“ State of ITSM in Hospitality“ An InformationWeek Report | Sponsored by TeamDynamix The hospitality industry is embracing digitization across a diverse array of businesses, from hotels and restaurants to theme parks and casinos. With operations often spread across various regions and cultures, significant challenges arise. Explore InformationWeek’s insights from the State of ITSM in Hospitality survey, and learn how IT Service Management platforms and strategies can propel you beyond mere operational maintenance to real business enhancement. -Diverse Operations: Support a wide range of technologies across multiple locations and business functions.-24/7 Operations: Ensure seamless service at all times, even outside standard business hours.-ITSM Leverage: Utilize ITSM platforms to transform operations and improve overall business performance. Download the full survey report to gain invaluable insights into optimizing IT functions for superior hospitality services. Offered Free by: TeamDynamix See All Resources from: TeamDynamix Thank you This download should complete shortly. If the resource doesn’t automatically download, please, click here. source

German startup Marvel Fusion and Colorado State University have broken ground on a $150M laser facility in a bid to commercialise fusion energy. Dubbed ATLAS, the facility will use three ultra-high intensity lasers to fire 7 petawatts of power — over 5,000 times the electrical generation capacity of the US — at a target roughly the width of a human hair.   The blast will last approximately 100 quadrillionths of a second. However, it will produce enough heat and pressure to fuse atoms together, initiating the same reaction that powers the Sun and stars. For decades, scientists have been experimenting with lasers to create fusion reactions. A major breakthrough came in 2022, when the US government’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) successfully achieved a first in the sector: a net energy gain in a fusion reaction.  Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders! Net energy gain essentially means that the reaction produced more energy than went into it. The feat ignited hopes that fusion’s promise of abundant, clean, and limitless energy may not be too far off. However, there’s a huge difference between achieving net energy gain and making a commercial fusion power plant that generates continuous clean energy. For that you’d need to produce these fusion blasts several times per second.   But that’s exactly what Marvel Fusion plans to do.  Commercial fusion reactors ATLAS, located at the university’s campus in Fort Collins, will aim to repeat the laser blasts ten times per second. That will be enough to generate an ongoing fusion reaction and, hopefully, a stable supply of clean energy.  The facility will be similar to NIF, but use cutting-edge technology designed to improve the laser’s power and efficiency, while bringing down costs.  Colorado State University will develop one of the lasers. Marvel will build the other two, in a bid to prove its core technology. The partners aim to complete the laser facility in 2026.  “This groundbreaking (feels that a word’s missing) marks an exciting new chapter in the partnership between Marvel Fusion and Colorado State University as we move forward with constructing a facility that will drive the future of fusion energy,” said Heike Freund, chief operating officer at Marvel Fusion.   While Marvel Fusion has established a subsidiary in Colorado to support this collaboration, the company’s headquarter remains in Munich, Germany.  When asked why he chose the US, Marvel’s CEO Moritz von der Linden previously told the Financial Times that it was the “fastest, most capital-efficient way for us to move on building this facility.” There is simply more funding and an appetite for this kind of technology across the pond, he said.  Nevertheless, he doesn’t necessarily intend on building a full-scale commercial plant in the US. “It could very well, maybe hopefully, be in Europe,” he said.  Marvel recently secured €62.8mn in a Series B funding round, bringing its total raised  to date to €100mn.  Alongside fusion energy, ATLAS will also support research in medicine, semiconductors, and X-ray imaging. For instance, lasers could be used to deposit energy in a very localised region for tumour treatment.  Both Colorado State University and Marvel will fund the construction of the new facility. The US government has also put $28mn toward the project. source

When much of human activity moved online during the height of the pandemic, tech companies were thriving. Call it the COVID tech bubble. Now we’ve hit the COVID tech bust. By the second half of 2022, tech companies had initiated significant layoffs — something that had followed an extended period of frenzied tech hiring and attention to employee experience. Standard explanations for the cuts were that companies hired too many during the pandemic and they were looking at the specter of a recession in the months ahead. It sounds a lot like the dot-com boom and bust of yore. Not all companies are impacted equally. It’s the ones that hired at an accelerated rate during the boom that seem to be hitting the brakes right now. At the same time, IT pros with cybersecurity, cloud, and data analytics/machine learning skills have remained