BT has selected Google Cloud for a five-year partnership that will support the telecom giant’s plan for company-wide digital transformation and the creation of new services.

The project, led by BT’s Digital unit, will introduce a range of Google Cloud products and services: from cloud infrastructure and data analytics, to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), as well as security and API management.

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BT said it hopes to use these tools to deliver improved customer experience, as well as reduce costs and risk, and build new revenue streams.

BT launched its Digital unit in January 2021 with the aim of developing and delivering products and platforms for the healthcare and data sectors, with solutions such as cloud-based unified communications (UC) and collaboration services. However, its digital transformation work can be traced back to 2016, when BT revealed its Digital Possible initiative that offered CIOs assistance in adopting digital transformation in their organisations.

However, the unit has also been tasked with internal overhauls, including transforming the state of BT’s overall IT and digital innovation, and will lead the changes set out under the Google Cloud partnership. This includes creating a group-wide data strategy built on artificial intelligence (AI), and a new strategy to overhaul product development based on continuous innovation and automation.

Commenting on the announcement, BT chief digital and innovation officer Harmeen Mehta described the Google Cloud partnership as “one of a series of strategic moves that BT Digital is taking to help accelerate BT’s growth and digital transformation”.

“This is a partnership that is deeper than just at the technology level. It will help Digital as a whole supercharge BT and drive its return to growth,” he added.

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said that the tech giant is “proud to collaborate with one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and play an integral part in its digital transformation journey”.

“By deploying our full cloud capabilities, and support from our SRE organisation, our goal in this partnership is to set up BT with the tools it needs for future growth and innovation,” he added.

Google Cloud and BT have already begun working together on adopting Google’s technology, with the migration of core data scheduled to be finalised by 2023.

 The news comes eight months after BT and Google announced a security partnership that saw the UK operator roll out new Google Cloud products to the managed security services market.

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Cloudflare has announced that it is acquiring US-based email security provider Area 1 for $162 million (£120.8 million) in cash and stocks combined.

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, and comes five months after the web infrastructure and website security company announced its foray into the email security market.

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Founded in 2013, Area 1 employs 97 staff members and has been credited with blocking over 40 million malicious phishing campaigns in 2021.

Commenting on the news, Area 1 Security CEO and president Patrick Sweeney said that phishing can be attributed as a cause of “more than 90% of cyber security damages”.

“By combining our leading phishing protection and threat intelligence capabilities with Cloudflare’s global network, data capabilities, and Zero Trust platform we truly believe that together we can help companies of any size better secure their entire network infrastructure and better protect against the most destructive cyber risks,” he added.

Cloudflare co-founder and CEO Matthew Prince described email as “the largest cyber attack vector on the Internet”, before adding that the acquisition of Area 1 will allow Cloudflare to become a “clear leader in Zero Trust”.

“To us, the future of Zero Trust includes an integrated, one-click approach to securing all of an organisation’s applications, including its most ubiquitous cloud application, email. Together, we expect we’ll be delivering the fastest, most effective, and most reliable email security on the market,” he said.

The $162 million acquisition, out of which 40-50% is estimated to be paid in class A stocks, is expected to be one of the most expensive deals in Cloudflare company history. The company has made eight acquisitions to-date – financial details of which hadn’t been made publicly available.

The purchase of Area 1’s business comes only two weeks after Cloudflare announced the acquisition of Vectrix for an undisclosed amount, in an effort to bolster its Zero Trust software-as-a-service security offering.

In September 2021, Cloudflare announced two new services, which marked its entrance into the email security industry: custom domain tool Cloudflare Email Routing and the Email Security DNS Wizard, which protects businesses from phishing and spoofing attacks.

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Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced 32 new locations for its AWS Regions extensions, known formally as Local Zones.

AWS Local Zones are used to minimise latency by placing compute, storage, database, and other AWS services at the edge of the cloud near larger metropolitan areas, enabling customers to use AWS’ core services locally, while staying connected to AWS Regions.

Following the launch of the first 16 Local Zones in the US, AWS announced an additional 32 Local Zones in 26 countries that are expected to be completed over the next two years.

The 32 new Local Zones will be based in: Amsterdam, Athens, Auckland, Bangkok, Bengaluru, Berlin, Bogotá, Brisbane, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Copenhagen, Delhi, Hanoi, Helsinki, Johannesburg, Kolkata, Lima, Lisbon, Manila, Munich, Nairobi, Oslo, Perth, Prague, Querétaro, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Toronto, Vancouver, Vienna, and Warsaw.

