Category: Tech News

Digital Transformation Award for Galway Graveyards Project

Galway County Council has picked up one of the main accolades at the Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards 2023 for its innovative digital project that mapped over 40,000 graveyard memorial records across County Galway and made them publicly available online.

The Digital Mapping of Graveyards Project was named overall winner of the ‘Best Community Engagement’ category of the competition at a ceremony held in Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel last night (Thursday).

Organised by The Sunday Business Post, the awards recognise the achievements of public sector organisations that have made significant contributions to advancing digital transformation across Ireland.  Galway County Council beat off competition from a shortlist of organisations that included Dublin City Council in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, CAWT and Aurion Learning, Longford County Council and Tipperary County Council to win the top award.

Working with and supported by Galway Rural Development, Forum Connemara, The Heritage Council, The National Monuments Service and Galway County Community Archaeology Service, Galway County Council provided funding to local groups to employ experts to train local communities to use mobile technology and to undertake drone mapping of graveyards resulting in a public release of 40,000 records from across the county via the Local Authority’s Open Data Portal.

Cllr. Liam Carroll, Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, said, “The success of the Digital Mapping of Graveyards Project has been years in the making and is the result of forensic research and cutting-edge surveying work by the Local Authority’s Heritage department and local communities across Galway. This has resulted in a body of work that will be of benefit to the diaspora and academia at home and abroad for years to come.”

Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, commented, “In congratulating everybody involved, I wish to emphasise the significance of the award win for the future development of this innovative project and similar digital projects that seek to record, preserve and share details of Galway heritage for the benefit of future generations. In an effort to digitalise our services Galway County Council has begun the preparation of a Council Digital Strategy and im happy to say this is the first instalment of this progress. I am delighted to confirm that it is proposed to transfer and update more memorial records and to map graveyards and record further memorial inscriptions in the coming months and years.”

Eileen Ruane, Director of Services, Human Resources, Environment, It and Digital Transformation, Galway County Council, stated, “Galway County Council, through its GIS team, has identified the capability of advanced technology to record Galway’s rich heritage in a way that makes it accessible to a much wider audience, as well as providing a valuable resource for researchers and academia. We are immensely proud of our achievement and look forward to developing existing and new projects into the future.”

According to Marie Mannion, Heritage Officer for Galway County Council, “The aim of the project is to support our diaspora and communities to connect with their past by unlocking valuable graveyard information and making it available as open-source data that is free to use. We are delighted with the positive reaction we have received to making the records publicly available online and this national award will inspire us to further expand the project and develop similar heritage-based digital projects.”

As part of the project, Connemara West mapped seven graveyards in Ballinakill Parish, Renvyle, Tooreena, Salrock, Letterfrack Boys Cemetery, Banogues, St Thomas and Ballinakill.

Janet O’Toole of Connemara West said, “The project’s success is the result of dedicated volunteers giving over their time, and expert guidance delivered by the County Heritage Officer, Marie Mannion with her team in the County Council.”

She continued, “We have mapped seven graveyards in this area, and they are now part of this bigger project from the local authority. It’s online and anybody can enter their surname to find where their ancestors are buried.”

Outlining the background to the project, Barry Doyle, Geographic Information System (GIS) project lead for Galway County Council, said, “We have been working with various community groups and organisations to collect and collating valuable data relating to those who are buried in various graveyards for several years. Galway County Council, with funding from the Heritage Council, the Open Data Engagement Fund and its own resources developed and made available a mobile app specifically for use by surveyors at the local level for memorial surveys, along with associated data management and validation processes. This technology, along with drone technology, was made available to local community groups to expand the number of graveyards in the project resulting in the 40,000 records that are now publicly available.”

The Galway County Digital Mapping of Graveyards Project may be viewed at galwaycoco.maps.arcgis.com and data.gov.ie.

TP-Link UK launches Matter-certified smart plug with energy monitoring

TP-Link, a leading provider of reliable smart home devices, has today announced the UK launch of its Matter-compatible, energy-monitoring smart plug, the Tapo P110M. This smart plug is compatible with all certified smart home platforms, such as Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.

