Category: Tech News

Private connectivity to be 13x volume of internet as 40% of Irish businesses rely on interconnection for survival. #Equinix

The latest Global Interconnection Index (GXI), an annual market study published by Equinix, predicts private connectivity at the edge will grow by 51% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and exceed a total bandwidth capacity of more than 13,300 Tbps, equivalent to 53 zettabytes of data exchanged annually. This is enough to support every person on earth simultaneously downloading a complete season of Game of Thrones in ultra-high definition resolution in less than a single day.

The GXI market study finds interconnection bandwidth – the capacity for direct and private traffic exchange between key business partners – is an essential component to digital business and validates that to compete in the digital economy, companies must address growing data volumes and increasing data exchange velocity across a rising number of clouds and business ecosystems. In fact, according to a separate independent survey commissioned by Equinix of more than 2,450 global senior IT professionals, almost half (48%) of global IT decision-makers believe interconnection is a key facilitator of digital transformation. 4 in 10 IT decision-makers in EMEA feel the same, rising to 5 in 10 for Ireland.

“People, software and machines are creating and consuming data faster and in all the places where we work, play, and live,” said Rick Villars, Research Vice President, Datacentre & Cloud, IDC. “The significant increase in data created, aggregated and analysed in these new locations is contributing to a major shift away from deploying IT in traditional corporate data centres. Enterprises need access to robust, modern data centre facilities near the edge locations where businesses want to deploy dedicated infrastructure and interconnect to the increasing number of clouds, customers and partners that are at the core of digital transformation efforts.”

Strong data compliance regulations across EMEA are unlocking data exchange and growth of interconnection bandwidth in Healthcare & Life Sciences, Government & Education, and Business & Professional Services. This is leading Europe (51% CAGR) to overtake North America (46% CAGR) in the race to digital growth. Latin America is leading the charge with a 63% CAGR, with Asia-Pacific not far behind (56% CAGR). Expansion plans across the world, according to the survey, tell a slightly different story with 55% of EMEA businesses planning to expand in to new metros, versus more aggressive expansion plans in other regions (Americas 69%, Asia-Pacific 65%). 6 out of 10 (62%) IT decision-makers globally are utilising virtual connections to support these growth plans.

Maurice Mortell, Managing Director for Ireland, Equinix

 

Key Findings:

The GXI Vol. 3 delivers insights by tracking, measuring and forecasting growth in interconnection bandwidth—the total capacity provisioned to privately and directly exchange traffic, with a diverse set of partners and providers, at distributed IT exchange points inside carrier-neutral colocation data centres. The GXI finds:

The ability to exchange large volumes of data through interconnection is essential to compete in the digital economy

  • In response to rapidly growing volumes of data, enterprise consumption of interconnection bandwidth will grow at a 64% CAGR globally, outpacing other forms of business data exchange. This is due to be even higher for EMEA, with consumption growing at a 67% CAGR, leading enterprises to account for 60% of total interconnection bandwidth in 2022.
  • The independent survey found that interconnection is playing a central role in Irish businesses’ expansion plans. 57% of Irish respondents said their organisation is expanding into new regions, countries or metros, with 63% of those planning to use virtual connections to support this expansion. Some 41% of IT decision-makers in Ireland say interconnection helps to reduce the cost of connectivity.
  • To manage increasing volumes of data, enterprises are on average deploying in nine locations, with a total of 340 interconnections to networks, clouds and business partners. The survey shines more light on this – IT decision-makers in Ireland are utilising interconnection to connect to other enterprises (28%), network service providers (32%) and cloud service providers (17%).
  • The survey also found more than one-third (36%) of Irish IT decision-makers believe interconnection can help their business to gain competitive advantage within the marketplace. Half (50%) believe that interconnection is a key facilitator of digital transformation, while 40% consider it to be central to their business’ survival.
  • Ireland’s role as a data centre hub is also continuing to attract business. Almost half (47%) of IT decision-makers in Ireland say that due to the flourishing data centre industry, Ireland is the best place in EMEA to interconnect with partners, customers, supply chain and cloud service providers.

