IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
QuickNode | May 16, 2022
Today, QuickNode, the leading provider of managed blockchain infrastructure, is excited to announce its first acquisition: icy.tools, the leading NFT analytics platform and NFT API. Since the start of the NFT boom in 2021, icy.tools has provided consumers and investors with NFT analytics and market reporting to facilitate more technical analysis of NFT sales. They allow users to discover the latest trending projects being minted, transaction history and portfolio value, and alerting around the latest mints and wallets.
"We're thrilled about the capabilities that will open up to our customers as a result of this transaction," said Jackie De La Rosa, COO of QuickNode. "This is a natural fit for QuickNode because NFT integrations require sophisticated blockchain infrastructure behind the scenes," she continues.
With their expertise in NFT analytics, icy.tools has developed a powerful GraphQL API for developers to access NFT price data, traits/wallet data, and marketplace data from OpenSea, Genie, and Looks Rare, among others. QuickNode will integrate the icy.tools API directly into the existing QuickNode platform, providing even more capabilities to QuickNode NFT API customers. Together, QuickNode and icy.tools will unlock all the immediate needs of NFT developers including analytics, pricing data, and node infrastructure in a multichain environment including Ethereum, BSC, Solana, Polygon, and more through one seamless integration.
"We were already bullish on the power of QuickNode for developers but the acquisition of icy.tools puts QuickNode at the forefront of NFT development, creating an integrated web3 development and analytics platform." said Alexis Ohanian, founding and managing partner of 776, an early stage QuickNode investor.
As a result of the deal, the icy.tools analytics platform will stay separate while the API will eventually move into the QuickNode developer platform, allowing QuickNode customers immediate access to real-time NFT data on demand. To learn more, check out icy.tools analytics platform and QuickNode's NFT API. With a conviction in making blockchain technology more accessible and under a strong shared vision, icy.tools and Quicknode have officially joined in building the future of blockchain infrastructure, analytics, and developer tooling that will empower the next generation of web3 products and developers.
About QuickNode
Founded in 2017, QuickNode, is the web3 infrastructure provider with powerful developer tooling and a seamless suite of APIs for web3 businesses and developers. QuickNode believes the future of the Internet is private, trustless and censorship resistant. QuickNode enables blockchain ecosystems to scale, by providing robust core infrastructure, API and developer tools. In October 2021, QuickNode raised a $35M Series A funding led by Tiger Global with participation from Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, Soma Capital, Arrington XRP Capital, Crossbeam, and Anthony Pompliano.
About icy.tools
Founded in 2021, Icy Tools is a leading NFT analytics platform that indexes and enhances blockchain data to provide in depth market insights and developer tools. Icy Tools believes unlocking accessibility and usability to blockchain data is the key to enabling the next wave of web3 users and developers. As a first mover in the NFT insights and analytics space, Icy Tools is paving the way forward as a realization of that belief.
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IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
ENZU | June 15, 2022
ENZU, the "Born in the Cloud" provider of private cloud, infrastructure, and managed services and home of the TruCloud platform, is excited to announce the launch of its new ENZU EDGE portfolio to help clients quickly and affordably reach end-users in nearly any market around the world with high-performing and reliable cloud and infrastructure services!
ENZU EDGE is built on bare metal technology and is geared for workloads that require the use of an entire server, when a custom hypervisor is needed, and a high-performance experience is critical. Our TruCloud portal also provides complete insight, visibility, and control of the entire ENZU EDGE hardware platform.
ENZU's dedicated cloud solutions can replicate your data across multiple instances around the corner, or around the world, creating a high-performance, always-available, secure solution that delivers the best possible experience for end users no matter where they are.
"The Edge is where everything is happening. Companies are looking for ways to get their content and services closer to their end users in a secure and effective way while not sacrificing reliability or control. Many of today's applications and workflows don't achieve the performance expected. Much of that is based on where they live and how the services are configured. Our job is to help create an environment that enables optimum performance, high levels of security, multiple layers of redundancy, and at a price point that doesn't break the budget."
Art Schloerb, California-based EVP of Global Sales at ENZU
Don't need an Edge solution ? That's OK. ENZU also offers a Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) option that can be fully managed, co-managed, or even self-managed by the client and can include full access and control of each device through their TruCloud portal.
ENZU's Cloud solutions are all dedicated, optimized for the best performance, provisioned in a highly-redundant manner, have predictable and affordable flat rate pricing, and come with basic security services included as well as an Industry Leading 100% SLA (Service Level Agreement)!
ENZU offers other services such as Disaster Recovery (DRaaS), Backup and Storage, Advanced Security, and a portfolio of managed and professional services. All of which support critical environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives as well as technical and financial transformation within your business.
ABOUT ENZU
ENZU, home of the TruCloud® Platform, fuels growth and innovation for organizations by delivering expert capabilities in Bare-Metal, Edge Computing, Private and Hybrid Cloud Solutions, Disaster Recovery, and Security. The TruCloud® Platform is a user-friendly console that provides IT leaders visibility and control from any device, anywhere they are in the world, to scale business needs quickly, with multiple layers of security and redundancy built in. With a presence in more than 40 data centers globally and availability in over 300 more, ENZU provides services when and where you need them.
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HYPER-CONVERGED INFRASTRUCTURE
NetApp | May 18, 2022
NetApp® , a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, today announced the general availability of Spot PC, the managed cloud Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution — with security, automation, observability and optimization designed for the public cloud and for the needs of today’s remote and distributed working environments.
