Technology
Mnemonic Electronic Debuts at COMPUTEX 2024, Embracing the Era of High-Capacity SSDs
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2 years agoon
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TAIPEI, June 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On June 4th, COMPUTEX 2024 was successfully held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. Mnemonic Electronic Co., Ltd., the Taiwanese subsidiary of Longsys, showcased industry-leading high-capacity SSDs under the theme “Embracing the Era of High-Capacity SSDs.” The products on display included the Mnemonic MS90 8TB SATA SSD, FORESEE ORCA 4836 series enterprise NVMe SSDs, FORESEE XP2300 PCIe Gen4 SSDs, and rich product lines comprising embedded storage, memory modules, memory cards, and more. The company offers reliable industrial-grade, automotive-grade, and enterprise-grade storage products, providing high-capacity solutions for global users.
▶High-Capacity SSDs
For SSDs, Mnemonic Electronic presented products in various form factors and interfaces, including PCIe M.2, PCIe BGA, SATA M.2, and SATA 2.5-inch.
The Mnemonic MS90 8TB SATA SSD supports the SATA interface with a speed of up to 6Gb/s (Gen3) and is backward compatible with Gen1 and Gen2. It also supports various SATA low-power states (Partial/Sleep/Device Sleep) and can be used for nearline HDD replacement, surveillance, and high-speed rail systems.
The FORESEE ORCA 4836 series enterprise NVMe SSD is equipped with 3D TLC NAND flash memory technology. The 128KB sequential read and write speed can reach up to 6,800MB/s and 4,600MB/s, while the 4KB random read and write speed can reach up to 1,000K and 380K IOPS respectively. From the beginning of development, the product was designed with enterprise application scenarios in mind, incorporating features such as 6 to 14W multi-level power consumption adjustment, imperceptible online firmware upgrade (<2s), multiple namespaces (up to 32 namespaces supported), and variable sector sizes (5 different sector size formats plus metadata format types). Additionally, the product supports Telemetry, Sanitize, and end-to-end data protection features. Its high throughput, high IOPS, low latency, and excellent QoS characteristics make it perform exceptionally well in read intensive and mixed enterprise application scenarios, serving customers as a comprehensive, secure, and reliable enterprise storage solution.
The FORESEE UNCIA 3836 series enterprise SATA SSD is based on an enterprise controller and equipped with 128-layer eTLC NAND chips. The 128KB sequential read and write speed can reach up to 560MB/s and 520MB/s, while the 4KB random read and write speed can reach up to 95K and 50K IOPS respectively. The product is independently designed and developed by Longsys, covering mainstream capacities from 480GB to 3.84TB, and is available in M.2 2280 and 2.5-inch form factors to meet users’ different needs, from system boot drives to large-capacity data drives. Both enterprise products mentioned above have successfully passed various compatibility tests and operating requirements and can be well-adapted to mainstream server hardware environments, making them ideal for massive business data storage.
Based on the 3836 series, a 7.68TB capacity option is added for the FORESEE UNCIA 3839 series enterprise SATA SSD to satisfy the demand for higher-capacity application devices.
The FORESEE XP2300 PCIe Gen4 SSD is a high-capacity, high-performance flagship Gen4 product designed for gaming laptops and high-efficiency productivity PCs. It is equipped with mainstream 236-layer 3D TLC flash memory chips and a 4-channel high-performance controller chip based on the 12nm process technology. It is available in capacities of 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. The read and write speed can reach up to 7,400MB/s and 6,400MB/s, while the random read and write speed can reach up to 1,000K and 1,050K respectively. It supports a temperature control algorithm to balance performance and temperature during continuous operation. It also supports L1.2 low power consumption to further extend the battery life of devices.
To meet different customization needs, Mnemonic Electronic has also introduced industrial PCIe Gen 4×4 M.2 2280 SSDs with capacities up to 8TB. The read and write speed can reach up to 7,400MB/s and 6,500MB/s, while the random read and write speed can reach up to 750K and 750K IOPS respectively. With the advent of the high-capacity era, they will gradually be applied to high-end laptops and desktop computers, serving the requirements of high-capacity productivity devices and enhancing the user experience for content creators.
