Heficed, the provider of network infrastructure solutions, announced they are bringing theIP Address Market to theEquinix platform. This will provide widespread accessibility to IP assets for Equinix customers, levelling out the playing field for companies with limited capacity to build their own IP infrastructure and contributing to the growth of the world’s largest ecosystems of interconnected partners.
In order to provide continuous quality service, businesses need sufficient IP resources to sustain the growth of their operations. IP Address Market will enable Equinix clients to access a vast amount of IPv4 addresses, paving the way for streamlined and accelerated scalability.
The exhaustion of IPv4 addresses has put up new barriers for scaling business; the IP Address Market helps Equinix clients break through these obstacles with the resources needed to grow and sustain their operations much faster, and without aggravating the IP shortage issue.
IP exhaustion was a predetermined problem, as no one had anticipated the scale at which the internet would evolve; the 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses were not meant to sustain the rapidly growing IoT market and the vast amount of always-on connections. In 2019, the last regional internet registryran out of available IPv4addresses, escalating the issue even further.
The IP Address Market mitigates the problem as it enables unused IP addresses to reenter the market. Consequently, it provides access to extensive IPv4 resources, enabling businesses to lease necessary IPs and continue scaling their operations without contributing to the current strain placed on the market.
“IPv4 shortage has had its effect on hindering technology development and limiting operational expansion,” says Vincentas Grinius, CEO of Heficed. “We developed the IP Address Market with the goal to support businesses in overcoming the challenge and provide them with the much needed IPs. That’s why we are excited about presenting Equinix customers with more opportunities to scale their ventures.”
This will further accelerate the development of the IP Address Market and bring the concept of IP leasing one step closer to being recognized as the new industry standard, enabling more efficient resource allocation and helping to build sustainable IP infrastructures.
Recently Heficed enhanced their Geolocation search feature, enabling IP address selection by the desired location. In the near future, the company plans to roll out additional features, such as Take Away IPs (TAIP), Bring Your Own IPs (BYOIP), and automated IP health checks. The end goal is to have full operational sustainability with zero need for provision.
Timex is celebrating the 40th anniversary of PAC-MANTM, one of the world’s most well-known arcade games, with an expanded release of the Timex T80 x PAC-MANTM watch. Just as PAC-MANTM revolutionized the gaming world in the 1980s, Timex shook up digital watchmaking around the same time when it introduced some of the first digital watches for mass production. Following the sold-out release of the T80 PAC-MANTM watch at ComplexCon and timex.com in November 2019, Timex is now making the watch available globally to meet international demand and build upon the watch’s first-outing success. If you are a watch fan or collector like me this one should be up there on your list for a new timepiece.
“This crossover aligns the popularity of the iconic PAC-MANTM arcade game with the retro aesthetic of our T80 watch’s digital design, in turn creating a timepiece that hits all the right notes of nostalgia,” said Silvio Leonardi, Senior Vice President of Timex. “Now, following the watch’s initial success and in support of its 40th anniversary, we are excited to offer the T80 PAC-MANTM globally. Customers and fans should anticipate even more to come as we celebrate this milestone anniversary.”
This T80 watch features PAC-MANTM right on the dial, along with other special touches on the case back and bracelet clasp. The watch also packs all the capabilities one would normally expect from a Timex T80, such as an alarm, stopwatch, date display and INDIGLO® backlight; it even plays plays the iconic PAC-MANTM melody with retro flair to spare, making for a well-rounded timepiece that wears just as well in 2020 as it has since the heyday of arcade gaming.
The Timex T80 x PAC-MANTM will be available from June in silver-tone, gold-tone and black for £69 at Timex.co.uk and from select retailers around the globe.
IDTechEx has substantially updated and added to their entire wearable technology market research portfolio. The wearable technology reports are now including a dedicated supporting document discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. The following points illustrate some of the most significant conclusions, figures, and data from the latest IDTechEx research report offerings.
