News Briefs for the Week Ending
04/09/2010
Copyright 2010, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1004
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS, MERGERS, DIVESTITURES
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AT&T Selling Wayport’s European Operations
AT&T announced that it is selling the European subsidiary of Wayport to Hospitality Services Plus, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swisscom. AT&T will continue to own and operate the
former Wayport assets in the United States. The transaction with Swisscom is subject to regulatory approvals; financial terms were not released. AT&T bought Wayport – a Texas-based Wi-Fi broadband internet access provider – in 2008 and has since integrated
Wayport into its own Wi-Fi network.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Bell Canada Sells Stake in SkyTerra for CA$111 Million
Bell Canada announced that it has completed its sale of 22.1 million shares in SkyTerra Communication, a satellite services company. The sale was part of the acquisition of SkyTerra by Harbinger Capital Partners. The
shares netted Bell Canada a total of CA$111 million. The telecom company plans to put those funds towards the expansion of its broadband offerings across Canada.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
DT, France Telecom Complete UK Wireless Merger
Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom announced the successful completion of the merger of their British mobile phone units to create the country’s biggest operator, which will
be a joint venture. The closure was announced after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals. Tom Alexander, former CEO of Orange UK is the Chief Executive of the new joint venture, and Richard Moat, the former CEO of T-Mobile UK is Chief Financial
Officer and Deputy CEO. A board of directors has also been formed, on which Tom Alexander and Richard Moat will serve as executive directors. Tim H”ttges, CFO of Deutsche Telekom, will lead the board as non-executive chairman for two years. After two
years, the leadership will rotate to Gervais Pellissier, Deputy CEO and CFO of France Telecom, for two years. Also joining the six-person board as non-executive directors are Philipp Humm, Chief Regional Officer Europe for Deutsche Telekom and Olaf
Swantee, Executive Vice President Europe at France Telecom. The brands, T-Mobile and Orange UK, will remain in place for at least 18 months.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Ericsson Completes Nortel GSM Business Acquisition
Ericsson announced that it has completed the acquisition of Nortel Networks‘ North American GSM business. The closing follows the announcement on November 25, 2009 that Ericsson
had entered into an asset purchase agreement for the business. More than 350 employees from Nortel will be integrated in the Ericsson group over the coming months, the company said. Ericsson’s bid for Nortel’s GSM assets was made together with Kapsch
CarrierCom of Austria. Under the two transactions, Ericsson is acquiring certain assets of Nortel’s GSM business in North America and Kapsch is acquiring certain assets outside North America. In 2009, Ericsson also acquired Nortel’s CDMA and LTE assets in
North America.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Google Acquires Online Video Company Episodic
Google purchased online video platform maker Episodic. The acquisition was announced on the video company’s blog. Google will integrate the company’s technologies and employees of Episodic into its YouTube Web site. Financial terms of the acquisition
were not released. The announcement said existing Episodic customers will continue to be supported but acceptance of new accounts has been suspended for the time being.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
IBM Sells Portion of PLM Business to Dassault SystŠmes
IBM announced that it has completed its transaction with Dassault SystŠmes (DS), a provider of 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. The deal involved the sale of the portion IBM PLM’s sales and client
support operations which handled DS’s PLM software application portfolio. The transaction was valued at $600 million, and includes customer contracts and related assets. As part of the sale, IBM and DS have decided to extend their relationship via a Global
Alliance partnership. The new collaboration will see both companies continue to jointly invest in developing, deploying and supporting client PLM environments.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
L-1 Identity Solutions Closes on Retica Acquisition
L-1 Identity Solutions acquired all of the assets of Retica Systems, including iris-on-the-move and iris-at-a-distance product inventory, algorithms and software. The products and technology acquired from Retica are
considered complementary to L-1’s existing iris recognition products portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Verizon Denies Rumors of Merger with Vodafone
Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg is dismissing rumors of a possible merger with Vodafone, saying such a move would not create a major growth opportunity. “There’s no
compelling reason that this is an exciting thing to do,” Seidenberg told the Wall Street Journal. The comments were in response to trade press reports last week of a possible multibillion-dollar merger deal between the
companies, which currently operate Verizon Wireless as a joint venture in the US.
Source: WSJ, 4/8/2010
ALLIANCES, JOINT VENTURES
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Cable&Wireless Earns Multiple New Contracts in the South Asia Region
Cable&Wireless announced a spate of new contracts in the area of South Asia. The contracts include signings with Sri Lanka Telecom, in Sri Lanka; Pakistan Telecommunications Company (PTCL) and Transworld Associates (TWA)
in Pakistan; and a large, unnamed, telecom company in Bangladesh. The company claims the new customers are largely due to its Multi-Service Platform, which it has been expanding into the region, during the past two years.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
F-Secure, BIGLOBE Partnering in Japan
F-Secure and BIGLOBE, an Internet operator in Japan, have signed an agreement to expand F-Secure in the Japanese market. F-Secure’s antivirus product for Mac and Windows computers is now available as a security
service for BIGLOBE customers for a monthly subscription.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Global Crossing Recertified as SAP Hosting Partner
IP communications provider Global Crossing announced it has been recertified as a SAP Hosting Partner and SAP-Certified Provider of Hosting Services in Argentina. Global
Crossing said business software provider SAP issued the recertification for Global Crossing’s data center in Buenos Aires. SAP certification involves an assessment of infrastructure, processes, and technical staff, Global Crossing said.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
IBM Joins with KACST to Open Solar-Powered Water Desalination Plant
IBM and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the national research and development organization of the Saudi Arabian government, jointly announced a research collaboration with the focus of
building a water desalination plant powered by solar electricity. The new facility, which will be built in the city of Al Khafji, is expected to output 30,000 cubic meters per day. This amount will allow it to serve 100,000 people. This number is made
possible by power provided via the ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic (UHCPV) technology jointly developed by the two organizations.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
IBM Signs IT Contract, Business Alliance with Broadridge
IBM announced the signing of both an information technologies (IT) services contract, and a business alliance agreement with Broadridge Financial Solutions. The IT services contract calls IBM to provide Broadridge with
all infrastructure services, including data center, IT operations and network support. The related, but separate, contract allies IBM with Broadridge, allowing the company to offer IBM’s suite of solutions to its customers.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
McAfee Inks Partnership with Riverbed Technology
McAfee and Riverbed Technology have partnered to provide a one-box offering, which will include a virtual instance of McAfee Firewall Enterprise software running on the Riverbed
Steelhead appliance. The Riverbed Services Platform is a virtualized, extensible data services platform integrated with the Steelhead appliance hardware that allows for the deployment of multiple edge services that formerly required dedicated servers.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Opera Teams with Vodafone to Bring the Web to Developing Nations
Opera announced the launch of an initiative with Vodafone. The two companies are collaborating on a customized version of the Opera Mini 5 mobile Web browser. This version will be designed specifically to work on low
or mid-range handsets over 2G wireless networks. The goal of the new browser is to bring a consistently available portal to the Internet to developing nations. The browser will feature local language menus, and icons designed to be as user friendly as
possible, since many of the expected users are likely to have little or no experience with Web browsers. The initiative will be rolled out in India, South Africa, Turkey, Tanzania and Egypt, with other developing regions to follow. The browser will be
embedded in a total of 20 devices, and will be downloadable by another 250 models.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
SAP Teams with Fujitsu for Japanese Version of Business Objects
Fujitsu announced that it has joined forces with SAP to jointly develop and release a Japanese-language version of SAP’s recently-launched SAP BusinessObjects BI OnDemand solution. The two companies previously
maintained a relationship that saw both parties jointly promoting their enterprise resource planning (ERP) products. As part of the joint effort, the Japanese-language version of the Business Objects OnDemand solution will be hosted on Fujitsu’s own cloud
environment.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Cisco Launches WebEx App for iPad
Cisco announced a new application, the Cisco WebEx Meeting Center for the Apple iPad tablet device. The free business application allows participants to join and engage in online meetings from their iPads with “a few
simple taps on the screen,” the vendor said. The Cisco WebEx application can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Oracle Releases AutoVue 20.0
Oracle announced the release of AutoVue 20.0. AutoVue is an enterprise visualization solution, which allows customers to review and collaborate on assets, engineering documents, and other information stored across
their companies collection of repositories. The new version includes improvements to scalability, and a standards-based architecture, which allows it to be integrated into other enterprise applications. Version 20.0 also features a new offline mode. This
feature allows users to make changes, without an Internet connection, which will be uploaded when connectivity is available. Oracle’s AutoVue 20.0 is available now.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
BIOMETRICS
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AuthenTec Protects New ASUS Netbook
AuthenTec‘s TruePrint smart sensor and TrueSuite identity management software have been integrated into Asus‘ new Eee PC 1018P netbook. The AES1660 TruePrint smart sensor
incorporates LED drivers for PC user feedback including programmable alerts and notifications.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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Preparedness Task Force Announced by Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security has formed a local, state, tribal, and federal Preparedness Task Force, a group of experts charged with assessing the state of the nation’s disaster preparedness and making
recommendations to Secretary Janet Napolitano to boost safety. The Task Force is comprised of 35 members of local, state and tribal governments, many of whom have served within federal government, and will also engage Congressional partners, as well as the
private sector and non-governmental and development organizations through a variety of outreach activities.