The FORESEE XP2200 PCIe Gen4 BGA SSD adopts advanced packaging technology, building high-stack die technology with small size and high integration. It is available in two size specifications: 11×13mm and 16×20mm. It also adopts advanced process technology, combined with new heat-dissipation materials and software technology to address overheating. The read and write speed can reach up to 3,500MB/s and 3,450MB/s, while the random read and write speed can reach up to 260K and 220K IOPS respectively. It is available in capacities of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB and is widely used in ultra-thin mobile smart devices such as 2-in-1 laptops, ultra-thin notebooks, VR devices, and entertainment handhelds.
▶Memory Modules
As the “right brain” of PC storage, Mnemonic Electronic’s memory module products also shined at COMPUTEX, ranging from the innovative LPCAMM2 memory form factor to CXL memory expansion modules and RDIMMs for enterprise data storage, as well as mainstream UDIMMs and SODIMMs.
The FORESEE CXL 2.0 memory expansion module is developed based on DDR5 DRAM and supports a PCIe 5.0×8 interface with a theoretical bandwidth of up to 32GB/s. It is available in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 192GB, and 512GB coming soon. It can seamlessly connect with backplanes and server motherboards that support the CXL specification and E3.S interface, reducing high memory costs and idle memory resources. It significantly improves memory utilization and effectively expands server memory capacity and bandwidth performance. Through unique stacking technology, the product can achieve a large capacity of 128GB based on 16Gb SDP chips, significantly reducing the cost compared to similar industry standards. It supports memory pooling and sharing, helping to unleash the potential of HPC, cloud computing, AI, and other applications.
For server backplanes without an E3.S interface, users can use the CXL AIC memory expansion module adapter to enable server CXL RDIMM memory expansion. This product adopts a full-height, full-length PCIe add-in card (AIC) package with 8 DIMM slots, supporting DDR4 RDIMM memory modules. The memory capacity can be expanded up to 512GB, and it supports PCIe 5.0 x16 through the MCIO high-speed interface, with a theoretical bandwidth of up to an astonishing 128GB/s. The product connects directly to CXL-compliant server motherboards via MCIO cables, providing large-capacity, high-bandwidth, and low-latency expanded memory for individual servers and server clusters.
The FORESEE LPCAMM2 is equipped with the latest LPDDR5/5x chips, compatible with 315-ball and 496-ball designs, and supports frequencies of up to 7,500Mbp/s and above, as well as capacities of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, making it suitable for scenarios with different memory performance and capacity requirements. In terms of product technology, the FORESEE LPCAMM2 adopts a new design architecture that cleverly packages four x32 LPDDR5/5x memory chips directly onto a compressed connector, achieving a 128-bit memory bus on a single memory module. This provides a more efficient packaging technology than standard memory modules and represents the peak of technological advancement in the market. Additionally, the self-developed PCB design has 10 layers, optimizing signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI), while also following the JEDEC JESD318 standard design to ensure high performance and stability.
The hardware of FORESEE enterprise DDR5 RDIMM is made of high-frequency performance materials and high-temperature resistant, high-reliability components. The RDIMMs come in 1R×4, 2R×4, 2R×8 architectures and capacities of 16GB, 32GB, and 96GB, with a maximum transfer rate of 5,600MT/s. They support RCD drives, ECC error correction (80-bit width), and other enterprise data storage features, achieving ultra-low failure rates and data error rates. They provide strong support for long-term stable operations in servers, cloud computing, distributed storage, edge computing, and other intensive enterprise application scenarios.
The FORESEE industrial DDR4 ECC SODIMMs come in capacities of 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, featuring three design architectures: 1R×8, 2R×8, and 1R×16. They achieve speeds of up to 3,200Mbps and operate at a low power consumption of 1.2V. Equipped with error correcting code (ECC) functionality, they significantly reduce the risk of data errors and ensure consistent system stability. The SODIMMs utilize high-quality resources such as wide-temperature screened chips and anti-sulfuration components, and have successfully passed rigorous electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, showcasing outstanding anti-interference capabilities that protect data transmission from external electromagnetic disturbances. They have also surpassed the EIA-364-65B anti-sulfuration test and various reliability assessments including TC, THB, HTOL, LTOL, Shock, Torsion, and mechanical impact tests, thoroughly proving their durability and dependability under severe conditions such as extreme temperatures, vibrations, and shocks. The SODIMMs meet the stringent requirements of industrial standards applicable to industrial automation, industrial control systems, telecommunications equipment, medical devices, rail transportation, and power equipment.
▶Embedded Storage Chips and Memory Cards
Furthermore, Mnemonic Electronic has introduced a range of small-sized embedded storage chips and cards, utilizing diverse flash memory types such as SLC, TLC, and QLC.
