Monthly Archives: August 2024

Cybersecurity

Gcore Radar Report Shows 46% Increase in Number of DDoS Attacks in First Half of 2024

Gcore, the global edge AI, cloud, network, and security solutions provider, today announced the findings of its Q1–Q2 2024 Gcore Radar report into DDoS attack trends. While the report reveals a sharp increase of 46% in the number of DDoS attacks compared to the same period in 2023, it is equally alarming that peak attack power measures in terabits per second. This marks a significant rise from gigabits per second a year ago, with the shift to terabits beginning in the second half of last year.

Key Highlights from Q1–Q2 2024

  • The total number of attacks during H1 2024 amounted to 830,000, an increase of 46% when compared to H1 2023.
  • Peak attack power rose from 1.6 Tbps in H2 2023 to 1.7 Tbps.
  • UDP floods made up 61% of DDoS attacks, while TCP floods and SYN floods constituted 18% and 11% of the total respectively.
  • The most-attacked business sectors were gaming (49%), technology (15%), financial services (12%) and telecommunications (10%).
  • The e-commerce (7%) and media and entertainment (5%) industries emerged from the ‘Other’ category in H1 2024, indicating that they were being targeted more often than in the past.

Gcore Radar is published twice-annually and reflects the state of the DDoS attack landscape, as observed on Gcore’s network. The Q1–Q2 2024 report shows that the total number of attacks continued to rise. While the power of the attacks – first measured in terabits per second (Tbps) in the second half of last year – increased slightly from 1.6 to 1.7 Tbps, this still poses a growing threat to organisations.

 

Technology emerges as one of the most attacked industries

Attacks on the gaming industry in H1 2024 continued to dominate and rose by 3% over H2 2023. Gcore saw DDoS attacks being used by gamers and gaming groups as a tactic against opponents to derive competitive advantage in tournaments and matches. However, the biggest change over the previous two quarters was in the number of attacks on the technology industry, which more than doubled to 15%. The sector has become increasingly attractive for bad actors seeking to disrupt businesses that host critical infrastructure.

In terms of the industries most impacted by network-layer attacks in H1 2024, gaming sat in first position at 47%, technology came in second with 31% of the attacks, and the telecommunications sector was third most-affected with 14%. Among the industries affected by application-layer attacks, financial services were highly targeted with 41% of all attacks, likely because of the sector’s low tolerance for disruption and downtime and the monetary gains available to attackers. E-commerce was the second most-affected sector with 28% of application-layer attacks, with media and entertainment third with 13% of the total application-layer attacks.

Andrey Slastenov, Head of Security at Gcore, said: “We should not be fooled by the rise of only 0.1 terabit per second in the first half of this year, given that a mere 300 Gbps attack will take an unprotected server offline in seconds. The payload of any attack measured in terabits is immense and any rise in attack potency, no matter how small, can have serious repercussions at these levels.”

“As far as attack numbers are concerned, the rise is worrying, and industries must think about why they are being targeted so they can protect themselves. In gaming, some attacks are carried out between competitors. Others are designed to affect the monetization of the gaming industry, which is directly affected if a DDoS attack takes the gaming service offline. The same is true for technology companies whose services are seriously disrupted if servers, networks, and storage services are unavailable,” concluded Slastenov.

 

Origin locations of DDoS attacks

At the application layer, Gcore, which has global coverage over six continents, uses attackers’ IP addresses to determine the country of origin. However, to identify the source of network-layer attacks, the company identifies the location of the data centres where the attack packets are received.

In Q1 and Q2 of 2024, the US was the largest source of network-layer attacks. Germany was second, followed by Netherlands and Singapore.

 

Some of the same attack origins dominated application-layer attacks.

 

DDoS attack vectors

UDP floods continued to dominate at the L3–4 layers, constituting 61% of DDoS attacks. TCP and SYN floods were the next two attack vectors of choice for cyber criminals clocking up 18% and 11% of the total, respectively.

When it comes to L7 attacks, HTTP flood was by far the most popular attack method.

Short, powerful attack trends continue

The vast majority of attacks lasted under ten minutes, while the maximum attack duration recorded during H1 2024 lasted for 16 hours. The potency of even the shortest attacks, however, was strong, which would often have led users to abandon the services they were trying to access with a significant impact on the brand reputation of the provider.

