TECHNOLOGIES,BUSINESS
DataStax | June 30, 2022
DataStax, the real-time data company, announced the general availability (GA) of Astra Streaming, an advanced, fully-managed messaging and event streaming service built on Apache Pulsar™. Now featuring built-in API-level support for Kafka, RabbitMQ and Java Message Service (JMS), Astra Streaming makes it easy for enterprises to get real-time value from all their data-in-motion.“Many enterprises are struggling with fragmented and complex streaming architectures, with most of their data-in-motion still siloed in legacy messaging and queuing middleware like JMS and RabbitMQ, said Chris Latimer, vice president of product management at DataStax. These valuable veins of data are impossible to harvest through Kafka. With the built-in support for Kafka, RabbitMQ and JMS, Astra Streaming makes it easy to unify all data-in-motion in a modern, multi-cloud streaming serviceAstra Streaming built on Apache Pulsar: advanced streaming for real-time apps
Astra Streaming is built on Pulsar, a next-generation streaming technology built for the requirements of today’s high-scale, real-time applications. Featuring streaming, queueing and pub/sub capabilities, Pulsar is also the only streaming technology with the event semantics to address all types of data-in-motion.
More modern than earlier technologies like Kafka, Pulsar is known for its performance and efficiency at scale, especially when data is geographically distributed. Recent research from GigaOm, A Report on the Cost Savings of Replacing Kafka with Pulsar,found that Pulsar has a 35% higher performance and up to an 81% lower 3-year cost than Kafka.
We’ve found that while organizations like the Kafka API, they are getting increasingly frustrated by its sprawling architecture and the high licensing costs required to make Kafka enterprise-ready. With Astra Streaming, any organization can now leverage their investment in Kafka and get the benefits of the superior performance, elastic scale and compelling economics of the Pulsar-based Astra Streaming—without rewriting their Kafka apps, Latimer continued.
“The Commonstock platform allows users to find and follow leading investors, learn from them and connect with friends to share verified investment insights. Similar to other social media networks like Facebook or Instagram, our business is powered by real-time data. Astra Streaming is a critical technology for our company as it powers our investment insights feed and gives users real-time mobile alerts when a new investment post or comment is shared - which is at the core of our business.”
-Michael Smith, founding engineer at Commonstock
Key capabilities of DataStax Astra Streaming include:
Mobilizes all data-in-motion An enterprise's data-in-motion encompasses all data in platforms that provide streaming, queuing and pub/sub capabilities, Astra Streaming can address all of these use cases at the scale enterprises and high growth apps need.
Modernizes event-driven architectures: Seamlessly leverage existing messaging/pub sub apps and turn them into streaming apps with a drop-in replacement; easily modernize Kafka applications with zero rewrites
Runs across an entire IT estate: multi-cloud + on prem: Supports a unified event fabric that stretches across an enterprise's data-in-motion spread across their entire data estate: on premises, in the cloud and at the edge.
Powers a real-time data ecosystem: Through a wide range of connectors, Astra Streaming is connected to an enterprise’s data ecosystem, enabling real-time data to flow instantly from data sources and applications to streaming analytics and machine learning systems. It’s also integrated with Astra DB, powering its CDC capabilities.
Astra Streaming + Astra DB = the open data stack for real-time apps
Astra Streaming is a core component of DataStax’s open data stack for real-time applications. With Astra Streaming, together with the Astra DB cloud database built on the massively scalable Apache Cassandra®, DataStax offers the only stack that unifies operational data-at-rest and streaming data-in-motion. With DataStax, enterprises can mobilize all enterprise data for real-time applications, build smarter applications faster, and scale without limits on any cloud.
Amy Machado, IDC Research Director, Streaming Data Pipeline, commented: "Because business happens in real time, continuously processing streams of data is imperative for enterprises to optimize decisions, actions and experiences. Streaming data can be a game changer for companies to make predictive business decisions and gain competitive advantages.”
DataStax delivers a unique cloud-native architecture that can manage both streaming data-in-motion and operational data-at-rest so enterprises can get value in real time from all of their data. DataStax Astra Streaming is powered by Apache Pulsar and has built-in support for Kafka, RabbitMQ and JMS, offering enterprises a wide set of capabilities within its single, unified platform, Machado continued.
About DataStax
DataStax is the real-time data company. With DataStax, any enterprise can mobilize real-time data and quickly build the smart, highly scalable applications required to be a data-driven business. With Astra DB and Astra Streaming, DataStax uniquely delivers the power of Apache Cassandra™—the world’s most scalable database—with the advanced Apache Pulsar™ streaming technology in an open data stack, available on any cloud. Hundreds of the world’s leading enterprises, including Verizon, Audi, ESL Gaming and many more rely on DataStax to unleash the power of real-time data to create the in-the-moment digital experiences that can win new markets and change industries. Learn more at DataStax.com.
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TECHNOLOGIES,SOLUTIONS
World Cinema, Inc. | June 28, 2022
World Cinema, Inc. (“WCI”), a leader in deploying and serving property technology for over forty years, announced it has entered an agreement to acquire Ohio-based Hospitality WiFi LLC, a global leader in delivering Internet Protocol-based wired and wireless networking experiences to the hospitality industry. The combination creates the most customer-centric, well-rounded, and qualified technology services partner for brands, owners, and managers in the institutional real estate industry.
