E-Business
Dell Delivers Most Powerful Workstations
Dell has expanded its workstation portfolio with the most powerful mobile and tower workstations, the Dell Precision M4800, M6800, T3610, T5610 and T7610, designed to seamlessly run the leading content creation, engineering, scientific and other professional software applications.
Updated with the latest high-performance, workstation-class processors, graphics, storage, display and other technologies, the new systems demonstrate Dell’s continued commitment to delivering unparalleled performance and reliability that creative, engineering and scientific professionals require to quickly develop and realize innovative ideas.
“Dell’s new Precision tower and mobile workstations, now featuring the latest Intel® Xeon® Processor E5-2600 v2 family and 4th generation Intel® Core™ i5 and i7 processors respectively, offer users the opportunity to create, test and modify their ideas as they never have before,” said Frank Soqui, Intel Corporation, Technical Computing Group, Workstation general manager.
“Dell is also the first to offer Intel® Cache Acceleration Software – Workstation and worked closely with Intel to tune it for workstation applications. This innovative caching software uses a solid state drive as a file cache with existing hard drives. This accelerates the storage subsystem to I/O speeds comparable to storage made entirely of solid state drives at a fraction of the cost.”
Ghost Town Media, a post-production company, relies on high-performance technology and collaboration to stay on the bleeding-edge of design to create the most robust and unique imagery in the industry – from music videos to visual effects for feature films.
“Our latest project is CG-heavy so we needed strong processing power and speed,” explained Brandon Parvini, principal and creative director, Ghost Town Media.
“We turned to the latest Dell Precision tower and mobile workstations with NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics as we found they provide massive acceleration that facilitate lightning-fast rendering, allowing complex 3D scenes to be rendered in minutes instead of hours.”
“Today professional workstation users get a new set of tools with the announcement of new Dell Precision desktop and mobile workstation solutions powered by AMD FirePro™ workstation graphics,” said David Cummings, senior director and general manager, Professional Graphics at AMD.
“AMD has worked closely with Dell to offer exceptional workstation-class graphics processing performance so users can work on more complex/detailed 3D models and work on larger data sets. AMD and Dell recognize the increasing requirement for OpenCL™ (Open Computing Language) support when it comes to workstation productivity with industry-leading applications.”
Committed to improving the performance and personal experience and interaction with its new Dell Precision M4800 and M6800 mobile workstations, Dell is the first to bring a 15.6-inch Quad HD+ IGZO panel to the workstation market, with higher resolution than the Apple MacBook Pro Retina display, and the only to offer optional 10-finger Wacom multi-touch on a 17.3-inch display for intuitive control and interaction with creative and design applications.
Dell is also the first to offer WiGig wireless docking and has improved audio performance with WAVES MaxxAudio Pro integration.
The new Dell Precision mobile workstations also deliver the highest performance with up to 16GB¹ of 1866MHz memory, fourth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processor options up to Core i7 Extreme Edition, and AMD FirePro and NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics, with up to 8GB graphics memory¹ on the M6800 configured with NVIDIA Quadro K5100M, for handling complex 3D work, including rendering and simulation.
Both systems also provide superb reliability with all-day battery life², including a secondary slice battery, new AMD Enduro and NVIDIA Optimus, and industry-leading endpoint security solutions that include comprehensive encryption, advanced authentication and leading-edge malware protection.
Offering an award-winning chassis design and cutting-edge technology, the new Dell Precision tower workstations include next generation workstation-class processors and professional graphics, Windows 8 factory installed, new Intel Cache Acceleration Software, PCIe SSDs and updates to Dell Precision Performance Optimizer.
Designed for scientific analysis, professional engineering and complex 3D modeling, the new tower portfolio, adding to the Dell Precision T1700 Small-Form Factor and Mini-Tower, includes the Dell Precision T3610 with advanced single Intel Xeon CPU performance, the Dell Precision T5610, a high-power dual-socket Intel Xeon processor workstation in a small footprint, and the Dell Precision T7610, the world’s most powerful tower workstation. The T7610 will offer up to 512GB¹ system memory and power up to three high-end graphics cards, including up to two NVIDIA Quadro K6000s cards starting in October.