“The variability in the duration and types of attacks illustrates the sophisticated tactics and customised methods that attackers are using to create the maximum possible disruption,” Andrey Slastenov commented. “What is clear from this Gcore Radar report is that attacks are not slowing down, which means a robust response in the form of DDoS detection, mitigation and protection must be a top priority to avoid disruption, downtime, and revenue loss.”

Gcore Radar offers readers an understanding of the evolving threat landscape and serves as an insight for businesses and individuals seeking to stay informed about the latest developments in cybersecurity.

To access the full report, please visit http://gcore.com/library/wp-security-gcore-radar-q1-2-2024

Awards, Storage

Infinidat Wins “Best of Show” Award at FMS: The Future of Memory and Storage 2024

Infinidat, a leading provider of enterprise storage solutions, today announced that the new-generation InfiniBox® G4 family of enterprise storage solutions has been awarded a prestigious “Best in Show” award for the “Most Innovative Hyperscaler Implementation” at the 2024 FMS: The Future of Memory and Storage tradeshow. The “Best of Show” award is given to the most outstanding product, service, or innovation showcased at the annual FMS conference. Infinidat was selected in the “Most Innovative Hyperscaler Implementation” category – an award Infinidat also won at FMS in 2023 and 2022 for its previous generation of the InfiniBox™ SSA enterprise all-flash array.

Infinidat received this honour for its new InfiniBox G4 all-flash and hybrid storage array solutions. The company launched the InfiniBox G4 family of next-generation storage arrays for all-flash and hybrid configurations in May 2024. The new InfiniBox G4 is a breakthrough with its leap ahead in performance, delivering an improvement of up to 2.5x. The G4 pushes the boundaries of enterprise-class storage solutions by leveraging the next generation of powerful and energy efficient CPU technology.

“It’s amazing that, although the next generation of our InfiniBox solutions has only been on the market for a couple of months, the InfiniBox G4 family of enterprise storage solutions is already being declared a ‘Best in Show’ winner in a prestigious award competition at a major industry conference,” said Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat. “What an incredible reception of the G4 by the industry and the FMS judges, affirming the groundbreaking advancement of the hottest enterprise storage solution on the market today for hybrid and all-flash storage deployments!”

The new InfiniBox SSA G4 all-flash solution provides a scale-up architecture with 60%, 80% and 100% populated models, while the InfiniBox G4 hybrid system continues as a fully-populated offering. The new all-flash storage solutions also include the small footprint InfiniBox SSA G4 F1400T model, requiring only 14RU that starts at 155 terabytes (TB) usable capacity (387TB effective capacity) at a very affordable price, while delivering all the InfiniBox SSA high end enterprise capabilities and InfuzeOS features. The SSA G4 F1400T family can be installed in a customer’s existing data center racks, at a colocation facility or an edge/distributed data center. Furthermore, in support of the new G4 series, Infinidat unveiled a new lifecycle management controller upgrade option called InfiniVerse™ Mobius.

“When considering investment in enterprise storage arrays, customers seek seamless hybrid multi-cloud support, advanced cybersecurity capabilities, flexible lifecycle upgrades and a high performance Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) solution,” said Jay Kramer, Chairman of the Awards Program and President of Network Storage Advisors Inc. “We are proud to recognise Infinidat’s InfiniBox G4 family, as it checks all the boxes with next-generation all-flash and hybrid storage arrays, delivering up to 2.5x the performance of the current generation. The G4 family offers a new lifecycle management controller upgrade option called InfiniVerse Mobius, supports Microsoft Azure public cloud with InfuzeOS Cloud Edition and includes a number of compelling new enhancements to Infinidat’s industry acclaimed InfiniSafe enterprise cyber storage resilience and recovery solution.”

Held annually in August in the heart of Silicon Valley, FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage is the premier memory and storage event attracting top professionals, innovators, and companies from around the world. FMS is widely recognised as the world’s foremost conference highlighting the key advancements, trends, and industry figures shaping the multi-billion-dollar high-speed memory, storage and SSD markets. The “Best of Show” award is one of the highest honours given at the event, recognising outstanding achievement and innovation.

To see the complete list of winners in the 2024 Best of Show award competition, click here.

To read about the new, award-winning InfiniBox G4 family, click here.

