Author: Techtime

Iguaz.io Raised $15 Million to fund a Disrupt Big Data Storage

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The company works in stealth mode and develops “innovative data management and storage solutions for Big Data, IoT and cloud applications”

Asaf Somekh, co-founder and CEO
Asaf Somekh, co-founder and CEO

The secretive startup from Herzlya, Israel, Iguaz.io, today announced a $15 million Series A funding round. Led by Magma Venture Partners, the funding includes additional investments from JVP and large strategic investors. The company works in stealth mode and gives very little information about its product. It discloses only that it develops “innovative data management and storage solutions for Big Data, IoT and cloud applications.”

The iguaz.io founding team is comprised of a group of former executives from successful technology companies such as XtremIO (acquired by EMC), XIV (acquired by IBM), Mellanox, Voltaire (acquired by Mellanox) and Radvision (acquired by Avaya).

Iguaz.io plans to use the funding to expand its team of experts in the spaces of Big Data, storage, security and networking. According to IDC, the market for Big Data will surpass $41 billion by 2018, growing six times faster than the overall IT market.

“Enterprise customers have been sharing their pain points and challenges with us as they try to adopt Big Data and predictive analytics for their business,” said Asaf Somekh, co-founder and CEO of iguaz.io. “We designed our solution from the ground up to address these challenges.”

Yaron Haviv, co-founder and CTO of the company, said that the IT industry is undergoing major shifts with the spread of cloud and new data consumption requirements. “We’re leveraging state-of-the-art hardware with our novel software architecture enabling customers to take a leap forward in their data-driven businesses.”

NATO tested Elbit’s DIRCM Missile Defense System on board Airbus C295

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Elbit said that MUSIC/DIRCM systems have been successfully tested by various countries and are in full scale production for numerous customers around the world

Defense in action. Right: Image of target from the missile's point of view. Left: the missile wad blinded by DIRCM
Defense in action. Right: Image of target (Airbus C295 aircraft) from the missile’s point of view. Left: the missile was blinded by DIRCM

NATO completed a series of trials to validate the capabilities of Elbit’s solution for the protection of aerial platforms against infra- red, ground to air heat seeking Man-Portable Missiles. Elbit Systems announced today that its MUSIC family of Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) systems, integrated with Passive Airborne Warning System (PAWS) IR based missile warning system, were successfully demonstrated on an Airbus C295 aircraft.  

The demonstration took place in October 2015, during flight test at the NAFAG ACG3 SG/2 EMBOW 15 Trials, at the Bundeswehr WTD91 test site in Meppen, Germany. During the tests, conducted by a NATO team, a C295 aircraft with an operationally installed Elbit EW self-protection suite, consisting of the DIRCM system and the PAWS, demonstrated the capability to detect, acquire, track and jam the trial test equipment on the ground.

The initial assessment of the results highlighted that the system has the capability to successfully jam MANPADS (infra- red, ground to air heat seeking Man-Portable Missiles) from the first, second and third generation, using generic NATO jam codes. The demonstration was a joint project of Elbit Systems and Airbus Defence & Space (Spain).

Elbit's DIRCM system protecting civilian El-Al aircraft
Elbit’s DIRCM system protecting civilian El-Al aircraft

It was supported by the Israeli MoD, the Spanish Air Force and NAFAG ACG3 SG/2 (NATO Air Forces Armaments Group, Air Capability Group 3, Sub Group 2), which is the NATO group responsible for the development and validation of air platform protection solutions.

MUSIC family of DIRCM systems provides protection for aircraft from MANPADS. These systems integrate a fiber laser technology together with a high rate thermal tracking camera and a small, dynamic mirror turret to provide effective and affordable protection to all types of aircraft under all operational conditions.

The PAWS missile warning systems uses IR to detect the most advanced threats in all flight conditions. The PAWS family is in use and under contract with more than 10 customers worldwide, in a large variety of platforms, including jet fighters, and other fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

Elbit said that MUSIC/DIRCM systems have been successfully tested by various countries and are in full scale production for customers around the world, including Germany, Italy, Brazil Israel and others. They are operational on military, VIP and commercial helicopters and other fixed-wing aircraft.

Elbit Systems is currently under contract to supply more than 110 DIRCM systems to over ten customers, for installation on 20 different fixed and rotary-wing platform types.

