iTWire - Deals

Australian developer XRG bags US defence contract

2024-09-12T09:32:33+10:00

The United States Department of Defence has awarded Australian company specialising in building and operating immersive XR products and experiences xReality Group (XRG) a $5.6 million contract to deliver a new immersive training capability.

The contract has been awarded to XRG coursed through Acrolect Solutions and DBA Endurance Group who serve as prime contractors to the US Department of Defence for the research and development effort.

This project represents the first sale of Operator XR’s immersive training systems to a US Federal Government customer.

It will be delivered within 20 months starting 11 September 2024. The contract includes pathways for follow-up work within the DoD and broader US Government agencies.

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“The strategic importance of this project cannot be understated, representing Operator XR’s first major engagement with the US Department of Defence,” said XRG CEO Wayne Jones.

“Operator XR will be jointly developing a cutting edge capability that has the potential to expand into further global agencies as well as the many operational units within the US Defence Force.”

Dell Technologies and Red Hat Announce Collaboration to Fuel Open Source AI Workloads on Dell PowerEdge and Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI

2024-09-11T11:09:00+10:00

Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI becomes a preferred platform for AI deployments on Dell PowerEdge servers
Dell PowerEdge servers to be the first servers validated for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI to help customers more seamlessly develop, test and run large language models (LLMs) to power enterprise applications

Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) and Red Hat, Inc., the world's leading provider of open source solutions, are bringing Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI), a foundation model platform built on an AI-optimised operating system that enables users to more seamlessly develop, test and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (gen AI) models, to Dell PowerEdge servers. This joint effort establishes RHEL AI as a preferred platform on the Dell PowerEdge R760xa server.

This collaboration helps organisations more readily implement successful artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) strategies to scale their IT systems and power enterprise applications across their businesses. Dell and Red Hat are providing a more consistent AI experience on optimised, AI-enabled hardware solutions, all delivered on the trusted platform of RHEL AI on Dell PowerEdge. This initiative aims to simplify the AI experience for users by continuously testing and validating hardware solutions, including NVIDIA accelerated computing, with RHEL AI.

RHEL AI brings together open source-licensed Granite large language models (LLMs) from IBM Research, InstructLab model alignment tools based on the LAB (Large-scale Alignment for chatBots) methodology and a community-driven approach to model development through the InstructLab project. The solution is packaged as an optimised, bootable Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) image for individual server deployments across the hybrid cloud and is included as part of Red Hat OpenShift AI, Red Hat’s hybrid cloud machine learning operations (MLOps) platform, for running models and InstructLab at scale across distributed cluster environments.

RHEL AI on Dell PowerEdge servers will be available in Q3 2024. Test drive the solution in Dell Customer Solution Centres located globally.

Supporting Quotes

Joe Fernandes, vice president and general manager, Generative AI Foundation Model Platforms, Red Hat

“AI by nature requires extensive resources spanning enabled servers, compute power and GPUs. As organisations evaluate and implement gen AI use cases, it is imperative that they build on a platform that is able to scale with their business while also providing the agility to experiment and develop AI-driven innovations. By collaborating with Dell Technologies to validate and empower RHEL AI on Dell PowerEdge servers, we are enabling customers with greater confidence and flexibility to harness the power of gen AI workloads across hybrid cloud environments and propel their business into the future.”

Arun Narayanan, senior vice president, Dell Technologies

“Validating RHEL AI for AI workloads on Dell PowerEdge servers provides customers with greater confidence that the servers, GPUs, and foundational platforms are tested and validated on an ongoing basis. This simplifies the gen AI user experience and accelerates the process to build and deploy critical AI workloads on a trusted software stack.”

Bob Pette, vice president, Enterprise Platforms, NVIDIA

“In today’s fast-paced market, it is critical for organisations to be equipped with validated and trusted AI-enabled solutions to kick-start their gen AI use cases. Red Hat and Dell will extend gen AI capabilities for customers with an optimised experience for NVIDIA accelerated computing, including NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, with Dell PowerEdge servers and RHEL AI.”