 About FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage
FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage, produced by Conference ConCepts, is the world’s largest conference and exhibition dedicated to the latest trends, innovations, and influencers driving the adoption of high-speed memory and storage technologies. It covers applications within AI, enterprise IT infrastructure, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), cloud environments, high-performance computing, and mobile and embedded systems. FMS also showcases cutting-edge technology trends across all aspects of high-performance memory and storage, presenting the industry’s most innovative products, and also the rapidly growing storage market including mainstream applications, key technologies, leading vendors, and innovative startups. These all drive the multi-billion-dollar high-speed memory, storage, SSD, and HDD markets. FMS brings together customers, IT professionals, analysts, and industry leaders to explore the forefront of memory and storage. With a renewed focus on inclusivity and forward-thinking, FMS is committed to shaping the future of storage applications, particularly their intersection with artificial intelligence. Notable features include the FMS Timeline, Invited Talks from renowned experts, analyst panels on industry trends, the Professional Development Series, Chat with the Experts sessions, FMS Lifetime Achievement Award, Best of Show Awards, and a reception celebrating the SuperWomen of FMS. For more information visit FutureMemoryStorage.com

About Infinidat

Infinidat provides enterprises and service providers with a platform-native primary and secondary storage architecture that delivers comprehensive data services based on InfiniVerse®. This unique platform delivers outstanding IT operating benefits, support for modern workloads across on-premises and hybrid multi-cloud environments. Infinidat’s cyber resilient-by-design infrastructure, consumption-based performance, 100% availability, and cyber security guaranteed SLAs align with enterprise IT and business priorities. Infinidat’s award-winning platform-native data services and acclaimed white glove service are continuously recommended by customers, as recognized by Gartner® Peer Insights reviews. For more information, visit www.infinidat.com.

EVs

Why increased investment in electric vehicles is vital to help drive our economy towards its net zero targets

Electric vehicles can play a key role in the drive to achieve net zero by 2050 – if we see increased investment from the public and private sector.

That’s the view of one of the country’s leading experts in this area, who also believes increasing access to EV charging points is of vital importance.

Robert Byrne, operations director of adi Vehicle Charging Solutions, a company making great strides in helping build the UK’s EV infrastructure, said: “Both private and public entities have a role to play in improving charging infrastructure, with increased investment from private companies as well as government-funded initiatives being necessary to generate sustainable change.

“Overall, the EV market in the UK is still registering significant growth. While just 0.4% of new vehicles were electric in 2016, this number rose to 23.9% in 2023, and the market registered an 18% growth in battery-electric cars in 2023 in just one year.

“In 2024, we are continuing to witness advancements in both production technology, with longer range and faster charging times, as well as investment from consumers, driven by both environmental concerns and government incentives. Electric vehicles bring substantial advantages from both a sustainability and economical point of view, being a vital ally in the journey toward net zero emissions, and one with considerable potential.”

Reaching net zero by 2050 is a complex strategy requiring the input and actions of a range of sectors and stakeholders. The UK has made significant progress in greener transport to date as part of this commitment, with the government, businesses and individuals increasingly investing in electrical vehicles and EV infrastructure.

Robert says: “The UK’s 2050 target brings attention to the critical need to lower carbon emissions and mitigate the severe impact of climate change.

“After Labour’s recent win, we are seeing a renewed commitment to reintroduce the ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars from 2030, as well as a pledge to accelerate the rollout of charge points and increase support for second-hand electric cars buyers.

“With the 2030 deadline having previously been pushed back and targets being missed, this promise showcases a much-needed push to enhance zero-emission driving opportunities and improve the experience of existing EV drivers.”

Electric vehicles play a crucial role in decarbonising the transport sector— the largest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG), producing around 26% of the UK’s total emissions.

A widespread shift to EVs promises substantial improvements from an environmental perspective. Experts say air quality in urban areas could improve significantly as EVs produce no tailpipe emissions, reducing pollutants that are dangerous to public health.

Robert continues: “There are concerns regarding EV battery production, which is responsible for higher initial emissions compared to a standard gasoline vehicle. Over a third of the lifetime CO2 emissions from an electric car stem from the energy employed to manufacture the car itself.

“Nevertheless, as technology advances, we are seeing quick improvements thanks to more efficient production processes. And, electrical vehicles’ operational emissions are much lower over their lifecycle on account of their reliance on electricity rather than fossil fuels. Research has shown that the carbon emissions of an electric vehicle are 17-30% lower than those of a petrol or diesel car, even with electricity generation.

“In turn, as the proportion of renewable energy in the electricity grid increases, the emissions associated with generating electricity for EVs decrease – which is why a holistic transition to renewable energy is necessary, creating a synergy between the two.

“And ultimately, this goes hand in hand with decreasing the UK’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, which will reduce damage to the climate, enhance energy security and support the UK’s renewable energy industry, driving economic growth.”