Hospitality WiFi was formed over 21 years ago to satisfy the then-emerging need for hotels to add Wi-Fi connectivity to their guest experiences. Growing to over 2,800 properties on over 5 continents, they have been instrumental in satisfying the growing needs of guest connectivity.
The two companies share the commitment to delivering customer-centric solutions. The promise of both companies is to deliver every time, with no exceptions. The combination is a catalyst to deliver convergence of in-room entertainment, seamless wireless networking experiences, and transformative connected applications like digital signage, smart building, and common area video intelligence services. By maintaining cost leadership and high levels of customer satisfaction, this partnership can increase financial returns for clients by improving top-line occupancy and RevPAR and increasing income by adding operating efficiencies.
“A real attraction to Hospitality WiFi is the team and their attitude towards their customers. It’s the same culture that has allowed World Cinema to deliver substantial organic growth and success over the past four decades. This is the beginning of a powerful combination which will deliver benefits to our clients and create opportunities for the employees and loyal partners of each company. We are excited to build the future of property technology together.”
-Tommy Fatjo, President of World Cinema,
Jason Szuch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality WiFi, said, When I founded Hospitality WiFi in 2001, we had a vision to be the number one choice of hotel owners and brands. I’m so proud Hospitality WiFi is joining World Cinema, a company that is known for its long successful track record of delivering hospitality technology services to some of the largest properties and enterprises in the U.S. I’m looking forward to taking our customers to the next level with the combination of our two companies.
About World Cinema, Inc.
World Cinema, Inc. (WCI) is a trusted provider of video, advanced connectivity and professional services to properties and enterprises across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the US Virgin Islands. With a dedication to customer service, WCI is leading the way in delivering innovative technology solutions that enhance the resident, guest, and staff experience. From managed services to digital transformation, WCI is a single point of contact for all a property’s technology needs. Founded in 1974, WCI is a privately held company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company serves over 7,000 properties with nearly 900,000 rooms under management. For more information, visit www.wcitv.com
About Hospitality WiFi
Hospitality WiFi (HWF) has been providing guest WiFi and other services since 2001. With the goal of offering a better guest experience for hospitality properties, MDUs, restaurants, offices, and other locations on multiple continents, HWF designs, installs, and supports wired and wireless networks, including site surveys, equipment selection and purchase, installation, and ongoing maintenance and management. HWF’s expertise with converged networks enables simplified management and an improved customer experience, with services including:
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TECHNOLOGIES
Connexa | June 27, 2022
Connexa Sports Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: CNXA) (www.connexasports.com) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, PlaySight Interactive (www.playsight.com) is partnering with Prairie Trail Sports Complex (www.prairietrailsc.com), set to open Fall 2022 in Ankeny, Iowa. Prairie Trail SC is the newest multisport complex to bring PlaySight’s industry-standard live streaming and performance video platform to its facilities, including four basketball courts and four volleyball courts, joining industry leaders such as LakePoint Sports and IMG Academy who trust Connexa Sports for their sports video technology needs.
“We felt that PlaySight provided the best quality of stream amongst the companies we researched. We also felt the cost structure gave us the greatest control of how we offered it to our fans.” PlaySight recently announced an expanded partnership with IMG Academy and works with other similar facilities across the country that attract elite youth sports, both local and travel. Our goal is to provide an experience that will encourage parents and athletes to demand that their coaches and club directors participate in as many tournaments and activities at our facility as possible. Live streaming and game video archives are essential to that experience, and we feel that PlaySight is the right company for us.”
-David Lane, Owner and Program Director at Prairie Trail,opted to go with PlaySight over other sports video platforms on the market.
Driving a better playing, coaching and fan experience was key to the decision behind adding PlaySight for Prairie Trail. “Multiple camera angles, motion tracking technology, an on-demand video library of games, and an easy-to-follow dashboard will provide our athletes and fans with a great pre-game, in-game, and post-game experience,” continued Lane.
With youth sports and travel tourism coming back in a big way this summer, facilities are looking for ways to enhance the value offering to parents who attend in-person, and family members who want to follow along from home. “With parents having multiple kids in multiple sports and multiple venues on a weekend, having PlaySight at our facility provides parents the ability to be a part of everyone’s weeknight and weekend activities. Family and friends across the country can join in on the experience as well,” said Facility Director Brady Randall.
Through PlaySight, Connexa Sports provides the video technology and live streaming capabilities for many multi-sport facilities, collegiate athletic departments, and pro teams, leagues, federations, academies, and facilities all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of athletes, coaches and fans trust it daily for automated production live stream broadcasts, multi-angle video recording, performance analysis, content monetization and much more. Since inception in 2015, PlaySight’s technology has become the standard for high-quality sports video throughout the industry.
About Connexa Sports Technologies:
Connexa Sports a leading connected sports company delivering products, technologies, and services across the ‘Watch, Play, Learn’ commercial and subscription-as-a-service activities in sports. Digital disruption is restructuring how sports are enjoyed, consumed, and monetized, and Connexa Sports is well positioned to capitalize on this with its portfolio of brands: Slinger, PlaySight Interactive, Gameface.AI and Foundation Tennis.
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