Digital Transformation

Cato Networks Names Ex-Palo Alto Executive Chad Gardner as CRO

Tel Aviv – – October 08, 2026 -- Cato Networks has appointed Chad Gardner as chief revenue officer, tasking him with leading the company's global sales organization as enterprises converge networking and security infrastructure while adopting AI.

Gardner joins from Blackfoot Communications, where he oversaw wholesale, premier, and enterprise business units

Prior to Blackfoot, Gardner served as vice president of sales for North America at SambaNova Systems. His background includes multiple leadership roles at Palo Alto Networks, including vice president of global SASE sales and vice president of sales for West Majors, as well as VP leadership positions at Netskope. He has also held executive sales roles at Denali Advanced Integration, NetApp, and Cisco Systems.

Gusto Rebuilds Pro Platform, Launches Multi-Client AI Protocol

San Francisco – October 08, 2026 -- Gusto has rolled out its most significant overhaul of Gusto Pro since 2021, alongside a new multi-client Model Context Protocol (MCP) and an expanded Partner Program, targeting the more than 23,000 accounting firms currently using its platform.

Gusto Pro gains AI-assisted workflows to cut manual payroll prep

The redesigned Gusto Pro platform now automates core payroll tasks end-to-end, including extracting hours from emails, surfacing changes since the last payroll run, and generating critical reports. Accountants retain final review and approval authority before any changes are processed. A new AI assistant, Pro Gus, gives accountants faster answers to client questions and multi-client visibility across their book of business.

Thermal Spray Coating Market to Hit $16.4 Billion by 2032

London – – October 08, 2026 -- The global thermal spray coating market is set to expand from $10,581.2 million in 2023 to $16,414.9 million by 2032, a 5.00% compound annual growth rate, according to a new Credence Research Inc. report tracking demand for wear, corrosion and thermal protection across aerospace, automotive, energy, industrial and medical sectors.

Plasma spray dominates while HVOF gains ground

Plasma spray coating held roughly 35-40% of process share in 2023, the largest segment, while high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) technology is positioned for faster growth as manufacturers seek denser, more wear-resistant coatings. Metallic coatings accounted for approximately 40-45% of the market, with ceramic coatings expanding in thermal and electrical insulation applications requiring high-temperature tolerance.

OrbitronAI, Aramco Digital Partner to Commercialize Industrial AI Agents

Riyadh – – October 08, 2026 -- OrbitronAI and Aramco Digital have signed a strategic commercial partnership to develop and commercialize industrial-grade agentic AI solutions targeting multibillion-dollar value pools across capital-intensive industries. The agreement was finalized in early September at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh.

Partnership targets capital productivity, supply chain and operational execution gaps

The deal combines OrbitronAI's agentic AI technology with Aramco Digital's industrial knowledge, operating scale and market reach. The two companies will focus on areas where fragmented information, complex workflows and delayed decisions erode financial performance, including delays in capital project reviews and reconciliation that affect schedule, cost and returns on invested capital.

Data Center Virtualization Market to Hit $60.9B by 2035 as Kubernetes-Native Tools Surge

London – October 08, 2026 -- The global data center virtualization market was valued at $29.75 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $60.90 billion by 2035, a 7.43% compound annual growth rate, according to a new study from DC Market Insights.

Licensing resets and core expansion drove 2025 value growth

Average server virtualization software spend rose from roughly $136 per core in 2023 to $162 per core in 2025, a price reset the report identifies as a major contributor to market expansion. The installed virtualized core base is projected to climb from about 92.0 million in 2025 to 155.75 million by 2035, while server virtualization software revenue alone grows from $14.90 billion to $28.45 billion over the period.

NVTC Names 50 Cybersecurity Honorees for 2026 Cyber50 Awards

McLean, Virginia – October 07, 2026 -- The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) named 50 companies and executives to its 2026 Cyber50 list, recognizing firms and leaders driving cybersecurity innovation across the National Capital Region.

NVTC splits honorees across three categories covering 27 companies and 23 individuals

The list includes 27 companies and government contractors such as GuidePoint Security, MANTECH, Virtru, Shift5 and Owl Cyber Defense, alongside 18 executives from organizations including Booz Allen, EY, Palo Alto Networks, Dominion Energy and FINRA. Five additional honorees were named Rising Stars, including representatives from Nokia, Fairfax County Public Schools and Dark Wolf.

Vidu Launches Q4 Preview AI Video Model at $0.014 Per Second

Singapore – – October 07, 2026 -- Shengshu Technology's Vidu has launched Q4 Preview, a public preview of its next-generation flagship AI video and audio generation model, with launch pricing starting at $0.014 per second.

Launch pricing cuts costs to expand flagship video generation to independent creators

Vidu Q4 Preview enables up to five times more output for the same budget compared to prior comparable output specifications and billing conditions, the company said. Output resolutions span 540p, 720p, 1080p, 2K and 4K, with 10-bit color depth available at the higher tiers.

RTA Launches 435NBX-S2E Gateway With Native Micro800 Support

Pewaukee, Wis. – October 07, 2026 -- Real Time Automation, Inc. (RTA) has released the 435NBX-S2E, a single serial ASCII and single Ethernet port protocol gateway built to connect directly to Allen-Bradley PLCs, replacing the 435NBX-NNA1, which has moved to end-of-sale status.

New gateway adds native Micro800 support to cut hardware costs

The 435NBX-S2E communicates with CompactLogix, ControlLogix, FlexLogix, MicroLogix, SLC 5/05, PLC-5E, Micro820, Micro850 and Micro870 controllers. RTA says native Micro800 support removes the need for external serial plug-in modules or extra protocol converters, lowering bill-of-materials costs for OEM and high-volume customers.

Abusix Launches Frontline Partner Program With Margin Protection

Boston – October 07, 2026 -- Abusix has launched Abusix Frontline, a channel program offering deal registration, margin protection on renewals, pipeline incentives, and training for resellers, system integrators, technology partners, and distributors.

Abusix structures Frontline around Authorized and Advanced partner tiers

The program gives partners autonomy to register deals, build quotes, and progress opportunities independently, with zero channel conflict guaranteed on registered accounts. Partners also gain access to Abbie, an AI assistant built for multilingual sales and technical enablement.

OpsGuru Named OpenAI Select Partner for Enterprise AWS AI

Toronto – October 07, 2026 -- OpsGuru, an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner, has been named a registered OpenAI Select Partner, formalizing its role deploying OpenAI models in production AWS environments for regulated enterprise customers.

OpsGuru already runs agentic AI on AWS for regulated industries

The designation recognizes work OpsGuru has delivered building agentic AI on OpenAI models, running in production on AWS and often orchestrated through Amazon Bedrock. Customers span financial services, healthcare, retail, energy, and technology sectors, where OpsGuru designs, builds, and runs OpenAI-powered solutions within existing security and governance standards.