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Oracle Expands Cloud Cover with Data Centers in Sweden, Italy

Oracle offices in Burlington, Massachusetts, US REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Oracle offices in Burlington, Massachusetts, US REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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Oracle Expands Cloud Cover with Data Centers in Sweden, Italy

Oracle offices in Burlington, Massachusetts, US REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Oracle offices in Burlington, Massachusetts, US REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Oracle said on Wednesday it has opened its first cloud region in the Nordics in Stockholm, along with one in Milan, Italy, as the pandemic increased demand for cloud computing tools from private- and public-sector organizations.

Cloud regions refer to the geographical location of data centers, allowing customers near that region to get faster access to their data.

Cloud computing companies such as Oracle, Microsoft, Amazon and Google have been setting up new data centers across Europe to cater to clients shifting from in-house digital storage and computing to leased cloud servers.

Oracle already has cloud regions in Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK and Switzerland in Europe. Including the two new regions, it will have facilities in 36 regions worldwide, with plans to add eight more by the end of next year.

Reuters said that the company has already signed contracts with potential customers in Europe and is planning to open a second region in France and one in Spain.

"European organizations want to store their data in Europe or in their local country where possible," said Carla Arend, senior program director at research firm IDC.

Best known for its database software, Oracle lags its bigger rivals in the race for cornering the cloud computing market, but its total cloud revenue still rose 22% to $2.7 billion in the latest second quarter.

Earlier this year, Oracle said it will migrate the most complicated computer programs of companies to its cloud for free, in a bid to catch a new wave of potential cloud-computing clients.

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Technology

NextEra Expands Google Cloud Partnership, Secures Clean Energy Contracts with Meta

Electric power transmission pylon miniatures and Nextera Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Electric power transmission pylon miniatures and Nextera Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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NextEra Expands Google Cloud Partnership, Secures Clean Energy Contracts with Meta

Electric power transmission pylon miniatures and Nextera Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Electric power transmission pylon miniatures and Nextera Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

NextEra Energy expanded its partnership with Alphabet's Google Cloud to scale up data center capacity, while securing over 2.5 gigawatts of clean energy contracts from Meta across the US, the company said on Monday.

Shares of NextEra were up 2.7% in premarket trading.

Under the expanded deal with Google Cloud, the companies will develop multiple new gigawatt-scale (GW) data centre campuses, each with accompanying generation and capacity, Reuters reported.

NextEra and Google Cloud plan to launch an AI-powered product by mid-2026 to predict equipment issues, optimize crew scheduling and boost grid reliability amid storms, aging assets, and rising demand.

The deal comes as US electricity demand grows due to rapid AI adoption, prompting cloud companies and utilities to secure land, grid connections and new generation to support large data center loads.

In October, the company had partnered with Google to restart an Iowa nuclear power plant shut down five years ago.

The technology industry's quest for massive amounts of electricity for AI processing has renewed interest in the country's nuclear reactors.

NextEra said it had signed 11 power purchase agreements and two energy storage agreements with Meta, totaling over 2.5 GW of clean energy contracts. The projects are scheduled to come online between 2026 and 2028.

The utility also reached an agreement with WPPI Energy to continue supplying 168 megawatts of the output from the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Two Rivers into the 2050s.

Separately, NextEra forecast higher adjusted profit in 2026 as well as the current-year as it continues to benefit from the surge in power demand.

NextEra now expects adjusted earnings for 2025 of between $3.62 and $3.70 per share, compared with its prior view of between $3.45 and $3.70 per share.

For 2026, it expects adjusted profit between $3.92 and $4.02 per share, compared with its prior view of between $3.63 and $4.00 per share.

Technology

Albudaiwi: GCC States Pledge Active Role in Global Digital Security, Stability 

Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Albudaiwi speaks at the Doha Forum on Sunday. (GCC)
Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Albudaiwi speaks at the Doha Forum on Sunday. (GCC)
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Albudaiwi: GCC States Pledge Active Role in Global Digital Security, Stability 

Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Albudaiwi speaks at the Doha Forum on Sunday. (GCC)
Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Albudaiwi speaks at the Doha Forum on Sunday. (GCC)

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will remain a proactive and effective partner in supporting international efforts to achieve global and comprehensive digital security, contributing to the enhancement of security and stability in cyberspace, according to Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Albudaiwi.

He made these remarks during his participation in the roundtable event organized by the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) at the 23rd Doha Forum on Sunday.

He highlighted the world's increasing reliance on digital infrastructures that underpin modern economies, essential services, and communications.

He cautioned that any disruption to these systems could lead to instability and the disruption of vital services. This reality mandates that the international community strengthen solidarity and build common frameworks to maintain international digital legitimacy during cyber crises.

He reaffirmed the GCC's commitment, noting that the member states have taken significant strides through the Unified Gulf Strategy for Cybersecurity. This includes massive investments in cloud infrastructure, the development of human capital, the organization of joint cyber exercises that simulate real-world risks, and the development of digital platforms for early warning and coordination during cyber incidents.

He underlined the importance of mutual support between nations when essential digital systems collapse, achieved through technical and operational cooperation frameworks, joint incident response mechanisms, and the temporary utilization of digital infrastructure from neighboring countries when necessary, while strictly respecting national sovereignty and systemic privacy.

Albudaiwi emphasized that several digital sectors must receive stringent international protection to prevent escalation and protect civilian lives, specifically mentioning energy and fuel control systems, telecommunications networks, submarine cables, healthcare and emergency systems, financial networks and digital payment systems, government services, and logistics and transportation networks.

Technology

Meta Reportedly Delays Release of Phoenix Mixed-reality Glasses to 2027

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
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Meta Reportedly Delays Release of Phoenix Mixed-reality Glasses to 2027

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Meta is delaying the release of its Phoenix mixed-reality glasses until 2027, aiming to get the details right, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing an internal memo.

The delay from an initially planned release in the second half of 2026 is because the company wants a fully polished device, the report said.

Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.

Meta executives Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns said moving the release date back is "going to give us a lot more breathing room to get the details right," the report added.

The goggles, previously code-named Puffin, weigh around 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and have lower-resolution displays and weaker computing performance than high-end headsets like Apple’s Vision Pro, the Information reported in July.

Mixed reality merges augmented and virtual reality and allows real-world and digital objects to interact.

Meta is expected to make budget cuts of up to 30% for its metaverse initiative, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

The metaverse group sits within Reality Labs, which produces the company's Quest mixed-reality headsets, smart glasses made with EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban and upcoming augmented-reality glasses.