Meta is ambitiously positioning itself to become the world’s top AI company, co-aligned with an increase in AI spending. The tech giant’s latest earnings reveal a climbing revenue and expenses, inciting mixed responses from investors. The landscape of optimistic forecasts and increased capital expenditures seems less rosy weighed against lower than expected Q2 revenue forecasts and significant investments into AI infrastructure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg points to an aggressive AI research expansion being instrumental in the fierce race against competitors OpenAI and Microsoft.
A new study launched by Forrit, the next-generation, global content management system (CMS) provider, reveals that 89% of senior marketers and tech leaders are optimistic that Web 3.0 and the metaverse have the potential to revolutionise the way we interact with the web. However, the report, titled Web O.No: your business’ bleak online future and how to avoid it uncovered that 87% believe the current state of the internet will stunt these innovations – and none of the respondents have websites that are currently equipped for this transformative new internet era.
The US Senate has made a significant leap forward with a new regulation requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform or face a US ban. This move, echoed by President Biden’s support, stems from fears surrounding TikTok’s algorithm and ByteDance’s potential to share American user data with the Chinese Communist Party. However, TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew vehemently denies these allegations.
The Australian investment bank, Macquarie, is reportedly considering an exit from KCom amidst escalating competition within the UK alternative network (altnet) sector. A recent report in The Telegraph suggests that Macquarie has engaged advisors from PJT Partners to conduct a strategic review of KCom, indicating potential changes on the horizon.
According to Counterpoint’s Market Pulse Service, China’s overall smartphone sales saw a modest 1.5% year-on-year growth in Q1 2024, marking a second consecutive quarter of positive growth. Notably, Huawei experienced a remarkable 69.7% year-on-year increase in market share, solidifying its position in the market. This growth was attributed to Huawei’s successful launch of the 5G-capable Mate 60 series and its enduring brand reputation, particularly in the premium segment priced above $600. In contrast, Apple witnessed a 19.1% year-on-year decline in market share during the same period, partly due to Huawei’s gains in this segment.
Softbank, the Japanese telecommunications giant, is gearing up to bolster its supercomputing capabilities in a bid to support its ambitious generative AI (GenAI) strategy. As reported by Nikkei, Softbank plans to allocate JPY150 billion ($960 million) over the next two years towards upgrading its computing infrastructure, a significant leap from the JPY20 billion invested last year.
BT joins forces with UK Business Climate Hub to empower small to medium UK businesses to slash their CO2e emissions in half by 2030. The strategic partnership aims to combat climate change, utilizing BT’s experience and UKBCH’s resources, ultimately championing for net-zero emissions by 2050. However, reaching these transformational green goals may prove challenging for many businesses, highlighting the necessity of this collaborative initiative.
Embracing certain compliance measures with the U.S. ‘Clean Network’ program, Nokia seemingly reduced its orders with supplier Foxconn Industrial Internet, marking another move away from China-based telecoms equipment. Though these adjustments primarily impact specific equipment types, both entities express an unusual blend of caution and resilience.
In spite of a 14% drop in sales, Ericsson has reported an impressive expansion in gross margin to 42.7%, largely credited to the resilience of its product portfolio and strict cost reduction measures. Maintaining its market leadership amid economic uncertainties, Ericsson anticipates further shrinkage in the RAN market for the rest of the year.
Fujitsu Limited and Oracle have joined forces to introduce innovative cloud and AI capabilities tailored to the digital sovereignty needs of Japanese enterprises and government agencies. This collaboration focuses on leveraging Oracle Alloy to enhance Fujitsu’s Hybrid IT offerings, particularly its Fujitsu Uvance platform designed to assist clients in business growth and societal problem-solving.
