News Briefs for the Week Ending
04/30/2010
Copyright 2010, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1004
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS, MERGERS, DIVESTITURES
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AOL Sells ICQ for $187.5 Million to Digital Sky Technologies
AOL has completed the sale of its ICQ instant messaging service to Russian company Digital Sky Technologies (DST). The sale earned AOL $187.5 million. The messaging service, which was created in 1996, remains the most
popular instant messaging service in Russia.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
AT&T Sells Stake in Tech Mahindra Services Firm
AT&T announced it has divested its holdings in Tech Mahindra Limited, an India-based telecom and IT services firm. The action came just a month after AT&T International, a unit
of AT&T, bought an 8.07% stake, or about 9.9 million shares, in Tech Mahindra from Mahindra-BT Investment Company for $34.6 million as part of a 2005 agreement. AT&T said in a press release that it intends to maintain a vendor relationship with Tech Mahindra, which provides IT services to AT&T. The terms of AT&T’s contract with Tech Mahindra were
not released.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Google Acquires Labpixies, Adds Assets to iGoogle Team
Google announced that it has acquired application and game developer Labpixies. The company previously made numerous gadgets for Google’s iGoogle start page, and maintained its own gaming products. The purchased
company will be integrated into Google’s Tel Aviv office, with assets and employees added to the iGoogle division for the EMEA region.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
HP Announces Deal to Buy Palm for $1.2 Billion
HP announced that it acquiring struggling smartphone pioneer Palm for $1.2 billion in cash. In a press release,
HP said the acquisition will accelerate its growth within the more than $100 billion connected mobile device market. HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm
common stock. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors. HP is particularly interested in Palm’s webOS platform, which the company said “provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP
experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices.”
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Symantec to Acquire PGP, GuardianEdge
Symantec has signed definitive agreements to acquire PGP and GuardianEdge Technologies, two privately-held email and data encryption vendors. Under terms of the agreements, Symantec will acquire PGP Corporation for
$300 million in cash and GuardianEdge for $70 million in cash. The acquisitions are expected to close during the June quarter.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Toshiba Mobile Display Sells LCD Manufacturing to AU Optronics
Toshiba Mobile Display (TMD) concluded an agreement to transfer its shares in AFPD PTE – its wholly owned subsidiary that manufactures LCD displays for PCs – to AU Optronics. The agreement follows an
initial MoU, signed in March. The transaction will occur July 1st, at which time TMD will concentrate on its manufacturing facilities, in Japan, producing displays for mobile devices.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Twitter Acquires SMS Infrastructure Provider Cloudhopper
Twitter announced that it has acquired Cloudhopper, which provides mobile messaging technology. Twitter has been working with the start-up company for eight months to
streamline its processing of SMS-based tweets, developing a service designed to give users with even the most basic mobile phones access to Twitter. The acquisition of Cloudhopper includes the hiring of two of its former executives, Joe Lauer and Kristin
Kanaar. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
Source: Vendor, 4/23/2010
ALLIANCES, JOINT VENTURES
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Alcatel Announces Joint Facility for Network Energy Efficiency
Alcatel-Lucent announced that its Bell Labs research arm is working with the University of Melbourne, Australia, and the Victorian state government to establish a research center, in Melbourne. The Centre for
Energy Efficient Telecommunications (CEET) will be housed at University of Melbourne’s campus, and will focus on developing energy efficient telecommunications network infrastructure elements, and technologies. It will be staffed with 22 researchers and
technology experts, over the next three years.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
DIRECTV and Dish Network Join to Create ASAP Interactive Ad Platform
DIRECTV announced that it has teamed with Dish Network, an Echostar company, to launch the Advanced Satellite Advertising Platform (ASAP). The companies claim the new
interactive advertising platform will give advertisers access to more than 30 million households. The primary service of the new platform will be a dedicated channel on which advertisers can place their long-form messages, complete with interactive
content, such as photos, games, and locations. The ASAP platform will also include analytics services, via a third-party provider.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Getac Rugged Systems Certified for Verizon 3G Network
Getac announced that its B300 rugged notebook and V100 rugged convertible were certified as Verizon Wireless Network Ready, allowing them to incorporate its 3G wireless
network. The certification will allow the rugged systems – often used for the public safety, utilities, construction, and military professions – to offer connectivity, even in remote areas where coverage is limited, without needing an external data card or
Wi-Fi hotspot.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
IBM Signs Licensing Deal with Drawbase Software