2019 saw the largest single year growth rate for wearable technology product revenue since 2015
The wearables market had a very strong 2020, growing 19% to reach a total of $70bn for the year. The most significant product sector driving an increase in growth over the previous year was the true wireless headphones product sector, as part of hearables, which generated over $4bn of new revenue relative to 2018. The other strongest growth came from device categories such as smartwatches and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, which grew by just under $4bn and $1.3bn respectively relative to 2018 values. This represents the largest one year growth rate since peak wearables hype in 2015 (a year which saw the commercial launches of leading devices such as the Apple Watch), which emphasises the growing strength in the sector and the continuing opportunity for new development and growth.
COVID-19 has already had a significant impact on 2020 revenues, but many sectors retain long-term optimism
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound societal and economic impact, and many wearable products have been part of this. The most critical impact to date has been at the point-of-sale for many products, with lockdowns and social distancing measures meaning that stores are closed, doctors appointments are not taking place in person and sales of many products have been significantly impacted as a result. However, the impact has been very varied; where some products have seen as much as an 80% reduction in sales for Q2 2020 vs Q2 2019, other areas such as remote patient monitoring devices have been accelerated onto the market to assist in pandemic countermeasures.
As such, there is a complex picture, which is covered at length in the IDTechEx report portfolio via a primer document on COVID-19, which is available with all IDTechEx wearable technology reports.
Specific regulatory changes coming in 2020 and 2021 will have a significant impact in skin patches, hearables and beyond
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is profound and as such has by far the largest impact on the short-term outlook for the sector. However, the reports highlight regulatory changes as another factor which will have a significant impact going forward. This has already been seen in relation to COVID-19, where many products involved in pandemic countermeasures have been fast-tracked to FDA approvals. Regulatory barriers are critical challenges for many players, from new start-ups to global leaders, and changes to them can shift the dynamic immediately.
The IDTechEx reports highlight several other specific regulatory changes which have been longer awaited, which will cause disruption in the product areas covered. In hearables, the Over the Counter Hearing Aid act requires guidelines for that product category to be established by August 2020, paving the way for a new generation of hearing assistance products which can be approved and reimbursed as part of the US healthcare system. In electronic skin patches, new regulatory and reimbursement frameworks for wearable cardiovascular monitoring focusing on mobile cardiac telemetry and extended Holter monitoring are expected to be confirmed in 2020 and implemented in early 2021. Both of these steps introduce new product opportunities, and the research details ways in which companies are planning to adapt to these changes as they are implemented. We expect these changes in regulation to have an immediate impact on the industry dynamic in the markets which they affect.
Technology giants target the move from consumer to medical, with wearables as a key ingredient
Technology players, such as Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and many others, have long been investing in product and platform development with relevance to health and wellness. Whilst this in itself is not new information, the report highlights the increasing prevalence of medical sensing metrics being deployed into traditionally consumer wearable products. Smartwatches have been demonstrated with ECG for atrial fibrillation, PPG for oxygen saturation and blood pressure monitoring. In hearables, optical blood pressure is now commonly discussed, joining other more familiar features such as fall detection, core body temperature monitoring and other relevant medical metrics. These and more examples are all included within the IDTechEx reports.
However, the critical point here is that these metrics are not just exclusive to medical devices. In many cases, products are having versions of these features added as part of a standard consumer offerings, complete with appropriate disclaimers that encourage users to consult their doctor if they have challenges. However, when this development is paired with intensive lobbying, as well as significant parallel development of the data infrastructure and supporting systems required for medical devices, it is clear that the longer-term strategy will move in this direction. The wearable devices at the core of this are an essential part of the long-term strategy, and the technology within them is being developed at a remarkable rate.
The chart below illustrates this trend within wearable product data. “Potentially medical” products are product categories where sensing capabilities more traditionally associated with medical devices have been introduced in consumer products, which could potentially see some reclassification within the boundaries of medical products further into the future. This is not likely to happen quickly, but this is a significant trend which should not be ignored, regardless of which side of the debate you fall on.
