NetApp buys Spot.io, VMware gets LastLine, IBM exits the facial recognition business, and Slack cozies up to AWS. Tom Hollingsworth and Rich Stroffolino discuss all this and more of the IT news of the week on the Gestalt IT Rundown.
This week on the Rundown:
Fog Computing from… Sega?
A Brave Controversy
Google+ Gets Current
GAIA-X Cloud Sovereignty
Germany and Franced kicked off the GAIA-X cloud project, which aims to improve European data soverignty. The project has 22 members at launch including SAP, Seimens, and Deutsche Telecom, who pledge to fund the GAIX-X Foundation which will serve as a “repository of existing services” that buyers can search and choose based on where the servers are located. Among other things, members are required to inform customers if data becomes subject to laws like the Cloud Act, or Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act. US-based public clouds are welcome to join, if they agreed to abide by GAIA-X principals.
Honda Attack
Honda announced that a cyber attack forced it to suspend global production Tuesday after a virus hit the company’s internal servers on Monday morning in Tokyo. Tuesday, Honda staff were advised not to access their work computers and to take paid leave, if possible. Production at all of Hondas US plants was halted on Monday, with factories in Japan affected after the group’s car inspection system was attacked. Honda says much of its operations have resumed, and the company doesn’t believe the cyber attack was related to decreased security due to teleworking.
Aruba ESP
Aruba announced the Aruba Edge Services Platform, which uses ML to leverage data from the network, users and devices to improve service. This includes identifying root cause issues or distruptions with a claimed 95% accuracy, auto-remediating issues, monitoring user experience, and “tuning” the network to avoid issues in the first place. ESP puts all switching, wi-Fi and SD-WAN enviromets under the Aruba Central cloud console, and uses a Zero-trust security framework. Aruba ESP is available as a service in the cloud or on premise, as a managed service delivered through Aruba partners, or by network as a service through HPE GreenLake. News or nah here Tom?
AWS and Slack Partner
Amazon and Slack announced a new partnership. Under the deal, Amazon will offer all employees access to Slack’s workplace collaboration tools, and Slack will migrate its voice and video calling features to use Amazon’s Chime platform on the backend. In addition, AWS will work to better integrate services like AWS Chatbot and Amazon AppFlow into Slack.
VMware Buys LastLine
The Network security company LastLine confirmed it has been acquired by VMware. The company provides cloud native threat detection services like malware analysis, intrusion detection and network traffic analysis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and TechCrunch reports 40% of Lastline’s staff will be laid off as a result of the acquiisition. VMware has been on a security and analysis tear recently with Carbon Black last year to Octarine and Nyansa more recently. Is this another component to integrate into NSX or do you see VMware having other security ambitions?
NetApp Buys Spot.io
NetApp announced it intends to acquire the Israeli cloud optimization company Spot.io in a deal worth $450 million. This brings Spot’s cloud optimization as a service offering into NetApp’s fold. Their solution uses continuous monitoring to look at cloud availability and performance, as well as looking at customer service costs and build the best real time instances for them to use. NetApp has been on this data transition for a few years now, how does this fit into that strategy Tom?
IBM Shuts Down Facial Recognition
IBM said in a letter to members of Congress that it’s exiting the general-purpose facial recognition business. CEO Arvind Krishna said in the letter “IBM no longer offers general purpose IBM facial recognition or analysis software…IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consistent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency.” An IBM rep told Axios that the company spent months on this decision and it’s been communicated with customers, although it will support existing clients.
The Gestalt IT Rundown is a live weekly look at the IT news of the week. It broadcasts live on YouTube every Wednesday at 12:30pm ET. Be sure to subscribe to Gestalt IT on YouTube for the show each week.