Spacecom lost contact with Amos-5 communications satellite

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The nature of the failure is yet unclear. Spacecom said that a $221 million insurance policy protects its financial balance from future business damages in case of total loss

Amos-5 artist impression
Amos-5 artist impression

A mystery in space: Four years after the launch, Spacecom lost communication with its Amos-5 communications satellite. Yesterday evening the company reported that satellite stopped providing communication services to its clients.

The nature of the failure is yet unclear, although the company take into account the the satellite is lost. During the public announcement to its investors, Spacecom said that a $221 million insurance policy protects its financial balance from future business damages in case of total loss.

Amos-5 satellite was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in December 2011, after several delays related to technical malfunctions.  A major fault was discovered in July 2011, and as a sesult the launching date was postponed by 2 months. The company did not disclose more information about this failure.

Amos-5 launching
Amos-5 launching

After the launch, in May 2012, the satellite’s prime power supply system performance fell gradually until the operators shut it down completely and started up the backup secondary power supply system. Four months later, a fault was detected in the power supply system number two. This power supply operates the satellite’s engines, that keeps it orientation and stable position in orbit.

Unlike the other Amos-series communication satellites, Amos-5 was not built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), but rather by the Russian ISS-Reshetnev company, owned by the Russian government. Techtime has learned that the Russian government helped ISS to win the competition, in order to enter the modern 15 years service communications satellites market.

This help included approximately $50 million subsidies, secured place in a government launcher and even a dedicated orbital point, reserved for Russia by the ITU. Interestingly, following this win, IAI has threatened that in case it fail to win Amos-6 competition, it will close down its production line for geo-synchronous satellites (GEO).

This drove the State of Israel to secure financial help, resulted in IAI win for Amos-6 development and production.

Digi-Key and Accelerated Designs to Provide Symbols for 7.2M Components

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Included in the offering is Ultra Librarian symbol and footprint library management software that is compatible with nearly all EDA tools

DGK-AD

The online global distributor of electronics components, Digi-Key Electronics, announced an exclusive, global agreement to distribute software and design data from Accelerated Designs.  Accelerated Designs provides EDA-tool-neutral software and data of new parts when designing circuits and printed circuit boards.

It’s flagship product is Ultra Librarian, which is used to create and export symbols and footprints in a format that is compatible with nearly any EDA tool depending on one’s license.  This enables to maintain a central repository of common components or approved parts lists/libraries (APLs) and allow engineers to use nearly any EDA tool they want fortheir design.

“Digi-Key is extremely pleased to sign Accelerated Designs as a supplier. This means you can obtain libraries of symbols and footprints for hundreds of thousands Digi-Key’s parts, indexed with a Digi-Key part number, and compatible with your EDA tool,” said Randall Restle, Digi-Key Vice-President of Application Engineering. “Nearly all popular EDA tools are supported with Accelerated Designs.”

Ultra Librarian uses the concept of templates to create parts, which increases accuracy, speed, and consistency of part creation and allows global changes to be made to your library. It allows the user to build their component accurately one time and then export it to the CAD tool(s) of their choice. Additionally, Accelerated Designs provides a large library of components with 7.2 million parts.

“Accelerated Designs filled the gap that no one in the industry effectively addressed,” said Restle.  “Finally, engineers can get a symbol and footprint for a device without having to create them one by themselves. By virtue of working with Accelerated Designs to build libraries of symbols and footprints of their newest devices, Digi-Key will automatically distribute those design assets for them and on the web pages where they will be found.“

Digi-Key Electronics, based in Thief River Falls, Minn., is a global, full-service provider of both prototype/design and production quantities of electronic components, offering more than three million products from over 650 quality name-brand manufacturers. With over one million products in stock and a wide selection of online resources, Digi-Key plans to stock the broadest range of electronic components in the industry.

More information: http://www.digikey.com.

Towerjazz to buy Maxim Integrated’s Wafer Manufacturing Plant in Texas

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The $40 million shares agreement is expected to be finalized in January 2016.  TowrJazz will retain the site’s nearly 500 employees

Maxim's facility in San Antonio, Texas
Maxim’s facility in San Antonio, Texas

The specialty foundry TowerJazz (NASDAQ/TASE:TSEM) from Israel will pay $40 million in ordinary stocks to purchase Maxim’s (NASDAQ:MXIM) 8-inch fabrication facility in San Antonio, Texas.

