Slide Launches Backup Appliance, Apple Introduces C1 Modem, and Grok 3 AI Unveiled
Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights
Exploring Trend Micro's Potential Buyout and Sophos's Market Move
This chapter examines the implications of a potential private equity buyout of Trend Micro, including shifts in its product strategy. Additionally, it highlights Sophos's partnership with Pax8 and the challenges it may encounter within a competitive marketplace increasingly influenced by managed service providers.
Slide, a new backup and disaster recovery appliance designed for managed service providers, was introduced by former Datto founders Austin McCord and Michael Fass at the right-of-boom cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas. The appliance, which is slightly larger than an Apple Mac Studio, boasts a storage capacity of up to 16 terabytes and operates at speeds capable of saturating a 10-gigabit network connection. McCord emphasized the appliance's speed and efficiency, claiming it is significantly faster than existing market solutions. The founders aim to foster a culture of connection and support, allowing users to easily cancel their service with a single click, which they view as a reflection of a customer-centric philosophy.
Apple has unveiled its first in-house cellular modem, the C1, which will debut in the iPhone 16E, marking a significant step away from reliance on Qualcomm chips. The C1 modem is touted as the most power-efficient modem ever included in an iPhone, promising reliable 5G connectivity. While the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will continue to use Qualcomm technology for the time being, Apple is strategically testing the C1 modem in a budget model to assess its performance without risking issues for premium users. This move aligns with Apple's broader goal of controlling its hardware stack and optimizing performance across its devices.
In the realm of artificial intelligence, xAI has launched Grok 3, a new model that boasts enhanced capabilities and has been trained on a significantly larger dataset. Grok 3 has achieved impressive scores on various benchmarks, including math performance, and features a deep search capability that enhances its reasoning. However, early testing has revealed some limitations, such as citation accuracy and humor comprehension. The company plans to open-source Grok 2 to address previous criticisms regarding biases, while also introducing a new subscription plan for Grok 3.
Lastly, the podcast discusses potential acquisition talks surrounding Trend Micro, a Japanese cybersecurity firm, which is reportedly valued at approximately $8.54 billion. The discussions involve several private equity firms, and if the acquisition goes through, it could lead to significant changes in Trend Micro's product roadmap and support structure. Additionally, Sophos has announced a partnership with Pax8 to streamline security management for service providers, indicating a trend towards consolidating vendor relationships in the cybersecurity space. This partnership aims to simplify access to a wide range of security solutions, although it remains to be seen whether Sophos can effectively compete with existing offerings in the marketplace.
Four things to know today
00:00 Cancel Anytime with One Click? Slide’s Backup Solution Calls Out the Industry’s Biggest Flaws
04:21 Apple Unveils C1 Modem in iPhone 16e, Taking First Steps Away from Qualcomm
06:19 xAI’s Grok 3 Hits the Scene with More Power, More Data, and… More Questions
08:37 Big Money Meets Big Security: Trend Micro Buyout Talks Heat Up While Sophos Joins the Pax8 Party
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