Harmonising the smart home

Tapo is one of the first brands to obtain the Matter 1.0 certification and the root certificate issued by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). With the introduction of Tapo P110M, TP-Link is promoting the practical application of the Matter protocol, enabling users to adopt, and benefit from, a more seamless smart home experience. Users simply need to scan the provided QR code on their smartphones and the Tapo P110M will be automatically configured to their home network for complete integration, right out of the box.

Tapo supports various flexible controls, including remote, voice and local.  Now, with the Matter protocol, all Matter-certified devices in a user’s local area network (LAN) are accessible through the Tapo app even if their home goes offline.

Intelligent and energy-efficient

Tapo P110M’s standout feature is its energy monitoring ability. This smart plug provides detailed insight into appliance power usage via clear data visualisation on the Tapo app, meaning users can track exactly how much energy a connected appliance uses and apply this data to calculate energy bills. For any power-hungry ‘vampire’ devices, Tapo P110M can schedule usage for off-peak hours, conserving electricity.

For complete control of smart home technologies, users can also schedule an advanced Auto-Off Timer, which automatically shuts off connected devices if the Tapo Matter plug remains on for a specified duration. Further smart features, such as away mode, and smart actions like setting sleep times and ‘arrive home’ times, are also supported in the Tapo app.

Into the Matter-verse

With the addition of Tapo P110M, TP-Link is reinforcing its dedication to improving the user experience with further upcoming Matter-certified launches later this year including smart bulbs and smart switches.

To find out more about TP-Link’s Matter compatibility, click here.

HMD begins manufacturing 5G smartphones in Europe.

Following the recent announcement of its transition to a new multi-brand portfolio strategy, HMD Global, the largest European smartphone manufacturer, today announces another major milestone: HMD have started manufacturing 5G1 smartphones in Europe.  The company’s first device off the line, the Nokia XR21, is now available for purchase by Enterprise customers. This aligns with the overall growth potential for smartphones in Europe, with Canalys forecasting that the European smartphone market will increase by 7% in 2024.

“We are thrilled to be manufacturing the Nokia XR21, our signature rugged 5G smartphone, in Europe. We are dedicated to investing in security, technology and manufacturing processes that make our devices more secure and longer lasting,” said Jean-Francois Baril, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of HMD Global.

‘Our future plans include further investment into software security, with the intention to offer customised software and security features directly to customers.’

Responding to the evolving needs of Enterprise customers, HMD developed capabilities and processes to bring device production to Europe. Every device undergoes rigorous software and malware testing in Europe, with some Enterprise customers requesting additional security in conjunction with a number of IT security partners. Data is stored securely in the EU: With a focus on software security and privacy by design, consumer and corporate data from all smartphones made by HMD has been stored and processed on HMD’s servers in Finland since 2019.

Beyond its security credentials, the XR21 is also built to last and designed with sustainability in mind. With military-grade durability certification3 and IP69K rating, this smartphone is certified to withstand dust, heat, impact, and water. As part of HMD’s on-going commitment to sustainability, the Nokia XR21 is crafted to minimise impact on the environment: The chassis is made from 100% recycled aluminium and its two-day battery life4 supports 60% more charges over its lifetime.

Additional stages in the European production process will help to further reduce emissions.

Pricing and availability

The Nokia XR21 European Edition in Black will be available soon from €649 in the Ireland from nokia.com/phones/en_ie

Fitbit Charge 6 is announced.

Charge 6 helps you stay on track with your goals, thanks to advanced health sensors that, combined with a new machine learning algorithm, bring you our most accurate heart rate tracking on a Fitbit tracker yet, and the ability to connect to compatible gym equipment and fitness apps to see your real-time heart rate during workouts. Plus, it’s helpful when you’re on the go with its new haptic side button, 7 days of battery life, and the ability to do even more right from your wrist — like control YouTube Music and use Google Maps and Wallet.

Here’s a look at all the ways the Fitbit Charge 6 can take your health and fitness up a notch.