IBM announced that it has signed a deal with Drawbase Software. The contract grants IBM a license to include Drawbase space management and space planning capabilities in all of its software products. The company claims
the new products it will create using this license will help business owners increase efficiency, reduce costs, and help them make more informed business decisions about facility maintenance. IBM said this deal is part of their efforts to create smarter
office building to reduce environmental impact on the planet.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Microsoft, Facebook to Create Docs.com
Microsoft has teamed with Facebook to launch Docs.com. The new site will feature access to a collaborative office suite based on Microsoft’s Office 2010 Web version. The
collaborative aspect of the new service will integrate into users’ Facebook accounts. This includes adding the application to their Facebook page, sharing documents via Facebook, and editing of shared documents. The service, which is in beta, supports the
creation and editing of Word, Powerpoint, and Excel files. Users can also export their work into the locally installed version of Office with a single click. The alliance is one of several that are part of Facebook’s new "Instant
Personalization" feature, a feature that has unleashed storms of protests over privacy changes at Facebook.
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
Yahoo, Samsung Extend Global Mobile Partnership
Yahoo announced a global partnership with Samsung to distribute the Web company’s services on Samsung mobile devices, including devices running Android and Samsung Bada platforms.
Yahoo services that will be pre-installed on Samsung mobile devices include Mail, Messenger, Yahoo Front Page, Search, Flickr, News, Finance, Contacts, Calendar, and Weather. The mobile services on Samsung devices are expected to roll out beginning next
month. Samsung and Yahoo have had a partnership since 2007.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Microsoft Teams with ChangeBase for Win 7 Pro Compatibility Checker
Microsoft announced that it has partnered with ChangeBASE, a provider of application compatibility testing and remediation, to create AOK for Small and Midsize Businesses (AOK4SMB). The new tool is designed to
provide the IT staff of these companies with an easy method of checking application compatibility, as well as remediating incompatibilities when upgrading to Windows 7 Professional. The staff of these small to medium-sized companies, as well as application
developers, can go to the AOK4SMB site and upload the application in question for testing. Microsoft plans to maintain this site as a free service through the end of July 2010.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Oracle Releases 2 Supply Chain Management Products
Oracle announced the launch of its new Oracle Supplier Lifecycle Management and Oracle Supplier Hub products. Supplier Lifecycle Management is an application that is designed to handle qualification, administration,
and assessment. It does this by providing customers with a streamlined registration process, templated questionnaires, and extensible profile management for governance and risk mitigation. The second product, Oracle Supplier Hub, serves as a central
repository of all available information on a company’s supply base. It provides consolidated supplier information, intelligent record curation, and information sharing across multiple silos. Both of these products are available now as part of the Oracle
E-Business Suite Release 12.1.2.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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Report: Perception of Data Security Different from Reality
A study from Accenture found that nearly three-quarters of organizations believe they have adequate policies in place to protect sensitive, personal
information, yet more than half have lost sensitive data within the past two years, and nearly 60 percent of those organizations acknowledge data loss as a recurring problem. The study surveyed more than 5,500 business leaders and 15,500 adult consumers in
19 countries. Of those polled, 58 percent of business respondents have experienced at least one data security breach over the past two years.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
New Report Gives Insight into IT Security Spending
Security breaches are hitting UK organizations hard despite the fact that spending continues to increase in terms of IT security, according to a new survey from PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The report, 2010 Information Security Breaches Survey, polled 7,200 IT and security executives in more than 130 countries and found that the economic downturn is a
bigger driver in investment in information security than company reputation. But although the global economy is putting pressure on executives, 63 percent of them said they expected their security spending to either stay the same or increase within the
next 12 months.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
CARRIER SERVICES
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Verizon Business Adds WAN Optimization Services to Portfolio
Verizon Business announced that it is adding the Riverbed Technology WAN optimization solution to its Managed WAN Optimization Services portfolio, and introducing new
professional services to help companies tailor application acceleration solutions. Verizon Managed WAN Optimization Services, available in 142 countries, are designed to help companies fine-tune their Internet Protocol wide area networks to better manage
applications, enhance bandwidth usage, and reduce latency.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Verizon Wins More Video Franchises in New York State