Thierry Rouf, Director, FashionLab, said, “We work on the cutting-edge of fashion design, providing designers with sophisticated tools they need to employ the latest 3D technology in their high-end designs, so it’s important that we always collaborate with the best. That’s why we chose to work closely with Dell for a high-profile event in Paris. The workshop was supported without interruption by the latest high-end Dell Precision tower workstations.”
Dell understands its workstation customers have specific needs for their workflows so is updating and offering new tools that enable maximum performance and reliability so they can remain focused on being creative.
Dell Precision Performance Optimizer(DPPO), the world’s first automated workstation performance tool that configures settings based on the software application, will be updated with new profiles for Siemens NX 8.5 and Dassault Systems CATIA and French and German languages starting September 17 via online and factory install on new workstations in October.
Intel® Xeon Phi™ co-processor 3120A PCIe card – The Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor is a new manycore x86-based computational architecture built for high efficiency and exceptional performance on highly parallel workloads. Offered as a coprocessor on a PCIe card, it works synergistically with Intel® Xeon® Processors to deliver accelerated performance on Dell Precision T7610 tower and R7610 rack workstations.
PCIe Solid State Drives (SSDs) – Dell is the first to bring Micron PCIe SSD technology to the workstation market on its tower and rack workstations starting in October. The PCIe SSD is one of the highest performance storage options that merge SSD technology directly with the fast PCIe system communication bus.
Intel Cache Acceleration Software – Workstation (CAS-W) – Dell has deeply collaborated with Intel to bring to market and tune the first workstation enterprise-grade storage acceleration software application, Intel CAS-W, which improves workstation application performance. It is available exclusively on Dell Precision rack and tower workstations starting in November.
“Dell Precision workstations with the innovative Intel Cache Acceleration Software-Workstation give a notable performance boost to Autodesk applications,” said Maurice Patel, head of Media & Entertainment Industry Marketing, Autodesk.
“We have seen a many-fold increase in some of our internal tests. As the demand for larger data sets increase with 4K, stereoscopic projection and next generation consoles, the performance increase will be a great benefit for our 3D animation customers.”
As part of Dell’s Technology Partner Program, Dell Precision works with the top Independent Software Vendors (ISV) to test and certify the leading software applications including Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Design & Creation Suites, DassaultSystemes CATIA and SolidWorks and PTC Creo, among many others, for maximum uptime and productivity.
Additionally, many ISV partners also leverage Dell Precision workstations to develop and showcase their software capabilities. For example, PTC uses Dell Precision workstations to power its customer theater with a high-end, three-channel rear-projection active stereo 3D system with tracking that allows visitors to have a hands-on experience using PTC software in an immersive virtual reality environment.
President Bola Tinubu said that his administration has initiated a project to install fibre optic cables across the country, aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
His plans were contained in a speech he delivered at a joint session of the National Assembly in commemoration of Democracy Day on Thursday, June 12.
He said the fibre optic layout is part of other projects being embarked on.
“In addition, we have embarked on an ambitious project to lay fibre optic cables across the nation, a transformative step toward bridging the digital divide and fostering greater connectivity.
“This initiative promises not only to enhance the speed and reliability of internet access but also to revolutionise how businesses operate, how students learn, and how communities stay connected,” Tinubu stated.
He maintained that by extending this critical infrastructure, his government is empowering entrepreneurs, enabling digital education, and providing the tools for our youth to compete in a globalised world.
In a most recent report on Internet connectivity, The ICIR pointed out how Nigeria has faced setbacks in its deployment of fibre optic cables and needs a transformation.
The challenges revolve around vandalism, inadequate coordination between road construction and telecom infrastructure, and varying right-of-way (RoW) charges across states.
Among industry experts, these issues impact network outages, increase repair costs, and hinder broadband expansion efforts.
It has also further threatened the digital economy, leading to slower Internet speeds, dropped calls, and unreliable connectivity among others.
