Slide Launches Backup Appliance, Apple Introduces C1 Modem, and Grok 3 AI Unveiled

[00:00:02] It's Thursday, February 20th, 2025, and I'm Dave Sobel for Things to Know Today. Cancel anytime with one click? Slide Backup Solution calls out the industry's biggest flaws. Apple unveils the C1 Modem in the iPhone 16e, taking their first steps away from Qualcomm. AI's Grok 3 hits the scene with more power, more data, and more questions. And big money meets big security.

[00:00:28] Trend Micro Buyout talks are heating up while Sophos joins the PAX8 party. This is the Business of Tech. At the Rite of Boom cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, former Datto founders Austin McCord and Michael Foss introduced their new venture, Slide, a backup and disaster recovery appliance designed for managed service providers. McCord emphasized that their entry-level appliance,

[00:00:53] which is slightly larger than an Apple Mac Studio, can store up to 16 terabytes of data and operates at a speed that can saturate a 10-gigabyte network connection. He stated that its CPU is 50% faster than a $13,000 data appliance, and its flash-based storage is 100 times faster than most market solutions, providing instantaneous cloud restores. The founders aimed to recreate the culture of

[00:01:19] connection and support that contributed to Datto's success, committing to a partnership approach with their clients. Users can easily cancel their service via a single button click, reflecting a customer-centric philosophy. Slide features an open and free application programming interface, allowing for integrations with various vendors. In an interview with CRN, McCord highlighted the outdated nature of current market

[00:01:44] offering stating, quote, when you look at the MSP solutions on the market today, they're practically ancient, end quote. Why do we care? Let me take you on an analysis journey. My first take was, an appliance in 2025 and a backup solution? Is Austin going back to the well because he can? His comment about solutions being ancient, however, did resonate with me. There's a lot of very old technology bouncing around

[00:02:13] the MSP space. And my second consideration was, comments about ease of use, speed of development, implementing features user request. But let's be clear, this is not innovation. The fact that this is not table stakes of product development is frankly a damning indictment of technology product development as a whole. Serving customers with basic respect shouldn't be considered novel. It shouldn't be

[00:02:41] considered disruptive. Going back to a time in a glorious age when technology worked for users is pathetic. The fact that a button to remove the product is considered a novel feature should be terrifying to the community. If canceling service with a button click is revolutionary, what does that say about the rest of the industry? I hope Slide is wildly successful. Why? Because this should be a basic

[00:03:11] expectation of product teams. The technology market is dominated by large, slow-moving players who focus on squeezing providers and customers rather than innovating. If this is what passes as innovation, the industry is long overdue for a reckoning. With every new breach and threat that I cover, it's clear that cybersecurity isn't a luxury anymore.

[00:03:35] It's a necessity. That's where Huntress comes in. Their fully managed cybersecurity platform is built for every kind of business. Not just the 1%. Huntress seamlessly integrates their products and threat hunting team. Their EDR, ITDR, SIM, and security awareness training solutions are purposely built for their elite 24x7 security operations center to stop threats before anyone else even spots them. This potent

[00:04:03] combination of purpose-built cybersecurity and threat hunting expertise is one of the many reasons why G2 users have voted Huntress the number one rated EDR for growing businesses. To see what people-powered cybersecurity looks like, visit Huntress.com slash MSP radio. Apple has officially introduced its first in-house cellular modem named C1, which replaces the Qualcomm chips previously used for 5G connectivity

[00:04:32] in iPhones. The C1 modem debuted in the iPhone 16e, Apple's latest entry-level model, which replaces the iPhone SE line. According to Apple, the C1 modem is the most power-efficient modem ever included in an iPhone, promising fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity, crucial for its performance evaluation. While the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will continue to use Qualcomm chips for now, Apple is expected to

[00:04:59] assess the C1 modem's performance in real-world conditions before potentially incorporating it into future flagship models. The C1 modem does not support the high-speed MMWave 5G technology. Apple has been working on this modem since acquiring Intel's cell modem business in 2019 and is now taking significant steps towards achieving cell sufficiency in 5G technology. Why do we care? Chips are interesting

[00:05:27] again. Apple wants to own its entire hardware stack, reducing reliance on third-party suppliers like Qualcomm. Just like it did with the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon and Macs, Apple is now making moves to control its modem technology. They want to build a fully integrated connectivity stack, optimizing performance across hardware, software, and services. Think satellite connectivity, private 5G,

[00:05:51] or future AI-driven network optimizations. By limiting the C1 modem to an entry-level device, Apple can quietly test real-world performance without risking network issues on its premium models. If the modem underperforms only budget-conscious consumers are affected, not high-end iPhone users. There's a lesson here about staged rollouts. That's why I highlighted this strategy buried within the iPhone 16e announcements.