Verizon Communications announced that four communities in New York have granted video franchises to Verizon this month, authorizing the company to offer its FiOS TV service. Lysander granted a video franchise to
Verizon on April 12, followed by Baldwinsville on April 15, Van Buren on April 20, and Auburn on April 22. The addition of the four cable television franchises brings to 174 the total number of New York municipalities that have authorized Verizon to
provide FiOS TV service.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Verizon Wireless to Support TeleNav Mobility Products for Enterprise
Verizon Wireless and TeleNav announced the availability of TeleNav business mobility products for Verizon Wireless enterprise customers. TeleNav’s solutions allow
organizations’ field personnel to exchange data with back-office systems using their smartphones on the Verizon Wireless network. TeleNav Track products are designed to integrate with existing business applications, such as payroll, customer relationship
management, or inventory management systems. The products will be offered under two plans. TeleNav Track Standard is available for a monthly fee of $14.99 per device and a one-time setup fee of $24.99. TeleNav Track Premium is available for a monthly fee
of $27.99 per device and a one-time setup fee of $24.99. TeleNav integration services require additional costs based on customers’ integration needs. TeleNav products are available now for the BlackBerry Curve 8330 and 8530 and BlackBerry Tour 9630
smartphones, and require a Verizon Wireless data plan.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
CHIP TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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AMD Launches 6-core Chip
Advanced Micro Devices launched the Phenon II X6, a six-core chip family. AMD launched two Phenom IIs: a 2.8-GHz Phenom II X6 1055T for $199, and an unlocked Phenom II X6 1090T “Black Edition,” an unlocked version
priced at $295. Both were previously known as the “Thuban” chip. Both chips fit within a 125-watt thermal envelope, and include 3 Mbytes of dedicated L2 cache, 6 Mbytes of L3 cache, and use a 4-GHz HyperTransport bus.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Samsung Begins Mass Production of 20-nanometer NAND
Samsung announced that it began mass producing a 20-nanometer based Multi-Level Cell NAND flash memory chip, releasing a secure digital memory card embedded with the chips. Samsung has also developed a multimedia
card controller for the 32-gigabyte (GB) memory chips.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
CLOUD COMPUTING & SAAS
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AWS Launches in Asia Pacific Region with Launch of Singapore Location
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has established its Asia Pacific Region with the launch of its services in Singapore. This will give Asian customers access to AWS’ cloud infrastructure, and multiple
redundant availability zones. Initial services for the region include Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Simple Storage Service (S3), SimpleDB, Relational Database Service (RDS), Simple Queue Service (SQS), Simple Notification Service (SNS), CloudWatch, and
CloudFront. Regional pricing and service information can be found at AWS’ product page.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
AWS Brings Virtual Private Cloud Network to Europe
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has begun offering its Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) services in Europe. The VPC service allows customers to create a virtual private network (VPN) connection with AWS’ servers
which can function as an extensible part of their local network. This includes being able to apply local security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection technologies, to the VPC installation. Though European customers could have used a VPC
account based on another continent prior to this launch, the proximity of the servers the new offering will be installed on is expected to considerably reduce latency.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Cisco Adds E-Mail, Web Services for Cloud Security
Cisco Systems introduced several new features for its cloud security platform, including e-mail and Web security services it claims – when combined with Cisco’s global threat intelligence products – deliver stronger
cloud security for the enterprise user. According to Cisco, both IronPort Email Data Loss Prevention and Encryption, and ScanSafe Web Intelligence Reporting, offer 24×7, cloud services to reduce management tasks and maintain compliance with
regulations.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Citrix Releases Trio of New NetScaler MPX Hardware Appliances
Citrix announced the release of its new NetScaler MPX 17500, 19500 and 21500 appliances. The trio of new hardware appliances all make use of Intel’s new Xeon processor 5680 series. The company claims that these
appliances can help make virtual, cloud-based data centers more viable by providing application acceleration, intelligent traffic management, and increased security. Citrix is also offering the appliances with its “Pay-as-You-Grow” program, which allows
customers to purchase incremental licensing upgrades as their companies’ needs expand. The new appliance are available now, with prices starting at $140,000.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Salesforce.com Joins VMware for VMForce: Cloud Environment for Java
Salesforce.com and VMware announced plans to jointly develop and release VMForce. The new product, which was revealed on VMware’s official Web site, functions as a piece of middleware, allowing Java developers to create applications which can be run in a cloud-computing environment. This product will also