Source: DHS, 4/7/2010
Department of Homeland Security Debuts Open Government Plan
The Department of Homeland Security unveiled its Open Government plan, which uses public input to enhance participation as part of the Obama Administration’s Open Government Initiative. A key component of the plan is
the expansion of “Virtual USA,” an information-sharing initiative developed to enhance communication between federal, state, local, and tribal first responders during emergencies.
Source: DHS, 4/7/2010
Report: More Being Done to Ensure Critical Infrastructure Protection
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released its findings on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National
Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) for 2009 to see how the DHS has deterred threats and minimized the consequences of disasters as compared to its NIPP in 2006. The GAO found that the DHS’s 2009 update to the NIPP incorporated various changes, including
a greater emphasis on regional critical infrastructure and key resource protection. The DHS also enhanced its discussion of risk management methodologies in the 2009 NIPP.
Source: GAO, 3/5/2010
SunGard Offers Crisis Communications Technology for Hospitals
SunGard Availability Services introduced NotiFind for Hospitals, which is designed to link hospital operations and IT staff through communications to improve disaster recovery. NotiFind for Hospitals
provides hospitals with pre-configured emergency notifications, based on business continuity planning and healthcare industry best practices.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
CARRIER SERVICES
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AT&T to Invest $1 Billion in Network Upgrade, Expansion
AT&T announced that it plans to invest approximately $1 billion in 2010 to extend its mobile network for small business, expand the number of business applications it offers, and support the proliferation of mobile
computing devices. The network upgrade will support the delivery of cloud-based services for global companies, as well, the carrier said in a press release. Among AT&T’s goals: use the planned network expansion to improve capacity and diversity; offer
services in new markets, expanding its service footprint from 31 countries to 37 countries; deploy, upgrade, or add IPv6-capable MPLS nodes to support Layer 3 VPN and Global Managed Internet Services, including gigabit Ethernet customer access across
multiple locations in Europe, the Asia Pacific region, and in Central and Latin America.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
AT&T Says Network Upgrade Will Improve Chicago-Region 3G Services
AT&T announced that it invested nearly $40 million from 2008 through 2009 to complete a local initiative to increase the wireless capacity of its third generation (3G) mobile broadband network throughout the Chicago
area. As a result of deploying additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band, local customers are expected to experience improved 3G wireless voice and data connectivity and performance, especially during peak hours.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Dish TV, Windstream Extend Agreement
DISH Network and Windstream have extended an existing alliance, announcing a new multi-year agreement under which Windstream will offer DISH Network satellite TV
service. The companies have offered a discounted bundle of communications and entertainment services since 2005. Windstream said both new and existing Windstream-DISH Network customers will continue to have a single point of contact, and single monthly
Windstream bill.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
MetroPCS Debuts Voicemail-to-Text Service
Prepaid wireless carrier MetroPCS Communications introduced a fully-automated voicemail-to-text service, which converts voicemail messages to text messages, and sends the content as an SMS or email to a subscriber.
The feature uses speech recognition technology from Yap. MetroPCS said it is the first national US carrier to offer the automated voicemail-to-text service. MetroPCS is offering the service to customers as a $3 per month
add-on to its flat-rate monthly plans.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Verizon FiOS Offering Comcast Sports Network in Philadelphia Region
Verizon announced that Comcast Network, part of Comcast Sports Group, has launched on FiOS TV in the Philadelphia (PA)
region, the Harrisburg (PA) area, and parts of southern New Jersey and Delaware. The Comcast Network offers local public affairs and community interest programming as well as selected professional sporting events. CSN comprises a group of regional sports
networks primarily owned by Verizon competitor Comcast.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
XO Expands Broadband Wireless Coverage
XO Communications announced it has expanded its carrier-grade broadband wireless coverage across the Washington, DC region with the deployment of a new wireless hub in the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia. The
expansion gives businesses an alternative for high-speed network services including network redundancy and business continuity, the carrier said.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
CHIP TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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HP Labs Details New “Memristor” Technology
HP Labs announced "memristor," a resistor with memory it claims can perform logic, potentially allowing computation to be performed in the chips where data is stored, rather than on a specialized central
processing unit. HP researchers also designed a new architecture, within which multiple layers of memristor memory can be stacked on top of one another, in a single chip. HP said such chips could be used to create handheld devices that offer 10X the
embedded memory of today’s devices, or power supercomputers that allow rendering and genomic research to be performed even faster than Moore’s Law currently suggests. Eventually, memristor-based processors could replace the silicon in the smart display
screens found in e-readers, and could become the successors to silicon on a larger scale.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
CLOUD COMPUTING & SAAS
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AWS Launches Amazon Simple Notification Service
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS). The new service is being promoted as “a Web service that makes it easy to set up, operate, and send notifications from
the cloud.” The service is designed to be able to distribute widespread notification to both people, and applications over various protocols, including email, and HTTP. These messages are distributed via “Push” notifications, eliminating the need for
clients, or applications to constantly be checking a server for new message updates. Amazon suggests the service be used as a part of monitoring applications, workflow systems, time-sensitive information updates, mobile applications, and more. The service
is available now under a pay-as-you-go pricing scheme.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Amazon Web Services Revamps Data Transfer Out Pricing Scheme
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has changed the way it charges for its Data Transfer Out services. The company has decided to aggregate all Data Transfer Out totals, within a given region, for its Amazon S3,
Amazon EC2, Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon RDS, Amazon SQS, and Amazon VPC services. This replaces the previous system, which charged customers separately for Data Transfer Out usage under each of the listed services. The company claims the result will benefit
the customer, in that it will allow smaller consumers to reach higher usage tiers, thus lower pricing levels.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
CA Release Agile Vision Team Edition through Force.com Platform
Computer Associates (CA) announced the availability of CA Agile Vision Team Edition. The application, which will be made available through Salesforce.com‘s Force.com app
platform, offers multiple planning and collaboration tools designed to expedite new product releases. The new service will be priced at $15 per user, per month, and can be up and running in as little as 15 minutes, a fact the company attributes to the
cloud-based nature of the Agile Vision. The company also announce that it is planning an enterprise edition of the Agile Vision product, which will be integrated with a future release of CA Clarity PPM.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Fujitsu Announces Cloud Services for Agricultural Industry
Fujitsu Japan announced new cloud computing services to support the agricultural industry, in Japan. Fujitsu’s F&AGRIPACK software as a service (SaaS) product uses Fujitsu’s data center capacity, accessible via the
Internet. The SaaS be available to agricultural producers, corporations, and retailers, as well as the JA Group, Japan’s federation of agricultural cooperatives. Fujitsu is also offering a business management product, for accounting, payroll calculation,
and tax preparation tasks, and a farm management package, for tracking plant productivity logs.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Google Raises Picasa Album Limit
Google made a short announcement on expanding the capacity of its Picasa online photo hosting service. The service now support ten times the number of maximum albums it could previously support. Users, including
those paying for storage over and above the free amount, were previously restricted to 1,000 albums. This limit has now been raised to 10,000.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Saba Announces Trio of Remote Learning Products
Saba announced a trio of products designed to aid companies with a mobile workforce in the areas of remote learning and training. The first product, Saba Centra for iPhone, is available as a free download from the
Apple App Store. This software allows customers with an existing Saba Centra account to access virtual classes, web conferences, and web seminars from their iphones. The second product, Saba Centra Web Access, provides the same functionality as the iPhone
version, but is designed to work with any Web browser on a Windows, Mac, or Linux PC. The final Product, Saba Anywhere, connects its users with Saba Learning, allowing them to access “standards-based courseware and knowledge content anywhere, anytime,
regardless of network connectivity.” All three products are available now.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Survey Finds Lack of Protection for the Cloud
A survey from Symantec revealed that most organizations lack the procedures, policies, and tools to ensure that sensitive information they put in the cloud remains secure. Despite security concerns and the expected
growth in cloud computing, only 27 percent of respondents said their organizations have procedures for approving cloud applications that use sensitive or confidential information.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Zoho Docs Adds Attachment Handling Features
Zoho added numerous new features to the handling of attachments by its online office suite Zoho Docs. The highlights include the ability to save and load attachments directly from Zoho Docs, without saving them
locally; the ability to download multiple attachments as a single ZIP file; and the ability to view attachments of the correct file format directly in Zoho Docs. All these new features are available now to all levels of Zoho Docs users.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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Alcatel Unveils Microwave Packet Radio for Managing Bandwidth
Alcatel-Lucent released its 9500 Microwave Packet Radio, which supports additional frequency bands to help service providers address the growth of high bandwidth applications. It offers features for radio
frequency planning, support for longer range transmissions, and migration to all IP and longterm evolution (LTE) mobile data services. Microwave packet radios are high bandwidth wireless transmission systems used to connect 2G, 3G, and LTE cellular base
stations, between each other and the fiber metro network. They can aggregate any type of traffic, including TDM, ATM, and Ethernet.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Juniper to Provide Routers for National University of Singapore
Juniper Networks announced it helped the National University of Singapore (NUS) migrate its wide area networking infrastructure, to Junos based MX series Edge and Multiservice Edge routers. NUS operates an
international network, with points of presence in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and Singapore, and provides a carrier neutral Internet exchange point, for the local Internet community, to exchange traffic freely. It has experienced an increase in IP network
traffic, in recent years, especially as relates to delay sensitive, voice and video payloads. The upgrade is believed to pave the way for the use of IPv6.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Motorola Launches GB Ethernet Bridge for IP Migration
Motorola USA‘s Home business launched the AGB240 ASI GbE bridge, which it says helps service providers migrate legacy ASI video equipment to an IP network. It delivers bridging for traffic, from ASI video service
