Chip shortages are pushing governments to act, including South Korea agreeing to parole disgraced Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong. Extreme Networks is buying Ipanema SD-WAN solution from Infovista.
Norton Locks up Avast for $8 billion
Antivirus maker NortonLifeLock has agreed to merge with Avast in a transaction valued at over $8 billion. This move follows the acquisition of German AV company Avira back in December 2020. The name may sound familiar to long-time users of computer software, as Norton has always been the premier name in computer security. Avast shareholders must approve the deal in order for it to move forward.
Pizza Hut Goes AI for Pizza Time
Chalk one up to data! In a stunning move related to…checks notes…advanced linear regression, pizza giant Pizza Hut will start using AI modeling to examine customer buying patterns to predict when they are more likely to order certain types of pizzas. The linked article mentions that one of the factors that will be taken into consideration is the weather conditions in a given area. No word yet from Colonel Sanders or the Taco Bell Chihuahua about their user of AI in trend prediction.
US Fed Gets School in Cybersecurity
After a scathing report two years ago that said the US Federal Government was lacking in cybersecurity protections you’d think they’d get their act together, wouldn’t you? Welcome to the never-ending struggle of government IT. In a new report released last week the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ranked four federal agencies with a D grade, three with Cs and only one agency managed to pull out a B. Part of the cited reason for the failing grades is the large number of legacy systems that must be maintained as well as being protected. The Departments of State, Transportation, Education, and Social Security Administration fared the worst while the Department of Homeland Security was the lone standout. No word yet from the departments about how they’ll try to fix these issues before the next report gives them even lower grades.
Friend-of-the-show SnorkelAI announced this week they’ve picked up their next funding round. The Series C of $85 million puts the data-centric AI company in Unicornland with a solid $1 billion valuation. The round will allow SnorkelAI to continue to build a world-class team to provide the SnorkelFlow platform to more users looking to leverage AI.
Extreme Networks and the SD-WAN from Ipanem
Extreme Networks knows someone from Ipanema. Specifically, they’re buying the Ipanema SD-WAN solution from Infovista for a reported $73 million all-cash deal. The news comes on the heels of other big announcements from the networking vendor around new Wi-Fi 6E APs and a comprehensive strategy to connect users no matter where they’re working. The Ipanema SD-WAN solution is a key part of this strategy according to Nabil Bukhari, CTO. Witth the rise of teleworking and other moves that push the traditional enterprise IT deployment model, Extreme is looking in new directions to compete.
Chip Shortage Pushing Governments to Act / Samsung Heir Released from Jail
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to guacamole, the chip shortage is here! Unlike tortilla chips we seem to be unable to make enough computer chips to satisfy demand right now. Everyone from Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to my grandmother has told us we’re running out of silicon to make smart devices. Car manufacturers are reducing inventory targets because of a lack of raw materials for their on-board computers. Governments are looking at developing their own chip fabrication facilities as a “matter of national security” according to Moody’s. It’s gotten so bad in South Korea that they’ve agreed to parole disgraced Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong because he is needed to keep the chip maker at the top of the market. It is hoped that he can keep the company running through the crisis and ensure they come out the other side.
The Gestalt IT Rundown is a live weekly look at the IT news of the week. It broadcasts live on Facebook every Wednesday at 12:30pm ET. To watch along, “Like” our Facebook page. Be sure to subscribe to Gestalt IT on YouTube for even more weekly video content.
