Here are the five things you need to know this morning, March 05, 2020, from around the world directly to you.

Domo announcesCanadian data centre

Domo (Nasdaq: DOMO) has announced that it has expanded itsinfrastructure in North America and is now live with a new data centre runningon Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Canada.

This expansion will provide regional support and datagovernance for customers in that region as well as global customers withworldwide operations, according to the company.

The data centre is the companys latest move establishingits commitment to serving Canadian customers from coast to coast and inproviding localized support to its growing base of more than 1,900 worldwidecustomers.

Our customers trust us with one of their most valuableassets in the cloud era: their data, said Daren Thayne, chief technologyofficer at Domo.

Our latest data centre expansion ensures customers doingbusiness from Canada can continue to move at record speed, knowing their datais being managed with the unique security, privacy and compliance requirementsof that region.

Keysource appointedto NEUPC Framework

Data centre firm Keysource has been appointed to the NorthEastern Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC) Framework for the provisionof Data Centre Management equipment and Infrastructure for a further fouryears.

NEUPC is one of six UK Higher Education purchasing consortiaestablished to deliver and manage a range of collaborative framework agreementswithin the higher education sector.

NEUPCs new Data Centre Management Framework offers a broadscope of equipment, infrastructure and consultancy.

We have a long pedigree of providing high-performance data centre facilities to the education sector and our clients include University of Leicester, University of Exeter and Bristol University, said Richard Clifford, Senior Consultant and Head of Innovation at Keysource.

This is our tenth year of working with NEUPC as one of their trusted data centre companies that will support the Education sector in the UK.

CloudFest 2020 cancelleddue to Coronavirus

As the Covid-19 story develops, it is not only threateningglobal health, but seriously disrupting everyday operations.

Due to public health concerns related to the coronavirusoutbreak, the organisers of CloudFest announced it has cancelled CloudFest2020.

The annual cloud, hosting and data centre industry event wasscheduled for March 14 19 in Europa Park in Rust, Germany.

The health and safety of our attendees, partners,presenters, and colleagues is of the utmost importance to us, stated theCloudFest Team.

We were forced to consider the growing risk of exposure,especially in the German state of Baden-Wrttemberg, where our event islocated.

The unclear infection path, as well as the risk ofquarantine orders lasting several weeks on short notice, could not be ignored.

With over 7,000 people from the cloud community expected togather from almost every continent, the risk of inadvertently spreading thevirus was just too high.

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Healthcare Industryplans to ramp up Hybrid cloud adoption

Healthcare organisations around the globe are under pressureto drive digital transformation to meet increasing patient care demands.

Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX) has announced the healthcare industryfindings of its second annual Enterprise Cloud Index Report, measuringhealthcare organisations plans for adopting private, hybrid and public clouds.

Overall 2019 ECI data found digital transformationsignificantly impacted cloud implementation across various industry verticals,and healthcare organisations were no different with 68% citing this trend.

In line with top healthcare IT trends, healthcare companiesranked personalised healthcare (52%) and AI assistants (44%) as positivelyimpacting their cloud adoption.

Lume raises $4.3 millionto expand cloud and edge data centre offerings

Lume has announced that it has secured a $4.3 millioninvestment to support its innovative cloud offerings and bring the companysCloud Anyware and edge data centre solutions to new markets and customers.

The funding round was led by BaseCamp Capital LLC, aColorado-based private equity group.

Lume also announced that Octavio Morales has joined the companysBoard of Directors. Morales was one of the original co-founders of TierPointand served as the companys CEO until its acquisition in 2012.

He has over 30 years of experience and expertise within the industry that will help guide the companys growth strategy.

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Every website needs a web hosting service. There simply isnt any way that a website can exist without the server that hosts it. However, as is the nature of technology, there will always be attempts to create better, more efficient ways of doing things. Remember when virtual machines were created in order for computer hardware to be used more efficiently? That kind of change is constantly happening, and while not every attempt becomes disruptive enough to replace its predecessor, each attempt is a step in the right direction. Cloud hosting is a good example of such an attempt. It can pave the way for a more efficient use of physical servers, after all.