From single parameter to multi-parameter sensing
The role of a medical device for sensing is typically to represent one physiological parameter as accurately and reliably as possible. A doctor would then use an appropriate combination of medical device readings and other tests to make an assessment and determine the best course of action. However, as digital health and artificial intelligence (see IDTechEx report on this topic here) are increasingly introduced, the capabilities of medical devices are being expanded such that they can diagnose and monitor specific conditions with increasing independence from the doctor.
This trend goes hand in hand with increasing adoption of multi-parametric sensing on medical devices. Whilst these are not necessarily new, it is still the case that the majority of medical device categories (and particularly those studied within wearables) focus on a single parameter, such as blood glucose, cardiac biopotential, skin temperature, blood pressure and so on. Multi-parameter sensing often presents a much more significant challenge, particularly in navigating regulatory barriers, with companies forced to weigh up the advantages of the new capabilities offered with the significant investment to go through de novo regulatory approval processes which take significantly more time and money.
However, as more pioneers begin to introduce advanced features enabled digital health and AI, these multi-parametric systems will increasingly become the norm. This will have a significant impact on the status quo for many of the product sectors as they exist today, but the change is expected to be a gradual evolution over years and decades. This also goes hand in hand with the previous point; many of the fitness and wellness devices are already using combinations of many different biometric readings to build a more complete picture of the wearer’s health. It will just take significantly more time and money for these advances to have their efficacy and safety proven within the context of medical devices too.
To find out more about the wearable technology market research portfolio from IDTechEx, including reports on hearables, electronic skin patches, VR, AR & MR, e-textiles and smart clothing, plus the master report on wearable technology please visit www.IDTechEx.com/research/wt.
5G is considered as one of the largest market opportunities in the coming years, with large scale roll-out of infrastructures and rapid adoption of 5G devices and services. 5G will not only accelerate the growth and expansion of telecom; it will also redefine and accelerate industries such as automotive, entertainment, computing, and manufacturing. With high throughput and low latency, 5G is the most promising technique to tackle the high-value areas including 3D robotic control, virtual reality monitoring and remote medical control. Those are the problems that today’s technologies have not addressed yet.
First deployed in 2018, now over there are 80 operators in 42 countries/territories that have launched commercial 5G services. The 5G market is expected to be around $720 bn by 2030, mainly contributing from the mobile service, fixed wireless services and narrow-band IoT.
However, the enormous investment required to develop 5G and the unclear map of killing applications for 5G also put the future of 5G into a test. The IDTechEx report, “5G Technology, Market and Forecasts 2020-2030”, provides a holistic view of 5G technologies and vertical applications, which are essential to understanding the 5G market opportunity. 5G for smart manufacturing is considered as one of the key applications assisted with AI and intelligent cameras, such as autonomous mobile robot and remote real-time manufacturing. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare applications have been adopted quickly, including telehealth, remote hospital operation, elderly care.
Many characteristic benefits promised by 5G will operate at high frequency (above 26 GHz), i.e. mmWave 5G. Such high frequency requires new materials and different device design. On one hand, high frequency leads to more significant transmission loss, which offers opportunities for low-loss materials with small dielectric constant and small tan loss.
Advanced packaging designs aims at reducing the signal loss by integrated passive components into the whole package. On the other hand, high frequency needs high power to drive and will generate more heat. Power amplifiers with higher power density and higher gain will be essential, as well as thermal management. We point out the unique niches for 5G materials and design and highlight the trends for technology innovations in the new IDTechEx report “5G Technology, Market and Forecasts 2020-2030”.
This report from IDTechEx identifies and analyses the critical trends in 5G in the following areas:
The base station architecture and the rise of small cells
Active antennas and beamforming ICs
Radiofrequency front-end modules components, such as high-frequency filter, power amplifiers, EMI shielding and optical transceivers
5G thermal management for station and smartphone
The report includes comprehensive company profiles for more than 20 key global players from infrastructure suppliers to telecommunication operators. It also comes with a ten-year forecast for the 5G revenue and connection number based on five global regions (US, China, Korea & Japan, Europe and others), 5G infrastructure and 5G component & infrastructure.