Take a beat with improved heart rate tracking

Charge 6 debuts the most accurate heart rate on a Fitbit tracker yet, thanks to an improved machine learning algorithm that brings over innovation from the Pixel Watch and has been optimized for a tracker. Heart rate tracking during vigorous activities — like HIIT workouts, spinning and rowing — is up to 60% more accurate than before, giving you added confidence in your health stats. Better heart rate accuracy means even more precise readings for you — from calories and Active Zone Minutes to your Daily Readiness Score and Sleep Score. You can still assess your heart rhythm for atrial fibrillation on-wrist with the ECG app, and get high and low heart rate notifications, keeping your beat in check at all times.

 

See your live heart-pumping progress and connect to fitness apps and machines

Connect your Charge 6 to compatible exercise apps and machines to stay motivated at home or the gym. Easily and securely connect to compatible exercise equipment with encrypted Bluetooth — from NordicTrack, Peloton, Concept2 and Tonal — to see your real-time heart rate displayed live during a workout. You can also connect to see your real-time heart rate within popular Android and iOS phone or tablet fitness apps such as Peloton.

 

Fuel your fitness routine with more ways to track workouts and stay motivated

With even more personalized ways to track and stay motivated during workouts, you’re sure to get your movement in. Choose from more than 40 exercise modes — including 20 new options like HIIT, strength training and snowboarding— to get important workout stats. Need to track an outdoor workout? Leave your compatible phone at home thanks to Charge 6’s built-in GPS that allows you to easily track your distance.

With YouTube Music controls On Charge 6, you can be the DJ of your workouts as you start, stop and skip over 100 million songs right from your wrist. When you want to change things up, YouTube Music Premium can also recommend workout mixes based on your exercise.

 

Bring the helpful tools you need, on-the-go

For the first time, we’re bringing helpful Google tools to a tracker. Charge 6 will have Google Maps and Google Wallet, making it convenient to go from workouts to errands and everywhere in between. Navigate on the go using Google Maps to get turn-by-turn directions right on your wrist, or grab a post-workout snack using Google Wallet to make contactless payments. With just the right smarts you need for your daily routine, it’s never been easier to explore a new running route and quickly tap to pay for a recovery smoothie on the way home.

Charge 6 also features our first Accessibility feature on a Fitbit device with Zoom + Magnification. With just a couple of taps anywhere on the screen, you can magnify on-screen words if it’s difficult to read small text or you prefer a larger font.

 

Make sense of your wellbeing

Charge 6 health and wellness features are built from Fitbit’s advanced sensors that power in-depth insights. Here are some of the ways it helps you keep tabs on your health:

  • Wake up to your Sleep Score each morning to assess how well you slept based on the time you’re in different sleep stages, your heart rate while sleeping, how restless you were and more.

  • Manage your stress with an electrodermal activity (EDA) scan to measure your body’s physical responses in the moment and get actionable guidance on how to manage your stress. Check your Stress Management Score to see how well your body is handling stress and make a plan for the day.

  • Access other health metrics like blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate variability, breathing rate and more.

  • With six months of Fitbit Premium included, you can access thousands of workout sessions like HIIT, cycling, dance cardio and more, as well as a range of mindfulness sessions.

  • The all-new Fitbit app helps you focus on your goals and understand the metrics that matter to you like Daily Readiness Score, a Premium feature that helps you understand your body’s readiness to tackle a tough workout or take a day to recover, with daily activity recommendations based on your score.

 

Ready to get that Fitbit feeling? Beginning today, you can pre-order Charge 6 online for $159.95 at the Google Store, Fitbit.com or select global retailers with worldwide availability coming later this fall. It comes in three color options: Obsidian, Porcelain and Coral. There are also new accessories to fit your style for any occasion available on Fitbit.com — whether you’re getting the new Charge 6 or want to freshen up another Fitbit device. Check out the Ocean woven band and Hazel sport band for Charge 6 and Charge 5; a Desert Tan leather and Ocean woven sport band for Fitbit smartwatches; and translucent bands and a matte black stainless steel mesh band for Inspire 3.

