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What’s new this week
Zerto announces new updates to Zerto 9.5 to bring new recovery capabilities in a multi-cloud world
Zerto, a disaster recovery, backup and workload mobility software provider for virtualized infrastructures and cloud environments, today announced the availability of a series of product updates, bringing its ransomware recovery capabilities to cloud providers so organizations can recover in minutes at scale to seconds before an attack. The enhanced Zerto 9.5 now includes expanded immutability options with Azure and S3-compatible storage, a new Zerto Linux appliance with security enhancements, and expanded integrations with Google Cloud Platform. More information on the updates can be found here.
Vector Institute awards nearly $2 million in scholarships to top master’s students pursuing graduate studies in AI in Ontario
The Vector Institute today announced 110 winners of the 2022-23 Vector Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence (VSAI). This year’s cohort received almost $2 million in total funding. Valued at $17,500, these merit-based scholarships recognize top candidates pursuing studies in either Vector-recognized master’s programs, which provide students with the AI skills and competencies sought by employers, or individual AI study paths in Ontario, Vector Institute explained.
This fifth round of VSAI recipients represents 14 universities across Ontario, pursuing a range of programs from engineering to computer science, health informatics, and business analytics and more. A list of 2022 recipients can be found here. Vector says it will announce the 2022-23 scholarship competition dates in Fall 2022.
There have been 461 scholarships awarded since the program launched in 2018, with many recipients joining newly created AI master’s programs. More than 1,000 students will have graduated from Ontario AI master’s programs this year, ahead of the province’s target to graduate 1,000 AI master’s students per year by 2023.
She’s Next Grant recipients announced: 10 women-owned businesses in Canada to receive support to thrive
In February, Visa Canada and IFundWomen furthered their commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs by launching the third round of the She’s Next Grant Program, which supports women entrepreneurship, empowering growth and innovation, through a grant of C$10,000 and one year of business coaching, in partnership with IFundWomen.
Yesterday, they announced the 10 recipients of the third round of its She’s Next Grant Program in Canada. Through the grant program and IFundWomen’s network of women-owned businesses and mentors, recipients will gain access to funding, coaching, and connections to help expand their businesses.
The 10 recipients, chosen from 2,312 entrants, are:
- Beeja May, Toronto, ON
- CASE, Oakville, ON
- Cooks Who Feed, Mississauga, ON
- Elleboxco Incorporated (dba Blume), Surrey, BC
- Maguire Shoes Inc/Chaussures Maguire, Montreal, QC
- MFMG Cosmetics (Makeup For Melanin Girls), Toronto, ON
- Sea Smart, Vancouver, BC
- Shivanesce Wellness, Vancouver, BC
- Sitti Social Enterprise, Oakville, ON
- Unika Swimwear, Toronto, ON
The Festival of Live Digital Art launches 2022 programming
The Festival of Live Digital Art (FOLDA) has announced its lineup of performances for this year’s June 8-11 festival. Virtual and in-person events will include five shows presented in multiple showings over four days, featuring elements of virtual reality, live international performances, and projects in Beta testing phases. The shows can be seen in-person at the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre in Kingston, ON or online from anywhere.
“FOLDA is the only festival of its kind in North America. The 2022 festival provides a nexus point for artists and those who are curious about the limitless potential of digital performance, and a glimpse into how performance might evolve in the future,” said Adrienne Wong, co-curator of FOLDA.
2022 is the fifth iteration of FOLDA and marks a return to Kingston, ON after two years of exclusively online presentation. FOLDA has grown quickly since its inception in 2018. Pre-dating the digital boom accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, FOLDA continues to push the boundaries of how human connectivity and creation changes in the digital environment. Tickets for all performances go on sale on May 16 at www.folda.ca.
RBC’s Mydoh raising money to support Canadian youth mental health with launch of its #MydohChoreChallenge
RBC Ventures’ Mydoh, a digital app with a Smart Cash Card that helps kids learn and practice money management, has launched its first youth mental health initiative with its #MydohChoreChallenge, in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). The month-long challenge launched on National Child & Youth Mental Health Day on May 7, and will run until June 7. To enter the challenge, parents can task their kids with a chore and post a picture or video using the hashtag #MydohChoreChallenge on Instagram. For every post, Mydoh says it will donate one dollar to CMHA, helping to support its mission to deliver provincial mental health programs, further equitable access to services, and contribute to the reduction of mental health disparities in Canadian communities.
To show their commitment to investing in youth mental health, parents are asked to:
- Follow @mydohapp on Instagram
- Post a picture or video of their kid(s) doing a chore with the #MydohChoreChallenge hashtag (making sure their account is public)
- Nominate three friends
- For each participation entry, Mydoh will donate $1 to CMHA.
