Taboola says DeeperDive has reached nearly 7 million monthly active users, hitting that mark eight months after launch.

DeeperDive is Taboola’s AI question-and-answer product for publisher websites. In the UK, it is already used by titles including The Independent and Reach publications such as the Mirror, the Express, MyLondon and the Manchester Evening News.

The tool is also expanding into six more languages: French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. Publishers joining that expansion include Ouest France, El Nacional and Ynet.

Taboola says politics, sport, finance, entertainment and shopping are the most common topics for user questions. About half of questions submitted through the service relate to news, entertainment and sports information from the previous 24 hours.

Figures provided by Taboola suggest some publishers are seeing adoption rates of as much as 17% among users on sites where the product has been integrated. In other words, roughly one in six visitors is using the feature to ask questions.

Taboola also says DeeperDive is changing how readers move through publisher sites once they enter the AI interface. The company says the likelihood of a user choosing to read an article after entering the system rises to more than 20%, compared with the low single-digit rates that have long characterised article-to-article recirculation across much of the web.

Another part of the pitch to publishers is editorial data. According to Taboola, newsroom teams using the DeeperDive dashboard can review millions of reader questions each month, often more than 10 million, and use that information to guide coverage and homepage decisions.

Publisher push

The launch and rollout come as publishers look for ways to keep readers on their own sites while generative AI products reshape search and discovery habits. For media groups, tools embedded directly into article pages may help retain audience attention and capture more direct signals on reader interests, rather than ceding that interaction to external AI services.

Taboola has long been known for content recommendation and advertising placements on publisher sites. DeeperDive extends that role into AI-driven discovery and gives the company another path into advertising tied to reader interaction on news and media websites.

Taboola says DeeperDive users generate some of the highest advertiser conversion rates across its network, though it did not provide absolute revenue or conversion figures.

Executive view

Chief Executive Officer Adam Singolda outlined the company’s case for why publishers are adopting the product.

“Publishers love DeeperDive because it brings the AI revolution directly into their own environments, enabling readers to ask questions, have conversations, and discover trusted content in entirely new ways,” said Adam Singolda, Chief Executive Officer, Taboola. “In my career, I have never seen users adopt a new product at these levels while generating such strong engagement and advertiser performance.”

He also set out the company’s view of how AI services may develop across the web.

“I believe the AI landscape will ultimately be defined by two models: subscription LLMs and ad supported LLMs. With DeeperDive, we have the opportunity to build the largest ad supported LLM for the open web, free for publishers and free for users. At the same time, we’re creating a powerful new supply opportunity for advertisers and a meaningful new revenue stream for publishers. People want more than answers. They want trusted content and to be part of a community. While direct AI engines are powerful, I will always prefer watching Knicks highlights on my favorite local or sports site or reading travel reviews from a trusted publication when planning a trip with my family. Experiences built around trusted content and community will only grow stronger over time,” said Singolda.

Taboola says its wider network reaches more than 600 million daily active users across publisher and device partners, giving it a broad installed base from which to distribute products such as DeeperDive.

CirrusHQ has appointed Gary Beddow as Head of Business Development, expanding the Scottish cloud consultancy’s sales team.

Beddow joins from Digital Space, where he held a similar role for several years. He will report to Chief Revenue Officer Stephen Croke and arrives shortly after the company appointed Matt Smith as Head of Sales.

The new position adds senior weight to CirrusHQ’s commercial team as it looks to deepen its work with public sector customers. Beddow brings experience in cloud services, the public sector and the wider Amazon Web Services market.

CirrusHQ focuses on AWS consulting and holds Premier Tier Services Partner status with the cloud provider. Its work includes security, compliance and cloud management for organisations using AWS.

Public Sector Focus

CirrusHQ’s leadership linked the hire to demand from government bodies and other public service organisations for cloud-based systems. That demand is also being driven by growing interest in artificial intelligence tools and the data infrastructure needed to support them.

James Lucas, Chief Executive Officer of CirrusHQ, said: “Cloud First strategies are now the norm across the public sector, with many local authorities and central governmental departments fully recognising the power and scale that the technology can provide. Not only this, but as we see increased AI adoption in the sector, the cloud is primed to provide the solid data foundation that AI needs to thrive. From our experience working with councils and other public sector organisations across the UK, we know that they want to drill down further into the benefits of the cloud. Gary’s strong track record and dual cloud and public sector experience will allow him to fully support our customers on their ongoing cloud journeys.”

The focus on the public sector reflects a broader market shift as councils, central government departments and healthcare bodies modernise systems while under pressure to improve efficiency and resilience. Many are also managing ageing infrastructure and rising expectations around digital services.

Beddow said his new role would focus on helping those organisations tackle a broad range of operational and technology challenges. His remit includes first-time cloud migration, management of existing cloud estates and work involving newer artificial intelligence tools.

“I’m really excited to join such a capable AWS Cloud specialist and contribute to further success. The public sector, including local and central government as well as healthcare, are having to change and evolve in many ways to support their citizens and patients. Senior leaders are being continually asked to deliver improved efficiencies, provide more resilient and secure systems whilst also exploring and adopting new technologies. It can be a real challenge for an organisation to meet all these objectives on their own and this is where CirrusHQ can assist. Whether it’s about migrating to the cloud for the first time to escape aging infrastructure and technological debt or help with managing and securing an existing cloud environment or exploring and delivering innovative new solutions with the latest Gen AI tool sets. In my humble opinion and experience to date, there are only a handful of AWS cloud partners that really understand the public sector and can reliably deliver. CirrusHQ is one of those organisations,” Beddow said.