Kwayga.com, the fastest supermarket supplier sourcing engine, closes €1 million funding round

Kwayga.com, the fastest supplier sourcing engine for supermarket buyers, has successfully closed a funding round, with a €1 million investment in the company, led by The Redesdale Food & Beverage Fund.

Cork-headquartered Kwayga.com enables supermarket buyers to cut their sourcing times by 40% using its game-changing supplier sourcing technology, achieving in minutes what previously took months.

Mike McGrath, Co-Founder and CEO of Kwayga.com, a forward-thinking leader in the realm of eSourcing, who has made it a mission to revolutionise the way supermarkets across Europe approach buying said:

“Redesdale’s investment is a huge vote of confidence in our groundbreaking technology. This partnership will significantly accelerate our growth across Europe as we continue to build high value relationships with significant UK and European buyers, reducing their sourcing time and costs by rapidly connecting them with the best European suppliers. This funding will be used to scale our team and continue to grow our product.”

Michael Cantwell, a Partner in The Redesdale Food & Beverage Fund said; “Redesdale is delighted to invest in Kwayga.com. We are excited about the expertise of the team and their exceptional technology which solves a key buyer pain point. It will be a game changer in how suppliers are sourced in the supermarket sector.”

Kwayga.com was founded in 2021 by Mike McGrath and Martin Fitzgerald to provide a sourcing engine for Supermarket Buyers to engage them with perfectly matched private label and trending product suppliers in European markets where they would not previously have had visibility.  It does this faster than ever seen in the sector, finding high quality product and supplier solutions quickly.

Buyers use Kwayga.com to cut 40% off their sourcing lead times, get new product requirements on shelves in record time; replace existing products when necessary; and for targeted cost saving programs. It already counts the main Irish supermarkets and several UK supermarkets as its customers, and has in excess of 80,000 suppliers on its database.

The Redesdale Food & Beverage Fund is a venture capital fund established by some of Ireland’s best known and most accomplished financiers, business leaders and commercial scientists. Investors in the fund include Enterprise Ireland, Lord Abbett, Musgrave, Coca-Cola, Monaghan Mushrooms, and Tate & Lyle. The fund targets food, beverage, and nutrition companies, led by ambitious entrepreneurs.

To find out more visit www.kwayga.com.

Introducing the Shure SM7dB

Fifty years after its introduction in 1973, Shure has launched a new member of its iconic SM7 family. Designed for podcasters, streamers, and vocalists, the new SM7dB XLR dynamic vocal microphone delivers the extraordinary sound of the SM7B with the addition of a Shure-designed, built-in active preamp* for a simplified audio workflow that removes the need for inline amplification.

More Gain. Simpler Setup. Same Iconic Sound. 

The SM7dB provides creators and audio engineers with the exact rugged construction and legendary audio quality of the SM7B, with the addition of a custom Shure-designed built-in preamp with technology licensed from Cloud, tuned by Shure engineers specifically for the SM7dB.

This integrated preamp provides a supplementary +18 or +28 decibels (dB) of clean gain, eliminating the need for a separate preamp, and freeing users from the hiss and noise introduced by many audio interfaces when their preamps are driven to the levels necessary to provide enough gain for the SM7B.

Ideal for users of all experience levels, the SM7dB’s additional gain brings the microphone’s sensitivity up to a level optimised for typical audio interfaces. This guarantees users enough gain on hand for their audio to be heard with maximum clarity in a recording, on a broadcast, or while streaming, regardless of their audio interface. For situations not requiring additional gain, users can simply set the integrated preamp to “bypass” to revert to original SM7B performance.

Delivering the smooth and controlled sound of the SM7B, the SM7dB’s wide-range frequency response is perfectly suited to pristinely capture singing, spoken word, and podcasting, as well as loud sound sources, including drums, loud vocals, and amplifiers. Sporting the same EQ controls as the SM7B, the SM7dB’s bass roll-off and presence boost can be applied to best fit the sound source and recording environment.

A dynamic microphone with a cardioid polar pattern, the SM7dB is designed to reject off-axis audio, making certain your voice is heard clearly, without distractions. The microphone’s air suspension shock isolation technology and pop filter eliminate unwanted noises and breathiness, while advanced electromagnetic shielding defeats hum from computer monitors and other audio equipment.

