2026 stories
Pay for Leinster Chartered Accountants stayed near a record in 2026 as AI use jumped to 53% and hybrid working held firm.
Wider use of AI agents is lifting developer productivity in Southeast Asia, but most teams still require human checks before production.
UK airports saw their busiest ground support use in years, with monitored vehicles logging 75.5% more daily hours as passenger numbers held up.
Companies are treating AI like a recurring operating cost, with monthly business spending up 406% and average outlay far above retail users.
Downstream AI alerts in Australia and New Zealand are rising as agents and MCP links create fresh routes for sensitive data leakage.
AI search and automation are helping restaurants win more bookings as OpenTable expands tools aimed at cutting staff workload and boosting covers.
Rising memory and storage costs are pushing prices higher, threatening European PC shipments as buyers delay refreshes.
Rising printer-related breaches are costing firms more than USD $1.3 million on average, putting print security higher on corporate risk agendas.
Better AI security programmes are easing immediate threat concerns, but many CISOs still doubt their organisations can manage risks over the next two years.
Government and media sites were hit hardest as Cloudflare reported 23.2 million network-layer DDoS attacks in the first half of 2026.
A narrower pricing gap and rising listed tech shares suggest European private exits could recover later in 2026, ScaleX Invest said.
Account takeover and card-testing attacks surged as AI lowered the cost and speed of scams, raising pressure on online retailers.
Advertisers are getting more clicks for less, as paid media outlays climbed 17.5% in the first half of 2026 despite a 10.8% drop in click costs.
Health tech and AI firms took most of LinkedIn's 2026 Australian startup ranking, signalling where hiring and investor attention are shifting.
Yet a steep drop in purchase orders suggests New Zealand health manufacturers are still cautious about inventory despite stronger sales and margins.
The ranking may bolster Kinetic IT's bid for government contracts as agencies seek suppliers with local delivery, governance and security controls.
More than one million bags were mishandled across major US airlines in the first half of 2026, though the overall rate improved year on year.
Rising scam losses are pushing Australian firms towards stronger payment and login controls as regulators prepare tougher enforcement.
Hidden endpoint blind spots are leaving Southeast Asian firms exposed to downtime, data leaks and losses above USD $1 million.
Higher module costs are expected to squeeze developers as India races past its annual solar installation record and tightens local sourcing rules.
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