For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechex.com/5G or for the full portfolio of related research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/research.
Poly a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration, today announced that the Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50 video bars and the Poly G7500 video conferencing system are now the first Zoom Rooms Appliances to receive Zoom certification.
As the first Android-based appliances to offer native Zoom Rooms functionality, the Poly Studio X30, Poly Studio X50, and G7500 video conferencing devices are fully managed via Zoom Device Management (ZDM) and deliver a streamlined out-of-box experience that meet Zoom’s standards for audio and video quality. With the addition of the Zoom certification, Poly Studio X family and G7500 combine a full Zoom Rooms experience with Poly’s legendary audio and video innovation, including advanced speaker and conversation tracking, NoiseBlockAI and Acoustic Fence technologies to block out unwanted distractions. Additionally, these Zoom Rooms Appliances are developed with security in mind with a hardened operating system, secure update distribution, and third-party testing for security vulnerabilities.
“Poly and Zoom continue to set the standard in the development of seamless native video collaboration devices,” said Tim Root, vice president and general manager of room collaboration business, Poly. “Our collective portfolio of Zoom certified devices makes it easy for users to collaborate from anywhere, with friction-free meetings that customers and IT managers expect.”
Only Poly has native video, voice and headset solutions that are purpose-built for Zoom Rooms, Zoom Meetings, and Zoom Phone. Zoom and Poly’s device collaboration spans a broadening portfolio of communication solutions to provide ease-of-use for seamless connectivity and collaboration while prioritising the flexibility and choice in Zoom integrated hardware and software solutions that IT managers need for the most productive workplace. Because Poly’s devices are designed for premium audio and video collaboration from any space, the Zoom Rooms certification enables users to operate Zoom-certified devices from wherever they conduct their work, including from their home or remote offices.
“Zoom is committed to consistently delivering a high quality experience for all use cases and as the first Zoom Rooms appliances to receive Zoom certification, the Poly Studio X family and G7500 will help ensure meetings are seamless and secure,” said Jeff Smith, head of Zoom Rooms for Zoom Video Communications, Inc. “Together with Poly, we can deliver a radically simple video experience with technology that is easy to deploy, manage and use so that your meeting remains the focus.”
Poly Studio X30, Poly Studio X50, and G7500 video appliances are Zoom Rooms certified now in most regions worldwide. For more information please visit: https://www.poly.com/gb/en/solutions/platform/zoom.
Some more fathers day tech ideas just in case you have no ideas this is our second pick of what might be a good idea to pick up on the special day coming very soon. Unexpected and unique, these are the excellent gadgets fit for any father figure who loves music. Whether it’s an award winning music streamer, speakers or true wireless earbuds,here is a great selection.
NAD M10 Streaming Amplifier
The audio world has shifted. Where once available solely on discs, the best quality of music is now delivered over the internet. Not only does it sound better, but entire catalogues of recorded music are more accessible than ever before. Curated playlists make music selection and discovery easy and fun, while multi-room wireless audio multiplies the possibilities. With the NAD Masters M10 it will combine all of this goodness with state-of-the-art amplification to make it an all-in-one solution that will transport you to your favourite musical destination.
CLCKR: The Handy Tool for Dads
Whether your Dad is a DIY king or not, this CLCKR phone stand and universal grip is the handy tool that all Dads need. CLCKR handily holds your device in different viewing positions so you can use your phone to stay in touch with family and friends, binge watch your favourite tv series or videos or teach Dad how to take a selfie! SEE OUR REVIEW
Bluesound Flex 2i Hi-Res Music Speaker
The Bluesound Pulse Flex 2i is an Award Winning, portable wireless multi-room music streaming speaker. Pair them together for stereo sound. Simply plug it in and connect it to your WiFi and control from anywhere in your home. Connect to your Amazon Echo or via AirPlay 2, letting you play music direct from your voice/device. Compatible with all your favourite streaming services including; Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer – all in 24-bit, high resolution.