“Over the last 50 years, the SM7 microphone family has been adopted by the world’s best recording and broadcast studios, entertainers, artists, and creators,” said Eduardo Valdes, Associate Vice President of Global Marketing & Product Management at Shure. ““The SM7dB removes the need to buy an additional preamp, making it even easier to achieve the remarkable Shure sound that has come to define the last five decades of audio.”

Now, users can unlock the superior audio of the Shure SM7 microphone line without requiring the purchase of a secondary inline preamp, streamlining the setup necessary to achieve professional-grade recordings at a more effective price.

Pricing and Availability

The SM7dB is available today in a sleek, black-on-black finish at Shure.com and at select retailers starting at £519 / 599€.

Nokia launches industrial 5G devices to keep workers safe and connected in industrial environments

Nokia today launched an array of industrial 5G devices to keep enterprise teams and public safety workers safe, connected and informed over private wireless networks in hazardous and industrial environments such as ports, mines, chemical plants and offshore oil platforms. The company is introducing new ruggedized 5G handhelds, a new industrial device consumption model, and enhancements to worker and device related applications.

By adding these new assets to Nokia’s end-to-end platform for industrial digitalization, along with its private wireless and edge applications, the company reinforces its industry leadership with a market leading portfolio and strengthens its commitment to help industrial enterprises navigate their digital transformation journeys, ensuring their operations are more safe, productive and efficient.

The new Nokia Industrial devices are suitable for all types of enterprises and include a ruggedized handheld supporting public safety teams communicating over Band 68. The US-manufactured handheld device has a long lifecycle and is IP 68-rated for operation in remote or harsh environments. Dual-SIM, including flexibility adding eSIM, ensures the most reliable connectivity and simplified management, while an exchangeable battery allows shift workers to share devices in the field. Teams can customize keys to define a dedicated push-to-talk button, while other large buttons and optional accessories, including remote speaker microphones and earpieces enabling push-to-talk, allow workers to communicate clearly and safely without removing safety equipment like helmets and gloves.

Nokia is also expanding the portfolio of ruggedized 5G handhelds with EX-rated phones – all with the same technical platform. The company has partnered with i.safe MOBILE GmbH, world market leader for explosion-proof mobile devices and solutions. Two i.safe MOBILE 5G handhelds are now part of the Nokia end-to-end solution for private wireless infrastructures. They have been rigorously tested and certified* to meet the connectivity demands of sectors such as oil and gas, mining and chemical manufacturers. They can be safely used in hazardous areas (ATEX Zone 1) or further away (ATEX Zone 2) where flammable atmosphere is not likely but could occur for a short time. These handhelds offered by Nokia, support all necessary radio frequency bands, have all required certifications, and can thus be used by companies worldwide.*

Nokia will also offer its managed ruggedized 5G industrial devices deployed over Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) in a subscription-based ‘as-a-Service’ (aaS) model. Application bundles include Nokia Industrial device management, which allows administrators to apply group policies and scale management to their entire device fleet, Nokia Team Comms and Nokia Network Digital Twin. This model allows enterprises to move asset costs from capital to operating expenses and more easily connect workers and manage the fleet of industrial devices in their plants. Moving forward, Nokia will continue to add more types of devices to the managed aaS model.

The updated Nokia Team Comms (NTC) 23 application running on Nokia Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) now aligns to the 3GPP defined MCS (Mission Critical Services) standard. NTC will address the needs of mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT), providing communication capabilities usually only available in more complex and expensive solutions for workers in harsh environments. NTC allows users to stream video or establish voice calls with a group of users or a single user to gain the greatest context about any situation. The new version will allow administrators to configure changes to their device fleet via a newly built web portal. Deployed on MXIE residing on-premises, Nokia Team Comms ensures data remains within the teams that use it. It works without internet connectivity and scales from small number of users to large groups.

