can learn valuable tactics, optimize their gameplay, and achieve impressive results.

Verdict

Mythic+ dungeons have emerged as the most popular end-game activity in World of Warcraft due to their perfect blend of challenge, dynamic gameplay, community building, rewarding progression, and accessibility. They provide an engaging and flexible experience that caters to the diverse player base of the game, from the most casual to the most hardcore.

The dynamic nature of Mythic+ dungeons, with ever-changing affixes, ensures that players are continually tested and entertained. The cooperative aspect fosters friendships and tight-knit communities, while the competitive drive for better rankings and faster clears pushes players to improve their skills. The reward structure, including the Great Vault, keeps players motivated to engage with this content, and its accessibility ensures that anyone can participate.

With each expansion, Mythic+ dungeons continue to evolve, offering players new challenges, affixes, and rewards. As long as World of Warcraft continues to innovate and adapt, Mythic+ dungeons are likely to remain the crown jewel of end-game content, captivating players and keeping them invested in the world of Azeroth.

Middle Eastern Sports Betting: Tips for Beginners Betting Smart

The sports betting market is expanding significantly in the Middle East right now, presenting fresh opportunities for both novice and seasoned bettors. While there are no sure wins in sports betting, avoiding common rookie mistakes can improve your chances of winning. On its website, casinoelarabs.com provides an online sports betting guide for beginners that offers advice and practical techniques on Middle Eastern sports betting. In this article, we’ll examine some of their most important recommendations and tips in more detail.

Understand the Basics

To be successful in sports betting, it’s essential to grasp the basics. Understanding key elements like the types of bets (over/under, moneyline, point spread), different odds formats (fractional, decimal, American), and the general functioning of sportsbooks is fundamental. This foundational knowledge empowers you to make well-informed decisions and navigate the world of sports betting effectively. For instance, odds represent the probability of an event occurring and determine potential payouts. Moneyline bets involve predicting the winner, point spread bets focus on victory margins, and over/under bets center around total points scored. Mastering these fundamentals is a crucial step toward sports betting success.

Determine Your Budget

Understanding how sportsbooks function is essential for any bettor. Before you begin using one, it’s essential to establish a budget. This budget is a tool for managing your bets and minimizing the potential for substantial losses. You should define your bankroll, which represents the amount you’re willing to wager, and ensure that each bet constitutes approximately 1-2% of your total budget. This approach helps maintain control over your betting activities.

Do Your Research 

Thorough research is a fundamental aspect of making well-informed predictions in sports betting. Many seasoned bettors rely heavily on up-to-date statistics, emerging trends, and predictive insights to guide their betting choices. Notably, 58% of these experienced bettors consider the existing market dynamics and betting odds pivotal in their decision-making. This emphasizes the critical role that diligent research plays in the sports betting domain.

In addition to monitoring market trends and odds, several other crucial factors merit attention. Analyzing the historical performance records of teams or individual players and evaluating recent outcomes provides valuable perspectives. Delving into head-to-head statistics contributes further context, while remaining updated on factors like injuries or suspensions, which can significantly impact team performance, is of utmost importance.

Furthermore, it is advisable to delve into the specific landscape of sports betting within the Middle East. This entails considering the region’s distinctive viewpoints, existing regulatory frameworks, and potential future developments. Adopting this comprehensive research approach equips bettors with a well-rounded knowledge base, enhancing their potential for success in the dynamic world of sports betting.

Diversify Your Portfolio

Consider betting on various sports instead of focusing on one. Diversify your portfolio and take advantage of multiple sports betting opportunities. Diversifying your bets will spread the risk and get you more rewards. For instance, if you have sports knowledge in the NFL or NBA, switch between the two instead of placing bets on just one. This will reduce the risk of significant losses and help you adapt to different situations.

Compare Odds from Multiple Sportsbooks

Odds vary between different online sportsbooks. A Sportsbook considers various factors when determining the odds. Such factors include injury status, historical performance, the presence/absence of star athletes, team statistics, defense capabilities, scoring averages, and more. These indicators are integral in determining the betting odds as they offer a quantitative overview of the dynamics of the sports betting world. By understanding the complicated nature of determining the odds in multiple sportsbooks, bettors can capitalize on sports betting opportunities across different sportsbooks. 

Stay Informed

Try to keep up with the latest news and trends in sports. That is key to achieving success in this dynamic arena. Don’t forget to utilize betting resources like communities, betting forums, and websites dedicated to sports betting.

