Ilex Insights

Global B2B TECH & TELECOMS NEWS (18/12/2023 - 22/12/2023)

Written by Ilex Community Manager | 22-Dec-2023 10:24:33

This week's roundup looked at the top news stories from the Global B2B tech & telecoms industry.

The stories cover Personal Data, Cloud, Cyber Security, Google, X, Fibre, Xfinity, Toyota, Blackberry, AI and HSBC.

Here are our highlights:

Monday _____________________________

51% of UK consumers admit to withholding their personal information 

Two-thirds (66%) of UK consumers hear from brands digitally six or more times per day, yet 88% claim that half or less of the content they receive is relevant to them.  

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3Nt7nyw 

EU to Invest Over €760 Million in Cloud, Data, Cybersecurity Projects

The European Commission has adopted the amendment of the Digital Europe work programmes for 2024, assigning €762.7 million in funding for digital solutions.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3TtyfT1 

Tuesday_____________________________

Google to pay compensation to millions of US customers after Play Store court case

The tech giant was accused of stifling competition when it came to in-app payments for Android devices, where it was making up to 30% commission. - it will now be forced to offer alternative payment options to developers and consumers. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3tyvlBA 

Elon Musk's X facing landmark EU investigation

The investigation into X comes after Elon Musk clashed with an EU chief who warned the billionaire to do more to tackle disinformation about the Israel-Hamas war. The social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, is the first to be probed under the bloc's Digital Services Act.                              Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3RxMOST 

Wednesday___________________________

57% of the UK premises have full-fibre access, says Ofcom

Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report, which provides progress update on the availability of broadband and mobile services in the UK has been released today

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3RvWUDF 

Comcast says hackers stole data of close to 36 million Xfinity customers

Comcast has confirmed that hackers exploiting a critical-rated security vulnerability accessed the sensitive information of almost 36 million Xfinity customers.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3NCtRx3 

Thursday____________________________

Toyota to recall 1.12 million vehicles over potential airbag issue

The issue surrounds the vehicles' sensors which could cause their airbags not to deploy as designed. The sensors ensure airbags do not deploy if a child is in the front seat.                                

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/487ut6f 

BlackBerry posts surprise quarterly profit on resilient cybersecurity demand

While IT spending has dwindled over the past year, cybersecurity-related expenditure has remained stable as businesses and governments scramble to beef up their systems against hackers.                                                Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3vbgQEw 

FRIday____________________________

HSBC UK adds £100m to tech Growth Lending Fund

HSBC UK has increased the size of its tech scaleup investment vehicle, the Growth Lending Fund, by £100m to meet the growing demand. The Growth Lending Fund was launched last year with £250m as a response to government calls for greater investment into UK tech.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3vh2NwW 

India boosts AI in weather forecasts as floods, droughts increase

India is testing artificial intelligence (AI) to build climate models to improve weather forecasting as torrential rains, floods and droughts proliferate across the vast country.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/47YSDQd 

  _______________________________________________________________________________________