outputs in legacy equipment, to a common GbE IP backbone, or transport network.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Motorola, Partners Deploy Passive Optical LAN in New York
Motorola USA worked with Verizon Business and ADC to deploy passive optical LAN (POL) technology for the Center of Excellence in
Wireless and Information Technology, at Stony Brook University. The all fiber, LAN infrastructure POL technology helps simplify LAN management, allowing the user to focus on wireless and information technology, Motorola claims. Verizon provided integration
services and support, while ADC provided fiber structured cabling components. The facility is located in Stony Brook, NY, US.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
NTT Communications Plans POPs in Asia, US, Europe
Tokyo-based NTT Communications (NTT Com) announced plans to establish points of presence (POPs) for its Arcsta Global IP-VPN services in Penang, Malaysia; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and Zurich, Switzerland. The POPs
would provide multinational companies with access to global managed network services in regional markets of Asia, the US, and Europe. NTT Com said applications for services are now being accepted.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
CONFERENCING
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MTN Nigeria to Offer Cisco TelePresence Rooms
Cisco Systems announced that service provider MTN Nigeria is offering its TelePresence A live service, for face to face teleconferencing. The public TelePresence rooms -known
as MTN ePresence rooms – will be available at the Southern Sun Hotel, in Lagos, the Sheraton Hotel, in Abuja, and the Le Meridian Hotel, in Port Harcourt. TelePresence allows users to meet virtually, sharing content, and creating customized video
recordings.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
TANDBERG Launches Clinical Presence System
TANDBERG announced the launch of its TANDBERG Clinical Presence System (CPS). The new product is a telepresence solution designed by, and for, healthcare professionals. The company claims the system’s point-of-care
oriented design will not only help lower the costs associated with transporting patients and specialists, but will also help saves lives by reducing how long it takes for a patient to receive specialized care for their medical situation. The CPS includes a
high-definition video system, wireless power, and a ruggedized exterior for use in rural locations.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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Accenture Signs 5-Year Web Design Deal with Nordea
Accenture announced that it has signed an outsourcing agreement with Nordea, a financial services group located in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. The 5-year contract calls for Accenture to develop and maintain
the applications which will allow the group’s customers to access its Web sites. This includes 30 Web sites, with over 7 million visitors on average, per month. Accenture will be designing the sites based on the Microsoft .Net framework.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Capgemini Launches Smart Analytics Division
Capgemini announced the opening of a new analytics division. Smart Analytics will provide companies with analysis of internal data generated by installations of Smart Grid and AMI (Advanced Metering
Infrastructure) solutions. The company claims the new service will speed up the analytics process by shortening the time needed for definition, data modeling and related business logic processes.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
General Dynamics Signs Composite Components Order with Boeing
General Dynamics announced that it has received a $20 million contract to provide composite components of the C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter to Boeing. The
company expects to commence delivery on the order in February, 2011, with completion expected during April of the following year. All work on the project will be completed at the company’s advanced materials facility in Marion, Virginia.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Savvis to Provide Managed Services for All Nippon Airways
US-based Savvis announced that is has signed a contract to provide managed services for 70 of All Nippon Airways (ANA) corporate Web sites. Under the three year
agreement, Savvis will provide an IT infrastructure solution supporting ANA’s corporate Web sites and intranets spanning 90 domains. ANA will deploy Savvis’ managed hosting services, as well as managed security services, which include network intrusion
detection, managed firewalls, and managed network services. The services will be delivered from Savvis’ Tokyo data center, which was recently expanded by approximately 3,700 square feet of raised data center floor space to accommodate increased demand for
cloud and hosted IT infrastructure solutions, Savvis said.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Swisscom Signs Outsourcing Agreement with Ringier
Swisscom announced that it has signed an agreement with Ringier. The contract allows Ringier to outsource its entire communication infrastructure to Swisscom. This includes the totality of telephone services,
network services in Ringier’s Swiss offices, and the company’s global network security. The contract has a duration of 5 years. No financial terms were discussed.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
CRM
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Microsoft Releases Dynamics CRM for Nonprofits and NGOs
Microsoft announced the immediate availability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM for nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The customized version of the company’s CRM solution includes such specific
features as constituent relationship management functionality, as well as support for donation and pledge management, membership and campaign management, volunteer tracking, dashboard reports, and online payment solutions. The company is offering the
product through its Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online on demand hosting service. Pricing for the new solution begins at $9.99 per user, per month for qualified customers.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
CYBERCRIME & PUNISHMENT
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New Report Details Wide-Reaching Cyber Espionage
The Information Warfare Monitor and the Shadowserver Foundation released Shadows in the Cloud: An Investigation into Cyber Espionage 2.0. The report describes an ecosystem of cyber espionage that systematically targeted and
compromised computer systems belonging to government, business, academic, and other computer network systems, as well as politically-sensitive targets. Computer systems in India, the offices of the Dalai Lama, and the United Nations were among the
targets.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Cyber Attack by a Foreign Nation Seen as High Risk
According to a survey commissioned by Lumension, 61 percent of federal IT decision-makers who work in national defense and
security departments or agencies say the possibility is “high” for a cyber attack by a foreign nation in the next year. Additionally, a third of these respondents say they have already experienced such a cyber attack within the past 12 months. Of the 201
federal IT professionals polled for the Federal Cyber Security Outlook 2010, half said that they expect only minor policy changes as a result of the recently created federal cyber security coordinator position.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
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Microsoft to Show Off New Silverlight Version for Set-Top Devices
Microsoft announced plans to bring its Silverlight programming platform to set-top boxes and other devices. The initiative will begin at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show. There Microsoft
will show off conceptual designs in collaboration with Intel, and Broadcom. Microsoft says the system-on-chip (SOC) technology of these two companies will allow it to offer its Silverlight platform in devices such as
set-top boxes, connected TVs, Blu-ray Disc players and others. The company hopes to see the technology adopted by other SOC manufacturers, as well as consumers electronics companies. The NAB show takes place the week of April 12.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Novell Releases MonoTouch 2.0, Adds iPad Support, Other Improvements
Novell released its new MonoTouch 2.0 development platform. The new platform allows software creators to design their products for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch using the Microsoft .NET framework. The company
claims that more than 16,000 developers downloaded the first version of MonoTouch, which functioned with the iPhone and iPod Touch. The product provides a method of developing on a Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler, while still complying with Apple’s stringent
licensing terms. In addition to iPad support, the second version of the software also adds new debugging modes, smaller executables, and quicker startup.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING
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Oracle Releases Primavera Portfolio Management 8
Oracle announced the release of Primavera Portfolio Management 8. The software is designed to help companies maximize the value of their investments, such as capital projects, software and systems development, and
new acquisitions. The company claims this latest release of Primavera Portfolio Management includes an improved risk analysis module, as well as increased transparency of the investments it is tracking. Additional features include a new versioning
timeline, a more rapid portfolio analysis function, and a unified system of managing multiple investment types.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Oracle Releases Hyperion Public Sector Module
Oracle announced the launch of the new Oracle Hyperion Public Sector Planning and Budgeting module. The module is designed to customize the Oracle Hyperion Planning application specifically for public sector
interests, such as healthcare and higher education organizations. This new module is designed to aid these organizations with tasks such as budgeting, review and approval, publication, and disclosure. It also has specific safeguards to ensure compliance
with the regulatory strictures unique to public sector businesses.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Telef¢nica Launches Central Cost Manager Tool
Telefonica announced the launch of its new Central Cost Manager. The new offering is a web-based analysis and reporting tool designed to give multi-national corporations the ability to more easily manage their
telecoms spending. The tool provides a single, unified, method of accessing the entirety of a business’ telecom costs and assets. The application’s functionality includes support for usage summaries, trends, currency conversion, and access controls. The
Central Cost Manager tool will initially be available in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Spain, UK, Uruguay, and Venezuela, with additional countries to follow.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
FINANCIAL
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Taiwan’s Acer Reports 25 Percent Jump in Q4 Profits
Taiwan’s Acer International–the world’s second place PC vendor, worldwide–posted a 25 percent rise in its profits, for the 2009 fourth quarter, ended December 31, 2009, amidst growing, global
demand for PCs. Profits were 3.52 billion NTD ($110 million USD), with 1.30 NTD per share, up from 2008 fourth quarter profits of 2.81 billion NTD. Fourth quarter revenues were 168 billion NTD, up 24 percent from 2008 fourth quarter revenues of 135 billion
NTD. For the full year, Acer’s profits were 11.4 billion NTD, with 4.30 NTD per share, down 2.6 percent from its 2008 profits of 11.7 billion NTD, or 4.70 NTD per share. 2009 revenues were 574 billion NTD, up five percent from 2008 revenues of 546 billion
NTD.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Allscripts Raises Year-End Guidance on Q3 Results
Allscripts announced its financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year, which ended February 28, 2010. The company posted a revenue of $179.9 million, a notable increase over the same period last
year when the company reported $160.7 million. Allscripts also saw a remarkable uptick in its net profit for the quarter. It reported a total of $18.5 million, that greatly surpasses Q3 2009’s net profit of $13.3 million. This predictably raised the
companies earnings per share (EPS) totals for the quarter as well. It saw a $0.03 increase from $0.09 in the third quarter of 2009, to $0.12 in 2010. The positive results caused the company to increase its year-end guidance for revenue to $700-$705
million; net income to $67.0-$68.5 million; and EPS to $0.44-$0.45.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
CSC Updates Guidance on End of Fiscal Year
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it is updating its guidance for the fiscal year which ended April 2, 2010. The changes fall under the categories of new business awards and earnings per share totals.