Distance is the biggest performance killer for digital business

  • Deploying direct, private connections at the edge propels both application performance and user experience.
  • Today’s latency-sensitive workloads require response times ranging from <60 to <20 milliseconds, forcing IT infrastructure closer to the points of consumption (the edge).
  • According to the survey, 24% of Irish IT decision-makers are using interconnection to increase speed of connectivity.

Leading businesses are gaining competitive advantage using a combination of key interconnection deployment models

  • Interconnecting to multiple network providers across multiple edge locations is the most prominent use case for interconnection bandwidth and is expected to grow 4x by 2022. According to the survey, optimising the performance of networks is a key priority for 61% of IT decision-makers in Ireland.
  • Interconnecting to multiple clouds and IT services across multiple edge locations and cloud regions represents the next largest and fastest use of interconnection bandwidth and is predicted to grow 13x by 2022. The move to multi-cloud strategies is cited by respondents to the survey as a priority for 37% of Irish IT decision-makers.
  • Interconnecting to digital business partners for financial services, content and digital media and supply chain integration makes up the remainder of interconnection bandwidth use cases and is forecasted to grow 5x by 2022.

 

Customer case study – Smartbox Group, Ireland

Smartbox Group, headquartered in Dublin, is using interconnection to support its rapid growth across Europe. Selling themed experience gifts – from wellness and adventure to gastronomy and holidays – across 11 European countries, it enables recipients of gift ‘boxes’ to redeem experiences from any of the group’s 40,000 partner companies. To ensure seamless customer journeys across Europe, Smartbox is interconnecting with partners and cloud service providers via Equinix.

Paul Cash, Director of IT Operations, Smartbox, said: “Interconnection is a fundamental element in driving digital transformation and enabling the movement of data on a global scale and it allows our technology teams the flexibility to decide the where to deploy data intensive applications.

 

“Leveraging public and private clouds is a crucial element in the continuous development of our business and new technologies. Given our focus on the user experience, it is vital that there are no latency issues and Platform Equinix gives us that peace of mind by providing secure and direct connections to the cloud. It is the backbone of all of our systems.”

 

Quotes:

 

Eugene Bergen Henegouwen, President, EMEA, Equinix

“Europe’s predicted CAGR of 51%, illustrates the fact that enterprises across the continent are increasingly using new and innovative ways of interconnecting with their customers and partners, to stay relevant and gain a competitive advantage. In line with this, results from our independent survey found the EMEA region has the largest proportion of organisations – at 63% – using interconnection to support their expansion into new regions, countries or metros. This shows interconnection is a critical business asset for companies increasingly looking to operate across borders and in doing so, broaden customer bases”.

Maurice Mortell, Managing Director for Ireland, Equinix

“Interconnection has become vital as organisations look to digitally transform and innovate. Companies need to be able to connect to key business partners across the world and meet their digital requirements. Interconnection offers what traditional modes of connectivity cannot, enabling businesses to adapt to a global way of working, stay competitive in a digital economy and take advantage of the data they are producing. Ireland is really thriving in this area because we have the digital ecosystem to support enterprises in their interconnection journey.”

New online trading platform Kmend launched as part of Dublin Startup Week #Kmend #StartUpWeekDub

Kmend, a unique new online trading platform, which enables businesses to connect with potential trading partners has been launched today in Dublin and is looking for early adopters to register their interest. 

Using specially designed artificial intelligence from UCD spinout RecommenderX, Kmend gives businesses and business organisations easy, time-saving access to constantly growing networks and markets and continually sends businesses valuable new opportunities that match their needs. To ensure value for users, contacts are made on the platform through personal recommendations and introductions from trusted contacts.

 

Speaking following the launch this morning, John McGrane, Founder and CEO of Kmend said:

“We’re delighted to launch Kmend as part of Dublin Start-up Week 2019.

“Kmend is at the cutting edge of business development through its use of semantically aware AI that recommends business opportunities to users. In so doing, Kmend will help businesses to grow by connecting them to new customers, suppliers, networks and markets; increasing profits which can be invested into supporting jobs in local communities across Ireland and the UK.  

