Today’s topics include IBM’s announcement of Linux-only mainframe systems, businesses reporting an increase in targeted cyber-attacks, Microsoft’s new partnership with Uber, and faulty mobile devices playing a major role in carrier churn.
Deepening its investment in Linux, IBM announced new Linux-only mainframe systems, a significant contribution of mainframe code to the open source community, and support for a new Open Mainframe Project.
Yesterday, at LinuxCon in Seattle, IBM introduced two Linux mainframe servers called LinuxONE designed for the new application economy and hybrid cloud era. The LinuxONE Emperor is based on the IBM z13 mainframe.
The system is capable of analyzing sales transactions in “real time” and can be used to help detect fraud as it is occurring. Another model in the portfolio, LinuxONE Rockhopper, is designed for clients and emerging markets seeking the speed, security and availability of the mainframe, but in a smaller package.
According to a Tripwire survey of 215 attendees at the Black Hat USA 2015 security conference, 64 percent of organizations believe they are a potential target for nation-state cyber-attacks.
In addition, 86 percent of the respondents said they have seen an increase in targeted attacks directed at their networks over the past year.
Despite the noticeable increase in attacks, less than half of the respondents said their confidence in their organizations’ ability to detect and respond to a cyber-attack rose in the last 12 months.
This week, Microsoft announced that a handful of companies had released add-ins that extend Outlook’s capabilities beyond email and calendar management.
Among the most notable of them is Uber, which reportedly scored a $100 million investment from Microsoft late last month. In June, it was revealed that Microsoft was unloading its Bing mapping unit to the mobile car-hailing app maker.
The companies also announced that Cortana, the digital assistant technology in Windows 10, would soon enable users to flag down an Uber car.
A combination of faulty mobile devices and ineffective care would cause 31 percent of mobile users to switch to different mobile carriers and another 33 percent to change their device manufacturer, a new survey indicates.
Nearly four in 10 (38 percent) cite battery life as the most common type of device issue they experience, while 13 percent say frozen or crashed apps occur most frequently, according to Blancco Technology Group, a specialist in mobile device diagnostics and secure data erasure.