About adi Vehicle Charging Solutions

adi Vehicle Charging Solutions provides consultation, design, installation, maintenance and network management of electric vehicle charging point infrastructures, helping build the UK EV infrastructure with the right solutions. To learn more about our services, please visit: https://www.adiltd.co.uk/divisions/adi-vehicle-charging-solutions

Security

Taylor Swift terror threat means UK venue owners must review security, says security expert 

Defuse Global CEO Philip Grindell, a former security coordinator for Royal and Government events, offers in-depth advice on how to prevent terror attacks

VENUE Owners must act quickly to protect audiences following the thwarting of a planned Islamist terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Austria, according to a leading security coordinator.

Philip Grindell, CEO of security consultancy Defuse Global, said the news should prompt venue owners in the UK to review security plans before new statutory compliance rules come into force.

A draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, announced in the King’s Speech last month, will impose requirements to increase preparedness for terrorist attacks and take proportionate steps, depending on the capacity of the venue.

But Mr Grindell says venues need to start planning now, and well ahead of the new rules coming into force to ensure that they have a single point of contact to co-ordinate a prevention and response plan.

He said: “Event security has been a significant topic since the announcement of  the proposed Terrorism (Protection of premises) Bill, which is also known as Martyn’s Law, since the Manchester Arena attack on 22 May 2017 following a concert by pop singer Ariana Grande.

“However, despite the attack occurring seven years ago, there is still a great deal that can be improved on.

“Intelligence appears to have foiled a planned attack on Taylor Swift fans in Austria, though recent ISIS-linked attacks or disrupted plots since October last year have revealed that of 58 suspects identified, 38 were aged between 13 and 19, and the trend suggests that stadium concerts are high on the ISIS target list.

“A second concern is the apparent planning that has precedded this planned attack, with a stockpile of chemicals, explosive devices, detonators and 21,000 euros in counterfeit cash at the home of the main suspect, and with another of the detained attackers having secured employment at the venue.

“The uncovering of the plot means that event planners and venues, rather than waiting for the Martyn’s Law to be a requirement, need to move smartly to improve their security awareness.

“Any security plan is layered and can be visualised as an onion. The plan starts from the inside and works outwards, ensuring that all elements of vulnerability are identified, assessed, and managed. A failure to do this resulted in the recent attack on the event attended by former US President Donald trump.

“One solution is to have a single point of contact to co-ordinate all the various elements into one plan. With events in the UK involving members of the Royal Family, Government officials and high-profile military events, this role is conducted by a counter-terrorist security co-ordinator. Where an artist, such as Taylor Swift (who would be referred to as ‘The Principal’) is involved, this security plan will include their personal security team.

“The security plan should be mindful that an attack may be directed at The Principal or at crowded spaces, and as such the plan must mitigate both threats.

“The plan should review such elements as the due diligence of new employees, or employees who had recently or suddenly left, any persons known to be fixated on The Principal, and should include a recent intelligence brief on the venue, the people involved, and current affairs that may impact the threat assessment.

“All persons to be employed at the event must be identified, assessed and equipped with photographic identification that cannot easily be reproduced. It is advisable that the ID is retained by the venue and issued as an employee arrives on duty.

“The venue should be subject to a professional search to include fingertip, explosive dogs and other explosive detection features.

“Everyone entering the venue, including suppliers, should be subjected to a search. This ensures that nothing of concern, such as weapons or other implements that might be improvised is brought in.

“An external security plan should include high visibility, vigilant officers. These officers should patrol the designated area, identifying anything or concern which can be reported back to the control room and investigated, and provide reassurance to the attendees and the community and help with issues such as crowd control and bag searches.

“A counter-reconnaissance team should be deployed to identify anyone who might be displaying behaviours of concern. These individuals can then either be followed, spoken with, or brought to the attention of law enforcement.

“The outer security cordon should then identify and mitigate any further appropriate vulnerabilities. In the case of former President Trump, that should have included a counter sniper-element which would have ensured that any possible positions a sniper might operate from were searched and secured.

“Where crowds of attendees are likely, a hostile vehicle mitigation plan must be considered. This puts a protective barrier around the identified area, protecting the venue, the people and any infrastructure. This will prevent a vehicle being used to crash into people causing harm and panic as well as delivering a vehicle borne explosive device.