The company posted new rewards of $19 billion surpassing its prior guidance, which ranged from $17 to $18 billion. Meanwhile, CSC’s earnings per share, which were predicted at between $4.80 – $5.00, actually totaled $5.05 – $5.15. The remaining totals,
which Include revenue, operating margin, and free cash flow, all remained within the expected ranges of the company’s previous guidance.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
IDT Regains Compliance Status with New York Stock Exchange
Telecommunications provider IDT said that it has regained full compliance with the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE’s) quantitative continued listing standards. The company reported that, on April 1, 2010, it received
notification from the NYSE that it had regained compliance as a result of its “consistent positive performance with respect to the original business plan submission and the achievement of compliance with the NYSE’s $100 million market capitalization
requirement at the end of its business plan period on March 30, 2010.” IDT was notified in September, 2008 that its capitalization and average share price were below the NYSE’s listing requirements.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Motorola to Report Financial Results for Four Operating Units
Motorola USA said it will report the financial results for four, separate operating units, beginning with the first quarter of this year, as it prepares to spin off its cell phone and set top box units, into a
separate entity, next year. Motorola will report results for: mobile devices, its home unit, its enterprise mobility unit, and networks. It had previously combined its home and networks results. It also announced that–in preparation for the split–it will
allocate costs, such as share based compensation and intangible asset amortization expenses, to the operating business segments.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Research in Motion Quarterly Profits Up 13%
Research in Motion (RIM) posted revenue of US $4.08 billion for the quarter ended March 31 (the company’s fiscal 2010 fourth quarter), an increase of 18% from the same period in the prior year. Profit for the quarter
was $710.1 million, up 13 percent from net income of $628.4 million in the year-earlier period. RIM executives attributed the increase to strong BlackBerry smartphone sales. Canada-based RIM shipped 10.5 million devices and added 4.9 million users during
the quarter.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
ZTE Reports Impressive 2009 Financials
ZTE released its financial results for the year ending December 31, 2009. The company posted a revenue of $8.8 billion. This represents an impressive 36% increase over its 2008 total. The company’s net profits rose
even more dramatically. It earned a total of $359.7 million in 2009, a 48% jump from its 2008 number. This brought its basic earnings per share total up to $0.21 for the year. On these strong results, the company’s board of directors recommended a cash
distribution of $0.44 per every 10 shares owned. The company’s chairman, Hou Weigui, accredited strong 3G sales, and the adoption of ZTE products by numerous mainstream carriers as the driving force behind the company’s dramatic growth.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
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AT&T Government Solutions Wins EPA Contract
AT&T Government Solutions last week announced that it has won a task order worth approximately $29 million, if all options are exercised, to deploy a wide area network solution for the US Environmental Protection
Agency’s WAN 2010 Project. The AT&T unit will serve as the primary provider of communications services to the agency. AT&T will also provide Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Services to enhance the security of the EPA network. The task order was awarded
under the US General Services Administration Networx Enterprise contract vehicle.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
AT&T Government Solutions to Revamp EPA’s WAN Network
AT&T Government Solutions received a $29 million task order from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contract calls for the company to provide a Wide
Area Network (WAN) communications solution for the federal agency. The deal was signed under the US General Services Administration (GSA) Networx Enterprise contract vehicle. The so called EPA WAN 2010 Project will see AT&T equipping the EPA with intrusion
detection and prevention services, incident response solutions, managed firewall services, and anti-virus management.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
Northrop Grumman One of 4 Recipients of 4 TASER Contracts
Northrop Grumman announced that it is one of 4 companies to receive contracts in all 4 areas of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) Total Application Services for Enterprise Requirements (TASER)
program. The four categories of contracts are studies, pilots and prototypes, integration and deployment, and application sustainment. The total contractual budget of the TASER program has a ceiling of $1 billion over 5 years. The company plans on
completing work on the contract in the Washington D.C. area.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Raytheon Polar Services Receives Contract Extension from NSF
Raytheon announced that its Raytheon Polar Services division has received a one-year extension from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The renewal pertains to the deal Raytheon has with the NSF to provide
science, operations and logistics support to the US Antarctic Program. The extension will leave the contract in force until March 31, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
SAIC Signs $26 Million Agreement with the EPA for IT Services
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced that it has received a task order from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contract calls for SAIC to provide technical services and
information technology (IT) support to the EPA’s Office of Environmental Information (OEI). The OEI handles lifecycle support for the EPA’s efforts to protect the environment and human health. The order has a one-year base period, 4 annual extension
options, and a total value of $26 million if all options are exercised. The contract was awarded as part of the EPA’s Software Engineering and Specialized Scientific Support (SES3) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA).
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
SAIC Signs $108 Million Contract for Navy TacMobile Support
Science Applications International Corporation(SAIC) announced that it has received a $108 million contract from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). The contract
calls on SAIC to provide systems engineering and technical support services to the Navy’s Tactical Mobile (TacMobile) Program. The TacMobile program provides ground support for pre-flight mission planning, in-flight data processing, and post-flight data
processing and analysis for multiple applications of maritime patrol aircraft. The contract has a one-year base period, and 4 single-year extension options.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
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Harris Releases New Version of CONNECT
Harris Corporation has released the newest version of CONNECT software, which is designed to enable healthcare organizations to securely exchange patient information on
the US Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN). Harris said CONNECT 2.4 offers enhancements to the open-source enterprise framework, compliance with updated
NHIN specifications, security improvements, and progress toward development-platform neutrality. CONNECT was developed under contract for the Federal Health Architecture project within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
McKesson Gains InterQual Critera Extension from VA
McKesson announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has renewed its contract with the company for its InterQual Criteria evidence-based clinical guidelines. The guidelines are a set of rules which
ensure consistent policy decisions across the VA’s network of more than 1,300 healthcare sites. The VA plans to continue to use the guidelines, which have been in place since 1993, to help smoothly transition patients being moved between facilities. As
part of the contract, the VA gains access to McKesson’s CareEnhance Review Manager, a software-based solution which automatically maintains compliance with the InterQual Criteria guidelines.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Verizon Business to Manage Novo Nordisk Com Infrastructure
NNIT, an IT consultancy based in Denmark, has chosen Verizon Business to deploy and manage a communications infrastructure for Novo Nordisk, a health care company with global operations. A fully-managed
Verizon Private IP solution will provide connectivity for 75 of Novo Nordisk’s locations around the world. Novo Nordisk, which is headquartered in Denmark, markets its products in 179 countries and employs more than 29,000 people.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
INDUSTRY CONFERENCES
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Oracle to Outline Plans for MySQL Database Technology at Conference
Oracle announced that it will reveal its plans for the MySQL database technology at the O’Reilly MySQL Conference & Expo. The outline for the future of the technology will be delivered by Edward Screven, the
company’s chief corporate architect, as part of his keynote address at the conference. The keynote will be presented on Tuesday, April 13 at 8:30 a.m. PDT. The company also announced the dates of the first two meetings of the MySQL Customer Advisory Board,
which is designed to assure the continued provision and innovation of the acquired platform. They will take place on May 6, 2010 in Amsterdam and June 3, 2010 in Redwood Shores, California.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
INDUSTRY GROUPS
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CTIA Weighs In on Comcast Versus FCC Court Ruling
Wireless industry group CTIA has joined major US communications carriers in praising the recent court decision that ruled in favor of Comcast versus the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). In a press release, CTIA said the ruling “makes clear that the FCC needs to focus on the important task of making the promise of the National Broadband
Plan a reality by spurring investment, innovation and job growth, and turn away from calls to impose restrictive regulations on broadband providers and the Internet ecosystem.”
