TOP STORIES #87
The week's big news is Apple's release of the new M4 hardware, with which Apple reclaims the performance crown.
Some reviewers believe the M4 MAC Mini is "IBM PC" moment for Apple, and changes the game for high-performance computing at a very low entry price - below what Microsoft can offer with Intel and AMD.
You can find the previous week's TOP STORIES #86 here
If colleagues want to join, they can click here.
Hardware
Intel Lunar Lake Integrated RAM will be a Once-Off
It seems that the idea of integrating the RAM with the CPU is turning into an expensive one-off for Intel, and after this, it will go back to off-package memory solutions.
If you are buying a Lunar Lake notebook, make sure you buy it with 32 Gig RAM, and with that, you are getting a super-efficient integrated package that will not be repeated. You can read more about this here.
This gives new life to the CAMM2 connector standard that has been ratified by JEDEC and is already supported by Dell.
However, with this news from Intel, it looks like the CAMM2 standard will be broadly adopted across all major vendors in 2025.
All this emphasises the importance of planning your hardware refreshes for 2025 now to align with the release of Win11 24H2 and the increasingly broader adoption of AI across all aspects of how we interact with computers, driving more extensive memory requirements. Please contact your First Technology account manager to help you plan what will be a very busy 2025!
It's Finally Over!
With the release of the M4 range of Apple MACs, Apple has finally acknowledged that 8Gig is insufficient (note the article above).
The "new" minimum is 16Gig, and as much as this applies to Macs, it also applies to PCs. In fact, you should regard 32 Gig as the new minimum for PCs. You can read more about Apple's change of heart here.
ASML shipping A10 lithography machines
It looks like in a few years, we will be seeing chips made with the A10 (10 angstroms) lithography process.
We will see a minimum tripling in transistor density over the next few years based on density alone. You can read more about the announcement here.
Add in all other developments in parallel we will likely see processors from all manufacturers will be at least FIVE TIMES more powerful than anything that exists today by 2030.
Based on this roadmap, you should replace hardware every 2 years to stay current! Yikes!
Microsoft
Windows 11 24H2 bug list grows.
As I have stated in previous TOP STORIES, you must not be in a hurry to upgrade to 24H2 - the list of bugs is getting bigger.
However, Microsoft will fix these issues, and we should have a stable, less buggy version to roll out early next year.
Because Windows 10 is coming to the end of support (yes, you can buy extended support for 1 year for $30), it is essential to start planning your upgrade to Win11 24H2, and your hardware refreshes now.
Please talk to your First Technology account manager to assist with planning the Win11 24H2 rollout now and the accelerated hardware refresh cycle in 2025!
Windows 10 ESU for personal use announced
Microsoft has announced that you can buy Extended Support for $30 per year, but there is a catch - this is only for personal use.
As I have repeatedly stated, it is important to plan to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 now so you are ready when Windows 10 comes to the end of support. You can read more here.
Windows Server 2025 released.
System Centre 2025 was also announced at the same time. Along with the release of the latest Server operating system, Microsoft has also published the list of supported CPUs for the operating system. You can read more about the announcement here.
A significant change is that Windows Server for on-premise use is only available as a subscription, so it is important to plan where you need Windows 2025 vs still running older editions or migrating to the cloud (you can find a summary of what's new here). The official Microsoft announcement is here. You can find a comparison between the editions here.
Please contact your First Technology account manager to connect you with our specialists to help plan your Premise/Cloud/Hybrid strategy, including your deployment of Windows Server 2025 and System Center 2025 if necessary - it is now more critical than ever!
Microsoft takes the Teams out of Teams.
Microsoft is now bringing all text communication to the Teams chats section. This is quite a big change, which you can read more about here.
This is also an opportunity to review your Teams usage and see if you are getting full value from all the features you are licensed to use. Teams is a major ecosystem and it can sometimes take work to be sure you are getting full value from it for your business. First Technology has probably the most experts on all aspects of Teams in the country. I recommend you speak with your account manager to connect you with our experts to review your Teams usage, especially Teams Phone, included with your E5 license.
Security
KnowBe4 impersonated by bad guys
This takes it up a notch! A customer of KnowBe4 successfully blocked an attempt to phish them by sending mail purporting to be from KnowBe4 to click on a link to complete assigned training. You can read more about the attack here.
This is a reminder that no matter how you trust, you must always keep your guard up and be suspicious of emails that may be dubious.
Training users to be aware of indicators is so important; they need to be regularly retrained, as the bad guys keep adapting their tactics.
Please contact your First Technology account manager to attend training to keep up to date on spotting a possible attack, as it constantly changes!
Is it too good to be True?
Jobseekers worldwide are increasingly targeted by scams, especially those in finance, IT, and healthcare. As you stay alert for phishing attacks, be wary of any job offer that seems incredibly appealing - like it's your "dream, too good to be true job". Treat every part of the offer with caution. More information is available here.
Do your homework, consult friends, and stay suspicious, ALWAYS!
Cloud & AI
ChatGPT advanced voice mode comes to PCs and MACs
The experience is very similar to the mobile version, and I recommend you try it. You can read more about the release here.
CoPilot is not meeting expectations.
Even though Microsoft's Q1 2025 earnings report was excellent, and AI is already Microsoft's fastest-growing business, there are concerns that AI will not bring in the returns that justify the current spending and even more spending to come, which you can read more about here.
However, Microsoft still cannot build data centres fast enough to meet demand for inferencing and training.
Though adoption may lag behind expectations, deployment of AI in your environment is inevitable, and it may be good that adoption has slowed as that allows you to prepare. It is critical to ensure your data is secured and classified before you let an AI loose on it, and the entire ecosystem to do this exists in the Microsoft suites of products, particularly Purview.
Please contact your First Technology account manager to start going through the process (if you have not started already) to ensure your environment is prepared to allow for CoPilot to be deployed so you can start experimenting with AI and how it can benefit your business.
Giving AI a grounding
First Digital, part of FTG, has been experimenting with improving AI responses by adding context—essentially grounding the AI in First Technology's website data and team information.
This approach creates a more consistent, human-like experience for users.
Explore how they built it here, and, if you have an OpenAI account, try the experimental bot here.
First Digital is actively exploring practical ways AI can benefit businesses, and this bot shows how added context makes a difference. Are you curious to see what they could build for your business based on existing material? Contact your First Technology account manager to connect with these AI experts.
What's up at FTG
CoPilot Security Demo
BUI, FTG's security division, can present CoPilot for Security information-sharing sessions, workshops and demos.
In light of the CoPilot story above, it is essential to contact your First Tech Group account manager to make arrangements to attend a session, or you can request a session here.
What does a World Class SoC look like and how does it work?
You are invited to book a tour of one of our SoC (Security Operations Center) nodes (and there are still parts we can't show you). You can book for the tour here.
BUI blog - 3rd Video Available
FTG's Azure and security division, BUI, has launched a blog focused on Security—what's new, what changed, and what you need to do to maintain a sound security posture. This one, however, is about a game that Dirk learnt about while attending Black Hat in Vegas.
All BUI videos have been moved to one YouTube channel, which you can find here.
The Security Blog Video #003 is now available to view here.
This video introduces you to KC7 - a Cyberdetective game!:
Movies
Apart from Red One, which is a bit of an outlier regarding the subject matter, let's see how it does at the Box Office, So far this year, we seem to have had more low lights than highlights! Here is the complete list for 2024
Now Playing: Rebellious
Now Playing: Conclave
Now Playing: Subservience
8 November: Overlord: Sacred Kingdom
8 November: Magpie
8 November: Red One
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