give developers access to the Spring Framework, a Java development platform maintained by VMware’s SpringSource division. VMForce will ship with access to a range of Force.com services, as well as VMware’s vCloud technology, and vSphere virtualization
platform. The product is expected to be available as a developers preview some time in 2010. The companies plan on revealing final pricing and release dates at the time of the preview’s launch.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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Alcatel Announces the New Genesys Compact Edition
Alcatel-Lucent is rebranding its OmniTouch Premium Edition – which bundles contact center technology – as Genesys Compact Edition (CE), and announced it will be integrated with the OmniPCX Enterprise
Communication Server. Genesys CE allows businesses to migrate from legacy, PBX systems, to a more flexible SIP environment that supports IP telephony, Alcatel claims. Genesys will begin working with initial customers in July; Genesys CE will be available
for the fourth quarter.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Avaya Unveils Fit for Purpose Suite for Video, UC
Avaya unveiled new “Fit for Purpose” branded products, for supporting bandwidth hungry video and unified communications (UC) applications. They include Ethernet routing switches, session initiation protocol gateways,
WLAN products, and UC Management – Configuration and Orchestration Manager module software. The products will be available primarily over the Summer.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Bell Canada Announces HSPA Deployment for 2 Counties
Bell Canada announced the deployment of its HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) broadband network in the regional county municipalities (RCMs) of Fjord-du-Saguenay and Haute-C“te-Nord. The CA$2.1 million project will bring
high-speed Internet access, and mobile broadband services to Bell customer’s in these areas. These sites will gradually be brought online by the end of 2010. The entire HSPA build-out is expected to be completed by 2012.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Cisco Announces New Technology, Services for Mobility
Cisco Systems announced new technology, and network and support services for the mobile sector. Cisco’s Borderless Mobility portfolio includes Aironet series access points and new CleanAir technology that Cisco
says eliminates wireless
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Cisco Provides Technology for Fixnetix Network Expansion
Cisco Systems provided technology for a low latency network expansion for Fixnetix, a services firm that focuses on trading, market data, hosting, and direct market access. The ultra high speed, 10GB+ network now
features six co-location centers in the US (24 total). Cisco has worked with Fixnetix over the past four years, to create a financial services network to provide banks, hedge funds, and proprietary trading groups, with the ability to trade in any location,
covering more than 50 markets.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Deutsche Telekom Completes Overhaul of T-Mobile Austria Network
Deutsche Telekom announced the completion of its overhaul of T-Mobile Austria’s wireless network. Among the accomplishments of the revamp are replacing the company’s entire infrastructure in the country with a 3G
network; reducing the power consumption of networking equipment by 40 percent; and installing the preliminary portion of the HSPA+ wireless broadband upgrade, which features 21 Mbit/s download speed. The HSPA+ network is expected to launch by the middle of
the year.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
NEC, Telefonica Complete LTE Trials in Argentina
NEC Japan announced it successfully completed laboratory trials of longterm evolution (LTE) technology, with Telefonica de Argentina, a subsidiary of the European
telecommunications carrier, which has operations in more than 20 countries, worldwide. The trial took place between February and March, 2010, at Telefonica de Argentina’s facility. NEC provided Telefonica labs with a total LTE network system, consisting
of core network systems and wireless base stations. The companies are claiming a maximum throughput of 95M bps, using an actual LTE terminal.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
NEC to Provide LTE Technology for NTT DoCoMo
NEC Japan announced it was selected to develop and manufacture NTT DoCoMo‘s 1.5-GHz remote radio equipment, for longterm evolution (LTE) base stations. It will also deploy LTE
base stations, core network equipment, and related switch products. NEC currently supports DoCoMo’s commercial, Japanese LTE network service, as a system provider.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Nokia Siemens, Samsung Collaborate for TD-LTE Call
Nokia Siemens Networks and Samsung Electronics collaborated to place an end to end, time division – longterm evolution (TD-LTE) data call, from Nokia Siemens’ R&D
facility in Hangzhou, China. The demonstration proved the interoperability of Nokia Siemens’ TD-LTE network technology, with the Samsung TD-LTE USB dongle. TD-LTE data calls can be used for high definition video services.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
ZTE Signs Deal to Provide IMS Network for China Mobile
ZTE announced that China Mobile has chosen it to build its upcoming commercial IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) network in key Chinese provinces. The project, which is
expected to be completed in 3 months, will add the capacity for an additional 1.4 million lines to China Mobile’s network. The mobile carrier plans to use this new capacity to launch fixed/mobile convergence services, such as Converged Centrex, Converged
