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By Andrew Karpan ( February 13, 2025, 10:10 PM EST) — A patent litigation company that obtained a nearly $18 million award from a federal jury in Waco, Texas, against Taiwanese computer manufacturer ASUSTeK says it wants to try winning some more money at a new trial, though the company admitted it “recognizes the extraordinary nature of the relief it is requesting.”… 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

Despite persistent inflation, US real GDP is forecast to grow 2.7% in 2025 and US tech spending to grow by 6.1% to reach a staggering $2.7 trillion. Buoyed by Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, tech spending in 2025 is driven by: Software. Software spending in the US will increase by 10.7% in 2025. As cybersecurity risks escalate, and cloud and generative AI (genAI) continue to revolutionize tech offerings, enterprises look to leverage these technologies to drive future growth and innovation. Cloud giants such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft lead the charge, showcasing significant revenue growth from these technologies. Despite this, companies feel the complexity of managing cloud costs — three out of every five organizations saw cloud costs rise in the past year. Cloud revenues are on track to grow faster in 2025 than 2024. Industry dynamics. The media and information sector, alongside finance and insurance, will see faster tech spend growth, largely driven by digital transformation and genAI advancements. Retail and healthcare sectors also leverage technology to innovate and enhance customer and patient experiences. Eighty percent of financial institutions plan to increase technology spend over the next two years, with fraud detection and mitigation, digital banking, and data analytics the the top three technology investments in 2024 and 2025. Hardware. Computer equipment sales will experience a revival with significant growth in US PC shipments, driven by demand for AI-capable devices and the phaseout of Windows 10. Strong PC equipment demand offsets tepid 0.4% growth in communication equipment spend as US telecom companies scale back capital expenditure amid economic pressures. IT services. Spending on IT services shows modest 3.5% growth driven by the momentum of infrastructure-as-a-service offerings. Consulting revenue growth was tepid in 2024; Accenture’s North American revenues saw flat growth in the the first three quarters of 2024, forcing a downgrade to growth guidance. Tech employment trends. Forrester estimates that the 7.1 million US information workers in 2023 will grow 10% by 2030 as the employment landscape within the tech sector evolves. Data science and information security roles will expand rapidly, whereas computer programming jobs will face declines due to the impact of large language models. Dell cut 10% of its workforce to create a more AI-focused business. Intel announced $10 billion in cost reductions with the loss of more than 15% of its workforce and recommits to “delivering AI everywhere” despite losing market share to NVIDIA. Cisco last year announced two rounds of job losses that reduced its workforce by 12% to focus on AI, cloud, and cybersecurity. As a result, driven by the US, Forrester forecasts that North America will see the fastest regional tech spend growth in 2025. The Forrester report, US Tech Market Forecast, 2024 To 2029, shows that tech spend, excluding staff costs, will exceed $2 trillion for the first time in 2025 to capture 41% of global tech spend. Also keep an eye out for Forrester’s forecasts on European and global tech spend between 2024 and 2029 to place this US tech spend growth into context. source

由於人工智能（AI）需求量大增，內地數據庫的租金在上年第四季有很大的升幅，根據資料顯示，平均每一個 server rack (大約24吋闊x42吋深x74吋高）每月租金超過3,000幾元（人民幣，下同），業內人士相信，今年租金會繼續上升。在香港上市的數據庫中心公司中，投資者大多會關注內地市場最大龍頭萬國數據（09698），以及香港市場最大龍頭新意網集團（01686），兩股股價過去一個月升了最多接近一倍。其實，尚有一隻黑馬智昇集團（08370）。這三股近期股價急升，如短期出現回吐，有興趣者可候低吸納博再升，但亦要準備跌破重要支持嚴守止蝕。 智昇早於2021年便宣佈轉型至營運數據庫中心，早年與借款人SPV簽署協議，向後者提供總額高達1億人民幣的貸款，分兩批墊付。SPV 由文立（團結香港基金顧問）和在去年底出任行政總裁的賴寧寧各持有50%權益。該SPV是為成立合營企業而設立的特殊目的公司，該合營企業由Apollo Cellar、SPV 和OpcoHQ分別持有40%、40%和20%股權，將主要在中國從事數據中心運營業務。這項重要舉措將有助於智昇集團控股擴大中國業務版圖，並推進其在數據中心運營領域之發展。 賴寧寧具有北京聯合大學頒發的計算機科學學士學位，並在數據中心行業的領先公司工作多年。他曾擔任公司網絡部門的總經理和高級副總裁，直至2017年。同年，他創立了中國最大的智慧雲網絡交換中心北京皓寬網絡科技有限公司，並成立了北京皓揚雲數據科技有限公司，在大北京地區打造了一個規模龐大的數據中心，其智能計算能力超過15,000P，總電力容量達400MW以上，可見他在數據中心行業擁有深厚的經驗和專業知識。 而於2月13日，智昇成功競投了一幅位於內蒙古的土地，據悉，該土地將用於發展數據中心，料可進一步強化集團數據中心的業務，將來數據中心業務收入料可多於原本的傢俬業務。公告指出，其間接全資附屬公司內蒙古皓揚，成功競投該土地的土地使用權，並已根據掛牌出讓的要求支付相當於官方起始價的可退回按金約1320萬元。該土地位於內蒙古自治區呼和浩特市，總佔地面積約5萬平方米。 集團的自建數據中心及發展智算中心為長期目標，倘該土地收購得以落實，則其將有助於集團自建數據中心，符合集團的發展戰略，並能為集團創造長期利益。該土地位於內蒙古黃金地段，鑑於近年來內蒙古對數據中心服務的需求有所增加，其為集團擴展其數據中心服務業務提供寶貴機會。 另外，賴寧寧先生的加入將為智昇集團控股帶來多方面的好處，他在數據中心行業的多年豐富經驗將有助於公司更好地應對行業挑戰和捕捉未來發展機遇，制定更具前瞻性的發展戰略。另外，賴先生作為該行業極具豐富經驗的專業人士，將能夠帶領團隊實現更高效的運作和業績表現。同時，賴先生在建立和運營大型數據中心方面的專業知識，絕對有助於公司提升技術水平和服務質量，擴大中國市場份額並提升競爭力。賴先生的加入將為智昇集團控股帶來更多創新和發展機遇，為公司的未來增添活力和動力。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp The post 智昇集團（8370）受惠AI刺激數據中心租金上升 appeared first on VeriMedia. source