Nokia is also extending the capabilities of Nokia Network Digital Twin (NDT) to all Android devices, allowing coverage and performance data for Wi-Fi, private and public cellular networks to be automatically collected in real time and processed on Nokia MXIE. Enterprises in dynamic environments, such as ports, factories or mines, can see how changes in their operations impact network performance and use this insight to inform future network planning and use case decisions.

Martin Haaf, CEO of i.safe MOBILE comments: “Through this partnership, we are pleased to support Nokia with our decades of expertise in explosion-proof mobile devices with our latest 5G developments. The combination of our devices with Nokia’s solutions offers companies a great added value on their digitalization journey.”

Martin Beltrop, Head of Industrial Devices, Enterprise Campus Edge Solutions, said: “At Nokia we are committed to helping enterprises reliably connect workers in the most intuitive ways to keep them safe and productive. By extending our portfolio with the new 5G handheld devices and making Nokia Team Comms 3GPP-aligned, we can serve the growing needs of enterprise workers in industrial and hazardous environments as well as public safety teams. And, by leveraging the new capabilities of Nokia Network Digital Twin, teams will have more information than ever before allowing them to make instant informed decisions to maintain efficiency and network reliability in their dynamically changing environments.”

Nokia 4.9G/LTE and 5G ruggedized user equipment and integrated applications allow enterprises to connect their workers and industrial machines over private wireless networks and benefit from the greatest performance and lowest latency.

* *Devices have received the following certifications: ATEX (Europe), NEC500 (US), IECEx (global), UKEX (UK) and JNIOSH (Japan)

Vyta helps Servecentric save 13 tonnes of CO2e through IT refurbishment

Vyta Group, Ireland’s leading secure IT recycling company, today announces that it has enabled Servecentric, a Dublin-based cloud, data centre and connectivity services provider, to save 13 tonnes (13,000kg) of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) with its secure IT recycling and refurbishment services. The partnership enabled Vyta to return €77,000 in revenues to Servecentric.

Vyta collects, refurbishes, recycles, and resells retired IT equipment while ensuring that any data contained is destroyed in a compliant and sustainable manner. This approach safeguards businesses from data breaches while also supporting the circular economy. As businesses aim to achieve rigorous sustainability goals, there has been a marked rise in the demand for Vyta’s services.

The deal with Servecentric, a secure and resilient colocation and IT services provider for businesses in the US, UK, India and Ireland, represents a growing focus on sustainability from the data centre industry. Many of Servecentric’s clients have undertaken significant hardware refresh projects to improve efficiency. This, along with some cloud migration projects, has created the need for secure disposal of outdated hardware and sensitive hard disks. Servecentric also sought secure data destruction for its own IT equipment, a need magnified by the escalating frequency of cyberattacks worldwide.

In the last year, Vyta collected, processed and reused or recycled 2,222 devices for Servecentric as a part of its IT retirement service. Devices that Vyta processed included servers, network units, and mixed WEEE (Waste electric and electronic equipment). Vyta refurbished a total of 205 items for Servecentric and resold them through Vyta’s extensive network of sales channels, therefore enabling Vyta to return revenues to Servecentric. The CO2e savings enabled through the refurbishment of Servecentric’s retired IT equipment represent the annual carbon dioxide absorption equivalent of 619 mature trees.

By recycling the remainder of the equipment, Vyta has helped Servecentric to keep all of these items out of landfill. Vyta has a zero-landfill policy and ensures that 100% of disposals are handled in an environmentally responsible way. Meanwhile, Vyta’s industry-leading stringent data wiping procedures ensure that Servecentric is compliant with all the latest data regulations, including GDPR.

Vyta’s industry reputation for secure data destruction and compliance played a significant role in Servecentric’s decision to choose the company as its IT asset disposal (ITAD) partner. This was bolstered by Vyta’s significant presence across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, along with its experience in serving US-headquartered enterprises.

Faye Thomas, CCO, Vyta, said: “Amidst mounting concerns over climate change and ever-increasing focus on sustainability , we are all actively exploring avenues to reduce our carbon footprints. At Vyta, our focus resides in helping companies meet their carbon reduction targets through the responsible and secure disposal of IT equipment.

