Good morning, Loblaw topping the news charts again, this time it’s a telecom controversy, here’s what’s up:

• Loblaws telecom deal is getting heat from competitors.

• Canada’s first-ever cybersecurity plan

• WestJet and Sunwing integration delayed, but 39 new destination added.

• AI is taking over customer service jobs.

• Humane AI Pin is looking for a $billion buyout.

• And more biz-tech stuff you need to know.

Let’s get into it.

TELECOM 

📡 Loblaws telecom deal is getting heat from competitors

Pierre Karl Péladeau, the CEO of Québecor, is calling the feds to step in regarding a deal between Loblaw and a company owned by Rogers and Bell.

The Dilemma: Loblaw decided to end Québecor's contract for wireless devices and services at its stores, favoring Glentel products instead.

Péladeau believes Loblaw's decision is anti-competitive and aims to exclude other cellular operators in favor of Glentel, which is owned by Bell and Rogers.

Industry Impact: Loblaw is already facing a boycott over prices and competition issues, telecommunication controversy is making things more complicated for the company.

Feds Action: The government is exploring ways to increase competition in both grocery and telecom sectors, encouraging international brands to enter the Canadian market to increase competition and drive down price.

CYBERSECURITY

🔒️Canada’s first-ever cybersecurity plan

The Canadian government released its first cybersecurity strategy, focusing on challenges posed by remote work, cloud computing, aging infrastructure, and recruitment.

The strategy highlights a lack of repeatable processes in identifying and responding to cyber threats in government departments and agencies.

The strategic goal: is to enhance security by expanding multi-factor authentication, improve malware protection, and monitor network-connected devices.

It also addresses recruitment challenges by partnering with colleges, universities, and automating hiring processes.

AIRLINE

✈️ WestJet delays Sunwing integration but adds 39 new destinations

WestJet has postponed the integration with Sunwing Airlines.

Integration is now set for April 27, 2025, six months later than the original October 2024 date.

New flights: Since the Sunwing deal, WestJet is adding 39 new destination in Latin America and the Caribbean this year.

AI

📲 The end customer service jobs?

Truecaller, the popular caller ID service, is partnering with Microsoft to allow its AI-powered Assistant to answer phone calls using users' own voices.

How It Works: 

• Users record a script of a few seconds to create a digital copy of their voice. The Assistant then uses this to greet and respond to callers.

• Users can also customize follow up responses, however the initial greetings cannot be changed because it is fixed to indicate an AI voice.

Beta user testing will be rolling out in next few weeks in the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, Sweden, and Chile.

Why is this important: AI-powered voice assistance for call will be a game-changer for companies with high customer inquires. With the backing of Microsoft, Truecaller has positioned itself as one of the main players in the space.

GADGETS

💰️ Humane AI Pin is looking for a buyout

$699 AI Pin had a tough debut, the device received lots of backlash based on its poor performance due to slow responses and poor functionality.

According to Bloomberg report, the company raised $230 million from investors including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Humane AI Founders Imran Chaudhri (former Apply employee) and Bethany Bongiorno are looking for a price between $750 million and $1 billion to sell the company.

• 🛒 Canadian e-commerce tech giant, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke joins Meta (formerly Facebook) AI advisory council.

• 💳️ You can now see your credit card benefits at checkout with Google Pay.

• 🤖 Amazon is adding AI feature into Alexa, but it won’t be included in Prime subscription.

• 📉 TikTok plans massive layoff for (operations and marketing) as the company fights a battle of a potential US ban (and maybe Canada as well, if US goes thru with it).

• 🕶️ Ray-Ban smart glasses update: Users can now share images directly to their Instagram Story and play music, thanks to integration with Amazon music.

• 🎵 Spotify launches its own font called Spotify Mix to help them stand out in a unique way.

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