Source: CTIA, 4/8/2010
INTERNET
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Chrome Reaches 6.1% Market Share, Could Break 10% by Year’s End
eWeek is reporting that the market share of Google‘s Chrome Web browser has reached a new peak. The browser held 6.1 percent of the market through March, according to the
article. At this point, Chrome could breach the 10 percent mark by the end of the year, even if it only gains 0.5 percent per month. This pace seems a likely one to match when considering the additional users which will be exposed to the browser due to
its inclusion in the upcoming Chrome operating system. The article notes that the gains in Chrome’s market share appear to have come at the expense of Microsoft‘s Internet Explorer, which dropped almost a full
percentage point during march. Meanwhile, both Mozilla‘s Firefox, and Apple‘s Safari Web browsers also saw modest gains.
Source: eWeek, 4/6/2010
Appeals Court Rules Against FCC and Net Neutrality Principle
A federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission does not have the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks. The ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a big victory for cable giant Comcast, which had challenged the
FCC’s authority to impose “Net neutrality” rules on its management of Internet services – specifically Comcast’s throttling of BitTorrent P2P traffic. The Court noted in its ruling that: “In this case, the [Federal Communications] Commission does not claim
that Congress has given it express authority to regulate Comcast’s Internet service. Indeed, in its still-binding 2002 Cable Modem Order, the Commission ruled that cable Internet service is neither a ‘telecommunications service’ covered by Title II of the
Communications Act nor a ‘cable service’ covered by Title VI.” The ruling said the FCC failed to tie its assertion of authority to any “statutorily mandated responsibility.” The decision is a major setback for the FCC – a roadblock perhaps – to moving
forward with its goal of crafting formal Net neutrality regulations. The ruling may pose problems, as well, for the FCC’s ambitious National Broadband Plan, for which the agency needs broader regulatory authority, as
well as funding and support from Congress and the Executive Branch. In a statement released shortly after the ruling, the FCC said it would not back down in its fight for an
“Open Internet.” It can appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, or seek to re-classify broadband as a service over which the agency would have jurisdiction.
Source: uscourts.gov, 4/6/2010
Google Adds QR Code Generation to Goo.gl Link Shortener
Google announced a new feature for its Goo.gl link shortening service. The announcement was made by Google’s anti-spam worker Matt Cutts, via his Twitter feed. The new ability of the service allows it to generate
a QR code, a 2-dimensional type of barcode, containing any link generated by the service. This will allow users to create barcodes which can be read by scanners, as well as many mobile phone cameras. The devices can then direct their users to the
appropriate URL simply by being pointed at an image of the QR code. The service is available now by adding the .qr suffix to any Goo.gl shortened URL.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Google Creates HTML5-Based iPad Optimized Gmail Page
Google announced that it has launched a version of Gmail specifically tailored for the Apple iPad. The new HTML5 based layout uses a two-pane design which takes advantage of the device’s larger screen size. The
result is a Web-based version of the mail client with the user’s inbox on the left, and the current threaded conversation on the right. The iPad version includes all of the same features as the desktop Web-based client. iPad owners may access the new
version by simply visiting their Gmail accounts. The HTML5 iPad optimized version will automatically be displayed.
Source: Vendor, 4/3/2010
Microsoft Launches Glo.com
Microsoft announced the launch of its new “women’s interest site,” Glo. The joint effort between MSN, Hachette Filipacchi Media US (HFM US) and BermanBraun is being touted as “an
online destination that is neither traditional Web nor print, but a unique escape for women on the Web.” The site features tips and articles on fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and relationships. Glo’s content is all presented in a vertically scrolling media
rich format which Microsoft claims is unique to the new site. Other features of the site include a scrapbook, for collecting media clippings from the site; social networking tools, including Facebook integration; Bing
integration; and full-screen photo galleries.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Verizon Begins Testing IPv6 on Its FiOS Service
Verizon Communications announced that it has begun a month-long test on its FiOS network of the next-generation Internet protocol, IPv6. IPv6 is designed to eventually replace the current Internet Protocol
version 4 (IPv4), which over the next few years is expected to reach the maximum number of IP addresses it can accommodate. IPv6 dramatically expands the number of possible addresses. Because both IPv4 and IPv6 will be in use during the expected lengthy
transition period to the new protocol, network-connected equipment and network operating systems must be able to handle both. Verizon’s trial of IPv6 involves FiOS-enabled customer homes with customized CPE – provided by Verizon – that can support both
IPv6 and IPv4. The dual protocol setup will also be implemented on Verizon’s edge gateway routers. Verizon said it was one of the first companies in the industry to begin deploying IPv6. Today, Verizon supports IPv6 on its networks for enterprise and
government customers and plans to deploy additional IPv6 equipment and services on its public and private IP global networks in 2010 and 2011.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Yelp Eliminates “Favorite Review,” Gives Access to Filtered Reviews
Yelp announced two significant changes to its policy on its corporate blog. As of now, the site has added the ability to see filtered reviews, and eliminated the "Favorite Review" feature, an option which
let businesses which advertised with the site choose the first review that visitors to their pages saw. This move is is response to several claims that the site is using unethical business practices, such as threats of poor reviews to coerce businesses
to purchase advertising, or hiding positive, or negative reviews based on variables other than the company’s spam filter. Despite a class action lawsuit being filed by several businesses claiming Yelp attempted these coercion tactics on them, the
company maintains that it does not participate in any form of review shaping other than its publicly known spam filter. The announcement about these policy changes says that the company hopes this increased level of transparency, and the elimination of
the perceived impropriety of the "Favorite Review" feature will allay fears that there is a basis for these accusations.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
LAPTOPS & NETBOOKS
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Apple Says More than 300,000 iPads Were Sold on First Day
Apple announced that it sold more than 300,000 iPads in the US as of midnight Saturday, April 3. These sales included deliveries of pre-ordered iPads to customers, deliveries to channel partners, and sales at Apple
Retail Stores. Apple also announced that iPad users downloaded more one million apps from the company’s App Store and more than 250,000 ebooks from its iBookstore during the first day of iPad sales. The tablet device is available initially with WiFi
Internet connectivity. The next release will offer 3G services through AT&T.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Toshiba Announces New Satellite Pro Portable Laptop
Toshiba Digital Products announced its Satellite Pro L510-EZ1410, a portable laptop with 14 inch widescreen display. The Intel based, L510 model is now available via toshibadirect.com, retailing for $699.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
LEGAL
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Google Being Sued by Photographer Society over Google Books
Google is being sued by the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). The suit relates to the uploading
of images to the Google Books service, images the ASMP says were used without any attempt to negotiate for the rights to publish them. Google claims that it has always been in full compliance with the US copyright laws involved.This suit mirrors
one filed on behalf of the authors of many of the books Google uploaded to the same service. That case resulted in the "Google Book Settlement," which has still not been approved.