“Further reassurance can be delivered when issuing the tickets, advising attendees not to bring bags, informing them of an external bag drop area a short distance away from the venue, as well as clear signage directing attendees to the emergency aid points, evacuation points and informing them of the additional security patrols.

“A positive security communications plan can be distributed to local residents and the media, highlighting the planned event and the possible disruption. This can have an additional benefit of providing a deterrent to any planned attackers.

“The critical factor in this plan is to employ an independent experienced security professional to coordinate the plan. This eliminates any concerns of bias or internal commercial pressures from the plan and ensures that it is designed to protect all parties involved.”

Appointments, Employee Experience, HR, HR News, News

de Novo Solutions Announces Tom Mann as new Chief Experience Officer (CXO)

LANGSTONE, South Wales — 14 August 2024 — de Novo Solutions, the multi-award-winning Welsh technology company, specialising in delivering personalised data-driven digital experiences across Finance, Procurement, HR, and Payroll functions using Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow, is delighted to announce the promotion of Tom Mann to the role of Chief Experience Officer (CXO).

Tom Mann, who joined de Novo Solutions as Senior Vice President of Client Services in December 2023, has been instrumental in enhancing client satisfaction and driving operational excellence, making an immediate impact on the organisation as it scales. With over three decades of experience in enterprise software and programme management, including his previous roles as Delivery Director at Guidewire Software and Vice President of Client Services at Certus Solutions, Tom has a proven track record in global business transformation and client service excellence.

Tom’s new role as Chief Experience Officer and Board Advisor will significantly enhance the value and impact of de Novo Solutions’ services, both internally and for its clients as the organisation continues to scale. His responsibilities will include:

  • Elevating Client Experience – Refining and expanding de Novo’s Value as a Service™ (VaaS™) offering to ensure it continues to set industry standards for excellence. With board-level oversight of the core customer experience functions, Tom will drive innovations that make every client interaction more intuitive, effective, and satisfying, reinforcing de Novo Solutions’ reputation as a leader in digital transformation
  • Strengthening Global Strategy – Expanding the company’s overseas capabilities, particularly in India to allow the company to scale at pace and meet client demand as it brings more skilled capability online, thereby enhancing global service delivery and client satisfaction
  • Driving Business Impact – Maturing performance metrics such as NPS (Net Promoter Score), CSAT (Customer Satisfaction), and employee engagement, linking experience improvements to tangible business outcomes, aligning client satisfaction with revenue and profitability growth, and demonstrating the direct impact of superior customer and employee experiences on overall business success

Tom’s appointment represents a transformative shift for de Novo Solutions, signifying a strengthened commitment to not only delivering cutting-edge technology solutions but also enhancing the overall client experience. With Tom’s strategic vision, clients can expect an elevated level of service that is both responsive and proactive, driving greater satisfaction and value.

Tom Mann, new Chief Experience Officer of de Novo Solutions, said: “I am thrilled to step into the role of Chief Experience Officer and continue to build on the great work we’ve done so far. My focus will be on ensuring that our VaaS™ offering continues to exceed client expectations and that our India subsidiary thrives as a key player in our global strategy. It’s an exciting opportunity to further elevate our client experience and deliver tangible impactful results, driving home our mantra of delivery excellence.”

Mark Sweeny, Founder and Chief Executive of de Novo Solutions, commented: “Tom’s promotion to Chief Experience Officer is a testament to his exceptional leadership and vision. His extensive experience and strategic insight, which we have seen firsthand since his appointment as Senior Vice President of Client Services, will be instrumental as we continue to innovate and expand our offerings globally. With Tom on board, our clients can expect an even higher standard of service and a more dynamic approach to meeting their evolving needs.”

Headquartered in Langstone, South Wales, de Novo Solutions is at the forefront of digital transformation innovation in the experience economy, having successfully developed and introduced a range of new solutions to the market since its official launch in 2021, including its industry cloud solutions, ‘Odyssea™’ and its next generation managed services offering, ‘Value as a Service™ [VaaS™]’ for Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow applications.

For more information, visit: https://www.de-novo-solutions.com

Awards, News, SaaS, Software, Technology

Culture15 receives Good Business Charter accreditation

Culture15, a global SaaS company specialising in company culture measurement and management, has been awarded the Good Business Charter (GBC) – an accolade that underscores its commitment to responsible business practices.

Founded in 2015, Culture15 is designed to prioritise workplace culture by leveraging analysis, technology and data. The platform converts core business behaviours into quantifiable metrics, providing client organisations with clear insights into their cultural weaknesses and strengths.