[00:06:20] While I'm doing product announcements, XAI has launched its latest flagship model, Grok 3, which boasts enhanced capabilities compared to its predecessor, Grok 2. The new model was developed using 10 times more computing power and trained on a significantly expanded dataset, including legal documents. The company claims Grok 3 surpasses its competitors, achieving top scores on various benchmarks, including one that

[00:06:45] evaluates performance on math questions. Grok 3 is scored approximately 1400 on the chatbot arena leaderboard, significantly exceeding other AI models in blind user testing. Notably, Grok 3 features an innovative deep search capability that enhance its reasoning by analyzing information from multiple sources. However, early testing revealed some limitations, including issues with citation accuracy and understanding humor.

[00:07:12] Subscribers to XAI's Premium Plus tier will gain entry to Grok 3 with additional features available through a new subscription plan called SuperGrok. XAI plans to open source Grok 2, aiming for a politically neutral approach while navigating past criticisms over biases in its models. Andres Karpathy shared his experience with Grok 3 on social media, stating he was among the first to access the latest

[00:07:38] version of the software. He described Grok 3 as having a state-of-the-art thinking model, particularly praising its performance with the board game Settlers of Catan. Why do we care? More power doesn't automatically mean better AI, as we learned from DeepSeq. XAI is clearly ramping up its training scale. The mention of legal documents hits at a push for credibility in regulated industries,

[00:08:01] or possibly an attempt to sidestep previous criticisms about misinformation. Scoring well on math tests doesn't guarantee usefulness for businesses or consumers. Many AI models ace benchmarks but still struggle in practical applications. XAI is positioned as politically neutral, but AI neutrality is nearly impossible. The open source move might attract developers, but it also raises concerns about

[00:08:25] who controls and fine-tunes the model's outputs. And those questions of trust become important as the models move to commodity. You can pick any model. Why pick this one? A recent report by Reuters reveals that Trend Micro, the Japanese cybersecurity firm, is potentially facing acquisition talks with several private equity firms, including Bain Capital, Advent

[00:08:49] International, and EQT. The company is estimated to be valued at approximately $8,540,000,000. Sources indicate that the new owner may consider taking Trend Micro private, though no formal agreement has been reached. The development could signal a resurgence in private equity negotiations amid recent interest rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation following the pandemic. Trend Micro, which was reportedly

[00:09:14] contemplating a sale last year, has not commented on these discussions. Sophos has announced a strategic partnership with Pax 8. The collaboration aims to streamline security management and reduce operational complexity by allowing service providers to access the wide range of security solutions from a single vendor. The Sophos offerings will be available in the Pax 8 marketplace starting February 28th.

[00:09:38] Why do we care? The potential private equity buyout of Trend Micro reflects a broader trend of firms becoming prime acquisition targets. If the acquisition results in Trend Micro going private, it could give leadership more flexibility for long-term strategy shifts, such as acquisitions or cloud-focused pivots. I'll mention a future IPO under new ownership, although that's far less likely in current market. If the deal goes through, watch for changes in

[00:10:06] Trend Micro's product roadmap, pricing and support structure. These are often the first signs of a P-E-driven restructuring. Sophos partnering with Pax 8 is a clear signal that security vendors are embracing the MSP and cloud marketplace model. With providers looking to have less vendor relationships, moving to a marketplace helps. Pax 8 has been adding security vendors for years. Sophos is late to the party. Will MSPs shift their existing

[00:10:32] solutions just because Sophos is now on Pax 8? That's a question to watch for. Just being on Pax 8 doesn't guarantee adoption. Sophos needs to prove why it's better than existing choices. This episode is supported by Comet Backup. As IT providers, we've all been there. The phone rings, your largest client is absolutely panicked. They need you to restore their data as soon as possible.

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[00:11:21] your free 30-day trial today. Get $100 free credit when you sign up with the promo code MSPRADIO. Comet Backup, the backup solution that MSPs trust. Thanks for listening. Today is National Love Your Pet Day. It's also National Cherry Pie Day. Any child of the 80s and 90s needs to remember that one. Nerdy Ocon will be held in Palm Springs, California from April

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