Zoom has announced the acquisition of Karlsruhe Information Technology Solutions (Kites) – a startup focused on the development of real-time AI-powered translation technologies.

Founded in 2015 by members of Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology faculty, Kites is comprised of 12 research scientists who will now assist Zoom’s engineering team in advancing in the field of machine translation (MT).

The technology will be used to improve the video conferencing experience by providing real-time, multi-language translation capabilities for Zoom users, enabling the company to increase the efficiency and accessibility of virtual meetings.

Commenting on the news, co-founders Dr. Alex Waibel and Dr. Sebastian Stüker said that Kites “emerged with the mission of breaking down language barriers and making seamless cross-language interaction a reality of everyday life”.

“We have long admired Zoom for its ability to easily connect people across the world. We know Zoom is the best partner for Kites to help advance our mission and we are excited to see what comes next under Zoom’s incredible innovation engine,” they added.

Waibel and Stüker are to remain based in Karlsruhe following the acquisition, with Waibel set to become a Zoom Research Fellow – a role which will include advising Zoom on MT research and development.

The video conferencing giant also announced that it “looks forward to investing in growing the [Kites] team”, while also “exploring opening an R&D center in Germany in the future”.

Velchamy Sankarlingam, president of Product and Engineering at Zoom, said that the company is “continuously looking for new ways to deliver happiness to our users and improve meeting productivity”.

“MT solutions will be key in enhancing our platform for Zoom customers across the globe. With our aligned missions to make collaboration frictionless – regardless of language, geographic location, or other barriers – we are confident Kites’ impressive team will fit right in with Zoom,” he added.

The acquisition of Kites, the financial details of which remain undisclosed, might be symptomatic of Zoom’s focus on expanding its offering to retain users as lockdown restrictions are eased and more workers return to the office. Earlier this month, the company unveiled a new range of desk phones fit for the office and the home that includes high-definition video as well as built-in collaboration software.

Expenditure on Kubernetes is rising dramatically, and most businesses are struggling to accurately project how much they’re expecting to spend on their container orchestration systems in future.

Over the last year, Kubernetes-related costs surged for 68% of businesses, according to research by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which manages the ecosystem. Just 12% of businesses lowered their Kubernetes expenses, while among organisations to have sustained an increase, half saw it jump by more than 20%.

Kubernetes is an open source container orchestration system for automating app deployment, scaling and management. While it was originally designed by Google, Kubernetes is now maintained by the CNCF.

The trend does not come as a surprise, according to the report, because as most organisations adopt cloud-native architectures and scale up Kubernetes environments, the associated cloud costs will rise.

Despite costs projected to spiral, however, there’s a disconnect between these rising expenses and how well most businesses are able to accurately forecast Kubernetes costs, project these, and instigate processes that can manage overspend.

CNCF and the FinOps Foundation surveyed senior IT staff from their extended communities of 195 organisations, which is a small sample size but serves as a representative sample of a cross-section of businesses. 

The vast majority of respondents either don’t monitor Kubernetes spending at all, 24%, or rely on monthly estimates only, 44%. Only 13% used accurate show-backs while 14% had a chargeback programme in place. 

“As more organisations adopt cloud-native architectures and scale up Kubernetes environments, the associated cloud costs will rise,” the report said. “However, the FinOps for Kubernetes survey uncovered a disconnect between these rising expenses and how well most respondents have been able to accurately and effectively monitor Kubernetes costs, predict those costs, and instill processes that can curtail unnecessary overspend.

“Whether spending $10,000 per month or 100x that, the lack of real-time cost visibility and the insights and actions that organisations can take from that suggests that the majority of organizations leveraging Kubernetes can become significantly more cost-efficient – and do so without impacting performance.”

As cloud costs continue to rise for the majority of businesses, the report urges organisations to adopt processes and systems to track how much they spend. Firms should look beyond basic cost estimations and should instead seek to allocate costs back to granular environments and projects for show-back and chargeback. 

The Labour Party has called for a full investigation into the ministerial use of private email accounts for government business. 

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It follows a report in The Sunday Times that suggests that former health secretary, Matt Hancock, breached government guidelines by using his personal Gmail account.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, has written to the Cabinet Secretary and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) demanding a “full-scale investigation” into what she called a “shady practice” that could “conceal vital information”. Rayner has warned that “the buck doesn’t stop with Hancock” and that the government was “rotten to its core”.

