UK chipmaker Graphcore gains unicorn status with $200m funding from BMW and Microsoft December 18, 2018 UK artificial intelligence chipmaker Graphcore has raised a $200m (£158.1m) series D funding round from BMW and Microsoft, valuing the firm at $1.7bn. The round brings Graphcore's total amount raised to date to over $300m, with its new investors joining existing backers such as electronics founder Robert Bosch, Dell and Samsung Electronics. The round was led by London venture [...]
Microsoft regains top spot from Apple as world’s most valuable company December 1, 2018 Microsoft has moved ahead of Apple to become the most valuable listed company in the world after it ended Friday with a market value of more than $851bn (£667bn). It is the first time Microsoft has held the top spot in 15 years and rounds off a disappointing November for Apple. The iPhone maker's value was $847bn at [...]
Big Four investigate their own clients on behalf of software giants November 23, 2018 The UK's top four accounting firms have been accused of a conflict of interest by investigating their own clients' use of software on behalf of technology firms. The so-called Big Four – PwC, KPMG, EY and Deloitte – carry out software audits on their clients on behalf of vendors such as Microsoft, SAP and IBM to see if firms [...]
Crypto A.M. shines its spotlight on Coinweb November 6, 2018 2018, an evolutionary year for blockchain technology, has seen the growth of next generation blockchain projects all trying to solve issues of mass adoption surrounding usability, scalability and security. Projects focussed on mass adoption and ease of use are high on the agenda of developers and investors alike. Coinweb, founded in 2017, is building for [...]
Tech giant Alibaba opens two cloud data centres in the UK October 22, 2018 E-commerce giant Alibaba's cloud arm has opened two data centres in London, signalling the firm's first official expansion to British shores. The centres will power Alibaba's cloud services in the UK, allowing it to effectively disseminate its services to British businesses as it seeks to compete with rivals Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft. The [...]
Technology is set to be this week’s hottest ticket on Wall Street as its biggest leaders go head-to-head October 21, 2018 This Thursday is set to be a battle of the technology heavyweights, as behemoths Amazon, Alphabet, Snap and Twitter all report their quarterly results. Both Amazon and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, trounced consensus estimates last quarter, with Amazon truly shaking up the game on Wall Street with earnings per share rising over 1,157 per cent [...]
Microsoft makes strategic investment into ride-hailing firm Grab October 9, 2018 Microsoft has signed a five-year agreement with Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab to collaborate on big technology projects, which includes the software firm taking a strategic stake in the business. The valuation of the stake was not disclosed by either company. The deal will see Grab work with Microsoft on exploration of facial recognition, artificial [...]
A lesson in language: Apps will not make you a good writer October 4, 2018 In the past year, I have witnessed an unfortunate proliferation of language apps: those that correct your spelling, grammar and style, and claim to make you a better writer. I’ve tested a few, and here is my considered advice: avoid. Apart from their obvious redundancy – Microsoft has been doing this for 20 years – the [...]
South Korean backers splash out £100m for Microsoft HQ October 1, 2018 Microsoft’s vast HQ campus in Reading has been snapped up by a London-based real estate investor and a Korean asset manager for £100m today. Valesco Group and Seoul-headquartered AIP Asset Management have bought the tech firm’s 245,000 square foot park in the run-up to the arrival of Crossrail’s Elizabeth line, which is set to strengthen [...]
How to get into tech: Microsoft, Toshiba and Siemens back A-Level alternative “tech levels” September 9, 2015 Students in the UK can now take technology-focused alternatives to A-levels, which will set them in good stead to land jobs at some of the country's leading firms. AQA, one of the leading exam boards, has introduced “tech levels” as an option for pupils aged 16-19. These are being offered at colleges across England, [...]