“Kmend will also help businesses in Ireland and the UK overcome the challenges of Brexit and global trade disputes by helping them to trade across borders. We are now actively looking for volunteers to register with and use the platform. We want to find businesses interested in expanding their network and securing new business opportunities. Businesses interested in becoming early adopters of the Kmend platform can register their interest by emailing info@kmend.com. 

“Thank you to Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paul McAuliffe for joining us today for our launch. Thank you as well to Techstars, Dublin City Council and all the organisers of Start-up Week Dublin for their support of this event.”

Keynote speaker at the event, Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul McAuliffe said: 

“I’m delighted to attend the launch of Kmend today as part of Techstars Start-up Week Dublin. 

“Kmend is an exciting new Dublin-based online trade platform that uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to automatically match businesses with customers and suppliers based on the power of recommendations. In such challenging trading times as these, platforms such as Kmend are to be commended for their work in promoting trade across borders and for helping businesses to find new markets and grow. 

“It is a great example of the entrepreneurial spirit of Dublin and of the strength of our business community. I wish John McGrane and the team at Kmend the very best of luck for the future. 

“Thank you as well to the team at Techstars, Dublin City Council and all the organisers of Start-up Week Dublin for their hard work in organising such a fantastic programme of events.”

About Kmend 

Kmend (pronounced ‘commend’) is a unique new online platform which enables businesses to connect with potential trading partners through personal recommendations and introductions from trusted contacts. Using artificial intelligence from UCD spinout RecommenderX, Kmend gives businesses and business organisations easy, time-saving access to constantly growing networks and markets and continually sends businesses valuable new opportunities that match their needs. Users are provided with new automatically matched opportunities, can introduce their contacts to other businesses and give recommendations based on quality of service.

Kmend is currently recruiting businesses to join its platform. Both business representative groups and individual businesses will be considered for inclusion in the early adopter phase and in return will receive free use of the platform. Those interested in registering should email info@kmend.com. 

New network GoMo launches in Ireland. #GoMo #eir

Competition in the telecoms world has heated up things a bit with a new player in town but there is a catch or two, It is belong to eir who have not had it easy over the last while and there is no shops and phones. It is all web based and similar to what is on offer elsewhere by the eir owner. eir also will have no hand on this when it comes to customer service and as we know customer service goes along way and it will in time tell just how good this is going to be assuming the uptake will be a big one.

The pricing on offer for the first 100,000 customers stands at 9.99 a month which is undercutting everyone else out there as it stands now but this move might just see others drop their price and there is nothing better than competition in my book but this whole thing just reminds me or the meteor/eir thing and ID mobile and ID mobile did not last too long.  This is a rolling plan something I am on with another network paying €25 a month for today

To join you just bring your number or sign up and you will pay €10 up front which is not bad and the data allowance is the one to watch as we now consume more data than ever before  and you get a whopping 80GB, So to cap off what is on offer it is all calls,sms your 80GB data and 10GB data of roaming but all this falls under the FUP policy and if you are outside the EU and roam you will be hit hard in the pocket paying big bucks there.

Usage outside of your inclusive allowances will be charged as follows:

  • Voicemail – Free
  • Additional Minutes – 30c/Min
  • SMS – 15c per SMS

See the roaming charges below. You can see more in the PRICING guide

Fair usage – 45,000 minutes and 10,000 SMS which being honest is fine most of us today use social media or Whats App for example to communicate, I think myself I get bout 5 text a week and send the same so no fear of going outside the limits or calls for that matter.

Is this a good deal? On paper yes once you dont roam outside the EU but you can see more at https://shop.gomo.ie/  I  will be back with a review on the service in a few weeks and just lets see how customer service works out.

Update – New fee €12.99

Update – Now 4 sims can be used on one account

 

 

Get creative this Christmas with FUJIFILM Imagine. #FUJIFILM #Imagine

When everyone on your Christmas gift list has it all already, then it’s time to think outside the box and get creative. Luckily, FUJIFILM Imagine has you covered, with tons of customisable and sentimental gifts ideas for loved ones who, on the face of it, are impossible to buy for.