“We need to know how wide this goes and how much government business is being conducted in secret,” Rayner wrote. “This shady practice has the potential to conceal vital information of public interest and cover up the waste of taxpayers money that has been given to friends of Conservative ministers.”

The Sunday Times said it had seen documents that suggested Hancock had “routinely” used his private Gmail account to conduct government business and also claimed that the junior health minister, Lord Bethell, did the same. There are also claims the other officials within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had breached government guidelines in this way.

Labour’s concern is that, as a result of this private email use, the government does not have a complete record of the former health secretary’s decision-making during the pandemic, which includes the procurement of PPE, set up of the Test and Trace system and the strategy for care homes. 

In a statement given to IT Pro, the UK’s Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham, said: “It is an important principle of government transparency and accountability that official records are kept of key actions and decision.

“The issue of ministers and senior officials using private email accounts to conduct sensitive official business is a concerning one for the public and is one my office has advised on before. I am looking carefully at the information that has come to light over the past few days and considering what further steps may be necessary to address the concerns raised with me.”

Hancock resigned over the weekend following leaked CCTV footage from his office that shows him in an embrace with his aide Gina Coladangelo. The ICO also confirmed that it is making enquiries into the release of personal data to the media and whether a further regulatory response is warranted.

The former health secretary is also under scrutiny from the Conservative Party; when asked by the BBC if Hancock’s actions were a security issue, justice secretary Robert Buckland said: “I agree, and that’s why I think it’s important that we use the systems that we are provided with.”

In response to Buckland’s comments, Rayner tweeted: “We already know that hostile states target minister’s email accounts to access sensitive information and even blackmail Ministers. Tory ministers are putting our national security at risk by trying to hide from the public and cover up their dodgy dealings.” 

Using a personal personal account for government business is meant to be against government guidelines, but in April, MP Tom Tugendhat claimed that GCHQ had advised him that Gmail was safer than the system used in Parliament. 

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The free Windows 11 update for Windows 10 devices won’t roll out until next year, and it might not arrive until mid-2022 for some users. 

​That’s according to a tweet from Microsoft’s Twitter account for its flagship operating system, which responded to a query about the Windows 11 release date from computer science student Jure Zajc, under a post previewing a video trailer for the latest version of the OS.

“Windows 11 is due out later in 2021 and will be delivered over several months,” said the verified Twitter account, adding that “the rollout of the upgrade to Windows 10 devices already in use today will begin in 2022 through the first half of that year”.

The confirmation comes amid reports as Microsoft confirms it’s planning to review its stringent Windows 11 system requirements, which state that users must be using an 8th-generation Intel CPU or newer and a TPM 2.0 chip installed.

“In support of the Windows 11 system requirements, we’ve set the bar for previewing in our Windows Insider Programme to match the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, with the exception for TPM 2.0 and CPU family/model,” the Windows Team stated in a blog post.

“By providing preview builds to the diverse systems in our Windows Insider Programme, we will learn how Windows 11 performs across CPU models more comprehensively, informing any adjustments we should make to our minimum system requirements in the future.” 

The Windows Team added that it “look[s] forward to the product feedback and learnings” amid a backlash against its PC Health Check tool. The app had been recommended for users to find out whether their device would be compatible with Windows 11. However, those who had gotten a negative response from the tool were not provided with enough detail as to why their PC was incompatible with the latest version of the operating system. 

The Windows Team announced that it would be “updating [the] PC Health check app to provide more clarity”, as well as “adapt software and hardware to keep pace with people’s computing needs today and in the future”.

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Microsoft has revealed a new design for Microsoft 365, which it says will be available for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 users and will come with support for 64-bit Arm processors. 

The announcement coincided with the release of the first preview build of Windows 11, the tech giant’s next iteration of its flagship operating system. 

The refresh to Microsoft 365 comes on the tenth anniversary of Office 365’s initial release and was based on customer feedback, according to Microsoft. Users called for a “more natural and consistent experience” between applications – specifically on Windows – which is why the new design has similarities to the recently announced Windows 11 layout.

The update has a “familiar” user interface, but with the Fluent Design principles seen on Windows 11 across all applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Project, Publisher, and Visio. 

