Access Point: Weekly News Roundup For Midmarket IT Executives – Feb. 7, 2025

Access Point is a weekly roundup of major tech news for midmarket IT executives on the go.

In this week’s roundup: The burdens midmarket CIOs and CISOs share, a spotlight on a prominent midmarket CIO, an Azure and DeepSeek collaboration, and more news from Feb. 3 – Feb. 7.

Microsoft Hosts Controversial DeepSeek R1 AI Model On Azure

Microsoft has announced it will now host DeepSeek R1, the AI model at the center of a recent controversy involving OpenAI, on its Azure cloud platform – the latest from our sister site Computing.

Why CIOs And CISOs Are Always Looking Over Their Shoulders

"For CIOs and CISOs, the key to success lies in continuous vigilance and proactive measures rather than constantly being on the defensive. This includes investing in advanced cybersecurity tools, conducting regular risk assessments, and fostering a culture of security awareness throughout the organization." - Latest article from The Channel Company's own CIO, Rik Wright, on MES Computing.

MES IT Leader Spotlight: Shawn Fernandes, CIO And Chief Administrative Officer, Aspire Health Alliance

MES IT Leader Spotlight is a series featuring midmarket IT leaders – their backstory, their biggest successes and challenges, their day-to-day roles, and even advice for their peers. In this edition, the spotlight is on Shawn Fernandes, CIO and chief administrative officer at Aspire Health Alliance.

More Organizations Adopting GenAI, But Hurdles Remain: Survey

More than 80 percent of organizations have already implemented a GenAI strategy, Nutanix’s latest Enterprise Cloud Index report reveals, along with other findings, including some challenges.

Countries With The Highest Cyber Threat Risk And Ones With The Lowest: Report

A report from MixMode.AI analyzed cyber threats across 70 countries. The report compiled data from the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), the Cybersecurity Exposure Index (CEI), as well as Comparitech – all of which MixMode used to create its scoring system.