BlackBerry Cybersecurity partners with Dicker Data in Australia and New Zealand

2024-09-03T13:03:04+10:00

New distribution agreement gives organisations and resellers wider access to BlackBerry’s predictive AI cybersecurity and secure communications solutions

BlackBerry Limited and Dicker Data have announced a new distribution agreement, expanding availability and support for BlackBerry cybersecurity solutions and services for organisations and reseller partners in Australia and New Zealand. The new partnership brings together Dicker Data’s well-established and extensive network of channel partners and the full suite of trusted BlackBerry solutions, designed to protect data, conversations, people, critical infrastructure, and devices.

Under the agreement, Dicker Data will offer BlackBerry’s world-leading cybersecurity solutions powered by Cylance AI to predict and prevent cyberattacks, NATO-certified BlackBerry SecuSUITE for stopping eavesdropping and interception, BlackBerry UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) to protect data and apps used by roaming workforces, and BlackBerry AtHoc used by governments globally for critical event management and incident response, including IT outages, cyber-attacks and natural disasters.

The partnership follows recent advancements in BlackBerry’s cybersecurity suite, with the launch of CylanceMDR Pro, a cutting-edge managed detection and response (MDR) service built on an Open XDR platform, powered by AI. Designed to tackle the growing challenges of modern cybersecurity, CylanceMDR Pro overcomes operational burdens for security teams defending against increasingly sophisticated adversaries with limited resources and talent shortage constraints.  

Maria Pinna-Kardasis, Senior Director for APAC Channels at BlackBerry Cybersecurity said, “BlackBerry is thrilled to announce our new channel distribution partnership with Dicker Data, a trusted Australian and New Zealand solutions and services distributor with more than four decades of experience. As the Asia Pacific region faces geopolitical uncertainty and cyber-skills shortages, the demand for trusted solutions to defend against escalating threats and new methods of attack is intensifying. We believe our partnership with Dicker Data will help resellers across the region support governments and businesses, large and small, to bolster security defences while creating new growth opportunities for the channel.”

In BlackBerry’s most recent Global Threat Report, Australia continues to be among the top five most attacked nations globally. The report also revealed that 60% of attacks were aimed at critical infrastructure, including key sectors such as government, healthcare, financial, and communications, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced security measures across these vital areas.

Along with the solutions on offer, Dicker Data’s engineers will be fully trained and certified by BlackBerry, enabling the distributor to deliver expert and specialised support in Australia and New Zealand.

“We understand organisations in both the private and public sector have a broad range of requirements right across the cybersecurity spectrum that BlackBerry is able to address. Through this partnership, we are offering our reseller partners access to a range of world-class solutions and services that address more market sectors — from military requiring top-secret communications to SMEs looking for enterprise-grade tools, skilled cyber experts on demand or incident management for IT outages,” said Vlad Mitnovetski, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Dicker Data. “We expect our partnership with BlackBerry to create significant value for our partners looking to grow their cybersecurity businesses, increase service revenues, and add value through additional services. Together, we are committed to providing top-tier cybersecurity solutions that meet the diverse needs of our partners and their end-customers in this region.”

For information about BlackBerry cybersecurity solutions, visit here. To download a copy of the 2024 BlackBerry Threat Report, visit here.

Sphere Drones secures major tender with WA Police

2024-09-02T12:59:23+10:00

Drone services provider Sphere Drones has secured a significant tender with the Western Australian Police Force (WAPOL) to supply drone-in-a-box and associated systems for their Drones as First Responder (DFR) program.

Sphere Drones says these advanced systems, which include Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) paired with compatible drone docking stations, are designed to enhance WAPOL's operational efficiency across a wide range of airborne law enforcement tasks throughout Western Australia.

“This tender award is a pivotal achievement for Sphere Drones, reinforcing its leadership in providing cutting-edge drone technology to the public safety sector and businesses across Australia,” notes Sphere Drones.