Available today, Spot PC provides Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and their customers with a cloud desktop solution optimized for security, privacy and infrastructure efficiency, with predictable pricing to reduce overall support burdens and allow existing staff to deliver and support many more desktops, increasing profitability.
With the rapid acceleration of hybrid work environments, organizations have been compelled to evolve their IT infrastructure to support remote work environments, building distributed teams, and enabling hybrid offices while navigating supply chain issues and cyber security threats.
But the most common solutions available to deliver remote desktops, based on traditional virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) were never designed for the public cloud and therefore require significant effort for administration, management and troubleshooting. As a result, today’s remote desktop offerings come with significant operations burdens, can be time consuming and complex to set up, migrate to, and manage, and are expensive to deploy and operate.
“Service providers and enterprises today require the right tools and solutions that are built for the cloud for optimal efficiency of their resources. With Spot PC, we’re equipping MSPs and enterprises to bring differentiated, profitable cloud desktop solutions to market to meet growing demand from their customers and enabling them to deliver flexible, secure and fit-for-purpose remote work experiences to a variety of users across multiple locations and regions.”
Anthony Lye, Executive Vice President of Public Cloud Services at NetApp
Spot PC delivers a comprehensive as-a-service solution to these challenges, enabling MSPs and enterprises to provide secure, reliable, and fully optimized cloud desktops to support a broad range of needs.
Spot PC provides MSPs and enterprises with the ability to:
Deliver cloud desktops with speed, flexibility and agility across multiple locations and regions to support a wide range of tasks for knowledge and technical computing users
Ensure that cloud desktop environments meet security, availability and performance requirements without overburdening IT staff
Provide predictable cost structure using patent-pending AI and machine learning automated optimization
“We are really excited for Spot PC and the benefits and automation it will provide us and our clients,” said Derek Anderson, President at Biztek Solutions. “We see Spot PC as the go to solution for secure, cloud hosted desktops that will enable businesses to adopt remote and hybrid work environments that easily scale with their business.”
“Working with NetApp has meant that Cloud PC as a Service has become an exciting prospect for our clients to enjoy Spot PC, combined with complete support for the virtual desktop and the office suite that our clients use,” said Peter Beglan, CEO at Cloud PC Ltd & HyCloud Ltd. “We are so confident that this combined virtual desktop solution will be eagerly received in the UK that we have already made plans to start offering Cloud PC as a Service within the European marketplace.”
Spot PC is available today, direct from NetApp for enterprises and service providers with a fixed pricing structure per user per month.
About NetApp
NetApp is a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere.
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APPLICATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Thayer Infrastructure Services, LLC. | June 01, 2022
Thayer Infrastructure Services, LLC (“TIS”), a premier infrastructure services provider in the power, fiber, and wireless communications construction industries, today announced the completed acquisition of J. Lee Associates, Inc. (“J. Lee”), a wireless communications construction company, that has been providing a range of services for the wireless industry in the New England area for almost twenty years. Terms of the J. Lee Associates, Inc. transaction were not disclosed.
J. Lee will operate as a part of American Cell Enterprises, LLC (“American Cell Enterprises”), one of three TIS operating companies. Beginning with its acquisition of LeCom Utility Contractors, this is the fourth such acquisition made by TIS in the last year and further builds out the TIS platform of operating companies. Tim Luden, CEO of American Cell Enterprises, and J. Lee President James Van Sicklin will continue to oversee the J. Lee operations.
“I am very excited to be working with Jim and his team. J. Lee brings new capabilities to ACE with a new geography. This will give us another great opportunity to expand the ACE footprint.,” said American Cell Enterprises CEO, Tim Luden.
James Van Sicklin, President of J. Lee added, “We are excited to be joining forces with the TIS Group family of companies as part of American Cell Enterprises. This presents us with a unique opportunity to grow, provide an opportunity for our employees, and expand our ability to service our customers.”
“As our fourth acquisition, J. Lee Associates, Inc. will serve as a key building block in the services we provide to our customers in the wireless communications industry. “Jim and his leadership team are a very welcome addition to our expanding capabilities. This partnership represents another strong piece of our ability to provide a breadth of power, fiber, and wireless communications services to customers across our growing service area.”
Rudy Esteves, CEO of TIS
J. Lee represents yet another key piece of growth for the TIS family of companies, as its team continues to entertain interest in acquiring new partners who support the power utility, fiber deployment, and wireless communications industries.
About J. Lee Associates, Inc.
Located in Marlborough, MA, J. Lee, a Veteran-owned company, was formed in 2003 to provide network development consulting and contracting services to the wireless industry. J. Lee’s proven and successful delivery of professional consulting services as well as general contracting services allows it the ability to provide a single service, or a comprehensive end-to-end solution, depending upon customer needs. J. Lee is staffed with local, experienced full-time professionals and are organized into two distinct service offerings, Professional Services and Field Operations.
About Thayer Infrastructure Services, LLC.
Thayer Infrastructure Services Group consists of Thayer Power & Communication, LLC; LeCom Utility Contractors, Inc.; and American Cell Enterprises, LLC. All three operating companies are leading providers of mission-critical infrastructure repair, maintenance, upgrade and construction services for the electrical utility, wireline and wireless communications industries. American Cell Enterprises is the TIS group operating company dedicated to providing the full range of turnkey wireless infrastructure solutions. The TIS family of companies has a deep understanding and strong track record of delivering exceptional day-to-day safety, quality, and service. Acquired by private equity firm Calera Capital in 2020, the Company is based in Warren, Michigan, and offers its services across a large regional area including the Central Midwestern, Northeastern, and the Southeastern United States.
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