SNAP. CREATE. GIFT

FUJIFILM Imagine know that photos locked away on your smart phone hold the secret to amazing Christmas gifts. Simply choose photos of your family and friends and use them to create personalised presents through the FUJIFILM Imagine mobile app, online, and on touch screen kiosks in store nationwide. With lots of quirky options, ideal for stocking fillers and secret santas, your creativity will know no bounds. Choose from personalised jigsaws, teddies, mugs, iPad covers and much, much more. Then, wrap it all up with personalised gift-wrapping paper to really bring a smile to their faces this festive season.

GET SEMTIMENTAL WITH PICTURE BOOKS AND CANVAS PRINTS

For those extra special people on the list, why not put together a scrap book full of memories close to both your hearts? Bring your digital photos to life by printing them in a luxury photo book that can be treasured forever. Photo books can be customised online with heartfelt text and an array of decorative backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. For the interior lover in your life, opt for eye catching framed canvases instead, perfect for adding to walls and displays.

Gift availability varies in-store – call in-store, visit www.fujifilmimagine.ie, or download the FUJIFILM Imagine App. You can collect in-store at selected FUJIFILM Imagine stores in Ireland or if you want to send it as a gift, worldwide delivery to an address of your choosing is available.

E-waste Day aims to increase recycling rates of electronics. #Recycling #Electronics #ewasteday

On October 14, International E-waste Day takes place for the second time, aiming to reduce the burden that e-waste places on the environment and save natural resources. More than 100 organizations from 44 countries stand behind the initiative to encourage recycling of e-waste.

Fifty million metric tonnes of e-waste is generated every globally year. Much of it is handled in an unsafe way, causing pollution, human health hazards and the loss of valuable finite resources. E-waste is the world’s fastest growing waste stream and most countries have difficulties handling these vast amounts of discarded products in a responsible and resource efficient way. In 2016, only 20 percent of electronic waste was recycled globally.

International E-waste Day puts a spotlight on the fact that, while the focus has been on collecting products, not enough effort has gone into building infrastructure for processing the waste or safely recovering used materials. This has led to a shortage of facilities where e-waste can be managed safely. Instead, e-waste is mixed with residual waste, where it is often incinerated, placed in landfill, or exported to developing countries. E-waste exporters generally choose destinations lacking effective legislation that regulates how e-waste should be handled.

In these countries, products are manually disassembled, burned in the open air or dissolved in acid by local laborers, including children, without adequate protective equipment — leading to severe health problems. Electronic products contain a number of toxic substances hazardous to human health, with documented risk to the brain nervous system, lungs and kidneys as well as links to certain cancers. Toxic residues can leak and contaminate the soil, air and water, affecting surrounding ecosystems where the local communities grow their food, hunt and fish. The hazardous substances are also spread to other continents through the air and the sea.

To prevent e-waste, the global sustainability certification TCO Certified has a circular approach to the production and consumption of IT products. By requiring that IT products are durable, repairable and upgradeable as well as recyclable, products can live longer and materials can be recovered.

“There is not one big solution to this problem — it’s all about taking many small steps in the right direction. For example, with TCO Certified, generation 8, the use of hazardous substances in IT products is reduced or eliminated, to enable recycling of materials when the product has reached the end of its usable life.” says Andreas Rehn, Development Manager at TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified.

He continues:

“TCO Certified also requires that important spare parts are made available and that batteries are replaceable so we don’t have to discard products just because the battery has lost its capacity.”

What you can do

  1. Use your products for as long as possible. This is the single most effective thing you can do to minimize e-waste and the negative effects on our planet.

  1. Choose products that are designed to enable a more circular model and can live multiple lives by being repaired, upgraded and refurbished.

  1. Consider if someone else might find the product useful when you no longer use it. Sell it ​​or donate to charity.

  1. Make sure the product is recycled in a safe and responsible way at the end of its usable life.

  2. See more

Groov-e introduces the Light Curve wake-up light and alarm clock.

Groov-e, a leading UK tech brand, today launches the Light Curve, a feature packed wake-up light and alarm clock. Designed to combat the sudden, startling awakening of a regular alarm clock, the Light Curve wakes sleepy heads with a natural, gradually brightening light that will help them feel calmer yet refreshed, alert and energised all day. The Light Curve is available now for £39.99 from www.groov-e.co.uk.