in high demand so far. In this space, InformationWeek will document some of the more significant layoffs, updated regularly. Be sure to check back. Here’s a look at the biggest tech layoffs so far: Related:2023 IT Salary Report: Pay Increases Despite Economic Pressures October 2024 Tech Layoffs Kyte, October 25, 2024 announcement. Layoff of 40% of workforce. Amid an ongoing effort to survive after exploring a sale earlier this year, the rental car startup is exiting almost all of its major markets in the US and has cut between 40% and 50% of its workforce, according to TechCrunch. Engineering, consumer, and growth product teams were impacted most. Kyte is reducing its operations to focus only on San Francisco and New York City (including Jersey City) as it works to reach profitability in the next 18 months, CEO Nikolaus Volk said to TechCrunch. Other major markets that Kyte has been pulling out of reportedly include Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Seattle. “In a capital-constrained environment, where capital is super expensive, we have to focus on our strongest markets,” Volk said. Upwork, October 23, 2024 announcement. Layoff of 21% of workforce. To maintain profitable growth, “increase efficiency, and accelerate innovation for its customers,” Upwork is reducing its total workforce by 21%, according to a company news release. The cuts are expected to generate approximately $60 million in annualized cost savings. “We are making ourselves a more streamlined and efficient organization, continuing our successful focus on durable, profitable growth and delivering value for our customers and shareholders,” said Hayden Brown, president and CEO, Upwork. According to the release, Upwork plans to flatten the structures of its teams as it leverages more automation and third-party services to simplify processes and operate more efficiently at scale. Venminder, October 21, 2024 announcement. Layoff of 100 people. Just seven weeks after announcing that it had been acquired by Ncontracts, the Kentucky-based tech company is laying off 100 employees due to redundancies, according to The Business Journals. The cuts were confirmed in a WARN notice filed by Venminder and are expected to begin on December 15, 2024. CapWay, October 17, 2024 announcement. Layoff of entire workforce. Founder Sheena Allen announced operations at Capway have been shut down in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, according to TechCrunch. The Y Combinator-backed fintech reportedly sought to bring financial services to those in banking deserts, which are people in communities, often rural, that have no nearby physical bank branch to obtain a checking account. The term also applies to people who have difficulty going to a bank, such as lower-income, older, or disabled individuals. Allen told TechCrunch the company started to wind down last year and waited this long to announce after a possible acquisition fell through. Allen reportedly cited the fact that the fintech industry took a huge reputational hit after the hacking of Evolve Bank & Trust and the collapse of Synapse. Hundreds of millions of dollars of consumer funds were frozen as a result of the Synapse’s collapse. In response, many banks that looked to partner with fintechs, required the fintech to have a certain amount of money in the bank. During this time period, CapWay struggled to adjust and find a banking partner. The company also struggled to raise more money to meet potential partners’ money-on-hand requirements. “I am proud of the work we were able to accomplish, but honestly disappointed that we couldn’t complete the mission,” Allen wrote on LinkedIn. “I feel strongly that there is still much work to be done in the financial inclusion space, so it won’t be the last you hear of me in regard to fighting for economic equality.”  Meta, October 16, 2024 announcement. Layoff total TBA. Employees across various departments, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs are reportedly being laid off at Meta, according to The Verge. Meta opted against mass, companywide layoffs to initiate smaller cuts that seem to align with the restructuring of specific departments. According to the report, some Meta employees have started posting on social media saying they’ve been laid off. “Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy,” company spokesperson Dave Arnold said in a statement shared with The Verge. “This includes moving some teams to different locations, and moving some employees to different roles. In situations like this when a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees.” Stay tuned. Gigamon, October 15, 2024 announcement. Layoff of 69 people. Starting on New Year’s Eve, the cloud computing company will layoff 69 employees from its Santa Clara headquarters, according to SFGate. The cuts were announced in a WARN filing with the state on Thursday, which is required in the event of mass layoffs. According to the report, several engineers, directors, managers, and a few analysts and accountants will be impacted by the restructuring. In addition, the WARN document breaks down Gigamon’s restructuring plan: 34 workers will permanently lose their jobs on Dec. 31, followed by 17, eight, and 10 at the close of the next three months. ByteDance, October 11, 2024 announcement. Layoff of 500 people.

