Software & Applications

Delta expands its UPS product line with high-performance DPS 300kVA

Delta has recently added a new Ultron DPS model to its family of uninterruptible power supplies. This latest Ultron online UPS is rated at 300kVA. With it, the Ultron DPS series from Delta now offers capacities ranging from 300 to 600kVA. Up to eight units can be run in parallel for megawatt-scale installations. This makes DPS 300 online UPS systems suitable for mission-critical applications that demand high performance. “The latest generation of our Ultron DPS series was developed especially for use in hyperscale data centres seeking to lower operating costs. Our conversations with colocation and cloud service providers revealed that, in addition to reliability and efficiency, other requirements have become extremely important, too. Megawatt-scale power capacity, a compact footprint, and ease of operation,” explains Rakesh Mukhija, Head of Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions (MCIS) at Delta EMEA. “With the Ultron DPS series, we now cover the entire power range from 300 kVA to 600kVA. Soon, we’ll be expanding the Ultron family again and launching the DPS 1000kVA and the DPS 1200kVA to offer megawatt capacities in a single unit. This way, our customers can choose the Ultron DPS UPS that is an exact fit for their needs.” The DPS 300 kVA is a monoblock UPS system with the highest available power density and the smallest footprint on the market. By conserving space, it provides more room for revenue-generating IT racks. The new Ultron DPS achieves AC-AC efficiencies of up to 96.5% during normal operation and 99% in ECO mode, reducing energy costs considerably. In addition, it delivers the full rated power (output power factor > 0.99) for maximum availability without power loss. The ability to choose valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) or environmentally friendly lithium-ion batteries also offers a means of optimising battery investments. Dual CAN bus systems are one example of how redundant core components ensure the availability of this new Delta UPS system. The DPS series offers proactive intelligence to warn IT managers of impending failures before they occur. This reduces the risk of downtime as well as the time and expense that maintenance work involves. Advanced event analysis including up to 10,000 event logs and waveform capturing allow abnormalities to be identified, ensuring high availability. The user-friendly 10in LCD screen of the UPS displays information on security, temperature, fire protection, and cooling as required to simplify local control. Optional battery management software also allows operators to view battery status information on the touch panel. IT managers can access all the components of the UPS from the front of the unit. This way, they can easily replace the modular components as needed, considerably reducing mean time to repair (MTTR). Key features of the Ultron DPS series • Currently the highest power density and smallest footprint compared to competing products • Self-diagnosis with early warning system • Unity output power factor (> 0.99) • AC-AC efficiency of up to 96.5%, 99% in ECO mode • Parallel configurations of up to eight units • Designed with redundant key components • Li-ion-battery-ready • 10in colour touchscreen with graphical user interface

Oneclick integrates cyber assurance into its application deployment

Oneclick has announced the launch of its new Cyber Assurance that offers customers remote access to software applications and data via the oneclick platform 'that is so secure', an insurance cover is now available. Through partnering with product provider, Victor Insurance, and risk carrier, Württembergische Versicherung AG, oneclick is able to deliver the insurance cover for subscribers. Where the likelihood of becoming the victim of sophisticated cyber attacks has dramatically increased, the demand for cyber insurance has grown in accordance. The global pandemic brought on by COVID-19 has meant that the cybersecurity risks of distributed infrastructures, home office and remote working have significantly increased. oneclick has recognised this need and now offers its customers ultimate protection from these security risks. In contrast to classic application provision for remote workstations via VPN, oneclick operates a highly-encrypted streaming guarantee, meaning that no malware can penetrate the connected company networks from the outside. Cyber Assurance in conjunction with oneclick cuts out the extensive preliminary investigations that is needed with classic cyber-insurances. Furthermore, points such as the security architecture of the platform, resilience, minimum requirements for passwords, implemented rights and role concepts and multi-factor authentication have already been positively examined with the new application. "For the provision and delivery of software applications and data, the oneclick platform offers its customers the highest level of IT security", says Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick AG. "We often invest a lot of time to discuss the extensive security components of the oneclick platform in detail. We wanted to simplify and shorten this process. Certifications alone are not enough. For this reason, we looked for a more solid security for our customers and developed a cyber guarantee with our partners". “The concept of oneclick has convinced us”, confirms Alexander Arias, member of the management of the product provider Victor Deutschland GmbH. Together with the Württembergische Versicherung, an innovative and unique insurance concept has been launched on the market, with a real added value for customers. "The new concept is also more economical than previous models," Dominik Birgelen continues. "Many customers assume that with cyber insurance, their own efforts and investments in IT security can be reduced. But exactly the opposite is the case: policyholders are forced to use state-of-the-art technology. That can quickly become expensive, as investments have to be made to get a policy at all." 