The FORESEE automotive UFS/eMMC utilizes top-tier automotive materials and components, combined with proprietary firmware algorithms and stringent AEC-Q100 reliability testing. This ensures robust, long-term performance in environments characterized by extreme temperatures, mechanical stress, intense vibrations, and electromagnetic interference, thus safeguarding data security. The products support capacities from 4GB to 128GB and are available in two temperature range: -40°C to 85°C (Grade 3) and -40°C to 105°C (Grade 2). They currently serve over 20 prominent automotive brands and more than ten types of vehicle applications including DVRs, IVI systems, instrumentation, and T-boxes.
As an enhancement over eMMC, the FORESEE automotive UFS introduces additional features like the LDPC algorithm, Write Booster, and HPB, delivering nearly six times the performance in read and write operations. Compliant with UFS 2.1/3.1 protocols and AEC-Q100 automotive standards, its operating wide-temperature range of -40°C to 105°C adeptly handles severe working conditions. Primarily, it is employed in sophisticated automotive applications such as ADAS and smart cockpit systems.
The FORESEE industrial SD/microSD cards are crucial for automotive storage solutions. Made with industrial TLC chips, these cards operate within a temperature range of -25°C to 85°C and come in capacities ranging from 8GB to 512GB. Their endurance rating of 3,000 P/E cycles underscores their high durability and reliability. By optimizing the firmware and intelligent garbage collection (GC) technology, the R&D team has improved the performance smoothness to ensure that the read and write speeds can meet bit rate requirements in any extreme environment and that the vehicle monitoring system can run stably. Additionally, these products feature a S.M.A.R.T information interface tailored for vehicle monitoring applications, enabling users to track the health of the memory cards and receive timely alerts before end-of-life, facilitating visual management of storage lifespan.
The FORESEE QLC eMMC, developed with Longsys’s in-house WM6000 controller and unique QLC algorithm, supports up to 512GB of storage and possesses the capability to achieve capacities up to 1TB, offering a range of options for the smartphone market.
Longsys, headquartered in Shenzhen, China (301308.SZ), mainly engaged in the research, development, design, packaging & test, manufacture and sales of semiconductor memory products. Longsys focuses on storage products and applications, and has formed core competitiveness in memory chip design, memory controller design, firmware algorithm development, packaging & testing and manufacturing. It provides consumer-grade, industrial-grade, automotive-grade storage, enterprise-grade and industry storage software and hardware application solutions.
Mnemonic distributes all of the Longsys B2B memory and storage product lines in Asia and Europe, providing local sales and after-sales service support for these products. At present, products are divided into four major product lines: embedded storage, solid-state drives (SSDs), mobile memory and memory modules, with applications in both consumer and industrial fields. The company’s storage solutions are widely used in smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, computers, communication devices, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT), security monitoring, industrial controls, automotive electronics and other industries, as well as personal mobile storage.
“At today’s exhibition, Mnemonic Electronic showcased storage products and solutions that are at the forefront of the industry, particularly impressing with breakthroughs and innovations in capacity and packaging design. These advancements undoubtedly bolster the momentum of the AI revolution,” remarked a visitor. Moreover, prospective clients noted that these high-capacity storage solutions align with market trends and offer insights and potential for the development of future servers, personal computers, and other devices.
To better embrace the upcoming era of high-capacity storage, Mnemonic Electronic remains committed to innovating and delivering safer, more efficient, and reliable storage solutions. We anticipate the unveiling of new breakthroughs from Mnemonic Electronic at COMPUTEX next year.
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SOURCE Mnemonic
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Technology
U.S. News & World Report Reveals the 2027 Best Places to Retire
Published
51 minutes agoon
October 27, 2026By
Affordability is a top priority for attendees as Midland, Michigan, holds No. 1 spot.
Summary
Midland, Michigan, is the No. 1 Best Place to Retire for the second year in a row.Affordability is the most considered factor when choosing a place to retire in 2027.Florida and Texas dominate the top 250 Best Places to Retire, offering a number of affordable and retiree-tax friendly locations.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today revealed the 2027 Best Places to Retire in the United States.
Midland, Michigan, retained the No. 1 rank for the second year in a row. Midland scored high in affordability and retiree taxes, helping it to lock in the top spot.
