Latest news with #IanBoyd
Techday NZ
07-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
GoCardless names Ian Boyd to lead Australia & New Zealand growth
GoCardless has appointed Ian Boyd as General Manager for Australia and New Zealand as part of a strategy to expand its presence in the region's evolving payments sector. Boyd, who previously served as General Manager of Partnerships at Xero, brings more than twenty years of experience in financial services and technology to the role. His career includes significant tenures at Visa, Barclaycard, and ANZ Bank, positioning him to lead GoCardless as it aims to grow its market share in the region. Growth strategy GoCardless has reported a 28% revenue growth in Australia and 36% in New Zealand during 2024. The company intends to build on this momentum, particularly as changes in Australia's payments infrastructure—including the rise of PayTo and the proposed decommissioning of BECS by 2030—create new opportunities for merchants and payment service providers. In his new position, Boyd is tasked with driving growth, fortifying partnerships, and expanding the company's PayTo offering across both countries. He is also expected to oversee GoCardless' efforts to respond to local market changes and address demand for modern payment solutions. Leadership remarks "It's an exciting time for payments in Australia and New Zealand with bank payments on the rise. Direct Debit has long been popular and with PayTo now enabled for over 90% of consumer bank accounts, it's the perfect time to strengthen our presence in the market. Ian's proven background, particularly his experience at Xero and deep understanding of the local market, makes him the ideal leader to drive our next phase of growth." This statement was made by Pat Phelan, Chief Commercial Officer at GoCardless, highlighting the alignment between Boyd's background and the needs of the business in the region. Market demand The announcement of Boyd's appointment coincides with GoCardless' ongoing efforts to solidify its position as a partner for Australian merchants navigating new payment technologies. Partnerships have already been established with organisations such as Salesforce, i=Change, Optty, and InsuredHQ. These relationships are seen as key components of the firm's regional growth plans, particularly as businesses seek alternatives to legacy payment infrastructure. Outlook from Ian Boyd "I'm excited to join GoCardless at this pivotal moment. We have a huge opportunity to show businesses the benefits of bank payments, helping them boost revenues, cut costs, and build stronger customer relationships. In Australia, with the proposed decommissioning of BECS and the emergence of PayTo, we're the ideal partner for merchants, offering Direct Debit now and the ability to become PayTo-ready for the future. In New Zealand, we'll bring the latest payment technology to accelerate growth, disrupting a market long underserved by outdated infrastructure. I'm confident we can take the pain out of getting paid for millions of merchants, enabling them to truly thrive." Boyd's comments reflect an emphasis on meeting evolving merchant needs and leveraging modernised payment rails in both Australia and New Zealand. Sector context More than 90% of Australian consumer bank accounts are now PayTo-ready, signalling the widespread adoption of new digital payment options. The upcoming retirement of the BECS payment rails by 2030 is expected to accelerate the industry's transition towards real-time and account-to-account solutions. GoCardless is positioning its platform and services to support businesses through this period of change, both in Australia and neighbouring New Zealand. As the payments landscape transforms, GoCardless plans to continue building on recent partnerships and strengthening its local presence under Boyd's leadership, aiming to support merchants adjusting to updated infrastructure and customer payment preferences. Follow us on: Share on:
AllAfrica
04-06-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Trial by fire: Chinese laser weapon reputedly in Russian service
China's battlefield lasers have arrived in Ukraine and may soon shape a drone-saturated future war over Taiwan. Last month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that Russia has reportedly deployed a Chinese laser weapon system to counter Ukrainian drones, according to pro-Russian Telegram sources. A video posted this May shows a system resembling China's Shen Nung 3000/5000 anti-drone laser, previously supplied to Iran. The footage depicts Russian troops operating the system from a vehicle, followed by its deployment and engagement of aerial targets, including drones visibly catching fire midair. The Nomad special forces unit is reportedly utilizing the system, with Russian analysts deeming it a significant advancement over previous counter-drone technologies. While the exact specifications remain unclear, experts suggest that the system is a variant of the Low-Altitude Laser Defending System (LASS) manufactured by China's Academy of Engineering Physics. The incident underscores deepening military cooperation between Russia, China and Iran, raising concerns over China's expanding arms exports amid ongoing conflicts. China has denied direct involvement and claims neutrality. The video's emergence comes amid broader developments in laser air defense technology, including Israel's Iron Beam system, deployed against Hezbollah drones. The effectiveness of laser-based weapons remains debated due to environmental limitations and operational challenges, but their increasing field use signals ongoing adaptation in modern warfare. Looking at the promise of laser weapons, Ian Boyd mentions in a March 2024 article for The Conversation that laser weapons promise speed-of-light engagement, precision targeting, and an 'infinite magazine' as long as power is available. Boyd highlights their advantages, including low cost per shot, minimal logistical footprint, and adaptability across land, sea, air, and space platforms. However, he also points out their drawbacks, such as high power demands, cooling requirements and environmental limitations, including fog, rain and smoke. Those advantages could have been decisive in US operations against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Lara Seligman and Matt Berg note in a December 2023 Politico article that the US has used multi-million, hard-to-replace interceptor missiles to intercept Houthi suicide drones that cost US$20,000 at most. In that situation, they point out that the cost-benefit analysis favors the Houthis, with high interceptor missile costs, long missile production times and limited ship magazines all working against the US. Further, laser weapons might have mitigated some of the damage in Ukraine's recent audacious drone swarm attack on Russian airfields and bombers. While Russia deployed countermeasures, such as blast walls, decoys, air defense systems and improvised defenses, including placing tires on bomber wings to confuse image-matching systems, these have yielded mixed results at best. Building hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) may not have been an option for Russia, given the size of its bomber aircraft, and that doing so could spark a nuclear miscalculation between the US and Russia. While Russia has suspended its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 3), it still complies with its terms in practice by keeping its bombers out in the open, allowing for US satellite and inspection-based verification. While US airbases in the Pacific lack hardening, the US hardening its airbases could be interpreted by Russia or China as preparation for nuclear war or a more aggressive nuclear posture, with negative implications for strategic stability. Lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine War could inform China's doctrine in deploying laser weapons during a Taiwan Strait conflict. Highlighting the possibility of drone swarms being used against China, US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said in a July 2024 Washington Post interview that he intends to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned 'hellscape' to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. 