Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.
ASCII Group launches AI committee
The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent North American managed service providers (MSPs), this week launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) committee in light of what it called an evolving technology landscape
The organization said it “recognizes the critical importance of preparing its members for the next phase of industry evolution – the integration of AI technologies into their service offerings.
“In an industry marked by rapid transformations, MSPs have consistently demonstrated resilience and adaptability, transitioning from resellers to value-added resellers (VARs) and then to MSPs. As AI rapidly progresses, the managed services sector anticipates significant transformative shifts.”
According to a release, while “AI integration offers unprecedented efficiency and innovation, challenges persist, such as optimizing operations and tailoring customer solutions. Nevertheless, forward-thinking organizations can seize opportunities by strategically and responsibly embracing AI, unlocking new avenues for growth and differentiation.”
Former VMware Canada boss Reeves joins Wipro
Claude Reeves, most recently vice president and country manager at VMware Canada, has joined Wipro as vice president of sales and portfolio executive, Canada.
“This appointment underscores the significant growth that we have had in Canada and the growing partnerships that we have with our Canadian clients,” said Kim Watson, president and managing director, Wipro Solutions Canada.
Reeves said in a post on LinkedIn, “After 28+ years in the tech industry serving enterprise clients, I wanted to shift and join a services-led company that is focused on delivering the outcomes, including game-changing AI ones, needed by Canadian organizations today and in the future.”
WLAN market to contract in 2024, Wi-Fi 7 a bright spot: Dell’Oro
A recent report from Dell’Oro Group predicts that sales of Wi-Fi 7 Access Points (APs) will reach nearly three quarters of total AP revenues by 2028. The introduction of Wi-Fi 7 to enterprises will be one of the few bright spots for vendors in 2024, in a market that is expected to contract by nine per cent. Wi-Fi 6E adoption is still growing, but is forecasted to peak in 2024.
“There has been a flurry of vendors announcing new Wi-Fi 7 APs in January,” said Siân Morgan, wireless LAN (WLAN) research director at Dell’Oro Group. “We expect that Wi-Fi 6E APs will still outsell Wi-Fi 7 in 2024, but adoption of Wi-Fi 7 will be responsible for all of the revenue growth by 2025.
“However, total WLAN AP revenues are expected to decrease in 2024. After the backlog-driven revenues of 2023, enterprises are busy digesting all the equipment they received. It’s going to take a few more quarters of downturn before the market begins to expand again.”
Are you one of Canada’s Top 100 solution providers
With 2023 now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take a quick look back and determine how you rank within Canada’s solution provider field. Here at Channel Daily News, we have begun accepting online submissions for the annual rankings, which will be unveiled on Thursday, April 18.
The Top 100 list celebrates Canadian success based on total 2023 gross revenue from ICT goods and services sold and purchased by organizations located in Canada.
To get in the running for this year’s honour roll, all you need to do is complete a 10-minute survey. In addition to helping us determine the final rankings, this survey will be used to create our annual benchmark report, which is a uniquely valuable resource for understanding the state of Canada’s IT Channel.
You worked hard last year – get the recognition you deserve! The deadline to make your submission is March 1, 2024.
Intel spins out FPGA business, renames it Altera
Intel this week officially launched its new standalone FPGA (field programmable gate array) company, formerly known as the Intel Programmable Solutions Group (PSG) and revealed that it has been named Altera, returning to the name the business held before its acquisition by Intel in 2015.
“The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new complexities and opportunities across all industries,” Intel said in a release. “Altera is addressing those opportunities with FPGA AI Suite and OpenVINO, which generate optimized intellectual property (IP) based on standard frameworks like TensorFlow and Pytorch.
“Altera’s FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays) provide flexible solutions to better address changing market demands, such as seamlessly integrating critical AI inferencing capabilities, and to better intercept evolving standards, like PCI Express, CXL, Ethernet and 6G wireless.”
Okta for Good Fund to hit US$50 million mark over 5 years
Okta this week announced a new US$50 million, five-year commitment by the Okta for Good Fund to address what it described as “the world’s most pressing challenges.” The company said it is “doubling down on its corporate responsibility and investing in organizations to fight cybersecurity threats.”
Highlights from the funding initiative, it said, include:
- US$20 million for Tech for Good to accelerate digital transformation and cybersecurity for the social sector and strengthen the cybersecurity posture of civil society organizations. According to the firm, nonprofits are the second most attacked vector, behind only governments, when it comes to cyber threats, with 65 per cent of NGOs lacking confidence in their own security posture.
- US$15 million for Digital Equity to close the digital divide and make cyber and tech jobs more accessible to all while expanding the field of qualified cyber talent and creating access to more economic opportunities to help bridge this gap.
- US$10 million for Climate Action to support security and resilience for communities most impacted by climate change while helping vulnerable communities best prepare and respond to climate threats.
- US$5 million for Employee Giving & Response Grants to grow more engaged citizens across Okta’s employee base and ecosystem.
Nomination deadline extended for CDN Channel Innovation Awards
Each year, Channel Daily News celebrates the best in innovation from Canada’s IT channel. Do you know – or are you – a solution provider who pushed the envelope last year? We want to know what you/they did – and how it helped the client. Winning solutions will be celebrated at the Channel Innovation Awards on Thursday, April 18. Deadline for nominations has been extended until March 8.
You can submit nominations in any of the following categories – and yes, you can nominate yourself:
Data Analytics Master: Recognizing innovation in data or analytics offerings that solves a business problem/challenge or creates additional value for clients
Innovator(s) of the Year: Recognizing any initiative or a solution that has helped a partner or client succeed in an extraordinary fashion
Remote Work and Collaborative Workspaces Wunderkind: Recognizing innovative initiatives that increased collaboration, communication, and productivity in the workplace
Cybersecurity Ninja: Recognizing an innovation in the form of a new or enhanced security offering that results in increased cybersecurity protection for new and existing clients
AI Trailblazer: Recognizing innovation in employing artificial intelligence technologies to create or transform solutions to deliver significant business impact
C4 Award for Diversity and Inclusion: Recognizing an organization that has been working hard to meet challenges around diversity and inclusion