Techbuyer partners Digital Access For All charity launch

Techbuyer is supporting the Digital Access For All by the charity The Learning Foundation initiative with other select ADISA members. The nationwide campaign, delivered through the ADISA Marketplace, will ensure secure the processing of thousands of corporate donations and facilitate large scale redistribution of grade A equipment for disadvantaged families across the UK. With many schools relying on at least partial delivery of learning through the internet and internet enabled devices, it is vital that these resources are available to all. However, around 1.5 million school children have either limited or no access to these at home and are seeing their education suffer as a result. Remote learning during isolation periods, lockdowns and for homework is increasingly part of the norm. Children whose only access to this is via a parent or guardian’s mobile phone are hampered in their ability to get the most out of this, either because of lower functionality on a mobile device or because there is limited facility for essay writing and developing ideas. National charity The Learning Foundation launched the new initiative of Digital Access For All this year in order to level the digital playing field for children and young people across the UK. It has also established the Digital Poverty Alliance to address digital exclusion and data poverty across the board. The latest phase towards this end is a programme to encourage businesses to donate their redundant IT to those who need it most. The charity is partnering ADSIA, listed on the National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance for the disposal of infrastructure, to deliver the programme via the ADISA Marketplace. https://youtu.be/c5gu4ggI9_Y “I am delighted to be working with ADISA and their partners on this hugely important initiative. The fact that donating companies can be assured of the highest level of integrity and standards combined with them also being able to help directly in enabling disconnected children and families to get online makes this a genuine win-win,” says Paul Finnis, CEO Learning Foundation and Digital Access for All. The ADISA Marketplace uses a limited set of approved IT Asset Disposition companies to process donations to the highest standards and generate the best return on these for the charity. The Marketplace offers the opportunity to fulfil the need for grade A PCs, laptops and monitors to organisations who apply for the charity for help.  “This is a really worthwhile project to be involved with and Techbuyer has fully supported its development from the early stages. ADISA is known throughout our industry as the gold standard for compliance and best practice so we knew that the project would be well run and deliver the most value for people who need it the most. One of the challenges with corporate donations is that they sometimes include equipment which is not in the best shape, the approached devised for this initiative works around this issue to maximise equipment that can be donated and reused. We are very proud at Techbuyer to have been asked to be a part of this” Mick Payne, Techbuyer Managing Director.  

HelpSystems acquires Vera to broaden data security portfolio

HelpSystems has announced the acquisition of Vera, a leading cloud-based data protection solution provider. Vera empowers customers in financial services, manufacturing, media & entertainment, and other industries to achieve the fine balance between strong security and productive collaboration by giving users the ability to secure, track, audit, and revoke data access at any time. HelpSystems is acquiring Vera to extend its data security portfolio and meet the increased demand for solutions that protect information throughout the full data lifecycle, from data classification and secure file transfer to data loss prevention and encryption. Data is always on the move, not only within an organization, but also as it’s shared with customers, partners, and ever-growing remote workforces relying on both on-premises and cloud-based technology. This means the once-impenetrable corporate IT perimeter no longer exists, and managing sensitive files that contain valuable IP, financial data, or customer details requires a new way of thinking. Vera solves this challenge by attaching military-grade encryption, access controls, security, and policy directly to data, giving companies granular control and audit capabilities over their information. It offers powerful risk mitigation for entities relying on the cloud to store sensitive IP such as products plans, manufacturing designs, financial strategies & results, and security operations audits.  It also covers data subject to regulation such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and patient medical records. “The market for data security is evolving fast to require a comprehensive approach to discovery, detection, classification and dynamic encryption,” says Kate Bolseth, CEO, HelpSystems. “Vera seamlessly integrates and expands HelpSystems data security solution offerings and we welcome the Vera employees and their expertise to the global HelpSystems family.” “I’m pleased Vera is joining a global company with a comprehensive set of solutions empowering customers to strengthen their approach to data security,” says Shri Dodani, President and CEO, Vera. “Vera solutions extend HelpSystems’ existing data security portfolio meeting the needs of our combined customers and partners.  We have been working together at some of our largest customers and have proven the joint value proposition and look forward to expanding our go-to-market leveraging HelpSystems global footprint and resources.” 