Final Thoughts

The Middle Eastern sports betting scene, is a thriving environment for newcomers willing to engage in the sports wagering culture. However, it’s crucial to approach it with a clear mind and objectives, set your budget accordingly, and stay informed with the latest news and updates from the sports world. You can enjoy the thrill of safe online betting only if you understand the basics, do your research, and employ effective bankroll management strategies.

Viatel’s Discovery Initiative – a gateway to the future for Irish businesses

Viatel Technology Group, a market leader in comms and digital services, has announced a groundbreaking initiative to accelerate Irish organisations on their path to automation and innovation. Throughout November, Viatel is offering exclusive, complimentary ‘Discovery’ consultations, where one fortunate company will win their dream project.

Damien Lee, Director of Software Services at Viatel Technology Group, sets the stage for this exciting initiative, “Irish businesses are still slogging through time consuming manual processes, grappling with old Access databases, and struggling with apps and systems crafted by ex-employees that no longer serve their companies.

“At Viatel we understand the transformative potential of technology. As a Gold Microsoft Partner we’ve successfully guided hundreds of businesses on their digital journeys. From building an online passport application system for the Department of Foreign Affairs, to collaborating with the National Lottery, and reconstructing Chill Insurance’s online quote engine, we’ve proven our commitment to innovation and excellence.”

Damien explains the Discovery Initiative, “This is an open invitation to all companies: bring us your pain! Tell us about your repetitive processes, your outdated apps, and your unscalable systems. We will assess your issues and tailor a solution from an array of options, from off-the-shelf solutions like Power Automate and Power BI, all the way to customised software.”

Following a comprehensive hour-long consultation with a seasoned technical lead and an experienced business analyst, participating companies will receive an outline project scope, including costs. Damien underscores the vital role of pricing, “Companies might believe that this level of technical development is beyond their reach, but the landscape has evolved dramatically, with low-code apps proving to be a game-changer.”

With organisations currently in the midst of planning their 2024 budgets, discovery consultations make it easy to showcase the substantial savings and long-term positive impacts these projects can deliver to the bottom line.

Damien continued “Our commitment to digitisation and development will enhance a company’s efficiency. It’s also fantastic news for employees. This shift can transform how they spend their working hours, increasing job satisfaction and freeing them up for higher-value tasks.”
From every consultation scheduled from now until the end of November, Viatel will select one lucky company to receive five days of free development work. To learn more visit www.viatel.com/discovery-initiative.

Dell Technologies and Meta to Drive Generative AI Innovation with Llama 2 On Premises

Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) is collaborating with Meta to make it easy for Dell customers to deploy Meta’s Llama 2 models on premises with Dell’s generative AI (GenAI) portfolio of IT infrastructure, client devices and professional services.

“We are at the beginning of a new era with generative AI transforming how industries operate, innovate and compete,” said Jeff Boudreau, chief AI officer, Dell Technologies. “With the Dell and Meta technology collaboration, we’re making open-source GenAI more accessible to all customers, through detailed implementation guidance paired with the optimal software and hardware infrastructure for deployments of all sizes. Now, customers can more easily deploy secure GenAI models on premises for powerful new approaches and insights.”

Open-source GenAI fuels innovation on premises

The collaboration simplifies the on-premises AI environment by bringing together Dell’s top-selling infrastructure portfolio and the Llama 2 family of AI models. Customers can accelerate their GenAI efforts on premises in a traditional data center or at edge locations. Dell has integrated Meta’s Llama 2 models into its system sizing tools to help guide customers to the right solution to power their Llama 2 based AI efforts.

The Dell Validated Design for Generative AI with Meta’s Llama 2 provides pre-tested and proven Dell infrastructure, software, and services to streamline deployment and management of on-premises projects. With fully documented deployment and configuration guidance, organisations can get their GenAI infrastructure up and running more quickly and operate Llama 2 with more predictability.

With Meta’s Llama 2 and the breadth of the Dell Generative AI Solutions technology and services portfolio, organisations of all sizes have access to more reliable tools to deliver GenAI solutions from desktops to core data centers, edge locations and public clouds.

Additional resources

● Blog: Dell and Meta Collaborate to Drive Generative AI Innovation

● Blog: Deploying Llama 2 on the Dell PowerEdge XE9680 Server

● White Paper: Llama 2: Inferencing on a Single GPU

● Design Guide: Generative AI in the Enterprise – Inferencing

Help Employees Manage Their Time Better with These Techniques

Employees are always responsible for their own time in some way. Some of them might have more management and oversight than others, but they all have to manage their time to use it in the smartest way. But when they’re left to their own devices, they can fail to use their time as wisely as they should. They might think they’re using their time as effectively as possible, but the reality is that they could be a lot more efficient. Rather than just expecting them to do better, employers can take steps to help employees manage their time more effectively.