“Retirees are seeking a place that gives them a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years,” said Megan Wood, assistant managing editor, home services and real estate. “Whether that comfort prioritizes scenic nature spots, access to multi-cultural experiences, or everyday affordability, places like Midland, Michigan, offer financial safety while still providing a good quality of life.”
Homosassa Springs, Florida, came in at No. 2 due to strong scores in affordability, 55+ population growth and retiree taxes. High performance for, quality of life, retiree taxes, affordability and quality of life resulted in Weirton, West Virginia, placing No. 3 on the list.
U.S. News adjusted its scoring weights for the 2027 rankings to mirror a growing concern for affordability in America. This resulted in multiple double-digit jumps in the top 25, including Paducah, Kentucky (No. 8), ascending into the top 10 for the first time.
“It’s no secret that affordability is top of mind for Americans this year, which is why U.S. News updated its weighting criteria to better align with what retirees prioritize,” Wood said. “The 2027 rankings reflect key metrics used to highlight the places that best suit retiree needs.”
U.S. News evaluated more than 850 U.S. cities – publishing the top 250 places – based on how well they meet American retirees’ expectations against measures including quality of life, affordability, healthcare, retiree taxes, job market, and population and migration for retirees aged 55 and older.
The six measures factored into this year’s rankings were weighted based on a public survey of individuals across the U.S. who are at or approaching retirement age (45 and older) to find out what matters most to people when they’re considering where to retire. Resources include federal, state and local data provided by Applied Geographic Solutions, which includes data sourced from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings. To learn more about how the rankings are determined, read the Best Places to Retire methodology.
Best Places to Retire is part of U.S. News’ Real Estate section, which provides rankings and tools to help individuals navigate the housing market, including home value estimates to working with an agent.
2027 U.S. News Best Places to Retire – Top 10
*See the full rankings here.
Midland, Michigan Homosassa Springs, Florida Weirton, West VirginiaThe Woodlands, TexasSpring, TexasRancho Rio, New Mexico Altoona, PennsylvaniaPaducah, KentuckyLynchburg, Virginia Palm Coast, Florida
For more information on Best Places to Retire, explore Facebook, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Instagram and X using #BestPlacesToRetire.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.
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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.
Technology
IBM Introduces Identity and Control for AI Agents, Securing Frontier Intelligence for the Enterprise
Published
51 minutes agoon
October 27, 2026By
Enterprises are deploying agents faster than they can verify them. HashiCorp Vault uses Agent Identity to give each agent a governed identity Verified agents still need limits on access. Vault extends its established secrets management to AI agents, built to enforce least-privilege access and enable real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action Enterprises can’t scale agents they can’t see, test or account for. IBM watsonx Orchestrate is designed to unify discovery, containment, and evaluation across Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini
ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At TechXchange 2026, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is announcing new capabilities to help developers, IT and security teams put AI agents to work across business systems with clear authority and accountability. IBM brings together agent discovery, verified identities, access controls and performance evaluation to help organizations understand who owns each agent, control what it can access, and trace its actions across existing applications and infrastructure.
According to Gartner, by 2028 the average Fortune 500 enterprise will use over 150,000 AI agents. But only 13% of organizations believe that they have the right AI agent governance in place [1]. Persistent credentials, unclear ownership and disconnected controls make it harder to govern agents as they interact with other agents, invoke tools and act across teams, platforms and clouds.
“The winners in enterprise AI are changing how their business runs, not simply adding more AI to it,” said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “For agents to take on real work across the systems a company depends on, it requires an AI operating model – one that connects agents to the business’s data, applications and infrastructure and runs them with the same discipline as its most critical systems. Build trust and control into that model, and agents stop being a technology and become a way of doing business.”
Today’s announcements extend IBM’s portfolio to deliver an AI operating model of four essential systems working together: agents, data, automation and hybrid infrastructure. This starts with the trust and control every agent needs – a verified identity, only the access it needs, and one place to discover, secure and evaluate agents regardless of where they were built.
Extending HashiCorp Vault to AI agents
HashiCorp Vault manages the secrets and credentials that applications and services use to access business systems. It provides that control through centrally managed secrets, automated rotation for supported credentials, and dynamically generated credentials that expire or can be revoked. These capabilities help reduce the time exposed credentials remain usable and limit access to the permissions configured for each role.