TL;DR: Get speedy, secure, and user-friendly cloud storage with a lifetime subscription to the FolderFort 1TB Storage Pro Plan — it’s currently on sale at 76% off for just $59.97 through March 2. Cloud data storage is one of the most useful and convenient developments in technology for businesses. Yet, though it’s certainly been around long enough, plans offering large amounts of storage still tend to be either slow or pricey. Fortunately, you can now get a massive amount of affordable, fast cloud storage with a lifetime subscription to the FolderFort 1TB Storage Pro Plan while it’s on sale for a best-on-web price of only $59.97, down 76% from its usual subscription cost of $251.64 through March 2. About FolderFort FolderFort makes it easy to manage your files with a sleek, user-friendly interface and guarantees 99.99% uptime. However, email and phone support aren’t available 24/7 if you need them. Best of all, it’s blazingly fast, so it will take you mere seconds to upload large files with a good internet connection. Your data is easily accessible from multiple platforms and devices, including modern browsers on Windows and Mac computers, phones and tablets. No installations are needed. The plan also includes unlimited workspaces and users. Additional users don’t have to pay to access workspaces. In fact, they each get their own 1 GB of personal storage for free. Digital content can be shared in a professional environment by creating links to files and folders for quick access. You can choose to make the links public for anyone to use or restricted for only specific users to access. Sharing your files securely is a simple matter because FolderFort provides robust encryption from Backblaze to protect your data without slowing down your processes. This lifetime subscription is perfectly scalable. You can instantly add more storage by just upgrading your account. If you no longer need as much storage, simply contact support about downgrading. Although keeping up-to-date on cutting edge technology such as AI can increase your revenue, saving big on necessary business services is also an excellent way to boost your bottom line. Get a lifetime subscription to the FolderFort 1TB Storage Pro Plan while it’s available through March 2, 2025 for a best-on-web price of just $59.97, a 76% discount off the regular $251.64 subscription price. Prices and availability are subject to change. source

The SE is dead; long live the iPhone. In what was billed as a surprise announcement, Apple today introduced the newest member of the Apple family: the iPhone 16e. But it wasn’t really much of a surprise — Apple’s impending iPhone SE revamp has been its worst-kept secret. Rumors of a refresh have been rife for some time, and finally, Apple has pulled the plug, bringing about a much-needed rationalization of its phone portfolio. The new iPhone 16e no longer stands out as the iPhone that was not just cheap but felt cheap, as well. Now, Apple’s brand of accessible luxury gets a little more accessible for people who don’t want to settle for anything less than (almost) the real thing. Luxury, made even more accessible, will drive customer lifetime value. The embrace of a lower-end product and its rationalization within the core portfolio is standard in the mass luxury playbook; we have seen this strategy succeed with great effectiveness in luxury car brands, such as BMW and Audi, that thrive on entry-level options without hefty price tags. The iPhone 16e generates a new revenue stream for Apple, and this will be particularly noticeable in key markets like India, where iPhones are out of reach for most people and there is furious low-cost, high-quality Android competition. There is also a second-order effect of cheaper devices like the iPhone 16e bringing new customers into the Apple ecosystem. The revenue and margins from devices are just the beginning of what Apple hopes will be a beautiful friendship. Customers engage with all of Apple’s services (which are twice as financially lucrative as its device business) over an extended period, boosting their “customer lifetime value” to the brand. The 16e is a smart boost for Apple Intelligence. The new iPhone 16e also provides a more accessible on-ramp to Apple Intelligence. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, tells us that iPhone sales have performed best in markets with Apple Intelligence. But even in these markets, the constrained backward compatibility (15 Pro and better required) effectively prices out the adoption of many of these AI capabilities. We’ve seen a limited appetite among many of the installed base to upgrade from previous versions, but the new phone reduces the cost hurdle of joining the Apple Intelligence bandwagon. Effective product management and marketing will minimize cannibalization. The problem with a lower-end product in a luxury portfolio is that you want it to be good but not so good as to cannibalize the crown jewels. The iPhone 16e is designed to limit such flight from higher-margin phones. For example, if it’s photography and video a buyer is after, then the camera on the 16e is never going to meet the needs of a “pro-sumer.” And if it’s all about symbolic status, the single camera lens will immediately signal where the 16e resides in the social hierarchy of iPhones. That said, some leakage from the higher-priced iPhone product lines is inevitable, but this will be offset by the financial benefits of growing the base. ————————————————————————————————————— Learn more: Forrester clients can read my research on how brands grow, especially by harmonizing their brand and customer experience. Follow my work: Go to my Forrester bio and click “Follow.” Chat with me: If you are a Forrester client interested in discussing these topics, please schedule time with me for an inquiry or guidance session. Plan a session: If you are a Forrester client looking to host a strategy session on a related topic (for example, “the future of digital consumer experience related to AI”), please contact your account team or email me at [email protected]. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Snowflake and Anthropic have unveiled a major partnership to embed AI agents directly into corporate data environments, empowering businesses to analyze vast amounts of information while maintaining strict security controls. The companies will integrate Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet model into Snowflake’s new Cortex Agents platform, allowing organizations to deploy AI systems that can analyze both structured database information and unstructured content like documents within their existing security frameworks. “We believe that AI agents will soon be essential to the enterprise workforce,” Baris Gultekin, head of AI at Snowflake, said during a media roundtable. “They’ll enhance the productivity for many teams such as customer support analytics and engineering, and they’ll free up employee time to focus on higher value things.” Snowflake strengthens AI capabilities with Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 The partnership addresses a crucial challenge in enterprise AI adoption — deploying powerful AI models securely at scale. Claude will run entirely within Snowflake’s security boundary, eliminating concerns about sending sensitive data to external AI services. “Running Claude within Snowflake’s security perimeter allows customers to build and deploy AI applications while keeping their data governed,” said Mike Krieger, Anthropic’s Chief Product Officer, during the press conference. Early results show promise. Snowflake reports 90% accuracy on complex text-to-SQL tasks in internal benchmarks, significantly outperforming previous approaches. Siemens Energy has already built an AI chatbot analyzing more than half a million pages of internal documents, while Nissan North America achieved 97% accuracy in analyzing customer sentiment about dealer experiences. How Snowflake is using AI to automate business data analysis Cortex Agents orchestrates complex data tasks across both structured databases and unstructured content. The system combines two key components: Cortex Analyst, which converts natural language into accurate database queries, and Cortex Search, a hybrid search system that Snowflake claims outperforms competitors by at least 11% on standard benchmarks. “Having such a state-of-the-art model available to Snowflake customers contributes to the ease of use experience,” said Christian Kleinerman, EVP of product at Snowflake. “Instead of which model to use, and how many prompts I need to go push to get something to behave the way I want it, or answer the question I need… it is phenomenal.” Snowflake’s Cortex Agents promise smarter, faster enterprise AI The partnership signals a shift in enterprise AI