Despite London being home to the AWS Region Zone known as eu-west-2, none of the new locations are situated in the UK. AWS wasn’t immediately available to comment on the decision.

Commenting on the news, AWS Infrastructure Services VP Prasad Kalyanaraman said that the expansion is due to customers requesting “capabilities to push the edge of cloud services to new places”.

“The edge of the cloud is expanding and is now becoming available virtually everywhere. Thousands of AWS customers using US-based AWS Local Zones are able to optimise low-latency applications designed specifically for their industries and the use cases of their customers,” he added.

These customers include content streaming platform Netflix, cloud gaming technology provider Ubitus, as well as entertainment, sports, and news network provider The FOX Corporation.

Netflix director of Digital Production Infrastructure Engineering, Stephen Kowalski, said that AWS Local Zones allowed the company to migrate a share of its content creation process to AWS, while “ensuring an even better experience for artists”.

“AWS Local Zones bring cloud resources closer to our artists and have been a game changer for these applications. We are excited about the expansion of AWS Local Zones globally, which brings cloud resources closer to creators, allowing artists to get to work anywhere in the world and create without boundaries,” he added.

Zoom has added a DocuSign integration to its video meetings, allowing users to sign documents within the video conferencing app.

DocuSign eSignature for Zoom is now available for versions of Zoom Desktop 5.7.3 or later. Users can add the extension by logging into their DocuSign and Zoom accounts and installing the DocuSign eSignature App from the Zoom App Marketplace.

Once installed, users can send a document via email or SMS and, once in the Zoom meeting, select the right document from the “Find your agreement” tab in the right pane of the app, and pass control to the signer. 

The integration could be particularly useful for signing legal documents when setting up a business agreement in another country or applying for a visa, which often require the presence of a notary in order to verify the identity of the signee. However, Zoom Apps & Integrations product lead Ross Mayfield said that the integration is primarily about simplifying the process of signing documents over video call.

“Employees don’t want to spend their days toggling between countless apps and emails, especially when working with customers or partners. They want tools that streamline workflows and easily enable them to connect and collaborate,” he said, adding that Zoom is “excited about DocuSign eSignature for Zoom as it allows stakeholders to review agreements together in real-time before signing, helping eliminate communication silos and accelerate the completion of agreements”.

In a blog post announcing the integration, DocuSign SVP Jerome Levadoux highlighted the impact of the pandemic-induced shift to remote working.

“The past few years have highlighted the need for agility and better productivity tools to meet the evolving needs of customers. We are excited to partner with Zoom to offer the DocuSign eSignature app for Zoom to make it easier than ever to streamline how we collaborate and come to agreement in the emerging anywhere economy,” he said.

The news comes days after the video conferencing platform released an update to its macOS Monterey client addressing a security issue whereby a Mac’s microphone remained enabled even after a Zoom meeting had ended, leading to users claiming that the app is ‘listening in on them’.

Microsoft is looking to tempt disgruntled legacy G Suite users with a “special offer” that includes a 60% discount on year-long Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, or Business Premium subscriptions.

Last month, Google announced that it would give those with free G Suite accounts until 1 July to upgrade their plans to a paid subscription, after which point they will lose access to most of its services. The move could be especially detrimental to small businesses that were able to save up to £13.80 per user per month by not paying for a G Suite, now known as Workspace, account.

Microsoft has seemingly decided to capitalise on Google’s decision, identifying a new group of potential customers who could be seeking a new email account provider, allowing them to also benefit from Microsoft Teams, cloud storage, as well as a suite of Office apps.

“If you’re a small business that’s relied on G Suite legacy free edition, we couldn’t help but notice you might be in the market for a new solution. We’ve got news for you: today, you can get a 60% discount on a 12-month Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, or Business Premium subscription, along with the help you need to make the move,” Jared Spataro, corporate vice president for Microsoft 365, announced last week in a blog post.

Small businesses that decide to migrate their data from legacy G Suite to Microsoft 365 will be able to benefit from Microsoft’s Business Assist, which provides expertise and advice for those who are new to the service, ensuring that they make the most out of 365.

Google has since backtracked on its decision to shutter legacy accounts, adding a section to its support page that promises more options for people to keep the data stored in their accounts for free. Although the options won’t include premium features like custom email or multi-account management, this could potentially be subject to change “in the coming months”, the tech giant added. 

The company was not immediately available to comment when reached by CloudPro. 

Vodafone has announced that it has selected Oracle to provide cloud-native network policy management that will help it progress towards standalone (SA) 5G. 

The solution is comprised of Oracle’s 5G Core Policy Control Function (PCF) and Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), which allows the deployment of complex network policies, including wireless, fixed, and cable, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) networks. 