But before adopting a particular method, technology, or trend, you first need to determine if its going to be beneficial to your objectives and goals. And when theres a significant amount of money involved, you wouldnt want to spend it just on a trial-and-error session.

So, you resort to the next best thing gather information from other people whove had experience with cloud hosting. So, what makes cloud hosting so special? In order to thoroughly understand this new technology, we first have to look at how traditional web hosting functions.

Web hosting is a service that allows persons and companies to publish websites on the internet. A web hosting service provider provides the resources necessary for a website to function. These websites are saved on physical servers, which are what contain the resources necessary for a website to function. When users visit your website, they first type your web address on their browser, which will prompt their computer to connect to the server where your website is stored. This is when your website becomes viewable by the user.

There are three types of web hosting: Shared multiple websites depend on a single server. As you might imagine, this limits website performance and the failure of a single server could mean downtime for all the websites stored on that server. This, however, is still a valid option for websites that do not require a lot of resources to handle traffic because they arent as costly as other types of web hosting. There is also an innate security risk in a shared web hosting.

Dedicated dedicated servers provide the best performance and the highest degree of customizability among all types of web hosting. This is where a single server is dedicated to a single website. This also means that the very best of support would be made available to the website. This is an ideal option for websites that require a lot of performance to handle massive amounts of web traffic.

VPS a virtual private server is a virtual machine that caters to the individual needs of a user just as a separate physical computer that is dedicated to a particular user. This means that resources are pre-allocated to each website that is connected to the server to prevent websites from pulling resources from one another. Several virtual private servers can be maintained on a single physical server, which means that if that single physical server fails, all the websites that rely on that server experience downtime.

Cloud hosting, much like many other cloud-based services, is a type of hosting service that makes use of parts of several servers to support a single websites resource requirements and to ensure maximum website uptime. Because a website is supported by multiple servers in a server cluster, it will have the necessary resources needed for it to remain functional even when a single server in that cluster fails. So, in essence, the resources needed can simply be drawn from a different server in the event that one of the multiple servers fails.

So, yes. Cloud hosting does sound similar to a virtual private server, but there are a few differences that set them apart from each other.

The primary difference between cloud hosting and VPS is their approach and scalability. Remember that cloud hosting servers make use of server clusters, where parts of multiple servers support a single website. This means that users have access to near-unlimited resources needed to run their website and that these resources can easily be adjusted to the needs of the website. This is especially valuable for websites that experience spikes in traffic on a regular basis.

On the other hand, VPS runs multiple instances of servers on a single physical server. This means that while the websites hosted by the physical do not battle over resources, if that single physical server fails, all the websites that are linked to that server would experience downtime.

Its also significantly more difficult to scale with a VPS server because the resources allocated to each website are predetermined, which means that while these servers are going to be able to perform much better than shared servers, there is still a chance that your websites load could exceed the amount of resources allocated for your website. Despite this, VPS hosting tends to cost less than cloud hosting.

While hosting your website on the cloud does sound like the future, it isnt as tried and tested as traditional web hosting options. Whether youre willing to take a risk or not depends on what you use your website for. If you use your website as a means of earning money, then betting on something that isnt tried and tested could prove to be catastrophic if it fails.

Otherwise, by all means, opt for a cloud hosting service.

What truly minimizes the risk here is the fact that traditional web hosting methods have been around for as long as anyone can remember. This means that there is a wealth of information that can help guide users toward good service providers. A good source of this information can be found in web hosting review sites. For example, MangoMatter has some great hosting comparisons that provide readers with an in-depth comparison between the web hosting options that are available on the market.

Continued here:
Is Cloud Hosting The Best Hosting Option For Your Website? - Analytics Insight

Pulsant is a data centre and cloud infrastructure business, that focuses on the UK mid-market it aims to help organisations that are going through a transformation, particularly from an on-premises environment to a cloud environment. The company operates 10 data centres that cover the UK stretching from London in the south to Edinburgh in the North, and it counts the likes of the NHS, Newcastle FC and Kwik Fit as its customers.

