Coffee Briefings deliver our entire audience – the IT administrators and channel partners as well as the C-Suite – the most complete news package with the latest headlines, interviews, and social media chatter. These briefings drop Tuesday and Friday mornings. If you missed the last briefing, you’re in luck, because you can find it here. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by ITWC editorial director Alex Coop.
What you need to know right now
It’s what you need to know right now in the world of IT and tech – ’nuff said. (Often taken with a side of Hashtag Trending and Cyber Security Today)
Listen to Hashtag Trending
A privacy investigation reveals that 5 million people’s images were collected at malls across Canada; People open up about the loneliness that comes with working from home, and U.S. federal agencies warn of data-scrambling extortion attempts against the U.S. healthcare system. Read the full episode transcript here.
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Listen to Cyber Security Today
Be careful with conference invites, Montreal hospital hit and U.S. county documents reportedly leaked. Read the full episode transcript here.
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OPC: Cadillac Fairview collected 5 million shoppers’ images without proper consent [IT World Canada]
According to the investigation findings, Cadillac Fairview embedded cameras inside their digital information kiosks at 12 Canadian shopping malls to capture shoppers’ images. The company claimed that the purpose was not to identify individuals but to analyze shoppers’ age and gender. [Full story]
Psst … do you live in Quebec, or speak French, and want to read tech coverage in the French language? Our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered.
In case you missed it
The recent tech news that we maybe didn’t get to yet, or it’s the news we’ve reported on and feel is worth resurfacing. Sometimes we’ll also feature awesome stories from other publications. We also show love for the IT channel, so expect news to pop up that MSPs and resellers care about, too.
Pure upgrades
Enterprise storage provider Pure Storage announced some recent enhancements to its partner program and a technical community for partners. Pure WaveMakers, the global technical partner community, launches on November 16, 2020. [News release]
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A shinier cloud for OpenText
OpenText launched Cloud Edition 20.4 last week during its OpenText World 2020 event and announced updates across the five OpenText Clouds platforms. Here are some of the highlights:
The OpenText Business Network Cloud connects any business, person, system, or thing to build adaptive, ethical, and sustainable trading networks. Key updates in CE 20.4 include:
- 40 new connectors to key business applications added to Trading Grid to accelerate the deployment of hybrid integration projects.
- New applications like IoT Shipment Tracking Reference and Ecosystem Viewer that provide actionable insights into operations.
- Freeway Cloud enables SMBs to accelerate digital trading across a global supplier network.
The OpenText Content Cloud connects content to digital business to improve user productivity while meeting legal compliance and governance requirements. Key updates in CE 20.4 include:
- New SaaS applications like Core for Building Information Modeling and Core Signature.
- New standalone early case analysis and investigations applications with front-loaded analytics like OpenText Axcelerate Investigation.
- Deeper integrations with Microsoft, SAP, and Salesforce, adding robust content management capabilities seamlessly into the context of work. Integrations include:
- Extended ECM for SAP Solutions has full support for SAP S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition.
- Extended ECM for Office 365 adds improved lifecycle management for Teams, archiving for Team chats, and mapping of OpenText folders to Teams.
- Full integration of Teams with eDOCS for enhanced user productivity and collaboration.
- Advances in Information Governance, with Core for Federated Compliance adding full records policy support for Content Suite and Extended ECM, plus selected records policy functions for SharePoint and File Systems.
The OpenText Experience Cloud delivers an omni-channel personalized experience to customers at scale. Key updates in CE 20.4 include:
- Exstream enhances cloud input and omnichannel output supports personalized content creation and delivery.
- New Exstream Managed Services integration with Core Experience Insights and OpenText Notifications for cloud-based communication.
- Added AI-assisted communications design and authoring for personalized content.
- Media Management consolidates the visual review process with new native tools and expands to more users with added capabilities for Digital Hub.
- New native review and annotation capabilities, including no-code workflow design, deep zoom review for high-resolution media, complex microsite management, Google Cloud Certification, and improved REST APIs and Adobe Creative Cloud Connector.
- Voice of Customer solutions deliver the ability to rapidly respond to customer and contact center agent needs.
- Qfiniti adds real-time speech processing and sentiment analysis to live conversations, plus real-time guidance for agents with Optimize Guide.
- New CX-E Voice web client with stand-alone directory, automated attendant, and updated speech recognition engine technology.
The OpenText Developer Cloud enables developers to build applications and solution extensions quickly using service-based capabilities in the cloud. Key updates in CE 20.4 include:
- The OpenText Developer Cloud is a new cloud platform for application development based on OpenText Content Services. It provides a platform for developers to create custom solutions to manage information, building a community of innovators that can create better enterprise applications.
- A broad collection of cloud capabilities to manage information, consumable via API.
- Consolidated access and authorization across all OpenText Cloud services including: capture and digitize, store and manage, analyze and report, process and automate, search and discover, integrate and access, view and communicate, and protect and secure.
- Access via the Developer Portal to resources, such as training documentation, blogs, code snippets, and a community of developers, to help developers be successful.
The OpenText Security & Protection Cloud provides organizations with the tools they need to keep intellectual property, customer records and sensitive financial information protected. Key updates in CE 20.4 include:
- Full-feature EDR aligned with MITRE ATT&CK to simplify and streamline incident response to advanced and complicated threats, which includes over 250 out-of-the-box detection rules aligned with the 2020 MITRE ATT&CK matrix.
- Expanded OS and artifact support to ensure security, legal and law enforcement professionals have improved data visibility and investigation tools.
- Tableau TX1 Forensic Imager adds support for unlocking encrypted Microsoft BitLocker and Apple APFS volumes with known user credentials.