“This success is supported by our Western Australia office, which has been operational for over five years, and proves that our investment in drone-in-a-box (DiaB) technology, such as HubX, is now gaining traction in new markets. Additionally, this is the second successful robotics tender that Sphere Drones has engaged in with WAPOL, deepening our relationship with one of Australia’s most forward-thinking law enforcement agencies.

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“This award also aligns with the broader trend of increasing adoption of drone technology and DiaB solutions across Australia. According to Airservices Australia, drone adoption is expected to soar, with projections of 60 million commercial drone flights by 2043, potentially saving Australian businesses over $10 billion.

“Law enforcement agencies, government bodies, and various industries are recognising the value of these autonomous systems for improving operational efficiency, enhancing safety, and reducing costs. Sphere Drones is at the forefront of this movement, providing innovative solutions to meet the growing demand.”

Paris Cockinos, CEO of Sphere Drones, said: "The Western Australian Police Force is at the forefront of remote operations, and we are proud to support their efforts in creating a safer environment. This partnership highlights the trust and confidence WAPOL places in Sphere Drones and is a testament to the quality and reliability of our drone solutions. We are excited to collaborate with WAPOL and provide them with the tools they need to enhance public safety across Western Australia."

According to Sphere Drones, the ability to supply DiaB and associated systems to WAPOL significantly enhances the operational capabilities of the police force, allowing them to leverage advanced drone technology to improve safety and efficiency in their remote operations.

“This partnership with WAPOL also provides Sphere Drones with an opportunity to further strengthen its presence in the public safety sector and continue delivering innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of law enforcement agencies. As Sphere Drones expands its product offerings, the company remains committed to supporting agencies like WAPOL in their mission to protect and serve the community.

“This contract positions Sphere Drones as a key provider of drone docking solutions for one of Australia’s most progressive law enforcement agencies.”

For more information about Sphere Drones and its range of drone solutions, visit https://spheredrones.com.au/.

Check Point Software to Acquire Cyberint to Transform Security Operations and Expand Managed Threat Intelligence Solutions

2024-08-29T10:38:50+10:00

Cyberint’s AI-driven External Risk Management Solution Will Enhance the Check Point Infinity Platform, Delivering Collaborative, Actionable Intelligence Against Advanced Threats

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading cyber security platform provider, signs a definitive agreement to acquire Cyberint Technologies Ltd., a pioneering provider of External Risk Management solutions. This will significantly enhance Check Point’s Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities and expand its managed threat intelligence offerings. Cyberint’s advanced capabilities will be integrated into the Check Point Infinity Platform for collaborative threat prevention and will also be available as a managed service through Check Point Infinity Platform Services.

Founded in 2010, with over 170 employees worldwide, Cyberint is one of the fastest growing External Risk Management companies in the market. Recognized as 'Company of the Year' in 2023 by Frost & Sullivan in the External Risk Mitigation & Management category. Organisations face critical security challenges every day, including stolen employee credentials, fake websites, and social media impersonation. To prevent these and other challenges from negatively impacting companies, Cyberint specialises in threat intelligence, digital risk protection, and attack surface management, serving a diverse global clientele, including Fortune 500 companies.

“Leaked credentials and fake websites designed for malicious purposes are staggeringly prevalent today, with over 90% of organisations facing these threats. This highlights the urgent need for real-time intelligence and proactive defense strategies, which our technology is able to mitigate in an effective way,” said Yochai Corem, CEO at Cyberint. “We are thrilled to join the Check Point team. Integrating our solutions into the Infinity Platform will enhance our ability to protect organisations. Together, we will offer a more comprehensive security SOC offering that covers both internal and external threats.”

“We are excited to welcome Cyberint to the Check Point organization. Their solution aligns perfectly with our vision of collaborative threat prevention and enhances our SOC capabilities,” stated Sharon Schusheim, Chief Services Officer at Check Point Software Technologies. “We will be able to turn identified risks into autonomous preventative actions and work collaboratively across Check Point and third-party security products to contain compromised assets and mitigate external exposures.”