In Vodafone’s case, the solution will provide data on the basis of which Vodafone’s customers will be able to choose the best network offering for their needs. This will allow Vodafone to automate and scale to meet the expected growth in 5G subscribers and connected devices, allowing a seamless experience across 4G and 5G networks while also delivering a smooth integration of new 5G services – such as VR/AR, live-streaming, or IoT.

Oracle’s senior vice president and general manager of Networks, Andrew Morawski, said that intelligent policy management is the “entryway” to any new opportunities provided by 5G connectivity:

“Our 5G and cloud capabilities are helping Vodafone to build a future-proof network that is automated, easier to scale, simpler to operate, and more cost-effective,” he added.

Commenting on the news, Vodafone UK chief network officer Andrea Dona said that “moving to ‘cloud native’ is a culture shift as much as it is a technology shift for a techcomms company like Vodafone”. 

“Our partners must demonstrate flexibility and agility, as well as aligning to our vision of how technology will augment and support tomorrow’s digital society,” she added.

The news comes days after reports emerged of Virgin Media O2 calling off its Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement with Vodafone.

Signed in 2019 and implemented only last year, the deal saw Vodafone replace BT in supplying wholesale mobile network services, including both voice and data, to Virgin Mobile and Virgin Media Business. It also provided Virgin Media with full access to Vodafone’s current services and future technologies, including its 5G network, and was set to last until 2026. However, the newly-merged Virgin Media O2 has reportedly informed its bondholders late last week that it has now cancelled the deal.

A spokesperson for Virgin Media O2 declined to comment on the reports.

A quarter (24.77%) of all spam emails sent in 2021 originated from Russia, with more than half (56%) of all emails being spam messages.

That’s according to Kaspersky’s latest Annual Spam and Phishing Report, which analysed close to 150 million malicious email attachments blocked by the cyber security provider’s antivirus over the course of last year.

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Kaspersky identified 10 countries that were responsible for sending out more than three quarters of the world’s spam emails, with Russia and Germany (14.12%) being the most prolific senders.

The US and China came in third and fourth place, at 10.46% and 8.73% respectively. The Netherlands (4.75%) came in fifth place, followed by France (3.57%), Spain (3%) and Brazil (2.41%), Japan (2.36%), and Poland (1.66%).

When compared to 2020, Russia and China had the most significant rise in sent spam – a 3.5% and 2.5% increase, respectively.

Brazil-based users were most often targeted by phishing attacks, with 12.4% of 2021’s victims being based in the South American country, followed by French, Portuguese, and Mongolian users.

When it came to content, 2021’s spam emails mostly centred around popular topics including money and investment, Bond and Spider-Man movie premieres, and the pandemic, which Tatyana Shcherbakova, security expert at Kaspersky, described as “bread and butter for scammers”.

The most notable COVID-related scams included fictitious financial support schemes and fake COVID vaccination passes and QR codes, Kaspersky found.

“These scams prove to be very efficient as people continue to trust too much of what they see in their inboxes and browsers. We believe it is important to be aware that there are a lot of offers out there that seem “too good to be true”,” she said, calling on people “to be cautious when it comes to trusting what’s in their email”.

“This approach may help them save their private data and money,” Shcherbakova added.

Kaspersky’s findings come weeks after Microsoft issued a warning about hackers targeting Microsoft 365 users with a fake app capable of stealing OAuth authentication tokens, providing them full access to the victim’s email, calendar, and contacts.

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IBM has announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Watson Health assets to private equity firm Francisco Partners.

The deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, will allow IBM to focus on its platform-based hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, according to the tech giant’s SVP Tom Rosamilia.

“IBM remains committed to Watson, our broader AI business, and to the clients and partners we support in healthcare IT. Through this transaction, Francisco Partners acquires data and analytics assets that will benefit from the enhanced investment and expertise of a healthcare industry focused portfolio,” he stated.

Terms of the deal were not announced, but Bloomberg reports that the value of the assets being sold is more than $1 billion.

Founded in 1999, Francisco Partners specialises in investing in tech companies, including businesses within the healthcare sector.

Commenting on the acquisition, Francisco Partners co-president Ezra Perlman said that the San Francisco-based private equity firm has followed IBM’s journey in healthcare data and analytics for a number of years and has “a deep appreciation for its portfolio of innovative healthcare products”.

Principal Justin Chen added that Francisco Partners looks forward to “supporting the talented employees and management team”, which is expected to continue in similar roles in the new standalone company with a “focus on growth opportunities to realise its full potential, and delivering enhanced value to customers and partners”.