What’s more, the update will be automatically available to any Office Insiders running beta channel builds and can easily be turned off using the “Coming Soon” feature, which is located in the top right corner of the menu. In Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote, users need to click the megaphone icon to open the “Coming Soon” pane, and use the toggle to move between the new and current interface, and apply the setting to all the Office apps.

In addition to the design refresh is a new 64-bit version of Office for Windows on Arm-powered machines, where it’s been recompiled for Arm architecture. The idea is that it will offer a faster experience, boost memory availability, abd provide better support for large documents, all while maintaining compatibility with existing 64-bit add-ins using the new x64 emulation capability provided by Windows.

The Windows 11 preview build (22000.51) is available now to Windows Insiders, and includes access to the new Start menu, multitasking features, and overhauled Microsoft Store. Unlike the leaked version of the build, this official preview also features an updated File Explorer that replaces the ribbon with a command bar.

The business world has been rocked by huge changes recently thanks to lockdown restrictions and new remote-working models, not to mention a complete shift in the way that consumers engage with products and services. Due to the sudden pivots necessitated by COVID-19, it’s understandable that many organisations have adopted rapid digital transformation and an increased dependence on the cloud in order to remain relevant and competitive, to improve customer experience, to satisfy stakeholders and ultimately grow revenue in the face of this disruption.

However, such rapid transformations can be associated with serious risks if not managed properly. Businesses may have been tempted to adopt a one-size-fits-all cloud solution, or to transform in a piecemeal way across multiple cloud silos without following a carefully laid-out strategy. The former can easily result in business transformation that does not fit the specific needs of your business, running counter to the goal of modernising, with the potential to harm rather than help your bottom line.

For the latter, without a strategy you can create various issues for your IT infrastructure, from fragmented systems that do not allow for monitoring and automation across cloud silo boundaries, to increased risk of security breaches and an overall complexity that hampers your ability to quickly update applications and systems to meet the needs of your business and customers.

Continuous modernisation

Developing a robust, detailed strategy is key to successful modernisation, and an understanding that there is not one simple, one-size-fits-all solution that you can apply to your business. Before you commit to a hasty ‘rip and replace’ strategy, it is important to consider the needs of your organisation and the best approach to meeting them.

Companies like Micro Focus can assist you in developing a winning, smart digital transformation strategy that will meet your modernisation goals and avoid potential pitfalls as you build, deliver and run your modernisation project. Micro Focus’s open, integrated, backwards-compatible software bridges existing and emerging technologies, so you can innovate faster, with less risk, as you transform. With AI-powered automation, you can manage and monitor multiple clouds, applications, data centres and networks from one portal. This offers enhanced, joined-up security, quickly highlighting any issues that arise.

Evolving your IT practices – without jeopardising critical business systems and processes developed over decades – is a constant balancing act. That is why bridging new and existing applications and infrastructure is particularly key. Evidence is emerging to suggest that modernisation projects using an incremental and continuous improvement model are more likely to achieve positive results than other more drastic approaches like ripping and replacing your core business applications. The ‘Endless Modernization’ research authored by Micro Focus and The Standish Group found that companies that choose to modernise an existing application rather than fully replace it had a 71% success and 1% failure ratio, compared to a 26% success and 20% failure ratio for those choosing to scrap a software application and start from scratch.

A smart approach to digital transformation allows businesses to transform as they continue to run core applications, modernising continuously and incrementally to strike a balance between innovating and maintaining proper business operations. This incremental approach endorsed by Micro Focus allows you to maintain continuity during your ongoing modernisation work and, ultimately, execute business transformation based on the needs of your organisation, rather than rushing to make it happen as quickly as possible and ending up with a solution that doesn’t properly meet your requirements. And unlike unstructured, piecemeal approaches, this type of transformation is backed by a robust strategy that maintains unity and control across your IT infrastructure.

Beyond the cloud

While the cloud has proved to be a powerful tool in modernisation – particularly when it comes to the dispersed-working models that have gained dominance since 2020 – it is important to understand that transferring all your infrastructure to the cloud may not be the best solution for your business. In a modernisation project built on the needs of your business, a fully cloud-based solution might not give the right results. It’s important to consider the modernisation route that will really suit your business best, whether that’s mainframe-centric, cloud-first, a hybrid approach, DevOps-driven or service-oriented.