One Number, Multimedia CRBT, and Converged Conferencing. No financial terms were discussed.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
CONFERENCING
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Cisco Equips Nairobi Office with TelePresence
Cisco Kenya announced that its Nairobi office is now equipped with TelePresence technology. Cisco TelePresence can be used to allow participants to share content, create video recordings, collaborate,
and deliver personalized services, virtually.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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Ericsson to Provide Management for Mobilicity 3G Network
Ericsson announced a five year network operations contract to manage the 3G network of Mobilicity, a Canadian operator. Upon its launch, the Mobilicity network will offer voice and data services to 16 million
customers, throughout the country. Ericsson was previously contracted to design and build the network. It will first launch in Toronto, then later in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottowa. Ericsson will now be responsible for front and back office
operations, and field maintenance.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
IBM to Support Slovakian Census
IBM announced that it has received a contract from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic to support that country’s 2011 census. The company’s tasks will include designing the census, as well as automating the
process of collecting, analyzing, and processing the incoming data. This will mark the first time the Slovakian census has met with the regulations for the task set down by the European Union. The funding for this contract was attained from the state
budget.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Telstra Signs Managed Telecom Services Agreement with Komatsu
Telstra announced that Komatsu, a maker of construction and mining equipment, has chosen to consolidate its telecommunications services on the Telstra brand. This five year, $35 million whole of business contract
calls for Telstra to provide the company with a new Managed ICT “Infrastructure as a Service” cloud service, as well as telecommunication services for 1800 staff, 42 branches, and 35 service depots. The locations for these services are spread across
Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
iSOFT Taps Verizon for IT, Communications Services
Verizon announced that health care IT solutions company iSOFT has chosen Verizon Business to provide a fully managed, cloud-based IT
and communications solution. iSOFT deployed a secure, high-capacity Verizon Private IP network that links 46 iSOFT sites around the globe, and provides secure remote access to the network for employees on the road. iSOFT works with 13,000 healthcare
provider organizations in more than 40 countries.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
CYBERCRIME & PUNISHMENT
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New Kaspersky Lab Article Targets Rise of Cybercrime
“Crimeware: A New Round of Confrontation Begins” is a new article from Kaspersky Lab that discusses the
current state of malware attacks on clients of financial organizations, and methods for combating such attacks more effectively. This publication suggests that closer cooperation between antivirus vendors, financial organizations and government agencies
when combating cybercriminals would be more effective in fighting cybercrime.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Sophos: Once Again, US Is Tops — in Spam, That Is
Sophos has issued its latest report on the top spam-producing countries for the first quarter of 2010. The US once again proves to be the king of spam, producing more than 13 percent of the junk mail that is
circulated daily. China, which is often noted for cybercrime, fell to 15th place and is responsible for only 1.9 percent of the world’s spam. India and Brazil placed second and third on the list, respectively.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
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Micro Focus Teams with dynaTrace on Silk Performance Assurance
Micro Focus announced that it has allied with dynaTrace, a provider of diagnostic software, to create Silk Performance Assurance. The new product combines Micro focus’ SilkPerformer testing software with dynaTrace’s
new SilkPerformer Diagnostics. The companies claim that the software will help developers catch all of the possible errors in a piece of software after a single load test. Silk Performance Assurance also includes the ability to analyze and compare the
performance of multiple iterations of a piece of software, giving developers a method of tracking the effectiveness of their changes. Micro Focus will be releasing the product under its own brand. More information on Silk Performance Assurance can be found
at the company’s dedicated page.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Opera Releases Opera Mobile and Widgets Emulators
Opera announced that it has released a desktop-based emulator for its Opera Mobile Web browser, and its Opera Mobile Widgets platform. The emulators will allow developers to design products and test their use without
ever needing to use a mobile device. The emulators support multiple screen sizes and configurations, and works with Opera’s Dragonfly debugging software. Both emulators are available now from Opera’s Labs page for the
Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
FINANCIAL
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Acer First Quarter. Profits Soar After Overtaking HP for Laptops
Acer International posted its strongest profit growth in nearly three years, after it overtook HP to become the top selling laptop vendor, worldwide, in the first quarter, ended March 31st.