The sale of the healthcare data and analytics unit comes amidst the wave of investments in healthcare technology fuelled by the pandemic. For instance, Oracle recently acquired the digital medical records business Cerner for $28.3 billion (£21.4 billion), with plans to use the company as an anchor asset into the healthcare sector.

IBM’s focus on AI and cloud growth was cemented in October 2020, when it announced the split from its Managed Infrastructure Services business, now known as Kyndryl, in what is now known as one of the most significant tech industry moves of that year. At the 2020 Think Digital virtual conference, CEO Arvind Krishna said that “every company will become an AI company, not because they can, but because they must”. 

Google has said it will give those with free G Suite accounts until 1 July to upgrade their plans to a paid subscription, after which point they will lose access to most of its services.

Announced in an email to customers on Wednesday, the policy will not apply to those businesses in the non-profit and education sectors, which can continue to use the services free of charge.

The announcement comes a decade after the tech giant suspended the free basic tier for access to Gmail, Calendar, and Google Docs.

Prior to this, between 2006 and 2012, the tech giant allowed business users to create their own custom domain account for free, as opposed to using the gmail.com email address.

The service has been a paid privilege since 2012, yet legacy G Suite users have been able to continue using their custom domain accounts for free for ten years.

However, based on emails sent to account administrators yesterday, Google seems to have had a change of heart.

“We are writing to let you know that your G Suite free edition will no longer be available starting July 1, 2022,” the email, seen by Google9to5, reads.

The message warns account administrators that, in order to maintain their services and accounts, they will have to upgrade to Google Workspace, which was launched in 2020 as a fully-integrated productivity platform containing widely-used G Suite apps including Gmail, Calendar and Drive, among others.

Users that upgrade to a paid business tier by 1 May 2022 will be able to use their new subscription for free until “at least” 1 July, the tech giant stated.

Meanwhile, those who don’t select a tier and have their billing details available will be automatically upgraded to a paid subscription by Google. If no billing information is available for an account, Google will suspend the account for up to 60 days, after which users “will no longer have access to Google Workspace core services, such as Gmail, Calendar, and Meet”.

However, they “may still retain access to additional Google services, such as YouTube and Google Photos”.

In order to restore their suspended account, users will have to provide a valid form of payment.

Google’s most basic tier, the Business Starter, costs £4.60 per user per month, and is currently discounted to £4.14. However, the tier only allows 30 GB cloud storage per user, with users wishing to upgrade their storage having to pay twice as much per user per month.

UK businesses are being urged to join a six-month trial of a four-day working week, as organisers aim to sign up at least 30 companies by June.

Organised by the 4 Day Week Global organisation and the Autonomy thinktank, the pilot programme will be monitored by Cambridge and Oxford Universities in order to measure the four-day working week’s impact on staff productivity and wellbeing, as well as the impact on the environment and gender equality.

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Participating employees will receive 100% of their usual pay for only four days at work, in exchange for their commitment to maintain “at least” 100% productivity.

Autonomy co-director Kyle Lewis said that organisations taking part in the trial will benefit from “unparalleled access to the expertise, tools and resources they will need to run a smooth and successful trial”.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for organisations who want to be pioneers and trial a four-day week as a way of supporting and empowering workers, enhancing organisational productivity and having a positive impact on our society and the environment,” he added.

In 2019, prior to the mass shift to remote working, Autonomy authored a report which found “strong indications that reducing the working week can help reduce air pollution and our overall carbon footprint”.

According to Brendan Burchell, professor in the Social Sciences at Cambridge University, with the rise of technology allowing to maintain productivity, “the time has come for more organisations to take the leap and unravel the practicalities”

“This scheme has tremendous potential to progress from conversations about the general advantages of a shorter working week to focussed discussions on how organisations can implement it in the best possible way,” he added.

One of the businesses taking part in the pilot programme is the Edinburgh-based Canon, which found that the work-life balance of its 140 employees had changed “substantially” during the pandemic.

“As a responsive employer we are always looking at how we can adapt our working practices to ensure that employees find their time with us is meaningful, fulfilling and productive. For this reason, we’re keen to pilot a four-day week to see if it can work for us,” said president Ken Sutherland.

Last year, UK-based fintech Atom bank garnered headlines for introducing a four-day working week for all its employees with no change in salary. Prior to that, UK supermarket Morrisons also announced plans to shift to a four-day working week, keeping employee pay the same. However, this was only made available to head office staff in Bradford, who also had to work one Saturday per month to recoup the lost time.

Businesses can sign up for the trial until the end of March. 

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