Smart Modular introduces DuraFlash SP2800 PCIe NVMe solid state drive

SMART Modular Technologies, a subsidiary of  SMART Global Holdings, has announced the SP2800 family of PCIe NVMe SSD products designed to meet the needs of networking, storage, server, and other high-performance enterprise server applications. The introduction of the SP2800 PCIe NVMe SSD product family under SMART’s DuraFlash product portfolio follows the MDC7000 Enterprise and Data Center SSD Form Factor (EDSFF) product launched last month. SMART developed this tandem of products to meet the growing demand for Flash storage in the networking and telecommunication infrastructure, data center, edge computing and enterprise server markets. The SP2800 SSD is a highly-secured, Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) with TCG OPAL 2.0 and AES 256 encryption standards for access control and data security. Available in M.2 2280, M.2 22110 and U.2 form factors, the 3D NAND based SSD products support the industry standard PCIe Gen3 x4 interface and comply with the NVMe 1.3 protocol standard. SP2800 products come in high endurance product versions with one drive write per day (DWPD) plus SMART’s proprietary SafeDATA power loss data protection standard. Standard endurance versions are also available. “These new SP2800 PCIe NVMe products are well suited to be used as the primary Flash storage device for system boot, data logging and application code storage in high-performance servers,” says SMART Modular Flash product director, Victor Tsai. “SMART Modular has developed a comprehensive PCIe NVMe product portfolio under the DuraFlash brand that meets today’s market demands, and addresses the rapid adoption of PCIe NVMe Flash storage in applications that traditionally utilize SATA and other legacy Flash products.” Technical Highlights User capacity of the SP2800 drive ranges from 240GB to 2TB. Other features of the new SP2800 PCIe NVMe SSD product family include: Form factors: M.2 2280 (22mm x 80mm), M.2 22110 (22mm x 110mm) and 2.5” U.2Available configurations:240GB, 480GB, 960GB, 1920GBPCIe Gen 3x4 and NVMe 1.3 compliantEndurance:0.3 DWPD without SafeDATA1 DWPD with SafeDATAHigh securityAES-256 encryption, crypto erase, secure erase, TCG OPAL 2.0 (standard)SafeDATA power loss data protection in high endurance configurations