Give Them Tools to Manage Their Time

Sometimes all it takes to do something properly is having the right tools to do it. When it comes to time management, giving your employees the necessary tools can really help them track their time and get more done. You can find that employee time tracking systems are useful not just for your business as a whole but for your employees too. They allow your employees to clock in and out more easily, without having to remember to fill out timesheets. They can keep track of their hours more easily, and so can you. It’s also useful if they can track their available PTO, saving time on PTO requests for everyone.

Help with Expectations

When employees aren’t making the most of their time, it can be because they don’t really know what’s expected of them. They don’t have clear deadlines, they have too much on their plate, or they don’t have a good idea of what process they should be following. Setting clear expectations for your employees can make them a lot better at managing their time. You can ensure they know what deadlines they have to meet but also prevent them from burning out by avoiding giving them too much to do.

Encourage Time Audits

A time audit can be a useful way for an employee to work out where their time is actually going. They might think they’re being productive, but then it turns out that a lot of their time is lost to procrastinating, wrestling with emails, or getting pulled away from their work by coworkers. By taking a time audit, they can track what they’re actually doing with their day. It could highlight some of the ways in which they’re losing time and how they could start to correct that.

Build Time Management Skills

Employees might not always have the skills to manage their own time. This is something that needs to be built, and you can help them do that as their employer. There are various types of training and advice that you can provide employees to show them how they can manage their time more efficiently. Whether it’s how to prioritise tasks or the most efficient way to sort through their emails, you can give them the skills required to be more efficient and productive.

If you want your employees to manage their time better, give them a helping hand to make it easier for them.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story

Today, Riot Forge and Tequila Works are proud to announce that Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story™, a story-driven adventure game starring beloved League of Legends champions Nunu and Willump, is now available on Nintendo Switch™ and PC via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store. The game launches on Wednesday, November 1 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 4 PM GMT / 5 PM CET and on Thursday, November 2 at 1 AM KST.

Watch the Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story Launch Trailer here.

Developed by Tequila Works and published by Riot Forge, Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story™ takes players on the ultimate road trip with best friends and revered League champions Nunu and Willump. Players hike, climb, and sled across the Freljord, a frostbitten land full of harsh blizzards, ferocious wolves and enchantment, and will meet other legendary champions along the way. You must use your wits to progress through the frozen landscape and uncover what secrets lie hidden beneath the ice.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story™ is now available on all relevant digital storefronts for $29.99/£24.99/€29.99. Additionally, a physical Collector’s Edition ($99.99/€99.99) is available on merch.riotgames.com, which includes a Willump plush, Poro plush, Song of Nunu art book, four Freljord postcards, five collectible enamel pins, a collectible artwork print and a campfire pop-up diorama.

Evolve IP Hails Breakthrough ‘Moment’ In The Evolution Of AI-Powered Call Recording

Evolve IP’s AI-inspired call recording platform, powered by Dubber is being hailed as the dawning of a new era for business-critical conversation capture, with the launch of Dubber Moments. 

Anywhere Call Recording uses Dubber’s award-winning network-based speech intelligence and pre-packaged sentiment analysis, to enhance the customer experience. 

The sophisticated call recording platform (with Voice AI) enables businesses to record 100% of calls, chats and videos, replay recordings and reveal crucial insights from every conversation, on any device.

Global Partner Manager, Alex Finn says Anywhere Call Recording’s new Moments features are a game-changer in harnessing the power of AI-driven conversation insights.

“It empowers businesses to tap into business intelligence, driving growth, enhancing customer experiences, and optimising operations for efficiency and productivity. It turns all business conversations on multiple platforms including Microsoft Teams into critical data for compliance, business continuity and productivity.”

Deeper Understanding

The pre-packaged AI solution – powered by Dubber Moments – helps businesses capture, analyse and react to critical conversations and ‘moments’, according to Finn.

“We use AI to identify a key moment within a conversation. We gain a deeper understanding of the moment within the context of the entire conversation and connect moments across all conversations to deliver insights that help make informed business decisions.”

He says the new solution offers the potential to reshape communication experiences. “As a trained AI service, we offer a revolution for communication service providers by unlocking the vast amounts of voice data traversing their networks and providing out-of-the-box insights for their customers.