HashiCorp Vault already secures non-human identities for organizations including ABN AMRO, Adobe, athenahealth, BBVA, BlackRock, Canva, Duke Energy, Expedia, London Stock Exchange, Starbucks, Swiss Federal Railways and Target, across systems that process billions of dollars in transactions [2]. HashiCorp will now extend those capabilities to AI agents, issuing secured, short-lived credentials that limit each agent to what it needs.
Establishing agent identity and accountability
AI agents are a growing class of non-human identity, alongside applications and services. As they begin acting across business systems, enterprises need a clear record of who owns each agent and what authority it has been granted. HashiCorp is combining governed agent identity with credential controls to help organizations delegate work with defined authority and accountability.
When used with HashiCorp Vault, Agent Identity establishes the authoritative record for each agent, such as who owns it, its lifecycle status and the authority it has been granted. Built to extend existing identity and security investments, it shares relevant identity and authorization context with Vault’s credential controls – ultimately enforcing least-privilege access and enabling real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action.
Controlling agent credentials and access
Identifying an agent is only the start. Enterprises also need to control the credentials it uses to reach databases, applications and cloud services – and how long those credentials remain valid. As agents invoke tools and act across business systems, their credentials become a critical security boundary. An agent with a long-lived, overprivileged credential can put systems and data at risk if it’s compromised or acts outside its intended task. Enterprises need to establish what each agent’s job is, limit the access it receives and revoke that access when circumstances change.
These controls extend beyond initial authentication. If an agent attempts to retrieve information or perform actions outside its approved permissions, the access can be denied and session revoked in real time to prevent unauthorized activity. Vault’s short-lived credentials and least-privilege controls can further restrict what an agent accesses and the duration of those permissions.
Additional capabilities include:
Vault 2.2 gives agents their own secured accounts, automatically renews their credentials and incorporates post-quantum encryption for quantum-era threats. Secure Hub (public preview) gives companies centralized visibility across their Vault environments to make it easier to understand operational health, usage and security resources.
At TechXchange, client speakers will share how they use Vault to secure enterprise applications, workloads and AI agents
athenahealth: Automating certificate management with Vault’s PKI engine. Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Applying IBM Verify and Vault to AI agent identity, just-in-time access, dynamic secrets and auditability. Optum: Using Vault Radar to detect exposed secrets and Boundary for just-in-time, identity-based access. Seven-Eleven Japan: Centralizing and encrypting secrets with Vault Enterprise and detecting hardcoded secrets with Vault Radar. Yum! Brands: Building an identity security platform with IBM Verify, with a look ahead to machine identities and secrets management.
“AI presents extraordinary opportunities to accelerate biomedical research and discovery, but realizing its potential requires a foundation of security, trust, and responsible governance,” said Shailesh M. Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “In my experience, technologies such as IBM Verify and HashiCorp Vault can play an important role in helping organizations establish the identity, access, and security controls needed to innovate with confidence.”
Managing agents across platforms
Identity tells organizations what an agent is. But they also need to see every agent they have, wherever it was built. IBM watsonx Orchestrate works across the AI ecosystem, not inside a single vendor’s platform, to give organizations one place to discover, secure and evaluate their agents. Capabilities include:
Discover (tech preview): Organizations can’t govern agents they don’t know exist. Orchestrate connects to platforms such as Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini to find agents built in third-party environments, so teams can see and manage agents instead of adding them manually. This capability also extends to models and MCP servers. Contain (tech preview): One rogue agent can disrupt others and spread mistakes across the business. Orchestrate now runs agents in isolated sandboxes so a rogue agent can’t interfere with others. Teams also now have access to a kill switch to shut down any agent. Evaluate: Agents that aren’t tested and tracked can quietly drift off course and increase costs. Teams using Orchestrate can now test the quality, accuracy and compliance of agents, models and MCP servers before deployment, then monitor them in production. Built-in cost tracking shows each agent’s model and token use, so teams can spot what’s driving spend and fix it.
Orchestrate also works with Vault’s credential controls and Agent Identity to establish what each agent’s job is, govern its authority and enforce least-privilege credential access. Together, these controls help organizations authorize and audit agent actions and rapidly revoke trust and credentials when risk changes.
Connecting agents to the business
Once agents are authorized to use a company’s APIs and tools, they need to know what already exists, how systems connect, what can be reused safely and what their actions could affect. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub is built to provide that knowledge through its Unified Context Engine, so agents can fix problems like stuck messages or deploy an API using what’s already in place. Skills, approval policies and audit controls keep those actions in check. Instead of rebuilding for AI, organizations can put agents to work on the systems they already depend on.