Established in 2019, the Good Business Charter is an accreditation which recognises organisations that promote responsible business practices. Highly respected and prestigious, the Good Business Charter measures behaviours across ten key principles – including real living wage, fairer hours and contracts, employee wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion, environmental responsibility, fair tax practices, commitment to customers, ethical sourcing and prompt payment to suppliers.

Speaking about this latest achievement, Culture15’s Founder and CEO, Charlie Coode, said, “We are so happy to receive this recognition, which reinforces our commitment to transparency, responsible decision making and strong ethics. The Good Business Charter is a huge step for Culture15 and affirms our dedication to leading businesses towards ethical leadership and inclusive cultures by modelling these behaviours ourselves”.

This latest recognition follows a period of significant growth for Culture15, which is currently expanding its platform to include pioneering AI. What’s more, Culture15 has been shortlisted for several prestigious awards in 2024, including the SaaS Awards and the Global Digital Excellence Awards – a testament to its continued successes.

“As Culture15 continues to evolve, the GBC accreditation serves as a pledge to maintain focus on fostering a workplace culture that we are proud of and to driving impactful change in the business world”, says Culture15’s Marketing Manager, Hannah Cooper.

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About Culture15 

Culture15 enables users to effectively measure and manage culture.

Launched in 2015, Culture15 is an innovative SaaS platform that provides organisations with a rigorous platform to measure and manage culture, and has since helped more than 50 organisations, across 65 countries, put culture at the heart of business performance through the power of technology and data.

Inspired by decades of real-world culture change experience, Culture15 provides users with actionable, accurate insights that allow organisations to diagnose the culture they have, define the culture they want and then close The Culture Gap® through clear strategy and direction.

Already utilised by leading brands such as BMJ Group, Concurrent Technologies, London Energy and Sprout Social to name a few.

Culture15 is fast becoming the ‘go-to’ tool for cultural measurement.

For more information, visit: https://culture15.com/

Coaching, Coaching and Mentoring, Leadership, News

Developing First-Time Managers: Keys to Success

LONDON, 7th August 2024 – Becoming a manager for the first time is an exciting career milestone, but it also brings many new challenges. First-time managers must quickly learn how to lead others, delegate responsibilities, provide useful feedback, and manage team dynamics – skills that aren’t always natural for those newly promoted.

To set up new managers for success, organisations should invest in quality training and ongoing support. Experts at global digital coaching platform, CoachHub,  share some of the best practices for developing confident, capable first-time managers:

Provide formal management training

Organisations should enroll their new managers in fundamental training. This should cover key competencies such as communication, conflict resolution, goal setting and performance management. A blended approach incorporating instructor-led classes, e-learning courses, and additional resources can provide a solid skills foundation.

“Leadership coaching can serve as a guiding light, aiding new managers in recognising their inherent leadership strengths and cultivating a clear vision of the type of leader they aspire to become. This process not only facilitates a smoother transition for the manager but also for their team.” said Sarah Henson, Senior Behavioural scientist at CoachHub.

Offer continuous learning opportunities

Provide new managers with access to ongoing leadership development resources like workshops, coaching programmes or mentoring. Continuously developing their skills will benefit them and their teams.

Thrust into unfamiliar territory, many freshly appointed managers often find themselves relying on their personal experiences, attempting to copy the communication and leadership approaches of their previous managers.

But the learning can’t stop after the initial onboarding. “Management development should be an ongoing process with continuous learning opportunities. Most important, is to provide a safe space to reflect upon and learn from both the successes and the mistakes so that they can develop their skills and confidence,” said Sarah Henson

Define expectations and monitor progress

Set clear performance goals and expectations for new managers during their first year. Frequently check in on their progress, provide constructive feedback, and identify any areas where they need extra coaching or support to improve.

“You can’t just set expectations and let them figure it out alone.” added Rae Chowdhury, Regional Director UK&I and Middle East “Goal setting is especially important because it provides direction. Without clearly defined expectations, new managers can struggle to prioritise and focus their efforts in the right areas.”

Coach the coach

Another simple yet effective way to support first-time leaders is to ‘coach the coach’ and provide feedback on their coaching ability. This allows for continuous improvement of the digital coaching platform, ensuring it delivers specific, actionable feedback on key leadership skills.

“By regularly assessing and refining digital coaching, organisations can ensure that first-time leaders receive the most relevant and impactful guidance,” explains Rae Chowdury  “This process of ‘coaching the coach’ allows organisations to stay ahead of evolving leadership challenges and provide cutting-edge support to new managers.”

