October 2026 Tech Upload
NEW Digital News
October Is Wisconsin Tech Month
October brings Wisconsin’s tech community together for a month of learning, connection and collaboration. Wisconsin Tech Month highlights the people and ideas shaping technology across the state, with events for developers, business leaders, students, founders and anyone curious about what comes next.
The 2026 lineup includes MKE Tech Week, DEV Week, Women in Tech Week and Midwest Tech Week. Throughout the month, tech related events are taking place around Wisconsin, offering opportunities to build skills, exchange ideas and meet others in the field.
Explore the Wisconsin Tech Month event calendar to find an opportunity that interests you. Hosting a meetup, workshop or other tech event this October? You can also submit your event through the Wisconsin Tech Month website to help more people discover it.
The NEW Digital Alliance would like to thank the following for their support as Strategic Level investors!
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Upcoming northeast Wisconsin IT events
Sip & Sync in De Pere
Friday, October 16
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
The Exchange Coffee, De Pere
Organizer: Women in Technology (WiT) Wisconsin
WiTonCampus Job Shadow Experience at Jewelers Mutual
Wednesday, October 14
8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Jewelers Mutual Group, Neenah
Organizer: Women in Technology (WiT) Wisconsin
WiTonCampus Job Shadow Experience at Jewelers Mutual
Wednesday, October 21
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Lambeau Field, Green Bay
Organizer: Heartland Business Systems
There’s still time to join the AI Business Summit
(Photo: Fox Cities Chamber
AI is changing how we work, compete and grow, and there’s still time to make sure you’re part of the conversation.
The Fox Cities Chamber AI Business Summit returns Nov. 3, bringing together business leaders, AI experts, and local organizations for a practical, business-focused look at how artificial intelligence is being used right now.
The Summit again features keynote speaker Rebecca Ryan, this year presenting Signal vs. Noise, along with breakout sessions covering AI strategy, everyday operations, tools, small business applications, agentic systems and more.
Whether you’re just beginning to explore AI or already putting it to work in your organization, you’ll leave with practical ideas, real-world examples and new connections to help you take the next step.
Haven’t registered yet? There’s still time. Reserve your seat and join us Nov. 3 for one of the region’s biggest conversations about the future of business and AI.
Labor Market Insights: September 2026
A monthly jobs report can shape the conversation about the economy within hours, but its headline number is only an early estimate. In Carex Consulting Group’s September Labor Market Insights, Matt Duffy explains how additional survey responses and later revisions can change the picture. His advice: watch the longer trend and consider other labor market measures before drawing conclusions from a single report.
The latest figures present a mixed picture. The U.S. added an estimated 162,000 jobs in August, and unemployment held at 4.1%. Job openings rose to 7.3 million, while hiring and quits both declined. For employers and workers trying to understand where the market is headed, the full set of indicators offers more context than any one headline.
Upcoming Career Fair Opportunities!
Inspire WI is excited to support our partner schools in coordinating Career Exploration and Hiring Events this fall and upcoming winter. During these events, students from local high schools will have the opportunity to visit your booths to learn more about your organization, explore potential career pathways, and make meaningful connections. Students will be seeking information about full-time, part-time, Youth Apprenticeship, and seasonal employment opportunities.
Upcoming Career Fair Events:
- Winneconne High School – October 20, 2026 – 8:30am-10:55am
- Omro High School – November 3, 2026 – 8:00-10:45am
- Hortonville High School – December 8, 2026 – 9:00am-11:15am
If you are interested in participating, please complete the Non-Partner Career Fair. You can register for all upcoming Career Exploration and Hiring Events using one convenient form. Booth space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
Additional event details will be shared following your registration.
Other IT News
Critical Security Vulnerabilities Put Enterprise Networks at Risk
(Photo cred: CISA)
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added four vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog in September, including security flaws affecting Fortinet, Citrix, Google Chromium and Cisco products. All four were added based on evidence of active exploitation.
The announcement highlights the importance of proactive vulnerability management as organizations navigate an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape. For IT professionals, it reinforces the need to prioritize patches based on actual threats rather than simply relying on routine update schedules.
Source: CISA, September 9, 2026
Tech Industry Job Losses Contrast With Growing Demand for IT Talent
(Joe Raedle/Staff via Getty Images)
The technology employment landscape continues to send mixed signals. According to a CompTIA analysis of federal employment data, technology-sector employment declined by approximately 14,700 jobs in August. However, employers across the broader U.S. economy added 86,000 technology workers during the same period.
The contrasting figures illustrate an important shift in where technology professionals are finding employment. While traditional technology companies face workforce reductions, organizations in other industries continue hiring IT talent. The findings offer a valuable perspective for technology professionals, employers and workforce development organizations navigating an evolving labor market.
Source: CIO Dive, September 8, 2026
$1 Billion Federal Award Aims to Accelerate U.S. Quantum Computing Development
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the finalization of a research and development award of up to $1 billion for Anderon, a newly established IBM subsidiary. The funding, awarded through the CHIPS and Science Act, will support the development of a domestic quantum semiconductor foundry and advance research in quantum chip manufacturing.
The investment represents another step toward building the infrastructure necessary for future quantum computing technologies. Beyond its potential computing applications, the initiative highlights the growing intersection of advanced manufacturing, semiconductor development and emerging technologies, along with the specialized workforce needed to support them.
Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), September 16, 2026
$11.6 Billion Cloud Deal Highlights Growing Demand for Computing Infrastructure
(Photo: Akamai/YouTube)
Akamai Technologies announced an $11.6 billion, seven-year agreement with AI developer Anthropic to provide cloud computing capacity. The agreement will leverage Akamai’s distributed infrastructure to support Anthropic’s growing demand for CPU computing resources, with the potential for an additional $9 billion in commitments.
Although the agreement supports AI development, the broader story illustrates how demand for computing capacity is reshaping the cloud infrastructure industry. It also demonstrates the increasing importance of distributed computing networks as technology companies expand their infrastructure to accommodate more demanding workloads.
Source: SiliconANGLE, September 24, 2026