Scaling agents with NVIDIA
Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault integrate with NVIDIA OpenShell secure runtime software, the foundation of the NVIDIA OpenShell Architecture. Together, they pair a protected environment for agents to run in with a verified identity and short-lived credentials for every agent, so each action can be traced, limited and reviewed.
“Businesses need enforceable control over how agents operate and what they can access,” said John Fanelli, vice president, enterprise software, NVIDIA. “Our work with IBM combines NVIDIA OpenShell’s policy-governed runtime with Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault to help enterprises scale AI agents with secure execution, verified identities and tightly scoped access to business systems.”
Responding to Emerging Security Threats
When new vulnerabilities are discovered, enterprises must quickly identify affected systems, determine required changes and deploy fixes without disrupting critical operations. In complex environments, this process often involves multiple teams, tools and processes.
IBM Concert integrates observability, optimization, incident management and security across applications, infrastructure and networks. With AI-powered insights and proof of exploitability, Concert helps teams to identify high-risk vulnerabilities, assess operational impact, and coordinate responses. These capabilities also help organizations address performance, manage costs and maintain resilience in hybrid environments.
HashiCorp Terraform provides an infrastructure context and governed workflows for change implementation. New features now generally available and in public preview, including Terraform policy, Terraform Developer Portal and Terraform remote MCP server, enable developers and AI agents to access approved configurations and implement infrastructure changes through established controls. Terraform powered by Infragraph also helps teams understand infrastructure relationships and dependencies for more informed decisions.
Together, these capabilities enable organizations to progress from identifying vulnerabilities to implementing and verifying remediation, while optimizing the visibility and governance essential for enterprise operations.
A comprehensive system intelligence and change orchestration layer for IBM Z
IBM Z Atlas maps a client’s entire z/OS stack across infrastructure, middleware, and applications, and then uses that intelligence to address the manual effort of tasks like patch management, regulatory response, and sharing system knowledge across teams, from systems programmers to application developers. Atlas addresses the leading cause of unplanned z/OS outages – changes that aren’t proven to be safe – by mapping how a change impacts the z/OS stack and testing and validating it. This design (in tech preview) accelerates clients’ modernization efforts by keeping experts in control and giving practitioners, in operations or development, the same shared Z system visibility to reduce risk.
Availability
HashiCorp Vault 2.2, Agent Identity, watsonx Orchestrate evaluate capabilities, IBM Concert, and HashiCorp Terraform policy are generally available. Secure Hub, Terraform Developer Portal, Terraform remote MCP server, and IBM Z Atlas are in public preview. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub and watsonx Orchestrate discover and contain capabilities are in tech preview.
Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.
Learn more
IBM TechXchange is IBM’s annual conference for developers and technology practitioners and brings together nearly 6,500 attendees from 85 countries. This year, the event incorporates HashiConf to bring together the HashiCorp community with practitioners from across IBM, Red Hat and Confluent. Attendees can choose from more than 1,000 sessions and experiences, including 180 hands-on labs, 260 client-led sessions and more than 50 certification exams. Speakers include American Airlines, Bradesco, Citi, CVS Health, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Hertz, and US Bancorp who will share how they are making AI enterprise ready.
Session livestream and replays will be available here: ibm.biz/txc26-livestream.
Supporting Materials
Strengthen security for agentic AI with new Vault, Verify, Boundary, and Secure Hub capabilities IBM Agent Identity now generally available: Building Trust for the Agentic Era Vault Enterprise 2.2 advances identity security, PKI, and cryptoagility Announcing the public preview of Secure Hub: govern Vault at scale IBM watsonx Orchestrate advances AI agent management with new capabilities IBM Integration Intelligence Hub gives AI the context to act, not just access IBM Concert platform advances the path to cross-domain agentic IT operations Terraform advances infrastructure lifecycle management for the agentic era Introducing IBM Z Atlas: Change Intelligence for IBM Z
[1]: Gartner Identifies Six Steps to Manage AI Agent Sprawl
[2]: HashiCorp Vault client stories
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
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IBM
sarah.benchaita@ibm.com
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IBM
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Technology
Three Blind Spots Leave Industrial Companies Exposed to Critical Mineral Shortages
Published
51 minutes agoon
October 27, 2026By
Boston Consulting Group Finds Industrial Companies Underestimate Their Critical Mineral Exposure, Which Also Limits Their Access to Public CapitalDemand for Key Minerals Is Projected at 120% to 250% of Forecast Supply Through 2040An Estimated $3.5 Trillion of Products Depend on Gallium, a “Mosquito Mineral” Traded in a Market Under $350 Million a YearSome Governments Have Deployed Less Than 10% of Their Critical Minerals Funds
BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Industrial companies are underestimating their exposure to critical mineral shortages and missing a strategic opportunity as a result, according to new analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Three blind spots in the metrics that companies rely on hide where the risk sits, including what BCG calls “mosquito minerals,” so small by traded value that they never reach a risk register.