This The proposed deal will expand TowerJazz’s worldwide anufacturing capacity by approximately 28,000 wafers per month. TowerJazz and Maxim expect to close the transaction in January 2016.

All of the site’s nearly 500 employees will be retained. The companies have also signed a long-term supply agreement for TowerJazz to manufacture products for Maxim in the San Antonio facility.

The facility can support the advanced analog platforms using geometries down to 130nm. TowerJazz plans to qualify its core specialty technologies, including advanced Radio-Frequency Silicon-on-Insulator (RF-SOI).

TowerJazz sales in the last decade
TowerJazz sales in the last decade

“We know Maxim very well, having been their supplier for a family of high-end SiGe based products for many years. During this period we have developed an appreciation for Maxim’s technical capabilities, business vision and corporate culture,” said Russell Ellwanger, TowerJazz’s Chief Executive Officer.

TowerJazz current production capacity includes two manufacturing facilities in Israel (150mm and 200mm), one in the U.S. (200mm) and three additional facilities in Japan (two 200mm and one 300mm) through TowerJazz Panasonic Semiconductor (TPSCo), established with Panasonic Corporation of which TowerJazz has the majority holding.

Recently TowerJazz has reported record revenues of $244.2 million in the third quarter of 2015, reflecting year over year organic growth of 23%. Its annual 2015 sales are expected to reach approximately $960 million.

“We are on track and guiding fourth quarter of this year to achieve our previously announced milestone of breaking a $1 billion,” said Ellwanger.

Synopsys hit by hackers: detected unauthorized access to its web portal

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The unauthorized access began in July 2015, and was discovered by Synopsys in October 2015. “We believe this will have limited impact on our customers,” said Aart de Geus, chairman of Synopsys” 

synopsys-cyber

The American electronic design automation (EDA) giant, Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) investigates cyber breach in its system. Lately Synopsys has begun informing customers that it recently discovered unauthorized third-party access to its EDA, IP and optical products and product license files through its customer-facing license and product delivery system.

Based on the investigation, Synopsys has determined that no customer project or design data in this system was accessed, and there is no indication that this incident affected any other Synopsys systems. The unauthorized access began in July 2015, and was discovered by Synopsys in October 2015.  In response, Synopsys closed the method used to gain access and engaged Mandiant, a FireEye company and a leading computer forensics company, to assist the investigation.

The company said that the affected license and product delivery system does not store personally identifiable information (PII) or payment card information (PCI). “We believe this unauthorized access will have limited impact on Synopsys and our customers,” said Aart de Geus, chairman of Synopsys.

“In this era of all-too-common attempts to improperly access and use software and other information, we take such matters seriously and have notified law enforcement. We regret any concern or inconvenience this may cause our valued customers. We will continue to assess and evolve our security practices and will work with our customers in this effort.”

Synopsys does not expect this incident to have an impact on Synopsys financial results or guidance.

CNOGA to Introduce cloud for its “Health meters”

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Its TensorTip medical portable devices uses a real time color image sensor and unique algorithms for the analysis of health parameters

CNOGA

CNOGA Medical Ltd. will present its non-invasive devices, groundbreaking secure cloud-based platform and mobile application at MEDICA 2015 in Dusseldorf, Germany. CNOGA develops and manufactures non-invasive, pain-free medical measurement devices for various medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, respiratory cardiovascular and more.

The company’s new Singular platform enables connectivity between the patient’s non-invasive TensorTip medical measurement devices through a secure cloud-based platform and mobile application to their caregivers and physicians, friends and family.

Headquartered in Israel, and subsidiaries in Shanghai, China and Sao Paulo, Brazil, the company was founded in 2004 by Dr.Yosef Segman, who has led product development from the early stages through a partnership with Texas Instruments Inc., to commercialization in Europe, Asia and South America.

Its TensorTip™ portable devices uses a real time color image sensor and unique algorithms to enable the analysis of a vast amount of data in detecting blood chromatic changes of diabetes and cardiovascular patients painlessly.

Once the patient places one finger in the finger compartment, the device automatically measures and displays more than a dozen blood parameters. The patient can transmit the results via bluetooth connectivity to any mobile device or PC and share them with medical professionals and caretakers to control his or her health remotely. A built-in memory function can store monitored results in the device itself for physician review.