Remember that mainframe is just as viable as any other platform when it comes to modernisation. While the cloud is both fast growing and the most high-profile solution today, AWS reports that more than 70% of Fortune 500 companies still run their business-critical apps on mainframes – and for good reason. These adaptable, resilient incumbent systems have been steadily modernised and built upon over the years, becoming one of the most trusted elements of the IT team’s arsenal.

Of course, mission-critical mainframe applications need to be kept up-to-date with modern business demands, but that doesn’t necessitate a ‘rip and replace’ approach. Part of building on existing successes is to recognise what is working and using that as a cornerstone to develop a long-term strategy. Using its modernisation maturity model, Micro Focus can support your preferred modernisation route and advise you on the most efficient and effective way of modernising your mainframe without disrupting business operations.

Working with a transformation partner like Micro Focus enables you to extend the value of your existing technology investments. Every business’s needs are different. Before committing to a wholesale ‘rip and replace’ approach, it’s important to assess your organisation’s requirements. Armed with this understanding, you can execute an incremental and continuous modernisation approach to achieve smart digital transformation by building on your existing infrastructure.

Learn more in Micro Focus’s Race to the Cloud ebook 

Hackers are targeting a vulnerability in Cisco’s Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) after security researchers published a proof-of-concept (PoC) for a successful exploit.

Positive Technologies SWARM, the security company’s offensive research team, published an exploit PoC for the flaw tracked as CVE-2020-3580 last week. This was originally patched in October 2020 alongside CVE-2020-3581 through to CVE-2020-3583.

This issue, which is considered to be moderately severe, concerns multiple vulnerabilities in the web services interface of Cisco ASA software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) software. 

On unpatched systems, Cisco ASA/FTD software web services don’t sufficiently validate user-supplied inputs. To exploit the bug successfully, hackers would need to convince a user on the interface to click on a malicious link. The vulnerability is rated 6.1 out of ten on the CVSS threat severity scale.

Exploitation could allow an attacker to remotely conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks on affected devices that haven’t been patched. Cisco ASA Software is the core operating system that powers the Cisco ASA family, comprising devices that offer firewall tools among other security-oriented services.

Since the PoC was posted online, Positive Technologies researcher Mikhail Klyuchnikov reported that many other researchers are also chasing bug bounties for this vulnerability. Tenable researchers have also reported that attacks are exploiting CVE-2020-3580.

Cisco issued a patch for this flaw in October 2020, but the fix for CVE-2020-3581 was only partial, and the company had to issue a second patch in April this year. As of last July, there were 85,000 ASA/FTD devices distributed across the business landscape. 

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software is the core operating system that powers the Cisco ASA family. It offers firewall tools for various ASA devices, with ASA Software also integrating with other critical security technologies to deliver security-oriented products. 

Businesses are being advised to patch their systems with the latest update to avoid falling victim to successful attacks.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is making a big splash in the encrypted messaging market with the acquisition of Wickr, a secure messaging app that’s geared toward government and military use. 

Wickr uses end-to-end encryption, which means only people on either end of a conversation can decrypt each other’s messages. The app also allows users to set their messages to self-destruct after a chosen period for additional security.

“AWS is offering Wickr services effective immediately, and Wickr customers, channel, and business partners can continue to use Wickr’s services as they do today,” AWS VP Stephen Schmidt announced.

The timing of the deal is interesting too. Amazon just bought a secure messaging app that serves government and military organizations while it’s embroiled in a legal dispute over the Pentagon’s $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract.

“The need for this type of secure communications is accelerating,” wrote Schmidt, the company’s VP. “With the move to hybrid work environments, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, enterprises and government agencies have a growing desire to protect their communications across many remote locations.”

“Today, public sector customers use Wickr for a diverse range of missions, from securely communicating with office-based employees to providing service members at the tactical edge with encrypted communications.” 

Wickr has a dark side, as it’s been tied to the drug trade and other illicit industries in the past. Plus, the political climate has pressured tech firms, including Wickr, to break their end-to-end encryption to preserve national security.

It remains to be seen if Amazon has any plans to change Wickr in any way. In its initial press release, AWS seems content leaving the messaging app as is, especially amid the wave of remote and hybrid working arrangements.  

Microsoft has announced that its business communications platform, Microsoft Teams, will be natively integrated into Windows 11 at launch.

The app’s new prominent placement on the operating system’s Start menu was one of the biggest reveals from the ‘What next for Windows’ event on Thursday, with Panos Panay, Microsoft‘s chief product officer, explaining how it will be a quicker way for users to launch and create Teams meetings.