African startups raised more than $345 million across 65 deals in May, more than double the amount raised in the same period of last year, according to a report by Briter, a research and business intelligence firm.
The report disclosed that both the number of deals and participating companies declined, confirming a growing trend of fewer companies raising funds in larger sizes.
It said fintech attracted the highest share of funding in May, accounting for 34 percent of the total, while cleantech followed closely, driven by a debt deal from Sun King. The company raised $80 million (in local currency) to expand clean energy access in Nigeria.
“Equity remains the primary instrument in terms of total value. There’s no doubt about it; in fact, equity deals with disclosed amounts captured more than half of the total funding volume in May.
“However, debt financing is increasingly proving its weight. Although it accounted for only 8 percent of all deals, it represented 32 percent of the total funding, highlighting the typically larger size of debt transactions. With the rise of specialised vehicles targeting early-stage businesses, debt is becoming an increasingly important part of Africa’s innovation funding landscape,” it said.
Briter’s report added that grants continued to play a vital role in early-stage support, especially in the education technology (EdTech) sector. The Mastercard Foundation led the pack in grant activity, funding a new cohort of EdTech innovators in Nigeria and Kenya. Each selected startup is set to receive $100,000 in grant funding, in addition to mentorship and business development support.
Multilaterals also made a strong showing in May, it said. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a World Bank Group member, issued a $179.6 million guarantee to CleanTech firm KOKO Networks. The support will help scale its clean energy solutions across Kenya.
“This deal not only demonstrates growing international confidence in African climate ventures but also signals a promising pathway for other asset-intensive startups in clean cooking, agriculture, and renewable energy,” the report said.
From a geographic perspective, Egypt emerged as the continent’s fundraising powerhouse for the month, contributing 51 percent of all funding raised. The country recorded 12 deals across equity, debt, and bond instruments. Notably, FinTech platform MNT-Halan raised $50 million through a bond issuance, further illustrating the diversification of capital-raising mechanisms in the region.
Outside Egypt, funding was distributed across Africa’s three other key markets, which are Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, with limited activity recorded in countries such as Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, and Uganda, each registering between one and three deals.
In terms of exits, the African tech landscape continues to mature. Three companies—Baobab+, Qardy, and Shopa—were acquired in May, bringing the total number of exits this year to 22. This already surpasses last year’s count for the same period. Qardy was acquired by Catalyst Partners Middle East (CPME) in a disclosed deal valued at $23 million, the report added.
By Nancy Werteen
When you get anti-hacking advice, you’ve probably heard “Don’t use a simple password,” or “Don’t plug in that USB you found on the ground.”
But there’s one form of hacking that doesn’t always require a computer, and it costs businesses about 4.88 million dollars a year.
Modern hackers aren’t trying to get into your computer; they’re trying to get into you.
“They’ll try to learn about you a little bit, and they’ll try to use that information against you to try to get you to complete some action, maybe to send somebody some money,” said Kevin Moran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster, University of Central Florida.
IBM calls this human hacking, because it exploits human error instead of system error.
“With people just being busy and maybe not very carefully checking some of the emails or the phone calls that they get, can be something unfortunately that people can fall victim to,” said Moran.
Also known as social engineering, this often takes the form of phishing, where the hacker tries to “fish” the information out of you by impersonating family, friends, or even your bank.
There’s also baiting, where the hacker baits you with something of value. Remember the Nigerian prince scam?
That’s a famous example of baiting. There’s also pretexting, where the hacker will claim the victim has already been hacked, and that the hacker can fix it if you just send over your passwords. So, what can you do?
“Just as a rule of thumb, instead of clicking on links and emails, just go to the website yourself. And that will prevent, a lot of these types of attacks from happening,” explained Moran.
Phishing can take many forms.
Spear phishing targets people with access to confidential information, often to get access into an entire business, and whale phishing targets CEOs or political figures.
Search engine phishing is when hackers create fake websites promising services or goods you’ll never receive.
Angler phishing is when hackers create fake social media accounts impersonating famous people or companies.
Finally, vishing and smishing is phishing done through phone calls and texts respectively.
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