CyberSecurity effecting organisations - Pulse and CyberRisk Alliance

More than half of organizations (52%) consider phishing attacks or ID and credential theft as the top concern in Q3 2020, according to data released today by Pulse Secure (acquired by Ivanti), the leading provider of Zero Trust Secure Access solutions, and CyberRisk Alliance, a business intelligence company. Additionally, more than one-third of respondents (38%) across all regions experienced unauthorized or improper resource, application or data access, with North American organizations (39%) significantly more likely than Europeans (26%) to have encountered related data exfiltration, anomalous or malicious traffic.    The Cybersecurity Resource Allocation and Efficacy (CRAE) Index, created by CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) and underwritten by Pulse Secure, is a quarterly, time-series tracker that measures the overall focus and direction of North American and European organizations’ cybersecurity activities, spending, and perceived progress over time. Scores above 50 indicate a spending or efficacy increase and scores below 50 show a spending or efficacy decrease. Compared to the previous quarter, overall resource allocation and spending on IT security rose (66.5 in Q2 compared to 66.7 in Q3). In contrast, overall efficacy dropped (75.8 in Q2 compared to 74.2 in Q3), indicating that the increased expenditure did not result in a higher perception of improved security results. In North America, spending remained flat between Q2 and Q3 (66.5), but with a greater allocation towards reactive versus proactive security allocation. In contrast, the European CRAE Index showed an increase in quarterly spending and allocation (68.4 in Q3 compared to 66.5 in Q2) that focused on more proactive measures, with a similar reduction in efficacy (dipping to 74.4 Q3 from 74.9 Q2). The score was higher (by 1.9 points) for Europe than for North America, possibly propelled by organizations advancing the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) safeguards. Healthcare Experienced Strong Growth for Cybersecurity Resource and Spending Allocations Globally Healthcare resource allocation and spending growth accelerated in Q3 by 5.8 points to an index score of 69.6 points. The expansion was driven by protection measures, which jumped 8.7 points to an index score of 75.2, including cybersecurity training and awareness programs, developing processes to secure digital and physical assets, and purchasing or implementing cybersecurity technology. Additionally, the “Protecting” Efficacy Index rose by 7.6 points to 80.6, mostly driven by related protection efficacy, where healthcare organizations shared increased confidence in the effectiveness of their resource and investment allocations since Q2. Healthcare industry respondents highlighted budgetary constraints, a trend continuing from Q2, as their primary challenge to combat rising threats and address elevated risks from untrained staff and employee carelessness with highly sensitive data. In terms of cybersecurity challenges over the last quarter, phishing and identity/credential theft were most impactful for healthcare respondents (54%), with external compliance and audit events (33%), and endpoint malware and IoT security issues (32%) rounding out the top three. Financial Services and Insurance Industries Concentrated on Recovery Financial services resource allocation and spending dipped to 67.4 from 68.2 in Q2, along with efficacy that declined 3.2 points in the quarter (from a 77.3 to 74.1 index score). These changes in index levels indicate a slowdown in the spending growth and waning optimism in security effectiveness during Q3. The only efficacy component that increased was “Recovering,” which includes developing/executing recovery plans and procedures, coordinating communications during recovery activities, and implementing improvements based on lessons learned. Respondents cited an increase in security efficacy response, which jumped 2.9 points, suggesting increased growing optimism about recovery plans and future improvements.  Challenges for this sector in Q3 included increased external threats, business disruption, data theft and corruption, leaks, and lack of new system innovations. Phishing was the top cybersecurity threat (59%), with web and cloud attacks (48%) and internal compliance and audit events (41%) rounding out the top three. Manufacturing Showed Increased Confidence in New Strategies and Regulations Manufacturing resource spending rose 1.2 points to 67.8, and efficacy rose 2.3 points to 75.1 quarter over quarter. There was an above-average point increase of 3.8 in “Responding,” which indicates that firms are focused on developing response strategies, policies and controls to prevent future attacks. The manufacturing industry’s 3.7-point increase in efficacy of “Identifying” is consistent with increased confidence in improved asset management plans, risk management strategies and governance programs for this sector. Work from home requirements due to the pandemic impacted manufacturing firms, with many respondents indicating positive changes to improved security policies within their organizations. Even with such improvement, phishing and ID/credential theft was the top cybersecurity threat (52%), with internal compliance and audit events (45%) and endpoint and IoT threats (42%) rounding out the top three for manufacturing. High Tech and Business Services Saw Slower Growth in Every Sub-Index Category High Tech and Business Services spending dropped 3.8 points to 64.1, as did efficacy by 7.3 points to 72.4. All five NIST components as relayed by survey respondents saw slower growth for spending allocation and efficacy in Q3, with the largest drop of 12.3 points occurring in efficacy for “Protecting,” which includes cybersecurity training/awareness, developing processes to secure digital and physical assets, and purchasing or implementing cybersecurity technology. Even though respondents noted increased attacks in number and scope, as well as increased sophistication and adaptability of adversaries, this industry sector saw slower growth in every sub-index category — indicating a softening resource expansion. Interestingly, phishing ranked as the lowest concern (42%), with endpoint malware and IoT security (46%), web or cloud application attacks (45%), and insider threats and anomalous users (44%) rounding out the top three. Other Findings The accompanying CRAE report noted that: “Overall, three out of five NIST sub-index component index readings (“Identifying,” “Protecting,” and “Recovering”) rose in Q3 as organizations reported increased resource and spending allocations for proactive cybersecurity approaches, such as process improvements, system and software upgrades, and increased employee awareness and training. Efficacy sentiment for four out of five activities also increased, although at a slower pace in Q3. “Recovering” efficacy expanded slightly faster on average, reflecting increased confidence of respondents about their initiatives to recover from information security events and breaches.” “This is a useful piece of cybersecurity research that gives IT and information security leaders directional insight into what is happening on the ground from a peer and industry perspective,” says Mike Riemer, chief security architect at Ivanti. “The findings highlight that organizations are furthering security investments in proactive technologies to address expanded threats due to increased remote workplace requirements, and that security practitioners need to further their focus on optimizing processes and controls to turn the tide of efficacy confidence.”

