Germany is investing €5 billion in a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Dresden through the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) initiative. The facility will leverage advanced technologies like FinFET and aims to reduce Europe’s dependence on U.S. and Chinese semiconductor imports. This strategic move promises to enhance Germany’s role in the global semiconductor industry.
Google’s new long-term agreement with Energix Renewables underscores the escalating importance of sustainable energy in tech advancements. By supplying 1.5 gigawatt-peak of solar projects by 2030, this partnership aligns with Google’s net-zero emissions goals, ensuring clean energy for their AI-driven data centers and marking a pivotal shift towards greener technology solutions.
Huawei is expanding its AI cloud services across the Asia-Pacific region, significantly growing despite US-led sanctions. Their offerings, including Ascend Cloud Service and Pangu large language model, aim to revolutionize sectors like finance and weather forecasting. This strategic move presents exciting opportunities for VoIP engineers and IT professionals.
Intel’s decision to sell its stake in Arm Holdings during Q2 is a strategic move amid job cuts and intense competition from AMD and Qualcomm. This shift allows Intel to focus on AI chips and for-hire manufacturing, making it crucial for VoIP providers to closely monitor Intel’s evolving strategy in the tech industry.
Vodafone launches LTE-M, an LPWAN technology for IoT devices with low data and power needs. Converge ICT partners with Ribbon to triple its fiber network capacity. Nokia partners with BxA to enhance its Network as Code platform for healthcare applications. Hayo launches a global IoT platform for MNOs and enterprises, enhancing efficiency and connectivity with cloud-native technology and AI.
This week, SoftBank announced the acquisition of UK-based AI chipmaker Graphcore, valued around $600 million. Known for its intelligence processing units, Graphcore’s technology competes with Nvidia’s but has faced commercialization challenges. SoftBank aims to rejuvenate Graphcore, leveraging the rising demand for advanced AI compute power.
Orange Wholesale has partnered with Connectbase to optimize its digital customer journey and service delivery. Hivelocity launches a new VMware-based private cloud service. Actelis has secured orders to deploy its hybrid-fiber technology in international airports. WatchGuard launches ThreatSync+ NDR, an AI-driven cybersecurity solution for businesses of all sizes.
Global revenue from AI semiconductors is projected to reach $71 billion in 2024, marking a 33% increase from the previous year, according to a recent Gartner report. Gartner also anticipates that AI-equipped PCs will constitute 22% of total PC shipments in 2024. By the end of 2026, all enterprise PC purchases are expected to feature AI capabilities.
Microsoft made waves in the tech world this week with the launch of their new line of Copilot+ PCs, aimed at enhancing productivity through AI integration. Among the various features boasted by these innovative devices, one in particular, known as Recall, is drawing attention for its potential privacy implications.
his week, the University of Bristol has powered up Isambard-AI, the UK’s fastest and most potent supercomputer, following a £225 million investment announced by the government last March. Built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Isambard-AI boasts over 5,000 NVIDIA superchips, enabling it to execute a staggering 200 quadrillion calculations per second. Officially named the AI Research Resource (AIRR), this supercomputer surpasses its predecessor by a factor of ten in computational power, aiming to support critical AI technology development.