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More GitHub helped to kick off the modern era of using AI to build applications with its Copilot technology and now it’s looking to open AI up even more. At the GitHub Universe conference today, the company rolled out an expansion of its AI-powered development tools. To date, GitHub Copilot has relied on OpenAI’s large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI Cortex in the beginning, to power its technology. Now GitHub is going multi-model. GitHub Copilot now supports multiple AI models, allowing developers to choose between Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro and OpenAI’s GPT4o variants. The GitHub Models service which was first announced in August is also growing, providing users with more ways and options to try out LLMs in a model playground. There is now even more integration with Microsoft’s VS Code integrated development environment (IDE), that enables multi-file editing. Agentic AI is also getting a boost with a series of updates to the GitHub Copilot Workspace service. Going a step further, the new GitHub Spark technology is an attempt to make it even easier to build basic applications quickly in an effort to enable more people to develop applications.  Rounding out the GitHub Universe update is an expansion of Copilot to support the Apple Xcode IDE and the availability of a StackOverflow extension  “We’re taking the Copilot platform from single-threaded to multi-threaded,” Mario Rodriguez, Chief Product Officer at GitHub told VentureBeat. What multi-model AI means for GitHub Copilot users Expanding the available AI models for use with GitHub Copilot provides numerous benefits to enterprises and their developers. Rodriguez noted that now users will have the ability to choose from different AI models to accomplish their coding tasks, rather than being limited to a single model. He said that just like there is more than one programming language, there are many LLMs to choose from and each has its own benefits. At launch, developers will still have to choose if they want to use a different model than OpenAI. Rodriguez said that in the future, Copilot may be able to automatically select the most appropriate model for a given task, based on factors like speed and performance, to provide the best results. Enhanced code editing and review land in the GitHub universe GitHub is introducing significant improvements to its VS Code integration, including multi-file editing capabilities. The new feature allows developers to instruct Copilot to make changes across multiple files simultaneously, rather than editing each file individually. A new code review system, currently in private preview and moving to public preview, has received very positive feedback according to GitHub. The system allows teams to configure specific rules and requirements, with Copilot automatically reviewing pull requests based on team-level configurations. “Code review is the essence of iteration velocity,” Rodriguez noted. “If you’re a developer, and you finish some code, and you have it in code review, and you’re waiting and waiting and waiting for feedback… that’s code sitting there that is not in production. The faster you can get feedback, the better it is.” GitHub Copilot comes to Apple Xcode  GitHub is also expanding the reach of Copilot with a series of new options. While GitHub Copilot has always been integrated with Microsoft’s VS code IDE, it wasn’t available for users of Apple’s Xcode. That’s no longer the case. “We want Copilot to be everywhere,” Rodriguez said. “So we already have it in JetBrains, in the terminal  and now it’s in Xcode.” Stack Overflow and GitHub partnership expands with new extensions Beyond just being available in other developer tools, GitHub wants to be an integrated part of the larger development ecosystem. A core part of that ecosystem in recent years is the StackOverflow community, where developers ask questions and share tips on development practices. At GitHub Universe, Stack Overflow announced the availability of its GitHub Copilot Extension. The new extension allows developers to get insight from Stack Overflow directly within GitHub Copilot. Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow, told VentureBeat that AI can help developers work faster, eliminating cycles and freeing up headspace for higher-level work.  “However, one key caveat to keep in mind: AI can generate code, but it can’t provide the context, history or background on whether that code will fit the need and work as the question asked,” Chandrasekar said. “Our hope is that this extension will be used in a way to help support those looking for highly technical, trusted knowledge with the sources cited to back up what the user is looking for.” Agentic AI advances with GitHub Copilot Workspaces GitHub’s Workspace feature, which has already attracted more than 100,000 developers in preview, is receiving significant updates.  The platform now offers enhanced integration with GitHub.com, including a new pull request experience that allows developers to quickly address code suggestions and resolve issues through an AI-native interface. Rodriguez explained that the system acts as an orchestration engine, similar to how Kubernetes orchestrates infrastructure for the cloud, but for AI-powered development tools. This allows developers to move seamlessly from idea to implementation using natural language interactions. GitHub lights a new Spark for software creation Perhaps the most ambitious announcement is Spark, a new tool aimed at making software development accessible to non-professionals. The platform allows users to quickly create personal applications without extensive coding knowledge. Unlike traditional low-code or no-code platforms, Spark focuses on enabling personal software creation for joy and creativity. Spark is using the power of Copilot to create the applications. Rodriguez demonstrated this by sharing how he created a math game for his daughter in just five minutes, emphasizing the platform’s accessibility and immediate utility. “The goal is 1 billion developers,” Rodriguez explained. “By 2030 we might have 10 billion people in the world, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could actually unlock the power of creating software for 1 billion of them?” source

“Muddy language is not confined to policies alone. Each of you has seen replies to simple questions in which the meaning was lost through hopelessly obscure wording.”— General Omar Bradley, the second administrator of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, 1947 One of the core principles of high-performance IT (HPIT) is alignment. But what we are aligning to differs greatly between the public and private sectors. For example, in the private sector, organizations often view investments through the lens of profit and revenue. In the public sector, however, it’s about achieving impactful outcomes and delivering value to society. It’s also important to recognize the cultural and linguistic differences between the private and public sectors. For example, terms such as revenue and profit in the private sector translate to outcome and impact in the public sector. Aligning language in this way helps ensure that everyone is on the same page, which can significantly improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and lead to more effective initiatives. Introducing High-Performance IT For The Public Sector And Government This is why we have recently revisited our earlier HPIT research, which was originally heavily private-sector-focused, and reframed key parts of the framework to ensure that it speaks directly to the needs of mission leaders, civil servants, and the wider public-sector ecosystem. Our first report, Applying The Styles Of High-Performance IT: Public Sector And Government, explores different IT investment styles as part of an IT strategy and highlights the tangible benefits that these approaches can produce for mission leaders and civil servants. Along with my colleagues Devin Dickerson and Carlos Rivera, in this report, we delve into: The different styles of IT investment and how they align with broader organizational goals for technology-enabled delivery in the public sector. The strategic benefits that each investment approach can bring, from cost optimization to enhanced service delivery, to ensure that mission leaders make informed decisions about technology investments. How public-sector IT organizations should respond by strengthening different internal capabilities depending on the style of their IT investments. What’s Coming Up Next Understanding these IT investment styles is crucial for maximizing the value of technology within the public sector. In the coming weeks, we will add