A huge part of the companys business is in managed services. According to CEO Rob Coupland, 85 per cent of the companys revenue comes from co-location services, managed network services and private cloud. The latter two make up nearly two-thirds of the turnover for the business.

We provide IT infrastructure services, so thats things like private cloud, network infrastructure, or just the data centre but what we wrap around that is other services like security for data centre, networks and cloud platforms, storage, back-up, disaster recovery and other services, he says.

The company offers managed services for cloud platforms including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. But unlike other IT infrastructure companies, managed services is not something new for the company.

What makes us different to other data centre companies is that when we started we offered managed services weve always been a managed services provider, starting with managed hosting about a decade ago, he says.

According to Coupland, demand has switched from the managed hosting offering to the multi-tenant private cloud offering, but he says that more surprisingly, a big part of the business is still in co-location services.

Were still seeing a strong demand for co-location and perhaps even more so than previous years because businesses 18 months to two years ago were all thinking of moving to the public cloud, but now theyre more selective about where they put their workloads, he says.

The companys customer base mainly consists of UK regional businesses, for whom many still deliver their IT services in a traditional way. But as digital transformation has quickly caught their attention, these businesses are looking for some support particularly as they dont have the same resources as big businesses in their IT teams.

This is where they look for providers like us to help with their journey and their aspiration is often expressed as moving everything to the cloud. When you dig deeper, theyre looking for flexibility and the ability to access apps and systems from different locations, says Coupland.

In addition, these mid-market enterprises are particularly concerned about cost management, especially as they still use many traditional IT systems and services, and this is what attracts them to the idea of the private cloud as they see it as a way to not have to maintain their own infrastructure, and give them the flexibility of cloud computing, while managing costs.

So even though you have these big cloud companies attracting the headlines, regional businesses are looking for regional partners to help them through this journey, he says.

Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy told delegates at AWS:reInvent last year that only 3 per cent of all IT workloads were in the cloud and Coupland believes that this illustrates how much attention big business transformations are getting as smaller enterprises are not necessarily shifting all of their workloads into the cloud just yet.

There are a lot of workloads that are on servers in data rooms inside office buildings, and so often people talk about public clouds future, but actually a lot of this is going to be about getting those servers and platforms into properly managed databases so they can secure a service level around them, and then theres an awful lot which will kind of be more of a gradual migration to a combination of public and private cloud, he states.

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Customers are now more discerning about moving to the public cloud, says Pulsants Rob Coupland - NS Tech

India is quickly becoming a global powerhouse in terms of small- to medium-sized businesses. Not only has this trend opened up a plethora of possibilities for individuals from all walks of life, but the presence of the Internet signifies that even startup operations have the ability to reach what can only be called a truly international audience. Still, cyber security is a very real issue in this day and age. One of the latest advancements involves what is known as cloud-based security. How do these systems function and what benefits can they offer your budding enterprise?

All About Redundancy

One of the main principles behind any cloud-based system is that it is located within the "ether" of the digital domain. In other words, there are no physical servers to break down nor hard drives which can become corrupted. This is a massive benefit, as your information will not suddenly be lost in the event of a physical system failure.

This also enables cloud networks to be highly redundant. As information tends to be stored across multiple "hubs", an issue with one will not impact the functionality of another. Businesses no longer need to keep vital information (such as the personal details of a customer or credit card data) within in-house servers. Not only will clients remain safer than in the past, but such an approach can actually be much cheaper when compared to traditional security systems.

Flexible and Adaptable when the Need Arises

Another reason why cloud-based security systems are some of the fastest growing technology trends in 2020 and beyond involves the fact that they are scalable. In other words, they can be upgraded or downgraded as may be needed. Why is this important?

We need to remember that hackers and similar entities are always trying to keep one step ahead of the authorities. This can be extremely dangerous for businesses which store their information with the use of outdated methods. Perhaps the most well-known example can be seen in the 2016 data breach associated with Indian banks. It is estimated that more than 3.2 million debit cards were hacked as a result. This is one of the reasons why many organisations are now migrating into the cloud community.