For the Keep Fit Dads Urbanista Athens
Whilst your Dad might not be able to go to the gym this Father’s Day, he may like to enjoy running, cycling or some entertainment on his daily walk. Urbanista Athens true wireless sports headphones are the perfect workout companion. They have a IP67 fully waterproof rating so you can sweat, swim or shower with these headphones and they have 8 hours of charging time and a total of 32 hours charge from the case, that means Dad won’t need to look around for his charger for a while. SEE OUR REVIEW
Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, releases the campaign ‘Sound and Silence’ created in collaboration with London-based artist, rapper and creative talent, Kojey Radical. ‘Sound and Silence’ celebrates the launch of their latest product; Urbanista London, an active noise cancelling, true wireless earphone.
Image: Kojey Radical wearing Urbanista London
Priced at £129 MSRP, London is available in four stylish colours and boasts full compatibility with iOS, Android and Windows devices.
The campaign film, directed by Gustav Stegfors, tells a story about how we are inspired by the sights and sounds of our urban surroundings, through the leading features of the product. The film reflects how we need the silence of our own space to be creative and express ourselves, while living in busy urban environments.
“We are shaped by the city. In its silence, we find rhythm. In its sounds, we find inspiration. Sound is the most important tool for expression. Silence is where music is created from scratch. When there is sound, there is silence.” The emotive and illustrative words heard on the campaign film, that support and build its storyline, were created and recorded in collaboration with London-born Kojey Radical. The genre defying rapper offers an important, urgent and crucial voice for our musical landscape. The ferocious young artists most recent project ‘Cashmere Tears’ explored an acutely personal journey of topics, and cemented his unapologetic approach to his artistry, vision and output. Kojey, who has previously worked with Adidas, Burberry and Hennessy, explains: “I have been really inspired by this project because I create my work from my life and my experiences. I am often using my city and surroundings as a source of inspiration and the idea of finding my sound during moments of quiet, is something which is close to my heart.”
Music and sound are a very important parts of our daily lives and with Urbanista London, you can choose to make surrounding sounds disappear, to relax, to breathe and to have full focus on the music that you are listening to with ‘Active Noise Cancelling’ (Silence), or enhance important sounds that you wish you to let in, whilst still being able to hear the audio on the earphones using ‘Ambient Sound Mode’ (Sound).
These two opposing features are cleverly represented by the models in the video, their styling and the film’s surroundings.
Image: Urbanista London ‘Sound and Silence’ campaign
Urbanista aptly named their new product after London as a vibrant city full of contrasting spaces, from the bustling streets to the peaceful parks. The city in itself acts as a place that reflects sound and silence. Tuomas Lonka, Brand and Marketing Director at Urbanista, comments: “We wanted to work with Kojey on the campaign as he represents what London is to us through his individual style, music and creativity. Kojey’s input and contribution to the campaign have been essential in bringing to life the look, feel and soundscape of the Urbanista London campaign film.”
Urbanista London is available in four colours: Midnight Black (Black), Rose Gold (Pink), White Pearl (White) and Dark Sapphire (Blue) and is now available for pre-order at www.urbanista.com/london. Priced at £129 / SEK1499 / EUR149 / USD149 / 269 AUD MSRP.
In a move that will help businesses and organisations across Ireland enhance and simplify their communications and collaboration ability, Avaya has appointed Aidan Furlong as its Country General Manger of Ireland. In his new role, Aidan will champion the evolution of new and existing customers and partners to cloud-centric communications and build momentum in the adoption of Avaya solutions as businesses across the island of Ireland increase their digital transformation.
As a previous Channel Manager and Client Director at Avaya Ireland, Aidan has extensive experience in working with the Avaya Partner community to drive growth and mutual success in meeting customer needs.