Cyberint’s key capabilities include:

A Comprehensive External Risk Management Solution for SecOps Teams: Cyberint’s solution offers detection and takedown of impersonating website and social media accounts, as well as stolen credentials and leaked data associated with organisations. It also enables companies to detect vulnerable internet-facing websites and applications and prioritise and effectively mitigate these vulnerabilities.

Differentiated by Delivering Impactful and Actionable Intelligence: Cyberint delivers actionable intelligence within 20 minutes after setup, ensuring that security teams can respond to threats promptly.

Powered by AI and Enhanced by High-Quality Managed Services: Cyberint uses AI to deliver effective risk detection, mitigation, and contextualised alerts with minimal false positives. Managed services further strengthen this approach, offering expert guidance and ensuring comprehensive, high-quality management.

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur by the end of 2024.

For more information about Check Point Infinity Platform Services, visit: https://www.checkpoint.com/services/infinity-global/

SenSen seals $1.7 million contract deal with Agence de mobilité durable de Montréal

2024-08-29T09:14:33+10:00

Live Awareness AI solutions provider SenSen Networks (SenSen) has bagged a contract to supply vehicle-mounted mobile enforcement systems and software to Agence de mobilité durable de Montréal with an initial order valued at $1.7 million (C$1.6 million).

The total value of the contract is up to $17.7 million (C$16.1 million) over five years.

SenSen has supplied and commissioned several mobile parking enforcement systems to support Agence de mobilité durable de Montréal’s operations for the first 12 months.

“I am delighted that the Agence de mobilité durable de Montréal has recognised SenSen’s global leadership in this space by awarding this contract after having the opportunity to assess all offerings available in the market. This is one of the largest mobile enforcement systems roll out in the world,” says SenSen CEO Dr Subhash Challa.

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The Agence de mobilité durable de Montréal, a para-municipal organisation with the City of Montreal, manages curb side and off-street parking spaces by monitoring public space across Montreal and providing better information to the community.

Ingram Micro Australia ‘ Improves warehouse operational efficiency’ with Zebra Technologies

2024-08-27T11:19:30+10:00

COMPANY NEWS: ,Zebra Technologies Corporation a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people, today announced Ingram Micro Australia is improving its Warehouse Vision Study.”with Zebra’s solutions at its 42,000 square metre warehouse at Eastern Creek, New South Wales, Australia.

Ingram Micro Australia is the country’s largest technology and supply chain services distributor that represents more than 250 vendors to a network of 11,000 Australian resellers. Ingram Micro Australia is Zebra’s distributor and customer at the same time. The latter reflects its “Experience Before Retail” corporate strategy, which advocates the need to use the solutions in its operations before offering them to any of its end customers.

The solution implemented by Ingram Micro is Zebra’s intelligent cabinet which offers adaptable device storage, software automation and security applications as well as ongoing support. Prior to deploying the intelligent cabinet solution, Ingram Micro’s front-line staff wasted valuable time everyday searching for their mobile computers before they could begin their work in the warehouse. They have since eliminated this delay while enjoying real-time visibility and better tracking of devices returned to the intelligent cabinets at the end of each workday.

“The introduction of Zebra’s intelligent cabinet has significantly reduced the combined time spent by our front-line staff in searching for the tools they need to perform their daily tasks,” said Aaron Kumar, Director of Operations, Australia and New Zealand, Ingram Micro. “Zebra enables us to empower our front-line staff with greater efficiency and the ability to deliver better results through digitalisation.”

It is forecasted that Australia’s logistics and warehousing industry could see an upward shift from a 4.7% economic contribution in 2023 to around 6% by 2026, thus reinforcing its growing significance to Australia’s economy.

“Given this expected growth, it is important that warehouse operators equip themselves with the right technology to increase collaboration between workers as well as boost productivity and effectiveness,” said Peter Pollari, Regional Distribution Manager of Australia and New Zealand, Zebra Technologies. “In fact, seven in 10 of warehouse decision-makers in APAC, like Ingram Micro, already have or are planning to automate workflows by 2024, according to Zebra’s latest Warehouse Vision Study.”

