Blackberry buys artificial intelligence firm Cylance for $1.4bn November 16, 2018 Blackberry has today confirmed it is acquiring Cylance, a US artificial intelligence and cyber security firm, for $1.4bn (£1.1bn). The deal is expected to close before the end of Blackberry's current financial year in February 2019, pending regulatory approval. It is thought Cylance will work as part of Blackberry's Enterprise of Things (EoT) division, Blackberry Spark, [...]
Editor’s Notes: Nobody has a clue what’s going to happen November 16, 2018 Westminster has entered a period of chaos, marked by the usual signs of political turmoil: marquees outside parliament for camera crews, protesters desperately trying to get in shot and MPs from all sides of the debate milling around trying to get on the air. In the City, frantic movements in sterling and a sizeable hit [...]
London leads the way as an artificial intelligence tech talent hub November 15, 2018 Investment in London’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector from venture capital firms skyrocketed more than 200 per cent between 2015 and 2017, with funding for the capital’s startups so far this year already surpassing last year’s numbers. New figures released today by Pitchbook revealed the fast growth of London’s AI scene, which is home to more [...]
Speedy recovery: Tools supplier improves dividend as profits and revenue grow November 14, 2018 Speedy Hire upped its dividend after growing revenue and more than doubling profit in its half-year results today, sending shares upwards slightly. The tool hire company said it was well on the way to delivering its turnaround plan years after a battle between the board and activist investor Toscafund, which wanted it to merge with HSS. The [...]
Opinion: How can technology make moving house easier? We count the ways November 12, 2018 Moving home is considered to be one of the most stressful life experiences and as a result people rarely bother. The average person only moves once every 17.8 years according to the latest English Housing Survey. But does it need to be this way? Over the next decade, technology will transform the way we buy, [...]
Embracing digital technology will help the City to shape the future of the UK November 12, 2018 As the 691st lord mayor of the City of London, I follow a long continuum dating back to 1189, before the Magna Carta. My focus over the next 12 months will be on how the City can help shape the UK’s future. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, British innovations such as railways, cotton mills and [...]
The tech revolution could be a catastrophic setback for civilisation November 8, 2018 Social earthquakes are looming fast from the emerging wave of automation and the tech revolution. We’ve all seen the headlines about artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of the robots, self-driving cars, and leaps forward in machine learning. But does society realise what is coming? Will it prepare itself? Can the scale and speed of change [...]
From artificial intelligence to quantum computing, Britain is a tech superpower November 6, 2018 Thousands of leaders from across the tech industry are descending on Lisbon this week for the annual international Web Summit. I’m excited to be here to champion the success of British tech to a global audience of investors and entrepreneurs. Britain is unmatched in Europe at producing tech-savvy, billion-dollar businesses. Last week, banking startup Monzo [...]
The UK remains ahead of the game in Europe’s tech sector November 6, 2018 The UK has continued to lead the way for funding activity in the European technology sector, both in terms of startups attracting investment and UK-based investors fuelling the continent’s exciting new talent. British startups secured almost a quarter of all early-stage tech investment in Europe in the last three years, according to new figures revealed [...]
Winter is coming, let the chill of change work to your advantage November 5, 2018 Winter is coming, to borrow the oft-quoted phrase from Game of Thrones. We all know what it feels like: shorter days, darkness abounds, chilled to your bones. Pull up the duvet and prepare for hibernation. But awake, Britain – throw open the doors of your toasty warm Hobbit-holes and allow the chilly gusts of reality [...]