These are among the findings of Why Critical Mineral Shortages Are a CEO Issue, a BCG report released today. BCG’s proprietary model projects demand for key inputs, including rare earths, graphite, copper and lithium, at roughly 120% to 250% of forecast supply through 2040.
“Most industrials track exposure through spend and direct supplier data, and the minerals that can stop a production line are often the ones they spend almost nothing on,” said Tycho Möncks, a BCG managing director and partner and a coauthor of the report. “The question for CEOs and boards is not whether their company is exposed. It is. The question is whether they intend to live with that exposure or turn it into an advantage.”
Small Markets Can Stall Large Industries
Companies often start their risk assessment with the bill of materials, which points them toward high-volume metals such as copper and lithium. Mosquito minerals fall outside that view. Their traded value is tiny, but the value chains that depend on them are not.
Rare earths. The rare earths used in a fighter jet are worth less than the paint that coats the plane.Gallium. The global market is worth under $350 million a year, with production of only about 900 tons, yet BCG estimates about $3.5 trillion of final products depend on it.Arsenic. The upstream market is about $50 million worldwide, yet a single producer supplies roughly 60% of the ultra-high-purity grade used in 5G and 6G infrastructure, data center optics, radar systems, and defense electronics.Byproduct supply. Gallium, germanium and arsenic are recovered as byproducts of other mining and industrial processes, so the host metal’s market sets their supply. Even a sharp price spike may not bring new production.
Exposure Hides Below Tier One Suppliers
A company that buys almost no critical minerals directly can still be acutely exposed because minerals arrive embedded in motors, magnets, power modules, lasers and sensors. They also sit in the tools and processes used to make those components, from crucibles and catalysts to dies and the capital equipment itself.
Turbine blades, engine blocks and structural aerospace components, for example, are machined with cutting tools made of tungsten carbide bonded with cobalt. A manufacturer that has never bought either metal directly can still see production stop if those tools run short, a dependency that appears on no bill of materials.
Companies also tend to map where critical minerals are mined, but for some minerals the bottleneck is processing, not production. A map of where assets sit and a map of who owns them can look very different, so a change of supplier that looks like diversification may leave a company’s exposure unchanged.
Public Capital Is Committed but Largely Unspent
The three blind spots also lead to a strategic miss. The International Energy Agency reports that public finance commitments to critical minerals in advanced economies reached around $65 billion in 2025, more than four times the 2023 level. BCG’s review of government-backed vehicles found the flagship instruments barely deployed, with some countries having spent less than 10% of their allocated capital and others nothing.
These vehicles are designed to draw in private capital, and offtake requirements are typically the main eligibility gate. BCG argues that companies without a clear view of their own exposure cannot make a credible commitment, and so cannot qualify. The funds are not free money: they carry conditions such as reporting obligations and localization requirements, and they represent only about one tenth of the capital needed through 2040. But for industrial companies, BCG says, they are a way to build a competitive advantage.
Several of the companies that have reframed their approach and tapped public capital are industrial companies and trading firms, not miners, and BCG found that in each case the CEO and executive team led the process of identifying and correcting their blind spots.
“These blind spots have a cost beyond risk. The money is there, but it comes with offtake requirements, and a company cannot make a credible commitment without knowing its own exposure,” said Karthik Valluru, a BCG managing director and senior partner who coauthored the report. “Mapping that exposure properly is where the opportunity starts.”
Download the publication here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/critical-minerals-risk-blind-spots
Media Contact:
Bruce Wraight
wraight.bruce@bcg.com
About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes for the world’s leading companies and organizations. We are built for this era of unprecedented change — bringing strategic clarity rooted in over 60 years of deep domain knowledge, combined with applied AI shaped by our practitioners. BCG works shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs across industries and geographies to deliver transformative impact at scale: stronger returns, transferred capabilities, and change that sticks. For more information, visit bcg.com.
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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
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