A New Era in WFH Productivity? Unity Buys Parsec
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The most important thing in tech today is …
Unity buying Parsec for $320 million in cash, a bold investment in the idea that anyone in the knowledge economy can work remote — even game developers who require muscular machines to create and share huge files.
This acquisition marks an important moment in tech’s pandemic evolution. Last year, the companies with the best available software for hybrid work won. Now the industry is scrambling to fill in the gaps. In Parsec, Unity has found a five-year-old company with unique technology that lets the power users of computing get things done from home.
On the micro level, this matters because the pandemic slowed the rollout of high-end games at the beginning of a major console cycle, as developers with broken workflows found it impossible to meet deadlines. Those are exactly the types of customers who became heavy users of Parsec.
On the macro level, this fits the narrative that Microsoft is building with Windows 365 Cloud PC, its latest offering to let businesses give workers cloud access to their corporate desktop from anywhere.
Flexibility isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s essential insurance.
Coming up today on CNBC’s TechCheck, 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT …
Doximity CEO Jeff Tangney, Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz, FuboTV CEO David Gandler, Unity CFO Luis Visoso
While you were sleeping …
Hackers have started returning some of the $600 million they stole in what’s likely to be one of the biggest cryptocurrency thefts ever. CNBC
Instagram has introduced new features called Limits and Hidden Words designed to reduce hate and abuse on trending posts, the company announced. The update is designed to protect its users, particularly creators and public features, from seeing harassing, racist, homophobic and sexist content in comments and DM requests. Engadget
In the broader world …
Prices that Americans pay for everyday goods and services accelerated in July as pent-up demand for travel and restaurants kept inflation hot, but about where economists had expected. CNBC
On the horizon …
Today, 1 p.m. ET, Jon Fortt interviews Reid Hoffman for the Economic Club of Chicago. 2:30 p.m., Kitopi cofounder Saman Darkan in a Fortt Knox 1:1.