Source: CNet, 4/7/2010
MOBILE SOFTWARE & PLATFORMS
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Amazon Releases Kindle App for iPad
Amazon announced that it has launched its Kindle e-book reader application for the Apple iPad. The app, which will be in direct competition with Apple’s own iBooks reader and store, features all of the same
functionality as the company’s Kindle app for other platforms. It also uses amazon’s WhisperSync technology to allow the user to leave a bookmark on one device, and continue reading from that spot on another device. Amazon has optimized this version of
the Kindle app to take advantage of some of the iPad’s features. It includes customizable backlighting levels, changeable background colors, and animated page transitions. The application is available now, free of charge, from Apple’s App Store.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
Apple Previews Upcoming iPhone OS 4 Release
Apple previewed its iPhone OS 4 software, the fourth major release of the mobile operating system, and released a beta version for iPhone Developer Program members.
iPhone OS 4 includes an updated SDK, with more than 1,500 new application programming interfaces and 100 new features. New features include: multitasking for third party applications, new folders, a unified mail inbox, and new message switching and
threading features. OS 4 also offers new services for streaming multimedia, and using VoIP apps to receive a call, even when the handset is asleep or running other apps. It includes software such as Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform, and
iBooks e-book reader and online book store. It will be available to iPhone and iPod touch users this Summer, with a version for iPad to follow in the Fall.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Citrix Launches Two Free iPad Apps
Citrix announced the launch of two applications designed for Apple’s new iPad tablet computer. The first, Citrix Receiver, is designed to giver users remote access to corporate applications and documents, while the
second, Citrix GoToMeeting is an audio teleconferencing solution designed to allow users to join meeting via their iPad. Both applications are available for free from the Apple App Store, and require installations of the appropriate Citrix Products to be
maintained by the users’ companies.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
Motorola Handsets, BlackBerry OS Favorites among US Mobile Subscribers
Motorola handsets and the BlackBerry operating system from Research In Motion (RIM) are favorites among adult mobile subscribers in the United States, and Google Android is gaining ground, according to data from research firm comScore. In the period from November 2009 through February 10, 2010, comScore ranked Motorola as the top handset manufacturer overall with a 22.3 percent market share, while RIM led among smartphone platforms with a
42.1 percent market share.
Source: comScore, 4/6/2010
Google Releases Google Earth for Droid, Says More Devices to Come
Google announced that it has released its Google Earth for Android application for the Motorola Droid. This makes the Verizon Wireless handset only the second model, the first
being the Nexus One, to feature the 3D mapping software. The application features all of the same imagery and controls as its desktop counterpart, including Google’s Local Search. This mobile version also adds voice control support, via Android 2.1’s built
in voice recognition system. Google says that future Android 2.1 devices will also receive the software, but warns that only units with hardware floating-point acceleration will be able to run the graphically intense software.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Google Releases Google Maps 4.0 for BlackBerry
Google released Google Maps 4.0 for the BlackBerry operating system. The new update boasts many new functions and improvements. Among them are search by voice, support for Google’s Buzz service, and access to starred
locations via cloud-based syncing of the user’s Google account. Interested users can download the software for free by visiting the Google Maps for Mobile site on their BlackBerry Device.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Motorola Deploying iSIM Mobile Platform for Bipper
Motorola‘s Networks division is deploying its iSIM application platform, for Bipper Communication AS. The Scandinavian, Web based company, will use it to provide parental control services for mobile users. iSIM
technology delivers applications and services–through a flexible wafer attached to the subscriber’s SIM–through which parents can use it to monitor the child’s mobile use, including correspondences and time in use. It allows third party developers to
build applications and services, using the SIM toolkit and other standards that work across mobile handsets, such as JAVA and SMS.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Sybase to Update Afaria to Include Android, iPad
Sybase announced that it will be updating its Afaria mobile device management and security solution to be compatible with the iPad and Android operating system. The update will add several features to the newly
supported devices. They include Android-based device management, remote kill options for the iPhone and iPad, new multi-platform security blocks for unrecognized devices, and enhanced scalability for iPad and iPhone support. The updates will be included in
Afaria 6.5, which is expected some time in the second quarter of 2010.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Yahoo Launches Yahoo! Entertainment App for iPad
Yahoo announced the launch of its Yahoo! Entertainment application for the Apple iPad. The new app features television listings and media reviews, as well as news and video on the entertainment industry. The app also
makes use of the iPad’s multi-touch, and geo-location capabilities to deliver iPad specific features and local content to users. Yahoo! Entertainment is available now, for free, from the Apple App store.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES
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Alcatel Appoints Former Agere CEO Head of Operations
Alcatel-Lucent appointed John Dickson as head of operations, effective May 10th. Dickson–who replaces the departing Michel Rahier–will be based in Paris, and will also serve as a member of the management
committee. Dickson recently served as president and CEO for Agere Systems, which develops semiconductors for storage, wireless data, and networks.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Alcatel’s Turkish Migration Center Now Operational
Alcatel-Lucent announced that its new migration operation center (MOC), in Turkey, is operational. The MOC has 50 staff, for managing complex migration projects from the region, to support local and
international customers. It will compliment Alcatel’s migration capabilities, in countries such as Poland, India, and Australia, presumably delivering voice and data migration services, in multi technology and vendor legacy and IP environments.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Boeing Names Ian Chang VP of China Business Development
Boeing named Ian Chang as its new vice president of China Operations and Business Development. The new post will see him reporting to Ray Conner, vice president and general manager of Supply Chain Management and
Operations for the company’s Commercial Airplanes division. Mr. Chang will also be supporting Lou Mancini, senior vice president of Commercial Aviation Services. Ian Chang has been with Boeing for over 26 years, and previously served as general manager of
Boeing Tianjin Composite Co.
Source: Vendor, 3/31/2010
Computer Associates to cut 1,000 Workers
Computer Associates (CA) is poised to cut 1,000 jobs. The cutbacks, which represent 7.7 percent of the company’s total workforce, were revealed in a filing with the US Securities & Exchange Commission. The company will
also be consolidating several of its facilities. The filing places the cost of severance, and other expenses related to the job cuts, at $50 million.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
CSC Names Irving L. Halter, Jr. as New VP of Space and Aviation
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has named Irving L. Halter, Jr, as its new Vice President of Space and Aviation Services, for its North American Public Sector (NPS) Applied Technology Group (ATG).
The new position will see Halter reporting to Alan Weakley, president of the ATG. Mr. Halter comes to the company with 15 years of high-level management experience, and 32 years serving as an officer in the US Air Force.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
HP Appoints Former Siemens EVP as SVP, Marketing
Hewlett-Packard appointed David Shirk as SVP of Worldwide Marketing for the HP Enterprise Business. He replaces Deborah Nelson, who will become chief of staff for the Enterprise Sales, Marketing, and Strategy unit, at
HP. Both changes are effective immediately. Shirk joins HP from Siemens, where he served as EVP of Global Marketing and Communications.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
LinkedIn Adds Former Ask.com CEO to Board of Directors
LinkedIn has added Skip Battle, former CEO of Ask.com to its board of directors, according to Reuters. Battle, who will become the 5th member of the board, also sits on the
boards of Netflix, Expedia, and OpenTable. The article cites this move as part of the company’s plan to add a total of 350 employees over the course of 2010, bringing its total workforce to 850.