Profits were 3.29 billion NTD ($105 million USD), with 1.25 NTD per share. This represented 63 percent growth from Acer’s 2009 first quarter profits of 2.03 billion NTD, or 0.78 NTD per share. Revenues were 162.1 billion NTD, up 36 percent from 2009 first
quarter revenues of 119 billion NTD. In the quarter, Acer’s laptop shipment growth outpaced that of closest rivals HP and Dell, as it gained share in the US and Europe with more than 50 percent unit growth.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
AmerisourceBergen Reports Strong Gains in 2nd Quarter
AmerisourceBergen announced its financial results for the second fiscal quarter of its year ended March 31, 2010. Revenue rose to $19.3 billion from $17.3 billion during the second quarter of 2009, an
11.5% change. Net income was also on the rise, totaling $181 million, up from$143 million during the same quarter in 2009. This resulted in a quarterly earnings per share total of $0.64 a 33% jump from its Q2 2009’s total. The company also completed $111
million of its current share repurchasing program during the quarter.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Boeing Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.42
Boeing announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.42. This amount will be payable on June 4, to Shareholders of record as of May 7.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Broadvision Posts Another Negative First Quarter
Broadvision posted its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company saw revenues of $5.9 million, down from $8 million for the comparable quarter of 2009. Its net income totals were also
disappointing. The company posted a net loss of $2.3 million, or $0.51 per share. Though both quarters were negative, these results were worse than the $0.6 million, or $0.14 per share the company lost during the first quarter of 2009. Dr. Pehong Chen,
President and CEO of Broadvision, said the recent losses were largely due to the company being in the midst of a transition process to “subscription-centric 2.0 cloud-based [software-as-a-service]” products.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Cardinal Health Posts Mixed Q1 2010 Financials
Cardinal Health posted its financial report for the first quarter of 2010. The company’s revenue remained flat at $24.3 billion, only a 1% rise from Q2 2009’s total. Operating income was down 4% from $381 million
in the second quarter of 2009, to $366 million this quarter. Conversely, earnings from continuing operations were up at $225 million, a 5% jump from the comparable quarter in 2009. Diluted earnings per share showed a modest 3% increase, going from $0.60 in
Q1 2009 to $0.62 in this quarter. Despite the mixed results, the company’s pharmaceuticals segment outperformed expectations.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
CheckPoint Sees Revenues Jump 26% in Q1
CheckPoint Software reported $245.1 million in revenues for the first quarter of 2010, which ended on March 31. This represented a 26 percent increase over the same quarter in 2009. Net income was $98.0 million,
or $0.46 per diluted share, an increase of 21 percent, compared to $80.9 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, in the first quarter one year ago.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
China Unicom Reports Profits Down 68% for First Quarter
China Unicom, China’s second-biggest mobile phone carrier, said its first-quarter profit fell 68 percent due partly to costs from adding third-generation services to its network. Profit for the three months
ending March 31 was 1.1 billion yuan (US$161 million), or 0.05 yuan per share. Revenue was up 6.6 percent to 40.4 billion yuan ($5.9 billion). Expenses for the early stages of Unicom’s 3G business, depreciation, marketing, and other expenses was
“relatively significant,” the company said in a statement reported by Business Week. Unicom merged with China Netcom in late 2008 in a government-led restructuring of the country’s phone industry to boost
competition.