The Light Curve is perfect for those who struggle to get up in the mornings, especially during the winter when it’s cold and dark outside. Mimicking natural daylight, the Light Curve gets brighter over a course of 30 minutes until it’s at the optimum level to rouse users from their slumber. In conjunction with the sunrise, users also have the option to switch on one of eight alarm sounds or an FM radio station if they need a bit more encouragement to get out of bed.

Additionally, for those who have trouble going to sleep, the sunset stimulation can also mimic the end of daylight, gradually dimming over a period of time to help users relax and get ready for the land of nod.

For those who like to read or need the light on darker mornings to get ready, the Light Curve has 10 levels of brightness using its LED lamp. It also features seven coloured mood lighting options making it ideal for anyone who wants to create more of an atmosphere. Controlled by touch, the Light Curve is easy to set up and adjust.

Kunal Patel, Director, Groov-e said: “We’re really excited to add the Light Curve to our range and just in time for winter when it becomes even harder to get out of bed. There are so many health benefits to using light to gradually wake you not least boosting energy and mood. With the Light Curve, we’re giving people a good start to their day, even those who aren’t morning people.”

The Light Curve is £39.99 and available from www.groov-e.co.uk.

EDIFIER releases the TWS1 Bluetooth V5.0 True Wireless Stereo Earbuds. #TrueWireless #Edifier

Edifier® International, prominent designer and award-winning manufacturer of consumer audio electronics for both the lifestyle and multimedia markets launches the TWS1 – True Wireless Stereo Earbuds.

The Edifier TWS1 are a pair of classic entry-level true wireless Bluetooth earbuds that confront the three major complaints from true wireless earbuds consumers: bulky size, insufficient playback time and inadequate radio frequency range. The TWS1 earbuds are compact and ergonomically fit in the ear cavity for a secure, comfortable user experience. With up to eight hours of playback time on a single charge, multi-function tap controls and available at SRP £44.99 they’re the versatile and reliable true wireless earbuds.

With the same high standard users have come to expect from Edifier products, the TWS1 has been engineered with audio quality and durability in mind. LG scratch-proof material is used throughout the product to ensure prolonged durability while adding a touch of gloss that retains its lustre even through years of wear and tear. A semi-transparent design of earbud exterior allows for the light indicator inside the shell to shine through, meanwhile safeguarding the product from sweat or contact with water. The TWS1 is perfect therefore for the gym, running or simply listening to your music collection via Bluetooth.

In terms of audio performance, the TWS1 has been designed with materials and advanced functions not commonly applied for an entry-level headphone. For example, the TWS1 includes 6mm  bio-diaphragm units to provide rich sound details and an exceptionally better sound for the listener. The embedded silicon microphone is highly sensitive, picking up the user’s voice for a clearer call quality.

BUY HERE

Chargeasap launches INFINITY Cable – The world’s first truly universal USB Cable.

Sydney based consumer electronics brand, Chargeasap, the team behind five successful crowdfunding campaigns including UNO and X-Connect, the world’s most crowdfunded cable, is pleased to announce that it has launched INFINITY Cable on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asaptechnologies/infinity-cable); the world’s first cable capable of data transfer and charging on all Micro USB, Lightning and USB-C devices. With shipping in February 2020 and pledges starting at just $25/£20, the campaign will run until 22nd November.

The INFINITY Cable is the most powerful product from the cable specialists and is the one and only cable users will ever need instead of having to carry several for each device. INFINITY is capable of data transfer and charging for Micro USB, Lighting (Apple iPhone/iPad) USB Type-C and USB-C notebook connections including the Macbook Pro, meaning it works with virtually every modern USB device launched within the last 5 years. This latest innovation in magnetic cables offers unparalleled quality, convenience and aesthetics brought by a company who believe users should be the creators and innovators of products.

Unlike other cables from Chargeasap including the most recently launched UNO, the INFINITY Cable is power delivery (PD) compatible for USB-C up to 100W, allowing cross-device charge compatibility for a greater range of devices. This means users can charge their Android or Apple phones with their USB-C laptop power adapter with just one cable. Power delivery (PD) charging is a fast charging protocol to make use of the great functionality and universality and a common feature of current and future flagship devices.

