Weekly DaaS Roundup for April 17

NEWS, READS AND MORE

AI Drives Increase in Data Budgets PR Newswire

A report from dbt Labs indicates that the demand for high-quality data to support AI initiatives is leading to increased data budgets and the expansion of data teams within organizations.

Midwest Experiences Data Center Boom Axios

The Midwest U.S. is witnessing a surge in data center construction, driven by the AI boom. While this growth brings economic opportunities, it also raises concerns about environmental impacts and resource consumption.

Data and Defensibility: Building Moats with Proprietary Data Pivotal

Abraham Thomas explores how companies can create competitive advantages by leveraging proprietary data, emphasizing that the strategic use of unique datasets can serve as a significant barrier to entry for competitors.

EU's Encryption Backdoor Proposal Faces Backlash Tech Radar

The European Commission's ProtectEU initiative, aiming to grant law enforcement access to encrypted data, has been criticized by VPN providers and privacy advocates. They argue that weakening encryption could compromise cybersecurity and user privacy.

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🎧 THE LATEST WOD PODCAST 🎧

Fmr Verisk CEO Scott Stephenson - building a $40 billion data company

Scott Stephenson is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: VRSK), where he led the company's transformation from a nonprofit insurance data collective into a global data analytics powerhouse with a market cap of over $40 billion.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Scott and Auren discuss:

• Data monetization and defensibility strategies

• AI's impact on data businesses

• Leadership succession in data companies

• Effective board membership

M&A AND FUNDING

RANDOM ART OF THE WEEK