Celebrate quick wins

Transitioning to a management role can be stressful and fraught with challenges at first. Recognise the new manager’s small wins and successes along the way to stay motivated, engaged, and confident in their abilities.

Frequent celebration of small milestones also helps combat feelings of burnout, imposter syndrome, and disengagement that can creep in when new managers face a difficult learning curve. Staying motivated and engaged is key, as disillusionment early on can severely hinder their long-term potential as a leader.

“By fostering an environment that consistently highlights progress and achievements, organisations make the transition feel more manageable and reinforce the behaviour and mindsets they want to see in their management staff.” said Chowdhury

With the right training framework and support system in place, organisations can successfully guide their talent in becoming effective first-time people managers who go on to develop highly engaged, productive teams.

Business, Flexible Working, Hybrid Working, News

Hybrid Work Revolution: 72% of Business Leaders Back Flexible Future

Speakers Corner survey reveals key insights on work-life balance and productivity in UK businesses

(London, United Kingdom), Tuesday 13th August 2024: A recent survey of UK business owners and directors has uncovered significant trends in workplace productivity and employee well-being, with a strong focus on work-life balance and hybrid working models. The findings emphasise the growing importance of work-life balance and flexible working arrangements in today’s business environment, with 72%[1] of business leaders surveyed recognising the benefits of hybrid work models. Furthermore, the statistics surprisingly show a consistency of opinion across different age groups of business owners and directors.

The nationwide survey, commissioned by Speakers Corner, drew responses from 500 business owners and directors with at least 20% equity, for companies with at least 100 employees. Key findings include:

Hybrid Work Models Support Work-Life Balance

  • 72%1 of surveyed business leaders agree that a hybrid workstyle offers employees greater work-life balance.
  • 38% strongly agree with this statement, while only 5% disagree[2].

 

Age-Related Perspectives on Work-Life Balance

  • 57% of business leaders surveyed aged 45-54 and 59% of those aged 18-24 prioritise work-life balance and employee well-being.
  • Slightly fewer (53%) of those aged 25-34 share this focus.

 

Underutilised Strategies for Productivity Improvement

  • Less than 30% of business leaders surveyed consider the following strategies to enhance workplace productivity:
    • Reducing employee turnover (28%)
    • Adapting to neurodivergent individuals’ needs (27%)
    • Streamlining decision-making processes (26%)
    • Exploring outsourcing opportunities (26%)

 

Gender Differences in Promoting Work-Life Balance

  • 59% of female business leaders surveyed encourage work-life balance and employee well-being to boost productivity.
  • In comparison, 51% of male business leaders surveyed adopt this approach.

 

Nick Gold, Managing Director, Speakers Corner, said; “Whether we like it or not, it’s evident that hybrid work models are here to stay. What’s particularly interesting is that our survey findings highlight the consistency of opinion across different age groups of business owners and directors. Whether you’re looking at Gen-Z leaders in their early 20s or Gen-X leaders in their 50s, there’s a shared understanding of the importance of work-life balance. Ultimately, this generational alignment suggests that flexible working arrangements are becoming a universal expectation in the modern workplace, transcending age barriers.”

The survey also revealed potential areas for improvement in addressing employee needs and optimising workplace productivity, such as reducing employee turnover and boosting inclusivity. These low percentages (all under 30%) suggest that many business leaders may be overlooking these strategies as ways to improve productivity and address employee needs.

“So why is this important? If leadership teams look at how they can address employee needs this will go some way towards retaining valuable employees longer, shaping a welcoming and productive environment for all employees, improving decision-making processes, and accommodating diverse working styles.

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References

[1] ‘Somewhat agree’ and ‘Strongly agree’ answers combined.

[2] ‘Somewhat disagree’ and ‘Strongly disagree’ answers combined.

Sport

Luke Littler might not stick around long enough to become greatest ever player, claims former darts world champion

Former World Darts Champion Keith Deller has revealed why he doesn’t believe Luke Littler will go on to become the game’s greatest player.

 

Deller – nicknamed the Milky Bar Kid – says the teenage sensation is unlikely to stick around long enough to win the number of titles required to enter the history books as the best-ever.

 

Speaking last week at the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship to growth partner Champions (UK) plc, he said: “Luke’s a brilliant player. But I don’t think he will be around long enough to be the best. He’s going to earn so much money that he might say in five years’ time I’ve got £15m and I’m not that bothered.”