“Powered by advanced AI and natural language processing capabilities, we can analyse conversations to pinpoint pivotal moments based on contextual understanding. Actions, complaints, and a variety of additional conversational points can be automatically detected and flagged for action. By identifying these critical segments, Anywhere Call Recording generates immediately relevant insights from voice data.”

Unlock Insights

He concluded: “Rather than simple transcripts, end users and businesses can now enjoy actionable intelligence from every conversation. This has implications for any service provider or business seeking to unlock added insight from their conversations, without the need for large in-house AI budgets and teams.

“Our aim is to enhance the overall customer experience and enable contact centre and support leaders to quickly identify and respond to client issues, train new employees and document customer calls. Key use cases include sales coaching, HR, telemedicine, business compliance and merger and acquisition processes.

“Our AI solution offers the potential to reshape how we experience communication. Service providers can unlock the potential of their network – turning every conversation into an exponential source of value for differentiated innovation, retention, and revenue growth. This is a major step forward into a new era for call recording conversation capture.”

Tech Review – Boom MEZZO 4K Ultra HD video conference kit

The Boom MEZZO is a compact and well-built video conference kit that comes with a USB 3 cable and a separate remote control. It’s designed for video conference calls with 4K Ultra HD @ 30fps, electronic PTZ, and dual omnidirectional microphones for audio. This model utilizes AI for Auto framing for small meeting spaces with a 10 digital zoom.

Contents:

  •         Boom MEZZO camera
  •         USB 3.0 cable
  •         IR remote control
  •         Quick guide

 

Features:

  •         Ultra HD 4K video
  •         AI Auto-framing
  •         Wide angle 110° field
  •         of view
  •         4K glass lens
  •         10x ePTZ   
  •         Multi codec: H.264,
  •         H.265, MJPEG, YUY2
  •         Two built-in omnidirectional mics
  •         Advanced focus
  •         technology
  •         Low light
  •         optimization
  •         Smooth video
  •         Plug & Play

 

Compatibility:

The Boom MEZZO is Zoom Certified and compatible with Teams, Webex, Meet, Bluejeans, GoToMeetings, Skype, and more. It works with Windows® 7, 8.1 or 10, Mac OS X® 10.10 or higher, Linux, and Android.

IR remote control:

The remote control that comes with the Boom MEZZO has a variety of options available to control the meeting. The toggle AI Auto Framing turned on would be the first suggested option (and leaving it on as a great feature). The remote is a comfortable size and feels good, while to mute the call requires the use of the Laptop rather than the remote control which can be the most used button on many calls.

Setup:

The setup is minimal and requires only one cable plugged from the Mezzo to your USB-A port on the laptop. Plug and play takes over then. The audio and video were connected directly to the team’s call with no issues observed. The supplied remote required no pairing and worked straight from the box. Setting up the remote with the 10 user-defined presets took a little longer to understand but worked as required which can be great for focusing on a product whiteboard, lecture room, etc.

Warranty:

It’s great to see the confidence of the brand in giving a 3-year warranty as standard but optional 5 years.

  •         3-year Limited hardware warranty
  •         Optional 5-year Boom Care plan

 Conclusion

The Boom MEZZO comes with great specs, including a 4K CMOS Camera Image sensor 1/2.8 inch Lens: 4K glass Pixels: 8.28MP, 16:9 View angle: 110° diagonal, 100° height, 53° vertical Zoom: 10 digital x ePTZ Focal length: 2.26mm. The electronic PTZ is limited to the 110° Wide angle field, which can narrow down the complete view of the room. This is interesting as it worked with a broad spectrum to include “Operating system: Android” and Zoom Certified, while not tested on an Android system, meaning the flexibility in its use. The camera is good and has excellent specifications but lacks a manual privacy cover, and a USB-C connector.

The omnidirectional microphones were tested to great effect by having them placed 4 meters from the virtual assistant technology to have this recorded audio and transcribed within an MS team call to great effect. The audio was picked up clearly and translated from speech to text perfectly, indicating the distinguishing quality of the 2 microphones within the MEZZO video conference kit.

Overall, the Boom MEZZO is a stress-free device to connect to a multitude of video platforms with exceptional AI auto-framing options, video images, audio, and supplied remote control for video conferencing.

BUY

Video Review

Microsoft marks end of Cybersecurity Awareness Month with event for over 400 secondary school students

To mark the end of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, over 400 secondary school students from post primary schools across the country gathered in Microsoft Ireland’s campus in Leopardstown, Dublin for the CyberSchools Quest event. The gathering was the final in a series of events held during October and focused on equipping the students with cyber security skills and knowledge and opening their minds to the career opportunities within this growing sector.