Gemserv and Trilliant partner to ensure the protection of data

Gemserv has announced a partnership to provide enhanced security assurance for Trilliant Head End Software deployments. With products and service platforms now becoming fully connected, Gemserv has stepped in, in the preparation of security assurance processes and procedures to ensure that all connection points are robust, be they device components, additional enterprise interfaces or third-party systems. “We are delighted to be working with Trilliant to ensure that customers, wherever they are, can reap the benefits of smart grid technology in a secure and integrated way” says Alex Goody, Gemserv Chief Executive.  “From enabling net zero to become a reality, to improving patient care in their own homes and improving the customer experience for all, Gemserv and Trilliant are delivering a smart future”. As customer connected smart devices become increasingly available, the expectation is for interoperability between systems and devices that provide, for example, better energy usage, remote healthcare provision and property monitoring. Ensuring the compatibility of such systems with proven security credentials is becoming a key business driver, although implementation can be complex. This partnership combines Gemserv’s expertise in IoT, smart metering and cyber security with Trilliant’s globally proven communications solution. Together, the organizations will provide a turnkey solution that reduces the pain points of IoT system implementation. “The Trilliant Head End Software is designed to seamlessly connect power grids, distribution networks, smart meters, smart city, and smart home connected devices, often expanding from the initial platform provider to new service providers,” comments Andy White, Chairman and CEO for Trilliant. “We put security and data privacy at the heart of our solution and have developed an ethos throughout our business of putting security first. Trilliant welcomes the partnership with Gemserv to provide enhanced security assurance to our customers.” The agreed partnership between Trilliant and Gemserv covers strategy, planning, system implementation, security assurance for design, build and testing phases, as well as continued implementation throughout the long-term deployment and horizontal expansion into new business sectors.

Fujitsu Increases Data Availability for SMEs with Veeam

Veeam addresses all these data protection needs, with backup for on-premises virtualised data infrastructures and enhanced backup for cloud-based AWS, Azure and Microsoft Office 365 installations. Small and mid-sized businesses seeking increased data availability and faster recovery from disasters can now benefit from Veeam Cloud Data Management solutions offered by Fujitsu to provide simplified and automated backup. Faced with more and more workloads moving to the cloud, rampant data growth, complex infrastructures and the increasing risk of data loss, small and midsize enterprises need to develop complete backup strategies to protect data residing on-premises and in the cloud. Companies must also be capable of rapidly restoring systems, applications and data to safeguard business continuity against unplanned system downtime, data loss or corruption. The collaboration with Veeam extends Fujitsu’s vendor- and platform-agnostic Data-Driven Transformation Strategy (DDTS) to optimise organisations’ data assets. One aspect of this approach is to create transparency of data wherever it resides – inside and outside the organisation – and in any platform, solution, or architecture. The deep integration of Veeam’s solutions into its ecosystem underlines Fujitsu’s role as a trusted transformation partner. With many organisations using multiple backup solutions, the availability of Veeam’s Cloud Data Management portfolio - together with Fujitsu data centre offerings, such as PRIMERGY server, PRIMEFLEX Integrated System and ETERNUS storage1 - is the latest example of how Fujitsu is addressing the need for flawless backup across heterogeneous environments. Pricing and availability Veeam solutions are orderable and deliverable from Fujitsu direct sales and channel partners with immediate effect in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Fujitsu plans to introduce availability in other European countries in due course.