 

Offering his advice to the teenager from Warrington, Deller continued: “My only concern for him is that he has got to make sure he has good people around him. When you start with millions in the bank you can almost have too much money . So I hope he gets looked after. My advice would to Luke would be  to just‘ be sensible’. If he does, and he’s well looked after, he will have a fantastic life and a life that most people can only dream of.”

 

Meanwhile Deller, who earned his nickname after drinking milk following his 1983 world title win, also explained why it’s easier for the current crop of players to hit nine-darters.

 

He said: “The treble twenty is now a fifth bigger than it was when we played. Now the wires go right into the board so it is a fifth bigger. If they were playing on our boards there wouldn’t be anywhere near as many nine darters because they’d hit wires and it’s a smaller target.”

 

Asked if he wished he’d come along now as a darts-player as it would see him benefit from what is a golden-era for the game, he added: “Darts is massive now, yes. Arenas are sold out. VIPs are already sold out.

 

“But I’ve absolutely no regrets. When I won the world title, the average wage was £60 a week.  I bought a house in London with a swimming pool. Since then I’ve travelled the world. I’ve got a fantastic life and I’m still playing shows. Plus, I’m still playing well. I am still up there playing really good darts, and long may that continue!”

Technology

EQT Completes Acquisition of WSO2

With the acquisition complete and a new board in place, WSO2 is well-positioned to accelerate the company’s business and market growth worldwide

London, UK. 13th August 2024 – WSO2, a leading global provider of digital transformation technologies, said today that its acquisition by EQT, first announced on 3rd May, 2024, has been completed. EQT will support WSO2’s next phase of accelerated growth and innovation by drawing on EQT’s deep experience in the software space, global network of industry experts, and dedicated digital value-creation team. 

Since its inception in 2005, WSO2 has been at the forefront of building innovative software that allows organisations to deliver digital experiences seamlessly. Today, WSO2’s platform offers a complete set of market-leading solutions across integration, API management, identity & access management (IAM) and application development. Thousands of organisations, including hundreds of the world’s largest corporations, top universities, and governments, rely on WSO2’s cloud-native software as a service (SaaS) and open-source offerings to drive their digital initiatives — executing 60 trillion transactions and managing over 1 billion identities each year. 

WSO2 now joins EQT’s extensive global portfolio of enterprise software companies, which includes firms such as Virtusa, Billtrust, IFS, SUSE, Storable, thinkproject, and Waystar. 

New WSO2 Board Positions WSO2 for Accelerated Growth 

With the acquisition, a new board of directors has been formed to spearhead the next stage of WSO2’s growth. Leading the board as chair is Jonas Persson, who formerly served as CEO of Microsoft Sweden and has been the chairperson for several portfolio companies like Suse, Acumatica, IFS and Sitecore. He is joined by Hari Gopalakrishnan, a partner in the EQT Private Capital Asia advisory team and Global co-head of EQT’s services sector team, and Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana, who founded WSO2 and will continue his role as CEO. 

“WSO2 is a strong enterprise software company that has delivered a proven track record of innovation and scaled to address the digital transformation demands of enterprises worldwide,” said Jonas Persson, WSO2 board chair. “I am excited to partner with WSO2’s management team in building on this momentum to accelerate the company’s growth and global adoption.” 

“We are excited to collaborate with Jonas, Hari and the EQT team in accelerating our innovation agenda, expanding our global footprint, and empowering enterprises to thrive in the digital economy,” said Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana, WSO2 founder and CEO. “With EQT’s support and the deep expertise of our new board members, we are well-positioned for this next stage of WSO2’s evolution.” 

About EQT 

EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organisation with EUR 246 billion in total assets under management (EUR 133 billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership. For more information visit www.eqt.group.com and follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram. 

About WSO2 

Founded in 2005, WSO2 is the largest independent software provider of open-source API management, integration, and identity and access management (IAM) products. WSO2’s products and platforms—including our next-gen internal developer platform, Choreo—empower organisations to leverage the full potential of APIs for secure delivery of digital services and applications, enabling thousands of enterprises in over 90 countries globally to drive their digital transformation journeys. Our open-source, API-first approach frees developers and architects from vendor lock-in, enabling rapid digital product creation. Recognised as leaders by industry analysts, WSO2 has over 800 employees worldwide with offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US, with nearly USD100M in annual recurring revenue. Visit https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).