Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 53 | Page 18

NEWS

Neos Networks delivers new dark fibre network for Jisc across Northern Ireland

new dark fibre network in Northern Ireland by Jisc – suppliers of a digital network and supporting services for the UK ’ s tertiary education and research sector .
The network will aid educational and research establishments by providing high-capacity fibre connectivity , capable of achieving speeds up to 100Gbps , between Jisc resources and data centres in the UK , Northern Ireland and key partner networks in Dublin . The contract was awarded to Neos following a competitive tender and represents another phase in the ongoing overhaul of Jisc ’ s Janet Network across 15 UK regions .
The Northern Ireland commission follows hot on the heels of Neos delivering a dark fibre network for Jisc across the north-west of England , which was announced in January 2022 . The two contracts form part of an ongoing review and upgrading of the Janet Network , designed to boost the capacity , speed and efficiency of its regional centres .

Neos Networks , one of the UK ’ s leading business connectivity providers , has announced that it has been chosen to supply a

The new gigabit-capable dark fibre network benefits from improved resilience thanks to two separate backup routes to mainland UK , via submarine cables to the company ’ s unbundled exchanges in Glasgow and Southport . Deployment of the new network is already underway as part of the initial seven-year contract .

Data literacy to be most in-demand skill by 2030

Just one-quarter of employees believe their employer is preparing them for a more data-oriented and automated workplace ( 25 %), according to new research from Qlik , a leader in data analytics . This is despite most business leaders predicting an upheaval in working practices due to the rapid onset of Artificial Intelligence ( AI ).

With 32 % of employees surveyed reporting they had changed jobs in the last 12 months because their employer wasn ’ t offering enough upskilling and training opportunities , there is a stark need to better upskill workforces to support the workplace transition that is already underway .
The report , Data Literacy : The Upskilling Evolution , was developed by Qlik , in partnership with The Future Labs , and combines insights from expert interviews with surveys from over 1,200 global C-level executives and 6,000 employees . The findings , which were largely consistent across all geographies surveyed , reveal how the rapid growth in data usage is extending enterprise aspirations for its potential and , in turn , transforming working practices . As organisations shift from passive data consumption towards a state of Active Intelligence , where continuous data becomes integrated into working practices to trigger immediate actions , the report predicts how this will impact skills requirements and professional opportunities .
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