Arriva drives green mobility with power infrastructure at bus depot

How smart e-mobility infrastructure supports the transition to carbon neutral public transport in the Merseyside area. Arriva Merseyside is a public transport operator running bus services in and around the Liverpool City Region, providing public transport services to the nearly 1.5 million local residents. Arriva is committed to making its business carbon neutral by 2030. The company also wants to reduce its impact on air quality in the urban centres where its services operate. In 2018, Arriva Merseyside purchased 12 Enviro Buses, BYD ADL Enviro200EV single deck pure electric buses to serve some of the bus routes in Liverpool’s city centre. The e-buses joined the 51 hybrid and 9 gas buses already added to the fleet earlier that year. This was the introduction of the final part of a £21 million investment into cutting edge green technology from Arriva Merseyside.  The purchase was also supported through a successful £5 million bid for Government (OLEV) funding for new, greener buses, in partnership with Arriva. “Arriva is committed to reducing carbon emissions, both by encouraging more people to use public transport and by minimising our own environmental impact” says Marcello Giovanardi Category Manager – Fuel, Lubricants, Utilities at Arriva. “We were already working with Schneider Electric as our partner on energy bill validations and commodity risk management for the depot, so we’re aware of their expertise in this area and reputation for delivering reliable high-performance solutions.” Arriva’s environmental commitment extends to its power infrastructure, which is vital to supporting the increasing number of electric vehicles in its fleet. They were therefore seeking a partner with strong sustainability credentials to design and install the electrical infrastructure to deliver an industrial supply at the depot in Green Lane, Merseyside. The central requirement of the project was to provide reliable and secure electricity supply for 6 double bus chargers on a charging island in the middle of the depot. A key goal was to minimise disruption to normal bus services during the installation process. It was essential that the solution enabled a reliable and resilient power supply with 100% uptime to the electric bus chargers. The provider of electrical infrastructure would be required to work in close collaboration with both the charger manufacturer and the local network operator, to ensure all components of the new system met the required regulatory standards as well as Arriva’s Health & Safety policy for people on site. The solution itself was required to be highly durable and withstand all weather in its outdoor location, whilst also having a minimal footprint as space is at a premium in the urban setting of the Green Lane depot. With Arriva’s commitment to transition towards emissions-free operations, the charging infrastructure would also need to have capacity to grow the number of electric buses it services in the future.    The project began with a comprehensive consultation process with Arriva Merseyside and the other technology and utilities partners involved, Schneider Electric, led by its Power Consultancy team. The parties then designed, then installed and manufactured an 11kV packaged substation in a configuration tailored to the project requirements. Key features included the implementation of a low voltage MCCB feeder pillar, RN2c T2/21 ring main unit (RMU), and transformer to step down the supply to 415v as required by the chargers. The MCCB feeder pillar featured ComPact NS circuit breakers at 1600A to enable built-in power and energy metering functionalities through embedded MicroControl units. The direct coupling used in the substation design means that the product required minimal cabling to be installed and will require minimal maintenance over its lifetime, reducing overall cost. The 11kV packaged substation, including switchgear and transformer, is manufactured in Schneider Electric’s plant in Leeds under a direct and controlled factory assembly, making the overall product incredibly safe. The packaged substation offer is also consistent with Arriva Merseyside’s environmental commitment, having been manufactured to meet the ISO 14001 environmental standards as standard. The substation was installed on the depot’s land near the perimeter of the site, making the most effective use of space available in the urban location. This was possible due to the highly durable design of the components. The MCCB feeder pillar, designed for the UK market, is fully compliant with ISO 12924 standard to ensure that components will not rust even when constantly exposed to the elements for years.   Delivered as a single unit, the substation implementation was a time-efficient and streamlined process, successfully minimising disruption to on site operation of bus services during the project. The unit also has capacity to support a larger number of chargers, should Arriva Merseyside decide to expand the all-electric portion of its fleet in future – without further expansion of the depot’s power infrastructure.  The depot now has two separate power supplies, providing back up capability where required to ensure Arriva has even greater resiliency of supply. Arriva Merseyside now has a safe, reliable and convenient charging infrastructure in place for the 12 electric buses in its Merseyside fleet. Continuous achievement of 100% uptime and a charge time of 4-6 hours allows buses to be charged overnight, which is convenient, efficient, and cost-effective. Using this system, Arriva Merseyside can now operate its first all-electric bus route in Merseyside. The Schneider Electric solutions are contributing to cleaner, greener public transport for the Merseyside area. Arriva Merseyside now has the capacity to scale the number of chargers at the Green Lane depot going forwards, to accelerate its progress towards its carbon neutral 2030 goal. The shift towards more electrified public transport is expected to combat air pollution in the local area, as well as take Arriva one step closer to its company-wide carbon neutral goal.  EcoStruxure is Schneider Electric’s open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform. EcoStruxure delivers enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity for our customers. EcoStruxure leverages advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver Innovation at Every Level including Connected Products, Edge Control, and Apps, Analytics & Services. EcoStruxure has been deployed in 480,000+ sites, with the support of 20,000+ system integrators and developers, connecting over 1.6 million assets under management through 40+ digital services.