a new HPIT Readiness Assessment tailored for organizations in the public sector and government. A series of case studies from government agencies and other mission-based enterprises that have successfully applied our approach will complete this update. So whether you’re a civil servant, policymaker, or simply someone curious about improving public-sector IT strategy, this report will give you a valuable understanding of what HPIT looks like in the service of the public. As always, Devin, Carlos, and I would value hearing your thoughts on these efforts and any feedback from those with client access to the report after you’ve had a chance to explore it. Finally, if you’re looking for continuous guidance and support, the team at Forrester is ready to serve: You can raise a guidance request or log an inquiry here. source

“Tools and Technologies for Managing Cyber Risk in 2024“ An InformationWeek Report | Sponsored by SailPoint As cyber threats constantly evolve, organizations need to adopt a proactive and holistic approach to managing risk. Designed for cybersecurity professionals seeking to fortify their defenses, this report highlights the most critical cybersecurity tools and trends of today and tomorrow. You’ll find expert advice on new and proven technologies for risk mitigation, including: Secure AI Deployment Threat Intelligence Sharing Identity Security Downtime Cost Mitigation By proactively addressing these key areas, organizations can enhance their cyber resilience posture and better manage their risk in the face of escalating cyber threats. Download now to stay informed and prepared to tackle the challenges of today’s digital security landscape. Offered Free by: SailPoint See All Resources from: SailPoint Thank you This download should complete shortly. If the resource doesn’t automatically download, please, click here. Thank you This download should complete shortly. If the resource doesn’t automatically download, please, click here. Thank you This download should complete shortly. If the resource doesn’t automatically download, please, click here. source

  道指跌91.51點，跌幅為0.22%，報42141.54點；納指跌104.82點，跌幅為0.56%，報18607.93點；標普500指數跌19.25點，跌幅為0.33%，報5813.67點。 周三盤中，納指最高上漲至18785.49點，創盤中歷史新高。 市場等待更多科技公司的財報財報，並關注日益臨近的美國總統大選。美國10月ADP就業人數超預期，第三季度GDP不及預期。 美國第三季度GDP增長2.8%，預估為2.9%。分析師稱，這份報告顯示美國經濟第三季度以強勁步伐增長，居民和企業面對全球逆風和11月大選前的不確定性表現出韌性。 六部門：加快推進以沙漠、戈壁、荒漠地區為重點的大型風電光伏基地建設 推動海上風電集羣化開發。 中國金茂0817)截至2024年9月30日止九個月，公司全資附屬公司上海金茂投資管理集團有限公司(上海金茂)實現營業收入300.82億元(人民幣，下同)；歸屬於母公司所有者的淨利潤19.48億元，同比增加260.74%。 比亞迪股份(1211)第三季度業績，營業收入約2011.25億元，同比增長24.04%；歸屬於上市公司股東的淨利潤約116.07億元，同比增長11.47%；基本每股收益4元。 濰柴動力(2338)第三季度業績，營業收入494.64億元(人民幣，下同)，同比減少8.82%；歸屬於上市公司股東的淨利潤24.98億元，同比減少4%；基本每股收益0.29元。 聯交所最新資料顯示，10月30日，李嘉誠及李澤鉅減持郵儲銀行(1658)2015.3萬股，每股作價4.6294港元，總金額約為9329.63萬港元。減持后最新持股數目約為11.86億股，最新持股比例為5.97%。 華泰證券(6886)第三季度報告，該集團期內取得營業收入314.24億元(人民幣，下同)，同比增加15.41%；歸母淨利潤125.21億元，同比增加30.63%；基本每股收益1.33元。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

By Andrew Karpan ( October 28, 2024, 7:24 PM EDT) — Microsoft and OpenAI say that concerns from news outfits over consolidating discovery in their ChatGPT copyright lawsuits are “misplaced” and call a request to schedule more depositions “wholly unnecessary.”… Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Screenshot （左起）The Access Bank UK Limited 香港分行董事總經理及行政總裁羅樹榮、Access Bank Plc 董事總經理兼行政總裁 Roosevelt Ogbonna、The Access Bank UK Limited 創始人、行政總裁及董事總經理Jamie Simmonds。 The Access Bank UK Limited 昨天宣佈，旗下香港分行正式開業(有限制牌照銀行)，這標誌著拓展國際業務的重要里程碑，成為首家進駐香港市場的西非銀行，以促進和加快亞洲與非洲之間的貿易往來。香港作為領先的國際金融中心和通往亞洲的橋樑，其優越地理位置使其成為一個策略樞紐，加強亞洲區內與非洲之間的貿易和連接渠道。透過在香港的據點，該行將充分利用亞洲與非洲之間不斷拓展的經濟夥伴關係，支持亞非之間日益增加的貿易往來。 隨著母公司在非洲各地的業務不斷增 長，加上尼日利亞經濟極具韌性，以及亞洲與非洲之間的長期貿易聯繫頻繁，香港是通往亞非之間貿易的理想門廊。 尼日利亞聯邦共和國總領事館總領事 Oludare E. Folowosele 在典禮上表示:「我很高興今天能慶祝 The Access Bank UK Limited 在香港開設有限制牌照銀行。這是首家西非銀行集團取得此資格，屬亞洲和非洲之間貿易往來發展的一個重大里程碑。這也完全符合中國與非洲之間的倡議，可見兩國之間的商業流動潛力正在日益增長。」 The Access Bank UK Limited 創始人、行政總裁及董事總經理 Jamie Simmonds 就此策略舉措發展彰顯承諾，他表示:「近年來在『一帶一路』等計畫的推動下，亞洲已成為非洲最大的貿易區。中非貿易額在2023 年達到 2,821 億美元的歷史新高，同比增長 1.5%。隨著亞非經濟關係步入新階段，我們在香港開設分行的時機非常理想，可滿足客戶在這些不斷擴展的市場的融資和銀行服務需求。」 The Access Bank UK Limited 香港分行董事總經理及行政總裁羅樹榮表示:「我們很高興在香港設立分行，是 The Access Bank UK Limited 持續增長和擴展國際業務的關鍵策略。新設的分行將有助我們能更密切接觸香港客戶，並加強我們為亞洲區內客戶提供專屬金融解決方案的能力。」 The Access Bank UK Limited 香港分行由羅樹榮領導及管理，將專注於國際貿易融資和商業銀行業務。香港分行初始團隊員工約 25 人，然而，團隊規模將適時可控地擴張。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source