Speaking for the first time in his new role as Country General Manager of Avaya Ireland, Aidan Furlong said, “I am thrilled to be moving into this position and I look forward to focusing on enterprise and mid-market customers as Avaya transitions to its cloud product portfolio. I anticipate my role to be instrumental in helping to solve customer’s business challenges, together with the extensive Avaya Partner community ecosystem,”
The news follows the announcement of Avaya’s recent Q2 earnings, where the company experienced strong growth across its cloud and SaaS business; with software and services reaching a record 88% of Avaya’s $682 million in revenue, and cloud and subscription revenue increasing to 23% of total revenue. As organisations become more agile in today’s digital and distributed business environment, there will be an increased need for flexible cloud solutions, and Aidan’s appointment will help accelerate the success of Avaya’s global cloud strategy in Ireland.
Aidan concluded, “I am proud to work for a company like Avaya, which has a 150 year heritage in business communications technology and is one of the only vendors with this extensive experience of the complexity of today’s UC communications and contact centre solutions built on open systems.”
Commenting on Aidan’s promotion, UK and Ireland Managing Director Steve Joyner, added: “It has been a period of significant investment and growth for us and Aidan’s promotion demonstrates the depth of his experience and expertise. His work is strategically important to our clients and their digital transformation journeys and directly impacts upon the growth of their businesses. I wish him all the very best of luck in his new role.”
Aidan Furlong has worked for Avaya UK & Ireland for over 9 years and brings 35 years of experience in the ICT market to his new position. He is an MBA qualified senior executive with multinational experience of leading sales, channels, marketing, consulting, services and commercial and client operations teams.
With the introduction of the COVID-19 lockdown seeing nearly all aspects of our lives migrating to our home, our dependence on digital connectivity has never been more prevalent. Thankfully, there has been no shortage of apps that can help us through this strange time – from keeping in contact with family and friends to connecting with colleagues and customers.
New research from Carphone Warehouse used a social media listening tool to discover which apps are helping us to cope with the lockdown. From learning a new hobby, keeping connected or sharing your own lockdown experience on social media, many of us are using apps to keep us going:
Houseparty
A relatively new app that has made a name for itself during lockdown, Houseparty has increased in popularity since social distancing has become the new norm. It allows you to make video calls with friends and family while challenging them to a variety of different games. Recent research has revealed that the app is most popular at 10pm on Wednesdays, proving it to be the go-to for a mid-week gathering.
Zoom
Another video-based app, Zoom is perfect for both professional and social calls. It is used for business meetings and webinars and can accommodate up to 10,000 viewers through its presentation feature. On the social side, it is also great for hosting virtual pub quizzes or birthday parties. You can also jazz up a Monday morning meeting or Friday night drinks with a variety of fun backgrounds.
Headspace
With radical changes to our lifestyles, many of us have had to wave goodbye to well-honed routines – and this can be stressful and mentally draining. Mental health app Headspace focuses on mental wellbeing and relaxation, while providing access to resources such as anxiety-reducing meditation and sleep exercises that help keep users’ mental health in tip top shape.
Disney+
Wondering what to do with all this extra time on your hands? You can binge all your favourite Disney movies and programmes, from princesses to Jedis and everything in between. In fact, the new movie streaming service has proven a threat to streaming giant Netflix, as millions of users have signed up after its launch in the US, Canada, UK and the majority of Europe.
Stand Up!
Working from home is the reality for many of us, and being cooped up at home can make it difficult to find the motivation to keep active. It can be easy to slip into sedentary behaviour, but sitting for too long can come with some serious health risks. Stand Up! is an app that prompts you to stand up and move around every so often so you can stretch and get those muscles moving.
Duolingo
Many people are using self-isolation as an opportunity get a new language under their belt – and Duolingo has been popular for this. It makes learning French, Greek or even High Valyrian easy and fun with games and tests against the clock. Why not fulfil your wanderlust by attempting to grasp the language of a country you’d love to travel to once this is all said and done?
MasterClass
If a language doesn’t interest you, you can get to grips with a new skill instead. MasterClass offers the help of a leading professional in their field so you can come out of lockdown with a new hobby. Whether it’s cooking classes with Gordon Ramsay or tennis lessons with Serena Williams, it’s as close as you can get to a private lesson with these professionals.
In today’s digital landscape, there are a plethora of apps that you can use to help keep you entertained and connected during this time at home.