In addition to implementing Zebra’s intelligent cabinets, Ingram Micro has enhanced its warehouse operations over the past 15 years with a variety of Zebra’s solutions. This includes the MC9300 ultra-rugged mobile touch computers for inventory management, ZD421 desktop printers for labelling, ZE500 print engines as part of the inventory verification process, L10 tablets for delivery sign-offs, ZT230 industrial printers and DS2278 scanners for return handling and other tasks. Additionally, Zebra’s printing supplies are used to ensure high quality, durability and read performance.

ABOUT ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) helps organisations monitor, anticipate, and accelerate workflows by empowering their frontline and ensuring that everyone and everything is visible, connected and fully optimised. Our award-winning portfolio spans software to innovations in robotics, machine vision, automation and digital decisioning, all backed by a +50-year legacy in scanning, track-and-trace and mobile computing solutions. With an ecosystem of 10,000 partners across more than 100 countries, Zebra’s customers include over 80% of the Fortune 500. Newsweek recently recognized Zebra as one of America’s Most Loved Workplaces and Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, and we are on Fast Company’s list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators. Learn more at www.zebra.com or sign up for news alerts. Follow Zebra’s Your Edgeblog, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and check out our Story Hub: Zebra Perspectives.

Lumify Group acquires Wizard Corporate Training

2024-08-27T10:05:16+10:00

Corporate ICT, soft skills and digital skills training provider Lumify Group has acquired Wizard Corporate Training, a long-standing Australian training provider.

Lumify Group says the strategic move underscores the Group's commitment to expanding its service offerings and solidifying its position as the “premier training provider” in the region.

“With this acquisition, Lumify Group significantly enhances its training portfolio, adding 25 new professional development courses,” notes Lumify, adding that the expansion provides Lumify’s customers with “access to a diverse range of training solutions, from short professional development courses, application IT training, management tools and custom training programs”.

“Wizard Corporate Training has been a trusted training provider serving approximately 7,000 organisations across the country, with a strong presence in ACT. This acquisition not only amplifies Lumify Group’s reach in these regions, but also broadens the scope of services available to its clients. Additionally, customers of Lumify’s subsidiary organisation, Nexacu will benefit from a national schedule of professional development courses as Wizard integrates with Nexacu, opening new pathways to career advancement and skill enhancement,” observes Lumify.

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Jon Lang, CEO of Lumify Group, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Wizard Corporate Training to the Lumify Group family. This acquisition allows us to offer a more comprehensive suite of training options that will better cater to the needs of our diverse customer base. We look forward to leveraging Wizard’s expertise to provide greater value and support to all our clients.”

Lang said Lumify Group remains committed to delivering high-quality, instructor-led training for Microsoft and Adobe applications across the APAC region.

For more information on Lumify Group’s network of brands and learning solutions, please visit the website at https://lumifygroup.com/.

Nozomi Networks and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Bring Expert Cybersecurity Solutions and Support to Critical Infrastructure

2024-08-22T09:52:10+10:00

Partnership provides enhanced visibility of network assets and traffic, and threat detection for utility and industrial control systems

Nozomi Networks, Inc., the global leader in OT & IoT security and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), the global leader in electric power system protection and control, have formalised their partnership by establishing a reseller agreement and certification of expertise for Nozomi Networks’ software.

Customers worldwide can now easily deploy the leading OT and IoT continuous monitoring solution to their industrial networks leveraging the experience and support of SEL Cyber Services.

“Customers depend on SEL to deliver secure solutions and Nozomi Networks’ AI-powered platform helps us achieve this,” said Will Edwards, Head of Cyber Services at SEL. “By giving customers an easy option to integrate the Nozomi Networks platform into SEL Software-Defined Networks, customers have access to advanced solutions designed to strengthen the reliability and availability of their services and help them more easily address a rising sea of regulatory and compliance requirements.”