With the changing nature of cyber-attacks, there is a growing demand for cyber security skills and need to foster the next generation of cybersecurity leaders in Ireland. A recent report by Cyber Ireland reveals that over 8 in 10 businesses (83%) expect to grow their cybersecurity team over the next twelve months and predicts the cyber security sector could add an additional 10,000 jobs to the Irish economy by 2030.

Recognising the opportunity to equip students with these skills, Microsoft Ireland collaborated with the Technological University (TU) Dublin and ZeroDays to deliver the CyberSchools Quest programme. It culminated in what was the largest ‘capture the flag’ cybersecurity event held for post-primary schools in Ireland to mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month which takes place across the month of October each year.

The CyberSchools Quest programme helps to address the cyber skills gap by focusing on developing cyber capabilities across a range of key domains such as confidentiality (keeping data secure); phishing, identifying common social engineering strategies; and reconnaissance, using open source-intelligence to find information online. The initiative also helps to foster computational thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills.

CyberSchools Quest centered around a week-long series of cyber learning sessions and hands-on challenges designed to introduce post-primary school students to the world of cyber security. Leveraging content developed by ZeroDays in collaboration with TU Dublin, CyberSchools Quest was then delivered in the immersive learning environment within Microsoft Dream Space.

Schools visited Microsoft Dream Space to take part in the week-long series with the final event bringing all students together at Microsoft Ireland’s campus in Leopardstown, Dublin. Here students competed across a number of cybersecurity ‘capture the flag’ challenges. On completion students could apply for a digital badge accredited by TU Dublin, while the winning team, CBS Mullingar from County Westmeath, were crowned CyberSchools Quest champions and can go on to undertake an opportunity to represent Ireland at the European Cybersecurity Challenge finals in 2024.

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Vice-President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre, said: “We were delighted to mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month by welcoming over 400 secondary school students from across Ireland to the inaugural CyberSchools Quest event at our campus in Dublin. A central part of our mission is to skill up Ireland with the in-demand skills for our digital economy. By way of this initiative, we were able to focus on developing cyber security skills in our young people, opening their minds to not only the changing nature of cyber threats but the job opportunities within the sector.

“By joining forces with TU Dublin and ZeroDays we are helping to ensure that the next generation are provided with fun and engaging ways to develop these capabilities.  The enthusiasm demonstrated by the students at CyberSchools Quest underpins the importance of events such as this and of industry partnering with the education sector to unlock the opportunities of our digital world.   I’d like to thank all the students who participated and importantly their schools and teachers for taking the time to bring them to the events.”

The CyberSchools Quest initiative builds on a collaboration between Microsoft Ireland and TU Dublin focused on supporting the development of Cloud, Cyber and Datacenter skills through existing and new potential courses delivered at TU Dublin. Working together Microsoft and TU Dublin have committed to supporting initiatives that provide greater access into these skilling programs while also remaining focused on the promotion of STEM based programs connecting with existing initiatives such as Microsoft Dream Space.

Speaking about the partnership Dr Anthony Keane, the Head of School of Informatics and Cybersecurity said: “TU Dublin and Microsoft Ireland have forged a strong partnership over recent years as together we aim empower learners and teachers with the skills, they’ll need for a world increasing shaped by technology. The new CyberSchools Quest event builds on those strong ties by equipping secondary school students with in-demand cyber security skills and other problem-solving and computational skills so they are prepared for the digital future that lies ahead.

“Channeling the curiosity and creativity of our young people into digital technology and cyber security at CyberSchools Quest is an important step in addressing digital skills gaps and building a foundational awareness of best practice cyber security. We’re proud to join Microsoft and ZeroDays in bridging the skills gap and supporting the next generation of young people achieve more through technology.”

Ciaran Curran, teacher at Largy College, Clones, Monaghan said: “We were delighted to be at Microsoft Ireland’s campus with our students and have the opportunity to join others from across Ireland for CyberSchools Quest. Through this experience the students have been able to learn new cyber skills and put them to the test. It has not only helped to spark an interest in STEM among the students, it has also opened their eyes to the career opportunities that exist in the cybersecurity sector and helped them to believe that perhaps one day they could become the cybersecurity leaders of the future.”

To learn more about CyberSchools Quest and Microsoft Dream Space, please visit: dreamspace.ie