Sales Expansion

The creation of the Head of Business Development role points to a broader expansion of the company’s sales operation rather than a direct replacement. With Smith as Head of Sales and Beddow leading business development, CirrusHQ appears to be separating sales leadership from market development as it pursues further growth.

For AWS-focused cloud consultancies, public sector demand has become an important competitive area. Buyers are looking for support not only with migration projects but also with governance, security and cost control after systems move to the cloud.

Beddow’s background at Digital Space may also prove relevant as customers increasingly seek advisers who understand both the technical and procurement realities of public bodies. That experience has become more valuable as departments expand their use of cloud services beyond basic infrastructure projects.

CirrusHQ said Beddow’s experience across cloud and public sector work would help customers as they continue to develop their cloud strategies.

Fuel prices across the UK have seen a sharp increase since the US and Israel launched their initial strikes at Iran on February 28.

This is largely due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route to the south of Iran.

Data from the RAC suggests the average price of diesel in the UK has gone up by 25.5 per cent from 141.60p per litre on February 26 to 177.68p per litre on March 27.

Meanwhile unleaded petrol has risen by 13.7 per cent from 132.05p per litre on February 26 to 150.11p per litre on March 27.

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All prices include VAT.

Charities, emergency services and businesses across Oxfordshire have been impacted.

Loose Canon Brewery in Abingdon delivers beer five days a week, consistently to 90 pubs in the local area although often that number is higher.

“There’s been quite a dramatic impact in that way,” said Anneli Baxter, general manager, commenting on direct fuel costs.

She added: “Also, customers who visit our brewery shop. They are starting to consider the cost of driving to the brewery to collect beer.”

President Donald Trump (Image: AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Ms Baxter further stated that the public – squeezed by the rising cost of living including fuel costs – are weighing up whether they are able to afford luxuries such as beer at the pubs they deliver to.

Dave Richardson, a spokesman for the Oxford branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), echoed Ms Baxter’s comments.

He said: “The breweries deliver the beer to the pubs on the lorries – there’s no other way of doing it, so they are having to face that additional cost.”

The Oxford Food Hub, which has vans out six days a week delivering to around 250 organisations, said that the increase in fuel costs is making it its work harder.

Steve Hamon, CEO of the charity, said: “We still have two diesel vans, and since the end of February, we’ve noticed an increase of 31.63 per cent in fuel costs. 

Volunteers and workers at the Oxford Food Hub (Image: The Oxford Food Hub)

“As a smaller charity, every penny counts. Any rise in fuel spending makes it harder for us to continue our regular operations of saving and redistributing surplus food across the county.” 

Small businesses are increasingly concerned by fuel costs, with several saying it is adding to an already pressured landscape.

Robin Holmes-Smith, owner of The Granary delicatessen in Watlington, which has offered a delivery service said the true impact is yet to be felt.

He said: “The difficulty will be in a few weeks’ time when prices go up. If the distribution charges go up, then prices will go up.”

Mr Holmes-Smith claimed he was “cautious” when looking ahead but that his main concern was the rise in minimum wage.

Meanwhile, Ryan Dawson, owner of Oxford Pantry Hampers called it an “extra financial strain along with the other costs of being a small business”.

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If the order is close to his south Oxfordshire base, he will try and deliver the gourmet food or artisan gift hamper himself.

As such the rise in petrol costs is “eating away” at his profits.

The ambulance service for Oxfordshire said it expected to see its costs rise, despite operating a “mixed fuel strategy”.

Loose Cannon Brewery in Abingdon (Image: Loose Cannon Brewery)

A spokesperson for the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: “Ultimately those rises will increase the trust’s costs given the large number of vehicles we use to provide our services.”

From a private driver perspective, a leading member of the Motoring Action for Oxford group said the situation was causing “much frustration and worry”.

Robbo Leigh explained that private motorists have no way of absorbing or passing on increases in costs, while businesses relying on petrol will be looking to absorb as much as possible.

This includes independent petrol stations with Martin Prew, owner of Milton Service Station, saying his margins on fuel had effectively halved.

Milton Service Station in Oxfordshire (Image: Google Maps)

The company, which was founded in 1965, also sells cars and is a workshop, and Mr Prew has said these areas are currently “subsidising the fuel business”.

Saj Malik, a city councillor and taxi driver, said that he was noticing a downturn in trade as the rise in fuel costs made everybody “extra cautious”.

He said: “Oxford is a student city; we have many quarters that are very deprived. Our prices remain the same; we cannot pass on anything to customers as we have all struggled.”

Mr Malik has called on the government to take action including by reducing fuel duty, a tax levied on petrol, diesel and other road fuels.

He is not the only one keen on support amid the rise in costs.

Independent Oxford councillor Saj Malik (Image: Oxford City Council)

Ms Baxter of Loose Cannon Brewery said: “A reduction in VAT at pump prices would go a long way.”

Mr Leigh said: “The one thing that always arises in conversation is how slow our government in the UK is acting on this issue whereas a handful of countries have already reduced their fuel duties and VAT.”

Mr Prew also called for temporary reductions highlighting that the increase in prices would see a rise in government revenue from VAT which is set at 20 per cent.

Sportif Suzuki in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire (Image: Google Maps)

However, the government has rejected this view, suggesting that as energy prices rise, people cut back on other spending that would usually be subject to VAT.

A government spokesperson said: “Millions of motorists filled up their cars and travelled over the Easter weekend.

“Our fuel system is robust and continues to work well.”

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While committing to keep the taxes under close review, the government has pointed to its extension of the 5p fuel duty cut from this month to September.

On Wednesday April 8, US President Donald Trump and the Iranian leadership announced a two-week ceasefire, with the theocracy agreeing to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite this, uncertainty remains about the safety of ships travelling through the Strait.