Thomson Reuters taps AWS to power digital transformation

Amazon Web Services has announced that Thomson Reuters has successfully completed a large scale migration to AWS, which will enable the company to innovate faster, develop and act on new insights, and become a more agile business in the cloud. As part of its ongoing move to the cloud, Thomson Reuters migrated thousands of servers and hundreds of revenue-generating applications to AWS. Expanding its longstanding relationship with AWS, Thomson Reuters is also leveraging AWS’s unparalleled portfolio of cloud services including analytics, database, containers, serverless, storage, machine learning, and security to innovate new digital products for its customers and reveal greater insights into the industries it covers. Thomson Reuters provides highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting, and compliance professionals, combined with Reuters, the world’s global news service. Across these sectors, its products and tools help professionals better understand their industries, streamline operations, increase efficiencies, and mitigate risk. In 2018, Thomson Reuters partnered with AWS Professional Services, AWS Managed Services (where AWS operates infrastructure on a customer's behalf), and AWS Certified third-party experts from multiple consulting partners who provided hands-on expertise, day-to-day infrastructure management, and cost optimization. The decision to use these AWS resources enabled Thomson Reuters to complete this migration project five months ahead of schedule. By leveraging AWS Managed Services, Thomson Reuters moved hundreds of mission-critical, legacy applications from across their global business units to the cloud and into production quickly. To further streamline this migration, Thomson Reuters leveraged the AWS Marketplace to access simplified software contracting services to rapidly procure and integrate their preferred third-party software into their AWS environment. Additionally, Thomson Reuters has developed an internal platform to apply machine learning at scale using Amazon SageMaker – AWS’s service for building, training, and deploying machine learning models in the cloud and on the edge – to help developers and data scientists quickly gain new insights from real-time and historical data in a fully managed and secure environment. The platform saves developers and data scientists countless hours of coding by providing all of the components used for machine learning in a single toolset so models get to production faster with much less effort and at a lower cost, enabling Thomson Reuters to deliver new, intelligent solutions for their customers. Thomson Reuters uses Amazon SageMaker to automatically shut down GPU instances when a training job is done and leverages Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Spot Instances – unused EC2 capacity that is available at up to a 90% discount compared to On-Demand prices – to reduce the cost of machine learning model inference. “Thomson Reuters provides the intelligence, technology, and expertise that our customers need to solve their toughest regulatory, legal, and compliance challenges,” says Justin Wright, Vice President of Architecture and Development, Thomson Reuters. “We’re leveraging AWS’s comprehensive set of cloud services to develop insightful new products and services that will help our customers reinvent the way they work and operate effectively in complex arenas. AWS is a trusted resource for us – especially AWS Managed Services and AWS Professional Services – providing the expertise to accelerate our move to cloud and helped migrate data centers ahead of schedule.” “Thomson Reuters is using the cloud to put accurate data and information into the hands of professionals across the legal, tax and accounting, and news industries to make important and timely decisions,” comments Greg Pearson, Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Sales at Amazon Web Services, Inc. “By leveraging AWS’s depth and breadth of services with the expertise of AWS Managed Services, Thomson Reuters is able to eliminate the heavy lifting of managing infrastructure operations and focus on innovating new ways to deliver in-depth information and digital solutions to deliver new and timely insights to customers around the world.”