The USB-C connector end allows a higher power input and output and enables INFINITY to be compatible with QC3.0, QC4.0 and Power Delivery. The cable is capable of two-way full speed USB 2.0 data transfer at 480 Mbps between any USB devices and features a reversible magnetic connection which means instant fit every single time. No more fumbling around to connect devices, even in the dark and the INFINITY offers a thicker and stronger magnet for optimum power.

Each INFINITY cable set features two N52 grade neodymium magnets which are the world’s strongest commercial grade magnets. Unlike poor market imitations, INFINITY is strong enough to hold an iPad Air which is 437g (0.96lb) without dropping the device. Additionally, Chargeasap has incorporated an innovative locking mechanism, giving the cable a stronger connection and longer lifespan. This stronger magnetic strength means it can support a heavier cable than ever before with a cable length of 1.2m (3.2ft) with a 2m (6.5ft) cable also available for purchase separately.

Similarly to UNO, INFINITY has a unique bevelled and concave magnetic connector design on both the tip end and cable head end, allowing it to connect correctly even if the tip is flipped 180° due to both the strong neodymium magnets having their polarity perfectly positioned.

The magnetic cable tips on the INFINITY are also just 10mm (0.39″) wide allowing them to fit perfectly into all Apple and Android devices.

Pricing

The INFINITY Magnetic Cable is available NOW on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asaptechnologies/infinity-cable); until 22nd November with shipping to start in February 2020.

Pledges start from $25/£20 for one INFINITY Cable with one magnetic tip

Extra magnetic tip are available for $10/£8 as well as an optional 2m cable available for $25/£20

@NeosSmartHome launches smartcam upgrade: NEOS BOOST. We check it out. #Security #Tech #NeosBoost

Neos, the UK’s first smart home insurance provider, has released a new upgrade plan, Neos Boost, to advance the capabilities of their award-winning indoor smart camera, the Neos SmartCam. One of the cheapest home security cameras on the market has just got better for a small price to pay and we have been asked to test this out over the last while prior release and give feedback on how the new features work as we have done so with similar products and it is nice to share and help in such things and be part of a community.

Since launching in January this year, the Neos SmartCam has sold over 75,000 cameras in the UK and figures are climbing fast. Its’ high-tech features for an unbeatable price of £24.99 RRP, have proven to be a firm favourite with consumers, and Neos Boost only further emphasises the company’s dedication to home safety and incident prevention. Check our video review below of the NEOS prior this upgrade.

Neos Boost allows customers to capture more key moments on their Neos SmartCam, with 5X longer video clips and up to 12 hours of daily recording time. Customers also get the capability to personalise their in-app notifications by setting Security Scheduling and Activity Zones.

Neos Boost is available for a competitive monthly fee of just £3.49 – with the first 30 days free. Customers can set up Neos Boost easily and quickly in the Neos app using Apple or Google pay. Neos remains totally committed to making new innovative technology available at affordable prices.

Neos Boost features:

  • Extended Clip Recording: Capture more of what matters most with video footage recording, upgraded from 12 seconds to 1 minute. Neos Boost also cuts time between clips providing up to 12 hours of Cloud storage each day.

  • Activity Zones: Select specific areas to monitor, such as windows, doors, or the baby’s cot, so you don’t get a notification every time the dog makes a guest appearance!

  • Security Scheduling: Monitor when it’s needed most; set your own schedule to arm and disarm your Neos SmartCam while you’re at home or away.

 

Since launching in 2017, Neos has worked closely with its customers to continuously develop its range of products and services, bringing the next generation of connected home solutions to UK households.

“We’re so excited to launch Neos Boost and offer our customers an even smarter way to look after their home,” commented Matt Poll, CEO and Co-Founder of Neos. “We’re constantly looking for ways that we can develop and improve our offering, and we consider all customer feedback to ensure we deliver what people really want.

With Neos Boost, customers can capture more of what matters and personalise their app experience, so they feel even more confident that their home is being looked after while they’re not there. Prevention is at the heart of everything we do, our smart technology alerts customers the moment anything unusual is detected in their homes to give them the best chance of catching threats early and prevent major problems. With Neos Boost we’re making it even easier for customers to actively look after their home.”