- EnCase Forensic and Endpoint Investigator introduces preview and targeted file collections for Microsoft OneDrive, and support for the upcoming release of Apple macOS 11 Big Sur.
- Enhanced support for remote forensic collections and investigations.
- EnCase Endpoint Investigator adds preview and collection of distributed endpoints off the corporate network.
- Bringing Carbonite and Webroot into the Enterprise.
- Carbonite solutions available to the Enterprise to protect from data loss on endpoints, Microsoft 365 applications, and ensure critical systems availability.
- Webroot BrightCloud Threat Intelligence services strengthen the reputation capabilities offered by EnCase Endpoint Security in the Enterprise. [News release]
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Terranova Security Partner Program gets facelift
The enhancements made to the Terranova Security Partner Program include several additional benefits specifically for all Microsoft distributors, resellers, and other partners. Terranova Security says the latest changes are due to the ongoing Terranova Security and Microsoft partnership, which was made official early in 2020.
Terranova Security is hosting a Security Awareness Virtual Summit for all prospective and existing partners on Nov. 12. Sponsored by Microsoft, Terranova Security says the event will provide additional insight into the Partner Program and feature an in-depth solution demo.
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Softchoice wins big
Managed services provider Softchoice won Cisco’s Canada Partner of the Year award during Cisco Partner Summit Digital. Cisco Canada’s recently appointed president Shannon Leininger tweeted about the accomplishment:
Congrats to @softchoice for Canada Partner of the Year! #CiscoPS20 @CiscoCanada pic.twitter.com/A7pFlRJ1BO
— ShannonLeininger (@shanvan10) October 28, 2020
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ICYMI – IT World Canada
Startup Policing: Lessons learned from having a cop work in a university startup incubator
To create new technological opportunities, police departments must develop new partnerships in unconventional ways. This article explores one opportunity used by the Toronto Police Service in Canada to leverage unorthodox thinking to find unique partners willing to help solve persistent public safety challenges. [Full blog post]
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AMD Radeon RX 6000 series ‘Big Navi’ graphics cards overview
AMD has launched its RX 6000 series of graphics cards based on the revised RDNA architecture.
Three new cards were launched at its virtual launch presentation on Oct. 28: the Radeon RX 6800, Radeon RX 6800 XT, and the Radeon RX 6900 XT. [Full story]
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Canadian cybercrime expert looks into the depths of social engineering
Don’t be too quick to click, a Canadain cybercrime expert and social engineering author warns. [Full story]
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Technicity GTA an opportunity to educate and inspire
Last year, ITWC and the City of Toronto teamed up yet again to deliver Technicity, an event designed to learn about how the city is modernizing its internal processes and public services and to celebrate the digital transformation projects driving those changes.
This year, the event won’t be taking place at Arcadian Court, but it will feature more than a dozen speakers during an exclusive half-day event Dec. 9 that will go beyond initiatives happening within the City of Toronto, and incorporate the Greater Toronto Area.
The best part, thanks to corporate sponsorship, the event is free – you just need to register. [Full story]
ICYMI – IT Business Canada
IBM Canada president says achieving healthy work-life balance in hybrid work environment ‘remains to be seen’
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a sense of urgency around digital transformation, leading to previously stonewalled projects getting greenlit and sighs of relief from executives knowing employees can help keep the corporate ship running from their homes.
But despite the technology resilience that’s on display, IBM Canada president Claude Guay wonders what impact a largely remote workforce can have on a company’s cultural wellbeing. [Full story]
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Leveraging the YouTube market with video podcasts – CMO Talks with Philip Bliss
A marketing pioneer who has been at the forefront of digital media development for the past twenty years, Bliss joined ITWC President Fawn Annan in October 2020 for an installment of CMO Talks, a podcast series presented by ITWC and IDC to address pressing marketing challenges. A lively discussion focused on how podcast videos are quickly outpacing the old, TV ad space. Listen to CMO Talks: Philip Bliss – Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Perceptible [Full story]
ICYMI – Channel Daily News
Cisco updates partner program, CEO says shift to Everything-as-a-Service will be a ‘lengthy process’
Transitioning the majority of the company’s portfolio to be delivered as-a-service is going to be a “lengthy process,” according to Cisco’s chief executive officer.
Roughly two months after making it clear that Cisco was accelerating its push into the as-a-service arena – and that includes the company’s core networking hardware – Chuck Robbins elaborated on those plans at Cisco Partner Summit Digital on Oct. 28. [Full story]
Bookmarks of the week
A few bookmarked tweets that we think are worth sharing with you. Check out the #CyberSecurityAwarenessMonth hashtag on Twitter to follow the conversation during October.
Because of #COVID19, what has happened to the pace at which your company is adopting new technologies? #technology
— Avaya (@Avaya) October 29, 2020
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Scared of snakes? You should be more afraid of spreading #disinformation online – the impacts could be poisonous to our democracy.
Always check the source, read past the headlines, and verify information before you share it online. #MediaLitWk pic.twitter.com/Vfuq0tOhlG
— CSIS Canada (@csiscanada) October 28, 2020
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Am I the only one who’s superstitious about not walking away from a Windows machine while it’s installing patches? Seems like all the times I’ve had issues it’s been when I wasn’t around when it was updating.
— briankrebs (@briankrebs) October 27, 2020
The r/MSP recap
The MSP subreddit community is growing rapidly. It’s also a chatty bunch. With more than 85,000 members as of today, it’s worth taking a look at what they have to say every once in a while. Here are the recent top posts. Click on the posts to view additional responses.
Rant: IT Overseas Helpdesk – When will the industry care/shift? from msp
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Pricing structure for under 10 device msp, plus a question about what remote/onsite maintenance support means from msp