 “Servecentric is a trailblazer in the data centre industry and is committed to supporting the circular economy, all while ensuring adherence to the highest standards of data security. Through this partnership, Servecentric has helped to reduce the CO2 emissions involved in the destruction of old IT equipment and the manufacturing of new replacements, while also yielding substantial financial returns through the resale of the refurbished equipment. We are delighted to collaborate with such a forward-thinking business and look forward to our continued partnership in supporting the circular economy.”

Brian Roe, CEO, Servecentric, said: “Data centres are on a path to become more sustainable, and one of the avenues we are pursuing is the recycling and refurbishment of outdated IT equipment, a task led by companies like Vyta. Through Vyta’s efforts, not only are carbon emissions saved via device refurbishment, but also the assurance of data security shields us from the threats of cyber-attacks.

“The frequency of cyberattacks has now reached unprecedented levels, underscoring the importance of robust data protection and cybersecurity for any organisation. This extends to ensuring the safe and secure destruction of IT equipment. At Servecentric, we are driven by a passion for excellence and a deep-rooted commitment to cybersecurity and data protection. By joining forces with Vyta, we have strengthened our commitment to data security and compliance, providing peace of mind for both our clients and us as a business.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Vyta. The team always responds promptly and efficiently to address any of our concerns or needs, going above and beyond to provide exceptional service.”

EPAM Expands Partnership with Microsoft – Becomes Globally Managed Enterprise Systems Integrator

EPAM Systems, Inc. a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, today announced that it is now a Microsoft globally Managed Enterprise Systems Integrator (SI) partner—helping to accelerate technology innovation, growth and business impact for enterprises through end-to-end solution design and implementation in the cloud.

The newly acquired globally Managed Enterprise SI partner status marks a significant milestone in EPAM’s expanding strategic partnership with Microsoft. The elevated status positions EPAM as a proven service provider for enterprise customers undertaking complex digital transformation, modernisation and cloud migrations, and enables the Company to build cloud-native intelligent applications powered by Azure OpenAI Service.

“We’re pleased to achieve this Globally Managed Enterprise SI partner status with Microsoft,” said Elaina Shekhter, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, EPAM. “This enhanced status, coupled with our accredited proficiency in executing cloud implementations and spearheading the development of next-generation applications, empowers us to provide an even wider spectrum of capabilities to our global customers to unlock the benefits of Microsoft Azure.”

As a long-standing Microsoft partner, EPAM helps customers engineer the future using Microsoft cloud. With more than 55,000 consultants, engineers and architects operating in more than 50 countries, EPAM provides enterprise customers worldwide with specialised Microsoft expertise to optimise Microsoft Azure cloud outcomes. The enhanced Globally Managed Enterprise SI partner status will further enable EPAM to drive the growth of Microsoft certifications and specialisations and leverage Microsoft’s partner investments to accelerate results in cloud native, data and application modernisation, building intelligent solutions infused with Azure OpenAI service.

In July 2023, EPAM won the 2023 Microsoft U.S. Azure Migration Partner of the Year Award for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementing customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, EPAM owns five solution partner designations and 10 specialisations, enabling EPAM to deliver tailored solutions and accelerate business value and innovation for clients, further cementing EPAM’s position as a trusted Microsoft technology partner.

“We are thrilled that EPAM is now a Microsoft Globally Managed Enterprise Systems Integrator,” said Kelly Rogan, CVP, Global Systems Integrator and Advisory Partners at Microsoft. “Through our expanded collaboration, EPAM will deliver innovative solutions and services on the Microsoft Cloud, which will help customers realise business transformation and growth.”

Since 2004, EPAM’s collaboration with Microsoft has helped global customers accelerate their journey to Azure by planning and architecting a strategy for executing Azure migrations at scale without compromising quality.

To learn more about how EPAM uses Microsoft Azure to build next-gen enterprise solutions, visit epam.com/about/who-we-are/partners/Microsoft. 

 Learn more about how to get the most out of the cloud in EPAM Continuum’s recent report, “From Taming Cloud Complexity to Achieving Cloud Mastery.”