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Google buys Wiz for $32 billion | OCI Observability Certification | Pinecone Innovations

How to help your data career in these turbulent times

What’s in today’s newsletter

Also, check out the the weekly Deep Dive - A little career advice for the modern data practitioner

GOOGLE

TL;DR: Google acquired cybersecurity startup Wiz for $3.2 billion, aiming to bolster its cloud security offerings in response to increasing cyber threats and enhancing enterprise trust in digital services.

  • Google acquired cybersecurity startup Wiz for $3.2 billion, marking one of tech's largest acquisitions to date.

  • Wiz specializes in cloud security solutions, aligning with Google's strategy to enhance its cybersecurity offerings.

  • The acquisition aims to provide organizations with improved tools for detecting security issues in cloud environments.

  • This deal reflects a growing trend of major tech companies investing in cybersecurity to enhance customer trust.

Why this matters: As digital transformation drives enterprises to the cloud, securing these environments becomes paramount. Google's strategic acquisition of Wiz enhances its cybersecurity stance, emphasizing the necessity for robust defenses against sophisticated threats. This move could trigger industry-wide investment in cybersecurity, underscoring its critical role in maintaining customer trust. 

TL;DR: The article discusses using Google BigQuery and Colab for visualizing geospatial data, providing a guide to import data, execute SQL queries, and utilize Python libraries for interactive analysis.

  • Researchers highlight the integration of Google BigQuery and Colab for effective geospatial data visualization and analysis.

  • A step-by-step guide is provided on importing geospatial data, running SQL queries, and visualizing results.

  • Utilizing Python libraries like Folium and GeoPandas enhances data manipulation and visualization capabilities in Colab.

  • This approach democratizes access to advanced visualization tools, aiding informed decision-making in various sectors.

Why this matters: The integration allows diverse fields to harness sophisticated geospatial data insights without extensive technical expertise. It democratizes data analysis, empowering sectors like public health and urban planning to make data-driven decisions efficiently. This can enhance strategic planning and problem-solving in pressing global issues, such as climate adaptation. 

ORACLE

TL;DR: Oracle announced the OCI 2025 Observability Professional Certification to validate professionals' skills in cloud-native observability, addressing the industry's demand for experts in monitoring and managing cloud infrastructure.

  • Oracle has introduced the OCI 2025 Observability Professional Certification to validate expertise in cloud-native observability.

  • The certification will evaluate candidates on monitoring, alerting, and tracing using Oracle's observability tools.

  • This initiative aligns Oracle’s educational offerings with the industry's rising demand for skilled cloud professionals.

  • The certification aims to enhance professional skills and promote optimal system performance in cloud environments.  

Why this matters: As cloud adoption accelerates, Oracle's new certification addresses a critical skills gap, ensuring professionals can maintain reliable cloud environments. It positions Oracle strategically in the education and cloud service markets, fostering a workforce capable of meeting the growing demand for adept observability management in cloud infrastructures. 

VECTOR DATABASE

TL;DR: Fast Company named Pinecone one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2025, recognizing its advancements in vector databases and data management that enhance machine learning applications across various sectors.

  • Pinecone has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2025.

  • The company is noted for its breakthrough technologies in vector databases that enhance machine learning applications.

  • Pinecone's innovations emphasize the seamless integration and retrieval of complex data across various sectors.

  • This accolade is expected to attract clients seeking advanced data management solutions to improve operational efficiencies.

Why this matters: Pinecone's recognition as a top innovative company highlights the growing significance of vector databases in machine learning. This accolade not only strengthens its market position but also underscores the trend of leveraging advanced data management for competitive advantage, operational efficiency, and impactful technological innovation across industries. 

NOSQL

TL;DR: MongoDB's stock has dropped sharply, causing investor concern, but strong revenue growth offers hope for recovery, influencing tech sector stability and investment strategies moving forward.

  • MongoDB faces a significant stock price drop, prompting investor reevaluation amidst broader tech market concerns.

  • Despite challenges, MongoDB shows strong fundamentals with a 52% year-over-year revenue growth, sparking investor interest.

  • The stock's movement could indicate overall stability in the tech sector or reveal deeper industry issues.

  • Investors are closely watching MongoDB's next moves for insights into its growth trajectory and market confidence.

Why this matters: MongoDB's stock fluctuation serves as a barometer for tech sector health. Strong fundamentals suggest potential recovery, drawing speculative interest. A rebound could boost tech investor confidence, while further decline might reveal broader market vulnerability, influencing investment trends and strategic decisions across the technology industry. 

DEEP DIVE
A little career advice for the modern data practitioner

I attended another conference this past week, at the same venue I was at 2 weeks ago, in downtown Toronto. It was the Snowflake “Data for Breakfast” half day conference. There was also a hands-on component in the afternoon, which I did not attend, because I had Microsoft training.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have been working in IT for almost 26 years now, and I have never seen a time where there is such an avalanche of new technologies, mergers of companies, training options, and in general, things that you have to keep track of. it can be overwhelming. I could only imagine what it is like for the younger cohort.

My sage advice for anyone that may be struggling to get a foothold, or for the more seasoned technology pros is to deal with something new in 4-week chunks. What I mean is that just pick something you need to train on, or something you are interested in, and allot a few hours a week to it. If you are vehemently against such a smaller allotment of time, do what is best for you. I just found for me that shorter sprints work a lot better.

Another suggestion is that in the modern data landscape, you will indeed have to become more well-rounded. Take time and learn about the some the ancillary technologies and methodologies around data processing like cloud compute, containers, code repositories and DevOps.

I’ll do my utmost best to keep you informed on what you should keep your eye on, as my line of work is underpinned by me keeping track of all the modern tech that is out there. I have to say that in the “real world”, I work work with a large team of people that are sharper than katana swords. That in turn makes me have to keep sharp and be able to share all my research and news with you.

Gladstone Benjamin