Let's assume for a moment that a virus is detected within a cloud-based system. As opposed to being forced to update the entire software package, a simple patch can be put in place; helping to secure any sensitive information. In the same respect, the security protocols themselves can be changed in accordance with emerging threats.

You will also be pleased to learn that small businesses throughout India can leverage these very same advantages. Cloud-based security systems are cost-effective solutions which will provide you with a much-needed technological edge. We should still stress that not all providers have been created equally. This is why it is always important to perform a fair amount of research. You will then be able to make an informed choice based around the needs of your organisation.

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What are the Benefits of Cloud-Based Security Systems for Indian Businesses? - India West

As you consider where to invest your learning in the decade ahead or which tools to adopt within your organization, look to these 10 hot technical skills. These frameworks, languages, and cloud computing platforms represent skills that have grown in popularity based on data from Udemys 50+ million global learners over the last three years from 20162019.

For more L&D and workforce training insights, download the 2020 Workplace Learning Trends Report: The Skills of the Future.

The #1 technical skill for 2020 is TensorFlow, a deep learning Python library developed by Google. The library is used to uncover insights and predictions from large datasets. Since its initial release, TensorFlow has amassed an ecosystem of tools and the ability to use the library in languages other than Python, including JavaScript and Swift.

According to a Gartner prediction, by 2021, 15% of all customer service interactions will be handled completely by chatbots. Chatbot technology is software powered by AI to mimic human conversations. A boon for scaling customer service teams and offering round-the-clock support, chatbots recreate the way a human interacts with customers to solve administrative tasks, sales, or frequently asked questions (FAQs).

While Amazons AWS cloud computing platform remains the market leader in cloud providers, Microsofts Azure cloud services are becoming a popular option for enterprises requiring strong security implementation and alignment with the suite of Microsoft services already in use by the organization.

Through a branch of artificial intelligence called computer vision, computing systems learn to identify and analyze static images and videos. This technology is now applied to help self-driving cars identify obstacles on the road, accurately diagnose medical conditions, and even identify old photos of your parents. Democratizing the use of computer vision for developers of all experience levels is an open-source library called OpenCV.

Part of the deep learning branch of artificial intelligence, neural networks are algorithms built to function like the neurological pathways of the brain. By mimicking the complex way humans learn, these algorithms can recognize patterns within complex datasets and generate independent insights on the data.

Year after year, Linux, an open-source operating system based on the Unix operating system, takes top honors for the most commonly used platform and most loved platform categories in Stack Overflows developer survey. Its estimated that 16,000 developers have contributed to the Linux kernel since 2005 and the OS can be found on 96% of the worlds top one million web servers. Linux doesnt show any signs of losing popularity in the coming decade, so companies want to ensure their teams can properly administer and maintain their internal Linux instances.

Ethereum is an open-source, decentralized software platform based on blockchain technology. While Ethereum does have a cryptocurrency, Ether, developers are creating applications that run on Ethereum because they know it will run as programmed without downtime, censorship, fraud, or other third-party interference.

From servers to IoT sensors to syslogs, a staggering amount of the data companies process is machine-generated rather than human-generated. Monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on this high volume of data is a challenge for even the most skilled IT teams, which is where Splunk, becomes an important tool.

Quantum geographic information system (QGIS) is a term many professionals arent familiar with, but its a skill with increasing use in the age of mobile-first and Wi-Fi-equipped devices. QGIS is a type of GIS software that stores geospatial data data with a geographic component such as map coordinates. Spatial data can be found everywhere from Google Earth to satellite data to your GPS-connected fitness tracker.

In the top five of developers most loved languages is Kotlin, a programming language used for Android development. Because its a language for the Java Virtual Machine, Kotlin can be used anywhere Java is also used. Google even made Kotlin an official language of Android apps.

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Insights for L&D: The top 10 technical skills of 2020 - HR Dive