Visit here for more information and complete challenge details.
Radware expands its board of directors
tadamichi | Getty Images
Radware, global provider of cybersecurity and application delivery solutions, has announced that Meir Moshe has been appointed to serve as an independent director on the company’s board of directors. This appointee will serve as a member of the board until the company’s next annual meeting of shareholders.
A certified public accountant, Moshe has held numerous senior positions in the financial sector over the past four decades. He served as Radware’s chief financial officer from 1999 to 2016. Moshe has served as a director and member of the audit committee in multiple public companies, including Ability, Carasso Motors and Albert Technologies. He currently provides consulting services to public companies.
More to explore
CIO Peer Forum 2022: The evolving role of the CIO
The role of the CIO is evolving, but to what? According to a recent panel at the CIO Peer Forum held by the CIO Association of Canada and sponsored by IT World Canada (ITWC) and Canadian CIO, there has never been a better time, nor a more challenging time, to be a CIO. Yet, surprisingly for some, the challenges are not always technical. Today’s CIO must excel at strategy, business acumen, and know-how to build and harness corporate culture to drive innovation and business results.
Montreal-based startup to launch event platform
A Montreal-based startup is developing a mobile event platform where users can post their own events and find things to do in their area.
Quebec government to pay researchers for discovering vulnerabilities
The Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital and Minister responsible for Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Information, Éric Caire, has announced the launch of the “Programme de prime aux bogues” (bug bounty program), a new initiative to enhance the security of the government’s IT assets.
Chris Barry named the new president of Microsoft Canada, succeeding Kevin Peesker
Chris Barry will succeed Kevin Peesker as the president of Microsoft Canada, following Peesker’s promotion to a worldwide role, Deb Cupp, president of Microsoft North America, announced in a post on LinkedIn. The transition will occur on July 1, the beginning of Microsoft’s fiscal year.
This week in Ransomware – Friday May 6, 2022
Ransomware continues to grow at an incredible rate because it is a profitable business. The perpetrators are well financed, extremely creative and very resilient. A report from Telus illustrates this.
Canadian long-haul investment firm Aquila acquires global marketing solution provider Comosoft
Aquila has announced the acquisition of Comosoft, a Germany-based global provider of marketing production workflow solutions for retail, catalogue, e-commerce, and manufacturing markets.
Apple, Microsoft, Google expand support for passwordless sign-in
In an effort to bury passwords, Google, Microsoft, and Apple are expanding support for a common passwordless sign-in standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. The FIDO Alliance promotes the development of standards for authentication and device attestation. FIDO is short for Fast Identity Online.
Kitchener biotech company acquires U of T lab-in-a-box startup LSK Technologies
Nicoya Lifesciences, a Kitchener, ON-based global innovator of digital proteomics solutions for diagnostics and biotherapeutic discovery, has announced the acquisition of LSK Technologies, a University of Toronto (U of T) startup that decentralizes laboratory testing with its high-throughput lab-in-a-box platform.
Microsoft Canada’s new head office: how it was optimized for hybrid work
Microsoft Canada’s new head office in downtown Toronto, which officially opened this week, was designed three years ago, in what now looks like a prescient moment, to be optimized for hybrid work. Occupying four floors of the new CIBC Square south tower at 81 Bay St, the 132,000 square foot space includes space for employees as well as areas for partners and customers, including those using Canada’s pioneering Data Innovation Centre of Excellence (DICE).
Microsoft Canada celebrates the opening of its new downtown headquarters
On May 3, Microsoft welcomed the press and Toronto Mayor John Tory in the opening ceremony of its new Canadian headquarters located in the CIBC Square building. Spanning 132,000 square feet, the new headquarters offers an expansive view of the Toronto downtown core and Lake Ontario. Following a “Team Based Space design,” the hybrid office features a mix of open and private workspaces for employees and partners, as well as social spaces and event areas.
The big announcements at Dell Technologies World 2022
The annual Dell Technologies World event is once again upon us and with it, the company announced some big features and visions it has planned for the near future.
Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Trending
A San Francisco district judge dismisses Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Twitter, a new vulnerability is discovered in Apple’s chips, and Apple’s director of machine learning leaves his post.
Listen to the latest episode of Cyber Security Today
This episode reports on data breaches, a new trick by a hacker and GitHub’s determination to get developers to use two-factor authentication
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Tendances (Hosted by Direction Informatique)
If you live in Quebec or prefer to consume the latest technology news in French, our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered. Follow them on Twitter as well.
