Cynomi has launched the first online vCISO Academy, aimed at supporting managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) in enhancing their virtual Chief Information Security Officer services. With cyberattacks on small and medium-sized businesses on the rise, the Academy provides essential resources and training to meet this urgent need for cybersecurity guidance.
Sherweb has announced the integration of Veeam’s data resilience tools into its marketplace, enhancing the capabilities available to managed service providers (MSPs). This includes the Veeam Data Platform, Cloud Connect, and Service Provider Console, aimed at improving data protection through services such as backup and disaster recovery. This move follows Sherweb’s recent launch of Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.
ConnectWise and Pax8 have announced a strategic partnership which will integrate ConnectWise’s Managed Detection and Response solution into the Pax8 Marketplace. The partnership is set to be detailed further at the IT Nation Connect event in November, which I will be in attendance for.
Nametag Inc. has unveiled its next-generation identity verification engine, Deepfake Defense™. This innovative solution utilizes cryptography, biometrics, and AI to combat sophisticated deepfake attacks that threaten enterprise security.
And two that show a larger trend. Google has entered into an agreement with startup Kairos Power to deploy seven small nuclear reactors to power its data centers by the end of the decade. This deal promises 500 megawatts of power, with the first modular reactor expected to be operational by 2030. The technology, utilizing a molten-salt cooling system, is still in early development but has already made significant progress, including the construction of a non-powered demonstration reactor in Tennessee, the first of its kind to receive a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Amazon Web Services is investing over $500 million in nuclear power, focusing on the development of small modular reactors, or SMRs, in Virginia and Washington state. This initiative aims to meet the growing energy demands of its expanding services, particularly in generative AI, while supporting Amazon’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions. AWS has signed an agreement with Dominion Energy to explore building an SMR near the North Anna nuclear power station. Virginia is home to nearly half of the U.S. data centers, with power demand projected to rise by 85% over the next 15 years. AWS expects the new SMRs to contribute at least 300 megawatts of power to the region. Additionally, Amazon has partnered with Energy Northwest to fund four SMRs in Washington, with the potential to expand to eight more. This move reflects a broader trend among tech giants, as companies like Google and Microsoft also invest in nuclear energy to power their data centers.
Why do we care?
Google’s deal and AWS’s investment reflect a trend to secure reliable, sustainable energy sources for rapidly expanding data needs. Data centers are becoming increasingly energy-hungry, especially with the rise of generative AI. One thing to keep an eye on here – how will these efforts become profitable? At some point, all these investments need to make money, and so far, we haven’t seen a plan for that.