strategy. Companies now seek to integrate AI directly into existing data infrastructure, rather than treating it as separate technology. “Nobody is looking for just a token vendor that exchanges input tokens for output tokens,” Krieger explained. “They’re looking for somebody who will help them craft their AI strategy and do so in a way that’s aligned with their values, and also that they trust to remain on the frontier.” The platform includes comprehensive monitoring capabilities and maintains existing access controls and compliance requirements — crucial features as AI regulation evolves. “Some amount of regulatory clarity would be helpful,” Kleinerman noted during the announcement. “But I think it’s on all of us, especially research labs that understand in next-level detail, that we’re involved to help inform how that regulation is formed.” Why Snowflake’s AI strategy focuses on security and governance The partnership offers technical decision makers a potential path to deploy AI at scale while maintaining security and governance. Success will likely depend on careful implementation and clear use cases that deliver measurable business value. For enterprises grappling with growing data volumes and complexity, the ability to deploy AI safely and effectively could become a crucial competitive advantage. The platform’s combination of advanced AI capabilities with robust security controls suggests a future where intelligent agents become an integral part of corporate operations. source

Generative AI’s use has exploded across industries, helping people to write, code, brainstorm and more. While the interface couldn’t be simpler — just type some text in the box — mastery of it involves continued use and constant iteration.  GenAI is considered a game-changer, which is why enterprises want to scale it. While users have various resources available, like OpenAI and Gemini, proprietary LLMs and GenAI embedded in applications, companies want to ensure that employees are not compromising sensitive data.  GenAI’s unprecedented rate of adoption has inspired many individuals to seek training on their own, often online at sites such as Coursera, EdX, and Udemy, but employers shouldn’t depend on that. Given the strategic nature of the technology, companies should invest in training for their employees.  A Fast Track To Improving Prompt Engineering Efficacy  Andreas Welsch, founder and chief AI strategist at boutique AI strategy consultancy Intelligence Briefing, advocates starting with a “Community of Multipliers” — early tech adopters who are eager to learn about the latest technology and how to make it useful. These multipliers can teach others in their departments, helping leadership scale the training. Next, he suggests piloting training formats in one business area, gathering feedback and iterating on the concept and delivery. Then, roll it out to the entire organization to maximize utility and impact.  Related:Quick Study: The IT Hiring/Talent Challenge “Despite ChatGPT being available for two years, Generative AI tools are still a new type of application for most business users,” says Welsch. “Prompt engineering training should inspire learners to think and dream big.”   He also believes different kinds of learning environments benefit different types of users. For example, cohort-based online sessions have proven successful for introductory levels of AI literacy while executive training expands the scope from basic prompting to GenAI products.   Advanced training is best conducted in a workshop because the content requires more context and interaction, and the value comes from networking with others and having access to an expert trainer. Advanced training goes deeper into the fundamentals including LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases and security risks, for example.  Andreas Welsch, Intelligence Briefing “Function-specific, tailored workshops and trainings can provide additional level of relevance to learners when the content and examples are put into the audience’s context, for example, using GenAI in marketing,” says Welsch. “Prompting is an important skill to learn at this early stage of GenAI maturity.”  Related:Tech Company Layoffs: The COVID Tech Bubble Bursts Digital agency Create & Grow, initiated its prompt engineering training with a focus on the basics of generative AI and its applications. Recognizing the diverse skill levels within its team, the company implemented stratified training sessions, beginning with foundational concepts for novices and advancing to complex techniques for experienced members.   “This approach ensures that each team member receives the appropriate level of training, maximizing learning efficiency and application effectiveness,” says Georgi Todorov, founder and CEO of Create & Grow, in an email interview. “Our AI specialists, in collaboration with the HR department, lead the training initiatives. This dual leadership ensures that the technical depth of AI is well-integrated with our overarching employee training programs, aligning with broader company goals and individual development plans.”  The company’s training covers:  The basics of AI and language models  Principles of prompt design and response analysis  Use cases specific to its industry and client requirements  Ethical considerations and best practices in AI usage  Educational resources including online courses, in-person workshops, and peer-led sessions, and use of resources from leading AI platforms and collaborations with AI experts that keeps training up-to-date and relevant  Related:Will AI Chip Supply Dry Up and Turn Your Project Into a Costly Monster? To gauge individuals’ level of prompt engineering mastery, Create & Grow conducts regular assessments and chooses practical projects that reflect real-world scenarios. These assessments help the company tailor ongoing training and provide targeted support where needed.  “It’s crucial to foster a culture of continuous learning and curiosity. Encouraging team members to experiment with AI tools and share their findings helps demystify the technology and integrate it more deeply into everyday workflows,” says Todorov. “Our commitment to developing prompt engineering expertise is not just about staying competitive; it’s about harnessing the full potential of AI to innovate and improve our client offerings.”  A Different Take  Kelwin Fernandes, cofounder and CEO at AI strategy consulting firm NILG.AI says good prompts are not ambiguous.   “A quick way to improve prompts is to ask the AI model if there’s any ambiguity in the prompt. Then, adjust it accordingly,” says Fernandes in an email interview.  His company defined a basic six-part template for efficient prompting that covers:  The role the AI should play (e.g., summarizing, drafting, etc.)  The human role or position the AI should imitate  A description of the task, being specific and removing any ambiguity  A negative prompt stating what the AI cannot do. (E.g., don’t answer if you’re unsure)  Any context you have that the AI doesn’t know (E.g., information about the company)  The specific task details the AI should solve at this time.  “[W]e do sharing sessions and role plays where team members bring their prompts, with examples that worked and examples that didn’t and we brainstorm how to improve them,” says Fernandes.  At video production company Bonfire Labs, prompt training includes a communal think tank on Google Chat, making knowledge accessible to all. The company also holds staff meetings in which different departments learn foundational skills, such as prompt structure or tool identification.  “This ensures we are constantly cross-skilling and upskilling our people to stay ahead of the game. Our head of emerging technologies also plays an integral role in training and any creative process that requires AI, further improving our best practices,” says Jim Bartel, partner, managing director at Bonfire Labs in an email interview. “We have found that the best people to spearhead prompt training are those who are already masters at what they do, such as our designers and VFX artists. Their expertise in refinement and attention to detail is

SAP has announced the appointment of Simon Davies as president of the company’s newly reorganized Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Based in Singapore, Simon Davies will be responsible for SAP’s strategy, operations, people, sales, services, partnerships and profitability in the region, including the markets of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Greater China, and Southeast Asia. As president, Davies will manage more than 31,000 employees across 78 offices. SAP currently serves major customers in the region, including Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors, NEC, Coles Group, Wipro, Fujitsu, Shiseido, Himalaya, Cochlear, and Japan Airlines. According to SAP, Mr. Davies has been instrumental in developing, selling, and implementing IT solutions in the Asia Pacific region for 25 years, working with leading software companies such as Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle. He most recently served as senior vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific and Japan at Splunk for over three years. source