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47 per cent of digital workers struggle to find information needed to effectively perform their jobs: Gartner
A recent survey by Gartner revealed that 47 per cent of digital workers struggle to find the information needed to effectively perform their jobs.
The report finds that over 40 per cent of digital workers are using more than the average of 11 applications. This led to workers being either overwhelmed by notifications (45 per cent) and failing to notice important updates or information (36 per cent). Over 30 per cent report having made wrong decisions due to lack of awareness.
Accordingly, over 60 per cent of respondents noted that better business outcomes can be achieved if the IT department provided universally supported applications to get work done, rather than attempting to solve every additional challenge with a new application.
Further, the report reveals that while employee productivity monitoring is widely disliked, nearly all respondents said they would accept the monitoring in exchange for training classes, help finding information to help them do their jobs, or proactive outreach from IT when encountering issues.
Workers do find internal IT support the best way to solve issues with technology, citing expertise and speed of resolution. That represents a shift from 2020, when workers reported using the internet or asking a co-worker was the best way to solve issues with digital technology.
To obtain these findings, between Sept. and Nov. 2022 Gartner surveyed 4,861 full-time employees who use digital technology for work purposes, at organizations with 100 or more employees in the U.S., U.K., India and China.
Rideau Hall Foundation announces winners of 2023 Ingenious+ youth innovation challenge
Last week, national charity the Rideau Hall Foundation, in partnership with Toronto-based youth organization JA Canada, announced the national winners of the 2023 Ingenious+ youth innovation challenge.
The challenge seeks to give young innovators aged 14 – 18 the opportunity to showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills by developing innovative solutions to real-world problems.
The winners are:
- Elijah Cosby’s Ultrasonic Visual Assistance Device helps individuals with severe sight loss navigate surroundings with ease
- Thivya Jeyapalan’s Key of Sight Music Program for Disabled & Vulnerable Individuals creates specialized music programs for disabled individuals.
- Aaron Zhao’s ExoTremor, a low-cost, 3D-printed exoskeleton that suppresses hand tremors in movement disorder patients
- Allan Guo’s Inspo: For Caregivers, a social support app for caregivers.
- Errita Xu’s Agro-Based Deicers offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional road salts.
The winners will be celebrated on May 18th during Canadian Innovation Week (May 15 – 19), with an awards ceremony to be held at the National Arts Centre. They will each receive C$10,000 as well as mentorship opportunities.
Google Canada launches Google Cybersecurity Certificate
Google has launched the Google Cybersecurity Certificate to help prepare learners for entry-level careers in cybersecurity in less than six months, with no prior experience required.
This certificate is the newest addition to Google Career Certificates program, which provides job seekers with paths to careers in data analytics, IT support, project management and more.
The Cybersecurity Certificate seeks to teach learners how to identify common risks, threats and vulnerabilities, as well as the techniques to mitigate them.
With under 10 hours of study per week, learners will learn how to use industry standard tools like Python, Linux, SQL, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools, and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).
Additionally, Google says the certificate helps prepare graduates for the CompTIA Security+ exam, which they can access with additional training at a discounted price.
By offering this certificate, Google seeks to help companies fill the growing number of open cyber roles, such as cybersecurity analyst, SOC analyst, Information security analyst, cyber defense analyst, and more.
Google Career Certificates cost US$49 per month on Coursera, after an initial 7-day free trial period.
BlackBerry completes patent sale to Malikie
BlackBerry has announced the completion of the sale of all of its non-core patents and patent applications to Malikie Innovations Limited (“Malikie”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Limited.
The transaction included the sale of approximately 32,000 non-core patents and applications, and excluded those necessary to support BlackBerry’s current core business operations.
BlackBerry has retained all existing revenue generating agreements, and approximately 2,000 patents relating to mobile devices.
Users of BlackBerry’s products and services will not be impacted by the transaction, the company says.
As previously announced, BlackBerry received US$170 million in cash at closing.
Clik2pay adds new features to client portal
Toronto-based payment service provider Clik2pay has announced updates to its client portal to give businesses easy access to tools they need to manage customer payments.
The online portal allows businesses to send emails or text messages with embedded payment links, track and reconcile payments and schedule payments for a future date.
The upgrades include:
- Businesses can search and filter transactions directly on the Clik2pay dashboard by status, customer info and payment code. Results can be sorted and reviewed easily in one place, and exported to CSV
- Businesses can initiate payment requests with new options: scheduled (payment reminder is sent for a future date) and flexible (customer has an option to pay part or all of the amount due)
- Three new pricing plans, ranging from 1.2 per cent – 1.7 per cent of sales plus a small transaction fee, with lower rates and a monthly fee for larger businesses
- Integrations into accounting software like Xero, as well as e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Adobe Magento
- Improved Transaction Details screen and Deposits and Payments summary to facilitate tracking
“We strive to improve the way we help businesses collect payments, and that starts with a simple and intuitive experience,” said Mike Bradley, chief executive officer of Clik2pay. “With these updates, we make it even easier for businesses to offer their customers simple and secure payments directly from their bank account, while saving up to 50 per cent on the cost of credit cards.”
More to explore
SAS commits US$1 billion to develop AI-powered industry solutions
After committing US$1 billion to AI development in 2019, this week at its Innovate conference in Orlando, analytics giant SAS announced an additional US$1 billion over the next three years, directed at the development of industry-specific AI powered offerings based on SAS Viya, the company’s cloud-native, massively parallel AI and analytics platform.
OpenAI CEO to testify today before U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
How far the United States should go to regulate artificial intelligence systems will be at the heart of a U.S. government hearing today featuring the testimony of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose firm is behind ChatGPT.
AI governance firm meets criteria to sell its services to the Government of Canada
Ottawa-based artificial intelligence (AI) governance firm NuEnergy has announced that it can now sell its AI governance solutions to government departments and crown corporations.
Fake websites impersonating link to ChatGPT pose high risk: Check Point Research
New findings from Check Point Research (CPR), the research arm of Check Point Software Technologies, have revealed there are multiple ways cybercriminals can deceive ChatGPT users by impersonating the website and tricking them into downloading harmful files or sharing sensitive information.
A new report by market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC) found that digital transformation (DX) within public sector agencies has been significantly impaired by security challenges, disconnected inter-departmental systems, and staffing concerns.
Cisco warns vEdge users of possible service disruption due to expired certificate
The security certificate on Cisco vEdge 1000, vEdge 2000, and vEdge 100M/B platforms expired on May 9, and the company warns that, until updates are available, users should not reload the devices, update policies, or perform certain template pushes. Doing so could result in a complete loss of service.
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.
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