'I want to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities,' he said. 'So that I can make their lives utterly miserable for a month, which buys me the time for the rest of everything.' According to USNI News in January 2025, the US Department of Defense's (DOD) Replicator initiative is advancing toward its August 2025 milestone, aiming to deploy lethal swarms of unmanned vehicles linked by integrated software. The report states that the first tranche of the Replicator initiative, initially launched in 2023, focuses on surface and subsurface drones and loitering munitions to deter a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. It says that the second tranche, announced in 2024, prioritizes counter-drone capabilities. As to how the US could use Replicator drone swarms to defeat a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Stacie Pettyjohn and other writers mention in a June 2024 Center for a New American Security (CNAS) report that swarms of low-cost, long-range suicide drones can overwhelm Chinese naval forces and disrupt amphibious landings. Pettyjohn and others say that these autonomous systems when paired with advanced surveillance drones, would rapidly close kill chains by identifying targets and guiding precision strikes. They add that pre-positioned drones in Taiwan could accelerate early response, while layered counter-drone defenses would blunt China's swarms. A January 2025 Defense News report stated that while the Replicator initiative has received bipartisan support, concerns persist over funding, scalability, and long-term viability. The report states that industry leaders argue that without increased investment, Replicator will fall short of its goal to field thousands of autonomous systems rapidly. While Defense News notes that congressional aides expect modifications rather than cancellation, the program's trajectory hinges on changes in leadership at the US DOD. It mentions that analysts warn that without sustained momentum, Replicator may struggle to deliver the transformative impact envisioned at its launch. China is taking the threat seriously. Defense One reported in May 2025 that aside from the Shen Nung 3000/5000 anti-drone laser, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) has developed the LW-30 and LW-60, which offer vehicle-mounted interception with AI-driven automation. Additionally, Defense One reports that China has developed a breakthrough cooling system, which enables continuous laser operation by eliminating heat buildup—a longstanding challenge to the effectiveness of laser weapons. The report states that these advancements underscore China's commitment to reducing its reliance on costly missile interceptors while enhancing precision and operational efficiency. By testing its lasers in foreign wars, China is quietly mastering the weapons it may one day unleash in the Taiwan Strait.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Mass surveillance fears over technology that can ‘suck DNA out the air'
Widespread DNA surveillance could be on the horizon if new technology to suck genetic data out of thin air is not regulated, the Royal Society has warned. Environmental DNA – or eDNA – is fragments of genetic code left behind in skin, saliva and other bodily detritus which is shed as humans and other living creatures move through the world. Scientists in recent years have proven that they can pick up and identify individuals through these genetic traces, simply by sampling the air, soil or water. In a new report, the Royal Society said that the technique could aid in the investigation of crimes, or help spot dangerous chemicals that could indicate an imminent biosecurity threat or terror attack. However, the report also warned that eDNA could 'potentially be used for the wrong reason', such as 'genetic surveillance, genome harvesting, covert accumulation of genetic data for malicious commercial purposes, and inadvertent location tracking or population surveillance'. Experts warned that collecting DNA from the air was a legal 'grey area' and said people could find their genetic data being inadvertently captured without their consent, revealing private medical details. 'Increasingly long human eDNA reads have been successfully sequenced from relatively untargeted analysis, including detailed information such as ethnicity, ancestry and disease susceptibility,' the report authors warn. 'This means that in the future, individual humans could potentially be identified from a much larger range of eDNA samples.' The Royal Society's Environmental DNA report, which is intended for policymakers, said that guidelines and standards were needed to 'safeguard the public' while still allowing the benefits from the technology. Report authors also warned that the contamination of samples could lead to 'false positives' which 'could result in false bioterror alarms or miscarriages of justice'. They are also concerned about 'genome harvesting' which they said was the 'unethical or malicious collection and storage of human genetic information obtained from the environment (eDNA) without consent'. Sir Ian Boyd, Bishop Wardlaw professor at the University of St Andrews and a member of the report's review group, said: 'The rapid expansion of the field of eDNA is exciting and the potential applications are vast. 'Investing in the research infrastructure and regulatory frameworks that can adapt to these emerging uses, and their ethical or commercial implications, is vital for the UK is well placed to capitalise on opportunities – whether that's food, environmental management, public health or defence.' Environmental DNA analysis of wastewater has already been instrumental in tracking the spread of diseases such as Covid-19, polio, and monkeypox, allowing public health interventions to be made in targeted areas. Endangered species Scientists are also keen to use the technology to track endangered species, while law enforcement agencies could use it to connect individuals to crime scenes or search for missing persons. Niamh Nic Daeid, professor of forensic science and director of the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee and a member of the report's working group, said: 'The interpretation of forensic evidence can have serious and life-changing consequences. 'Forensic science research will be needed to validate eDNA techniques alongside their development so that they are fit for purpose for implementation into the criminal justice system. 'We still have a lot to learn about how eDNA can be transferred given different activities; how long it persists on different surfaces, and the background prevalence of different species' eDNA in the environment. 'Understanding this will be critical to evaluating eDNA findings and what they may contribute to an investigation of an alleged incident and presentation of any evidence in the courts.'