Source: Reuters, 4/8/2010
Mandriva Names Arnaud Lapr‚vote as New CEO, CTO, and Director of R&D
Mandriva announced that its board of directors has named Arnaud Lapr‚vote as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. He will be replacing Stanislas Bois. As part of the appointment, Lapr‚vote will also maintain
the titles of Chief Technical Officer and of Director of Research and Development. He joined the company in 2007, when his employer, Linbox, was acquired by Mandriva.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Micro Focus Appoints Julian Critchfield as Executive VP of Product Dev
Micro Focus announced that Julian Critchfield has been appointed as its new Executive Vice President of Product Development. Critchfield brings more than 20 years of experience working for international software
companies to the position. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Enterprise Performance Management development at Oracle. In his new role, Critchfield will lead the company’s international product development team, which supports Micro Focus’ global
growth strategy.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
MITRE Adds Nicholas Donofrio to Board of Trustees
MITRE announced that Nicholas Donofrio has been appointed to its Board of Trustees. Donofrio has a 44-year history at IBM, having held multiple roles, including senior vice president
of technology and manufacturing and executive vice president for innovation and technology.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
Raytheon Opens New Warfighter Integration Center in Georgia
Raytheon announced the opening of its new Soldier Works Warrior Integration Center. The new facility is designed to improve the company’s ability to collaborate with military and industry partners on soldier
systems and warfighter technologies projects. The new installation is located near Fort Benning, Georgia, and is expected to draw 500 Raytheon employees, partners, and customers per year. Soldier Works joins the company’s similar facility, Gruntworks,
located near Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
Swisscom Chief Takes Over Fastweb in Midst of Legal Trouble for CEO
Swisscom announced that its CEO, Carsten Schloter, will be taking over as interim manager of Fastweb, effective immediately. The move is a precautionary measure derived from the self-imposed suspension of Fastweb
CEO Stefano Parisi. He has chosen to suspend himself to avoid regulatory supervision of Fastweb due to ongoing legal proceedings in which he is involved. Fastweb will also be setting aside a provision of EUR 70 million to cover any financial risks
resulting from the case. Prosecuting authorities have agreed to the aforementioned measures, and retracted their statement of desire to form a commission to manage Fastweb.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
The Wikimedia Foundation Adds Bishakha Datta to Board of Trustees
The Wikimedia Foundation, owner of Wikipedia, announced that Bishakha Datta has joined its Board of Trustees. Datta is an Indian-born journalist, filmmaker, and non-profit leader. She has over 20 years of
experience leading non-profit organizations, including her current project, Point of View, which has the goal of proliferating the female perspective in media, art and culture. The appointment is part of the organizations five-year plan to grow its
readership within specific geographic locations, including India.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
ZTE Names Shi Lirong as New President
ZTE announced that its board of directors has appointed Shi Lirong as the company’s new President. He will be replacing Yin Yimin, who fulfilled the role for a period of 6 years. The new role will see Lirong
maintaining the company’s current business plan, as well as expanding the areas of 3G and 4G deployments to increase ZTE’s presence in the European and US markets. Prior to this promotion, Mr. Lirong had served as Executive Vice President of the company
since 1999.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
PUBLIC SAFETY
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Forecast Team Predicts Increased Hurricane Activity in 2010
The Colorado State University hurricane forecasting team is predicting an above-average eight hurricanes in 2010, four of them major, posing a heightened threat to the US coastline and the
Caribbean. The forecast predicts the hurricane season beginning on June 1 will likely see 15 named tropical storms, with a 69 percent chance of at least one major hurricane making landfall on the US coastline in 2010, compared with a long-term average
probability of 52 percent. The full forecast notes that the team has increased its seasonal forecast from an initial early-December prediction “due to a combination of
anomalous warming of Atlantic tropical sea surface temperatures and a more confident view that the current El Ni¤o will weaken.” The forecasters see an “above-average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane activity.”
Source: colostate.edu, 4/8/2010
IG: TSA Must Step Up to Improve Rail Security
The Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security issued a report saying that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must improve its assessments of emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Because the TSA has focused on efforts to prevent terrorism, the report found that passenger rail agencies and first responders are not
properly trained to handle emergencies or mitigate their consequences. Inspector General Richard Skinner recommends that the TSA support mass transit and passenger rail agencies with tools used to assess emergency preparedness and response capabilities
while making a better effort to train these agencies and responders with true-to-life drills and exercises.
Source: DHS, 4/2/2010
New Security Measures Imposed for International Air Travel to US
The Transportation Security Administration will begin implementing new security measures for all air carriers with international flights to the United States. The measures include using explosives trace
detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams, and "pat downs," among other security measures.
Source: DHS, 4/2/2010
REGULATORY
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Verizon, AT&T Petition FCC over Harbinger Decision
Joining competitor AT&T, Verizon Wireless has filed a petition with the FCC to rescind certain conditions the agency placed on a
private-equity firm’s plans for a nationwide, wholesale LTE network. Verizon argued the provisions for the network, which Harbinger Capital Partners hopes to build using both terrestrial and MSS spectrum following the firm’s merger with satellite operator
SkyTerra, are not in line with the openness principle favored by the FCC. In approving the merger of SkyTerra and private-equity firm Harbinger Capital Partners, the FCC approved a provision that requires SkyTerra
to ask for approval before leasing capacity on the network to the “largest or second-largest wireless provider.” Harbinger wanted this provision to be included. In addition, AT&T and Verizon are being forbidden from holding more than 25 percent of the
spectrum.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
NIST Document Details Protection of Personal Information
The National Institute of Standards and Technology released the Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information
(PII). The document suggests safeguards that may offer protection for PII and provides recommendations for developing response plans for incidents involving compromised information.
Source: NIST, 4/6/2010
Ofcom Calls for Lower Mobile Termination Fees
Total Telecom reported that UK communications regulator Ofcom has proposed new caps on the prices mobile operators can charge to transfer calls from other networks, meaning
lower revenue for the major mobile companies but potentially significantly improved pricing for customers. Ofcom proposed that mobile termination rates -the wholesale charges that operators make to connect calls to each others’ networks – fall from around
4.3 pence a minute to 0.5 pence a minute by March 2015. Cuts would be staggered from 2011 to 2015.
Source: TotalTelecom, 4/5/2010
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
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Raytheon Signs Satellite Data Management Contract with NASA
Raytheon announced that it is the recipient of a NASA Goddard contract which calls for the maintenance and management of large volumes of sensing data and imagery from space instruments. The so called The Earth
Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) evolution and development contract is designed to give climate researchers access to large amounts of data on earth’s atmospheres, oceans, lands and the interactions between the three. The contract has
an initial value of $75 million, with a $250 million ceiling for its five-year duration.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
SEARCH
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China Lightens Restrictions on Google Mobile Services
Google has upgraded the status of its mobile services in China, according to Computerworld. The company’s mobile services were previously listed as being partially blocked.
However, they have been upgraded to available as of late Wednesday, April 7. The change in classification is in response to the services being subject to only a “small-scale” level of blocking, says Computerworld. The increased freedom appeared to allow
mobile access to the Hong Kong search site where Google has redirected its Chinese users. Despite this change, Computerworld notes that users may still face obstacles in using the mobile Web, due to the Chinese Government’s continued blocking of some sites
linked as results in the Hong Kong-based searches.
Source: Computerworld, 4/8/2010
Google Redesigns Transit Maps Layer in Google Maps
Google announced that it has redesigned its selection of urban transit maps. The maps, which show users local public transportation routes, are available in many major cities around the globe. The company has
revamped the design of these routes to better integrate into the street-level layer of its Google Maps application. The new, thinner route lines no longer obscure street names, landmarks, and points of interest, which the original design did. The transit
maps layer is available in Google Maps via the “More” dropdown tab.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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Adobe Advisory Issued for Acrobat, Reader
An official Adobe blog post provides users of the program with procedures for blocking Adobe Acrobat’s ability to execute embedded executable code with user
consent. That capability is turned on by default in Acrobat and Reader. Users should go to Edit-Preferences, choose Trust Manager , and then uncheck the box the enables the capability. The Adobe blog post includes the registry key controlled by the setting
so that administrators can push out the setting through their networks. A second key allows administrators to prevent users from changing the setting.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Fedora Fixes Multiple Products
Fedora released fixes for Thunderbird and Sunbird as well as Firefox and XULrunner. Users should apply all updates via the yum utility, and advisories have been posted on Fedora’s site with more information about
these fixes.
Source: Secunia, 4/1/2010
Foxit Advises Update to Resolve Reader Issue
A vulnerability has been reported in Foxit Reader. This flaw is caused by the application executing PDF-embedded programs without asking for the user’s permission. This can be exploited to run an arbitrary
executable via a specially crafted PDF file. The vulnerability is reported in versions prior to 3.2.1.0401. Users should immediately update to to version 3.2.1.0401.
Source: Secunia, 4/5/2010
Firefox Flaw Requires Update
Mozilla Firefox contains a critical flaw which could result in the execution of arbitrary code. The vendor has posted an advisory with
more information about this vulnerability. Users should update to version 3.6.3.
Source: Secunia, 4/2/2010
Updates, Advisory from VMware for ESX Service Console
VMware released an advisory to address issues within the ESX Service Console for Samba and Acpid packages. Users should read the
advisory and apply all updates.
Source: Vendor, 4/2/2010
SECURITY PRODUCTS & CONTRACTS
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Survey Finds Leadership, Communication Skills Key to Security Success
A new enterprise security risk management (ESRM) survey has found that the majority of security professionals believe that business management, leadership and communication skills, not security expertise, are the traits that will bring success in ESRM.
This survey, conducted by the CSO Roundtable of ASIS International, discovered that risks like database theft, network failure, and economic problems are the main concerns for top IT security personnel. The outcome
of the survey has resulted in the publication of a new white paper, Enterprise Security: How Great Risks Lead to Great Deeds.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Cisco to Provide Security Technology for Concordia
Cisco Canada announced it provided network security technology for Concordia University’s Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, in Montreal. The technology will be housed in Cisco’s new network security
laboratory, at the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering. The deployment includes security appliances, network and physical security technology, IP surveillance, and emergency notification systems.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
ICSA Labs Helping Vendors Meet Federal Requirements
ICSA Labs is providing several tips for vendors seeking to deliver USGv6-compliant products, which will be required beginning this July for federal agencies looking to purchase networking and IT products. These
tips include: reviewing the USGv6 Testing Program User’s Guide, and procuring IPv6 hardware and software that adheres to USGv6 Testing Program guidelines, as well as the individual agency’s network architecture requirements. Also, IT suppliers must have
their products evaluated by an accredited third party test laboratory to ensure compliance and any product that contains an IPv6 component must be tested for compliance.