Teaming to Address Regulatory Compliance
Critical infrastructure industries are increasingly regulated to ensure the services they deliver are always available for society. Because of this, customers turn to SEL Cyber Services for help understanding security requirements such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, NIST Risk Management Framework, and the SOCI Act. The maturation of these standards and frameworks has further expanded the need for internal network security monitoring to ensure the cybersecurity of local area networks. Nozomi Networks solutions address these critical requirements by making it easy to monitor networks and meet compliance reporting rules.

A Powerhouse Solution for High Availability & Risk Management
Society depends on the 100 per cent uptime of power utility infrastructure. Many of the cyber and physical control systems that support them now use Ethernet networks for safety and reliability functions. Digital secondary systems and arc-flash signals are examples of critical network traffic that require performance assurance and strong cybersecurity. SEL Cyber Services helps critical infrastructure customers worldwide understand their operational risks and implement scalable networking and cybersecurity solutions that were developed to meet their unique and rigorous requirements.

SEL OT-Software-Defined Networks (SDN) is purpose-built for harsh environments where unauthorised devices and traffic should be denied by default. Integrating a centralised application like Nozomi Networks Vantage cloud-hosted security platform gives customers full control over traffic flows, eliminates the need for traffic taps or aggregators and enables more efficient data aggregation.

“For more than four decades, SEL has been making electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical worldwide,” said Chet Namboodri, Nozomi Networks Senior Vice President of Global Business Development. “We share SEL’s mission and are pleased to combine our strengths to ensure that future generations have the means to pursue an increasingly higher quality of life.”

Nozomi Networks solutions are available from SEL today. Visit the SEL website to learn more about their cybersecurity service and solution offerings.

About Nozomi Networks
Nozomi Networks accelerates digital transformation by protecting the world’s critical infrastructure, industrial and government organisations from cyber threats. Our solution delivers exceptional network and asset visibility, threat detection, and insights for OT and IoT environments. Customers rely on us to minimise risk and complexity while maximising operational resilience. www.nozominetworks.com

About Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world. This technology prevents blackouts and enables customers to improve power system reliability, safety and cost. SEL, a 100 percent employee-owned company that is headquartered in Pullman, Washington, has manufactured products in the United States since 1984 and now serves customers in 171 countries. SEL provides unmatched technical support, customer service and a 10-year worldwide warranty.

AMD acquires ZT Systems

2024-08-22T09:45:59+10:00

IT corporation Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) acquired ZT Systems, a provider of AI infrastructure for hyperscale computing companies, in a cash and stock transaction for US$4.9 billion.

This includes a contingent payment of up to US$400 million based on certain post-closing milestones.

AMD expects the transaction to be accretive on a non-GAAP basis by the end of 2025.

Following the acquisition, ZT will join the AMD data centre solutions business group.

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ZT CEO Frank Zhang will lead the manufacturing business and ZT president Doug Huang will lead the design and customer enablement teams, both reporting to AMD executive vice president and general manager Forrest Norrod.

AMD will seek a strategic partner to acquire ZT Systems’ industry-leading US-based data centre infrastructure manufacturing business.

“This acquisition also builds on the investments we have made to accelerate our AI hardware and software roadmaps,” says AMD chair and CEO Dr Lisa Su.

“Combining our high-performance Instinct AI accelerator, EPYC CPU, and networking product portfolios with ZT Systems’ industry-leading data center systems expertise will enable AMD to deliver end-to-end data centre AI infrastructure at scale with our ecosystem of OEM and ODM partners.”

Headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, ZT Systems designs and deploys data centre AI compute and storage infrastructure at scale for cloud companies.

“AMD shares our vision for the important role our technology and our people play designing and building the computing infrastructure powering the largest data centres in the world,” says ZT Systems CEO Frank Zhang.

Last July, AMD acquired Finnish AI company Silo AI for US$665 million to counter rival Nvidia.