Okta Says It’s Buying Security Rival Auth0 For $6.5 Billion

Okta, whose cloud software allows office workers to access all of their apps through a secure online service, said on Wednesday that it’s spending $6.5 billion to acquire rival Auth0. CNBC reports: Okta’s shares plunged about 13% in extended trading after the announcement. The all-stock deal equals about 21% of Okta’s market cap as of Wednesday’s close. Okta said it expects…

Salesforce Declares the 9-to-5 Workday Dead, Will Let Some Employees Work Remotely From Now On

Cloud computing company Salesforce is joining other Silicon Valley tech giants in announcing a substantial shift in how it allows its employees to work. From a report: In a blog post published Tuesday, the company says the “9-to-5 workday is dead” and that it will allow employees to choose one of three categories that dictate how often, if ever, they return…

Amazon To Expand Its Childhood-To-Career CS Program To India Later This Year

theodp writes: According to an Amazon job listing for a contract position, the e-tailer is seeking a lead for a new Amazon Future Engineer program in India that’s set to launch in 2021. “The initial research for Amazon Future Engineer in India,” Amazon explains, “is currently underway and we look to the chosen candidate to dive deep into operationalizing the program…

Russians Are Believed To Have Used Microsoft Resellers in Cyberattacks

As the United States comes to grips with a far-reaching Russian cyberattack on federal agencies, private corporations and the nation’s infrastructure, new evidence has emerged that the hackers hunted their victims through multiple channels. From a report: The most significant intrusions discovered so far piggybacked on software from SolarWinds, the Austin-based company whose updates the Russians compromised. But new evidence from…

Conferences Plot a Comeback Even Before Vaccines Are Widely Distributed

It could take a while before the handshake comes back, if it ever does. Business conferences, however, are set to restart in the U.S. the moment health code allows. And despite uncertainty around when exactly that will be, convention organizers are holding out hope — and event space — for a possible return in the coming weeks. From a report: One…

Salesforce Claims Its AI Can Spot Signs of Breast Cancer With 92% Accuracy

Salesforce today peeled back the curtains on ReceptorNet, a machine learning system researchers at the company developed in partnership with clinicians at the University of Southern California’s Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC. From a report: The system, which can determine a critical biomarker for oncologists when deciding on the appropriate treatment for breast cancer patients, achieved 92%…

Salesforce Acquires Slack in a $27.7B Deal

Salesforce and Slack Technologies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Salesforce will acquire Slack. In a statement, the two companies said: Under the terms of the agreement, Slack shareholders will receive $26.79 in cash and 0.0776 shares of Salesforce common stock for each Slack share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $27.7 billion based on the closing price of…

Salesforce Buys Slack in a $27.7B Megadeal

Salesforce, the CRM powerhouse that recently surpassed $20 billion in annual revenue, announced today it is wading deeper into enterprise social by acquiring Slack in a $27.7 billion megadeal. From a report: Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff didn’t mince words on his latest purchase. “This is a match made in heaven. Together, Salesforce and Slack will shape the future of…

Salesforce Has Recently Been in Talks To Buy Slack, Dow Jones Reports

Slack may have found a way to keep its fight on with Microsoft. The business communication app has engaged in conversations to sell the business to Salesforce, Dow Jones reported moments ago. Business Insider adds: There is no indication that the preliminary talks will lead to an acquisition, according to the report, but a deal would signal the cloud giant’s foray…

Make Remote Work Permanent? No Way, Say Bay Area Leaders

Last month a regional government agency in the San Francisco Bay Area voted “to move forward” with a proposal to eventually require people at large, office-based companies to work from home three days a week “as a way to slash greenhouse gas emissions from car commutes,” according to NBC News. But today local newspapers report “Bay Area leaders are already saying,…