This won’t be a direct installation of the app, rather a selection of its functions readily available in the Start menu. For the full services, users will still need to download Microsoft Teams, which will be available via the Microsoft Store.

“Now you can instantly connect through text, chat, voice or video with all of your personal contacts, anywhere, no matter the platform or device they’re on, across Windows, Android or iOS,” the company said in a blog post. “If the person you’re connecting to on the other end hasn’t downloaded the Teams app, you can still connect with them via two-way SMS.”

The integration is a nod towards the success of Teams over the course of the pandemic and how it is at the forefront of our changing approaches to work. The service surpassed 145 million daily active users back in April, and it has undergone a number of changes over the last 12 months to reposition it as a tool for the hybrid workforce.

However, while Teams took top billing for the Windows 11 event, Skype was hardly spoken of, leading many to suggest it has been pushed out. Skype was originally integrated as an “inbox app” as part of Windows 10, similar to how Teams will function as part of Windows 11, but it was noticeably absent from Thursday’s promotional material.

Microsoft officially rolled out Windows 11 today with a slew of features targeting users and developers alike — and a sideways jab at rival Apple. 

Openness was the key talking point for CEO Satya Nadella when unveiling the new operating system, which will ship later this year. “Windows recognises that there is no personal computing without personal agency,” he said. Nadella added, “We want to remove the barriers that too often exist today and provide real choice and connection.” 

The new operating system will feature support for Android apps purchased from Amazon’s app store. In a swipe at Apple, the company also revamped the Microsoft Store, allowing developers to use their own payment systems when charging for apps. This lets developers keep 100% of the revenue. 

“Windows has always stood for sovereignty for creators and agency for consumers,” said Nadella, who highlighted its multi-marketplace support as a key differentiator from Apple in an interview with the Wall Street Journal today. “Operating systems and devices should mould themselves to our needs and not the other way around.” 

Openness didn’t seem to be the central theme in at least one Windows 11 feature announcement, though. 

In a move sure to worry other collaboration and video conferencing application providers, Microsoft has integrated Teams more closely into the operating system. This integration creates an interface that places contacts into the start bar and makes it easier to enter Teams video calls.

One welcome feature the company revealed in preview versions of Windows 11 is a universal mute button. This allows you to mute all video calling systems, so you can rest assured your mic isn’t hot. 

Windows 11 will also feature some user interface (UI) changes. Users will arrange their application windows into pre-configured layouts. The operating system will retain these layouts when you switch between external monitors and laptop displays. This feature, called Snap Layouts, is one of several enhancements designed to make the keyboard-free experience more intuitive when using Windows in a tablet format. 

The new UI will also include new visual cues for resizing windows and a start menu that’s centred on the screen rather than off to the side. Windows 11 will also feature a redesigned on-screen keyboard with swipe-to-type features and emojis. 

Other new features integrated directly into the start menu will include Windows Widgets, which will be tabs of content, including news tailored to users’ content viewing habits. One intriguing feature will be the ability to tip content creators through the widget platform. 

Alongside other cosmetic changes, like rounded corners, the system will also feature some under-the-hood changes. Updates will be 40% smaller and will happen in the background, so people can keep working through them. 

On the gaming side, Microsoft will bring across a few features from the Xbox platform. Games that support HDR for better contrast and more vibrant colours will now benefit from that feature on Windows 11. The operating system will also offer Direct Storage, which will use the graphical processing unit (GPU) to load data without burdening the CPU. The company will also integrate the Xbox Game Pass system directly into the desktop operating system. 

There was a notable lack of talk about privacy during the launch, which is a theme Apple has continually promoted in its products. Instead, Microsoft seems to differentiate itself from Apple by emphasizing its platform’s openness and willingness to relinquish control. 

Microsoft’s support for Android apps might also give it some traction over Google’s Chromebook platform, which has enjoyed meteoric sales in recent months. 

“Throughout its history Windows has been a democratizing force for the world”, Nadella said in the announcement wrap. Microsoft settled with the DoJ on monopoly charges in 2001 for giving preferential treatment to its Internet Explorer browser. In the same year, It also called open source software “a cancer,” though it apologized for the statement in 2020. 

Microsoft has since built support for Linux directly into the operating system. An analysis of leaked Windows 11 code suggests it might be able to run graphical Linux apps on the Windows desktop.