Global IT Spending Surge, Meta's Regulatory Showdown, Legacy Tech Upgrades, and NATO Cyber Defense

Global IT spending is projected to surge by 7.5% in 2024, driven by increased demand for data center systems and IT services, particularly generative AI. The growth forecast highlights the sustained demand for managed services and cloud solutions, indicating a shift towards comprehensive IT management solutions offered by MSPs.Secondly, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is facing a regulatory showdown in the EU as it withholds its new multimodal AI model from European customers due to regulatory uncertainties. This decision reflects a broader trend among U.S. tech giants to withhold products from European markets, raising concerns about data privacy and compliance with GDPR regulations. The move underscores the challenges tech companies face in navigating complex regulatory landscapes across different regions.Thirdly, the podcast delves into the impact of legacy tech upgrades on businesses, with the average company spending $2.9 million on maintaining and upgrading outdated systems. Legacy systems pose challenges for implementing emerging technologies like AI, impacting productivity and hindering innovation. The episode emphasizes the importance of modernization roadmaps and cloud migration strategies to help businesses transition to more agile and scalable IT infrastructures.Lastly, the episode touches on NATO's plans to establish a new cyber defense center in Belgium to protect allied cyberspace operations. This initiative comes in response to the rise in politically motivated cyber attacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, highlighting the growing importance of cybersecurity in the geopolitical landscape. The establishment of the NATO Integrated Cyber Defense Center underscores the evolving nature of cyber warfare and the need for collective resilience and defense strategies in the digital age. Three things to know today 00:00 Global IT Spending to Surge by 7.5% in 2024, Driven by Data Center Systems and IT Services04:19 Meta's Regulatory Showdown: EU Customers Denied Access to New Multimodal AI Model07:25 Legacy Tech Upgrades Costing Businesses Millions, Hindering AI Adoption and Productivity  All our Sponsors:   https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessoftech.bsky.social