Source: Verizon, 4/1/2010
New English Security Site Rolled Out by Kaspersky
Kaspersky Lab launched an English-language version of its IT security Web site, called Securelist.com. The new site contains information about Internet threats and how to
avoid them, along with analytical articles, blogs, an IT security encyclopedia, and malware descriptions.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Kaspersky Tracing Technology Awarded Patent
A new tracing program code technology developed by Kaspersky Lab has received a patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The technology offers a method for tracing the
sequence of events that occurs when a set of program instructions are executed.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
Survey: Companies Not Investing Enough to Protect Corporate Info
RSA and Microsoft announced the results of a commissioned global survey entitled, “The Value of Corporate Secrets: How Compliance and Collaboration Affect Enterprise
Perceptions of Risk.” The survey of 305 IT security decision-makers worldwide revealed that enterprises are investing heavily in compliance and protection against accidental leaks of custodial data
(such as customer information), but not spending enough in protection against theft of far more valuable corporate secrets.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Report: Facebook Users Say No to Privacy Policy Changes
A survey from Sophos found that Facebook users are widely opposed to privacy policy changes that the social networking site is planning to make. The study, conducted among 680
readers on Sophos’s Web site and Facebook page, found that an overwhelming 95 percent of the respondents think the privacy changes are “a bad thing.” Last month, Facebook proposed a number of controversial changes to its privacy policy, paving the way for
it to share personal information with “pre-approved” third-party sites.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
New Site Lets Users Discuss, Rate Safety of Applications
Stanford University‘s security professionals have launched WhatApp, a Web site that rates the privacy and security of mobile and Internet-based applications. The site is
designed for both security experts and the general public to discuss, assess, and rate these applications with the intention that users will be able to make more informed choices about the software that they download from the Web.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
SERVERS
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Cisco Announces Updated Unified Computing System
Cisco Systems updated its Data Center 3.0 portfolio, announcing its new Unified Computing System (UCS) which, it claims, incorporates features for managing compute, network, storage access, and virtual resources, in a
single system. According to Cisco, the four socket servers offer 50 percent more processor cores. It also updated the Nexus portfolio, with new fabric extenders for extending capacity, bringing 10GbE to the data center.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
IBM Announces New Line of Systems for Business Partners
IBM announced the creation of a new line of workload-optimized systems for Business Partners. The first of these products is the Smart Analytics System. The new system utilizes both hardware and software solutions to
provide customized analytics applications to customers in the healthcare, financial markets, energy, and retail industries. The company claims the standardized nature of the Smart Analytics System, and the subsequent products in this line will allow its
resellers to offer reduced deployment times to their customers.
Source: Vendor, 4/7/2010
Microsoft Sets Dates for End of Itanium Support on Windows Servers
Microsoft announced that it has begun the process of phasing out support for Intel’s Itanium processors. The company revealed on its Technet blog that “Windows Server 2008 R2 will be the last version of Windows Server to support the Intel Itanium architecture.” Likewise,
SQL Server 2008 R2 and Visual Studio 2010 will be the last version product versions in their respective lines to support the processor architecture. The company noted that mainstream support for the aforementioned products will continue through July 9,
2013, while extended supported will remain in place until July 10, 2018. The company is attributing the move to the recent introduction of several “high core-count processors,” which are better suited to the needs of the modern server’s typical
workload.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
SMARTPHONES
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Verizon Wireless Slashes Prices for Palm Smartphones
Verizon Wireless announced that it was slashing prices for thePalm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus smartphones, as well as making its Palm WiFi hotspot service free to subscribers.
Verizon cut the Palm Pre Plus price to $49.99 and the Pixi Plus to $29.99, both with a buy one, get one free promotion. When the carrier first launched the devices in January, the Pre Plus was $149.99 and the Pixi Plus was $99.99 (after a $100 mail-in
rebate), each with a two-year contract. Verizon said its Palm WiFi hotspot service, which turns Palm devices into mobile WiFi hotspots, is now free. The service launched in January at $40 per month.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Wired: AOL to Sell or Shutter Bebo Social Network
After paying $850 million for the Bebo social network in 2008, AOL says it cannot afford to keep the social networking site running and will try to sell it soon. If that fails, AOL will close Bebo down entirely, according to an internal memo AOL provided to Wired.com. The memo cited the cost of competing effectively against such networks as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Bebo
still attracts 12.8 million unique visits per month, according to comScore.
Source: Wired.com, 4/6/2010
Google Launches Additional Setting Confirmation for Buzz Users
Google announced that it will be distributing another privacy message to users of its Buzz social networking service. The message will present users–including those who began using the service prior to the original
privacy changes–with a dialogue asking them to reconfirm their choices for settings such as followers, and users they are following; the privacy level of their contact lists and Buzz posts; and the linkage of accounts from related sites, such as Picasa,
or Twitter. The new dialogue should appear to all users on their next login to the Buzz service.
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
Salesforce.com Expands Chatter Beta, Announces AppExchange 2.0
Salesforce.com announced the launch of AppExchange 2, as well as the expansion of its Chatter beta, according to eWeek. AppExchange 2 will launch as a replacement for the
current AppExchange marketplace. It will be part of the company’s new push towards what it is calling “Cloud 2.0,” and will include ChatterExchange, the version of Chatter which can be integrated into third-party applications. The regular Chatter client,
which closely resembles consumer social-networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook, has undergone an expansion of testing partners, though it still remains in a private beta phase.
The company says that the product will be available some time in 2010, and will be included with all paid versions of Salesforce CRM and Force.com.
Source: eWeek, 4/8/2010
STANDARDS & PROTOCOLS
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IDPF Plans Revision to ePub Standard for eBooks
The IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum) has begun a 14-day comment period to begin a process to revise the ePub standard for e-books. During the comment period, IDPF members can view the proposed
changes to ePub and send questions and comments to IDPF. Following the review period, the ePub charter will be revised, submitted to the IDPF board for endorsement, and then submitted to the IDPF membership for a vote.
Source: IDPF, 4/6/2010
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
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Fujitsu Rebuilds ICT Infrastructure for Iwatsu Electric
Fujitsu Japan announced it rebuilt the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure used to support the business operations of Iwatsu Electric. The restructured system – which serves Iwatsu’s core
platform – allowed it to consolidate its servers, from 70 to 30, according to Fujitsu. The restructured system uses Fujitsu’s PRIMERGY BX620 blade servers and virtualization technology. It commenced operations today. Iwatsu has three main lines of
business: communications systems, test and measurement equipment, and reprographic systems.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
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Qwest Launches Hosted Unified Communications Platform
Qwest Communications introduced a new unified communications service platform called iQ Hosted Unified Communication Service (iQ HUCS). The platform is designed to merge traditional telephony networks with Internet
Protocol (IP)-based data networks. Qwest said the platform integrates voice, email, and video services so that they are accessible by landline phones, mobile phones, and computers. iQ HUCS also integrates a multitenant call management system from Cisco. The platform is designed for enterprise businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions. Under a recently-signed agreement, Arizona State University will be the first customer to adopt Qwest iQ UCS,
deploying the platform across its four campuses.
Source: Vendor, 4/8/2010
WEB COMMERCE
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comScore Announces Expansion of Video Metrix to Asia-Pacific Region
comScore announced that it has made its comScore Video Metrix service available in the Asia-Pacific marketplace. This expansion will bring the service to users in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and
Singapore. These locations will be joining the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany, which already had access to the Video Metrix service.
Source: Vendor, 4/1/2010
eBay Launches Site Devoted to Fashion
eBay announced the launch of a new site devoted to fashion. The simply named eBay Fashion is a section of the popular auction site dedicated to clothing, shoes, and accessories.
The site sports several features designed to appeal to the fashion-conscious shopper. These include a more visual browsing experience; the ability to find similar items by matching their appearance; boutiques for individual categories of products; and a
section devoted to items featured in editorials by fashion writers.
Source: Vendor, 4/5/2010
Unica Launches Partner Solution Platform
Unica announced the launch of its Partner Solution Platform. The Platform is a collection of tools and solutions which includes Unica’s Enterprise Marketing and OnDemand Marketing suites. The platform includes various
interoperable features and services designed to streamline the process of collecting analytics on advertising, and delivering them to whatever platform the customer prefers. The company also says it plans on expanding the Partner Solution Platform to
include more features and services “in the coming quarters.”
Source: Vendor, 4/6/2010
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