The report stated that the total value of cloud-based as-a-service contracts went up to $8bn after increasing from 15%. Similarly, global as-a-service deals have increased by 17% from last year.

Moreover, it was found out that IT outsourcing represented more than half of the total value at $3.6bn, while the value of infrastructure-as-a-service deals reached $1.6bn and software as a service reached $578m.

Thus, for the entirety of 2020, the value of traditional IT services contracts has globally increased by 2% to a record $21.4bn. Likewise, the total value of as-a-service contracts reached $24.3bn.

ISG declared that the hope of a COVID-19 vaccine has strengthened demands and deals as the economy is slowly starting to reopen. Yet, most businesses still continue to focus on cost takeout and applying savings to digital initiatives.

The impact of COVID-19 in the second quarter of 2020 had indeed dreadful consequences such as traditional deals in Europe falling in value by 21% overall.

In 2021, demand is expected to rise again, especially in cloud-based services, with a growth of 20% globally.

However, the only sector to have experienced a decrease is the business process outsourcing sector, which had a 23% fall in the total value of contracts.

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According to the general manager at Microsoft Turkey, the country is to increase its use of cloud computing.

Cloud computing would help the company share resources, enabling Turkish companies to improve its technology.

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According to a 56-page report by Lloyd’s of London, global cyberattacks pose a huge risk to governments and businesses, resulting between US$4.6billion and US$53billion in economic losses.

Designed to cause systems to crash in businesses operating systems, attackers push malicious codes into cloud provider software globally.

The malware then spreads among cloud provider customers, pushing losses to US$121billion, similarly to the natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina, which pushed losses to US$108billion in 2005.

Both scenarios raised concerns, with the WannaCry ransomware attack in May this year impacting hospitality, retail and healthcare.

According to ComputerWeekly, ‘an initial £21million of capital funding will be targeted at strengthening the cyber resilience of major trauma sites as an immediate priority, and improving NHS Digital’s national monitoring and response capabilities.’

David Emm, Principal Security Researcher, Kaspersky Lab said: “These are big numbers, but they don’t mean much unless terms such as ‘serious cyber-attack’ are quantified. How can we assess the global cost of an attack? It could mean anything from a temporary interruption of service to the takeover of customer systems – with very different costs.

“It’s important for companies to conduct their own risk assessment and develop a strategy that’s designed to secure corporate systems and mitigate the risk of an attack on those systems.”

The report also stated that average losses from operating systems crashing worldwide varied from US$9.7billion to US$28.7billion, with US$26billion not being covered by insurance.

Written by Leah Alger

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According to the British Computing Society, the number of children studying for a computing qualification could halve by 2020.

A new ICT course has taken over the old ICT course, with more rigorous computer science at GCSE level, which teaches ‘little more than how to use Microsoft Office’, according to critics.

Figures from Ofqual have fallen slightly, showing exam entries rising to 67,800 this year from 61,220 in 2016; with 58,600 students still taking the exam.

‘Disaster for the future nation’

“If we don’t act now by 2020 we are likely to see the number of students studying computing at GCSE halve, when it should be doubling. If that happens, it will be a disaster for our children, and the future of the nation,” says Bill Mitchell from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

Professional IT bodies believe this could be a ‘disaster for the economy’, with the British Computing Society noting that when ICT disappears, the computer science exam will fail to fill the gap.

“The current GCSE in computer science has replaced the opportunities for creativity that existed in ICT with set programming tasks that have very few solutions,” added Drew Buddie, the Head of Computing at a London school.

Drew Buddie also noted that ICT has always been misrepresented, as it’s more creative than critics assume and girls in particular aren’t interested.

Written from source by Leah Alger

Source: BBC

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Experts have long been discussing conflicting thoughts on how future work forces will cope with the rise of artificial intelligence and automation.

“I happen to be in the camp of people who think that technology disrupts and will destroy jobs,” announced Sorrell at the London Tech Week event. “It’s shortening the supply chain and getting rid of what I used to call the tyranny of geography.”

‘Tech giants control the world’s global trillion dollar market’

Gig economy startups such as Uber have been a main concern because of it being ‘bad for workers,’ as well as tech giants such as Google and Facebook, because of them controlling 20% of the world’s global trillion dollar market and 75% of digital advertising.

“Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook are the most valuable brands in the world. They are a frenemy to sovereign states and very powerful organisations,” said Sorrell. “I would like to see Snap succeed and become the third force in online media and advertising along with Google and Facebook.”

Sorrell also noted that the supply chain in advertising and the media is the most complicated he’s ever seen, although it should simplify over time.

Written from source by Leah Alger

Source: CITY A.M.

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