Source: BusinessWeek, 4/29/2010
Citrix Posts Strong Q1 Financials on Move Towards Cloud
Citrix announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue of $414 million, a 12% jump from the $369 million it reported during Q1 2009. It also saw a huge rise in net income
compared with the same quarter last year. The company reported a net income total of $47 million, which resulted in a diluted earnings per share total of $0.25. This is after taking in only $7 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, during the same period in
2009. The company believes its movement into the cloud-computing business resulted in its year-over-year growth.
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
Comcast Profit Up 12% in First Quarter
Comcast reported a net profit of $866 million, or 31 cents a share, for the first quarter ended March 31, a 12 percent rise from the $772 million earned in the same period last year. Revenue was up 3.8 percent, to
$9.2 billion. Comcast cited increased numbers of Internet and voice customers and a rebound in ad spending for the growth.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
comScore Posts Strong Revenues, Weak Net Income in Q1 Financials
comScore reported what it is calling a record first quarter of 2010. Revenues rose 18% from $30.6 million in the first quarter of 2009, to $36.1 million this quarter. The company’s net income was down 33% to
$200,000, versus the $300,000 it reported in the first quarter of 2009. Meanwhile, earnings per share stayed flat at $0.01 for both quarters. Of the company’s segments, the largest positive impact may have come from existing customer revenue, which rose
20.5% to reach $32.3 million., this is largely due to the addition of 198 new customer accounts during the quarter.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Convergys Posts Declining Financial Results for Q1 2010
Convergys announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a quarterly revenue of $546 million. This is a substantial drop from the $625 million it reported during the same period
last year. Convergys’ net income for the quarter totaled $26 million, also down from the $30 million in net income it posted in Q1 2009. This produced a drop in earnings per share to $0.20, versus $0.25 in the aforementioned quarter of 2009. The company’s
CEO, Jeff Fox, blamed the declining numbers on “lower than anticipated client call volumes, client program terminations, and volume shifts.”
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Earthlink Posts Declining Quarter, Raises Dividend
Earthlink reported the financial results for the first quarter of its 2010 fiscal year. The company posted a revenue of $157.3 million. This represented a 21% year-over-year drop when compared to the first quarter
of 2009. Net income also dropped this quarter. The company reported a total quarterly net income of $26.7 million or $0.25 per share, down from $32.5 million, and $0.30 per share during Q1 2009. Despite the declining totals, Earthlink chose to raise its
quarterly dividend from $0.14 to $0.16.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
eBay Posts Strong First-Quarter Financials on Payment and Marketplaces
eBay posted its first-quarter financial results. The company announced a quarterly revenue of $2.2 billion. This represents a 9% year-over-year growth, and an 18% growth if the financial effect Skype had on the first quarter of 2009 is excluded. eBay’s quarterly net income also rose by 11% from $357 million in Q1 2009, to $398 million in Q1 2010. This caused a slightly less dramatic 7% jump in earnings per share,
from $0.28 in the first quarter of 2009, to $0.30 in 2010. eBay pointed to its Payments and Marketplaces businesses as being the largest driving forces behind this quarter’s success.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
F-Secure Releases First Quarter Financials
F-Secure announced a three percent in revenue increase for the first quarter of 2010 that ended on March 31. Revenues were 31.4 million EUR ($41.7 million USD). The company recorded a profit of 5.5 million ($7.3
million) and earnings per share were 0.03 ($0.04).
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
FLIR Reports on Q1 Revenues
For the first fiscal quarter of 2010, which ended on March 31, FLIR Systems announced revenue of $287.3 million, up six percent compared to first quarter 2009 revenues of $272.0 million. Net income for the quarter
was $55.9 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared with net income of $54.3 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the first quarter a year ago.
Source: Vendor, 4/23/2010
General Dynamics Reports Declining Revenue, Flat Income for Q1 2010
General Dynamics announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue of $7.75 billion. This represented a $514 million, or 6.5% drop from the same quarter last year,
which saw the company’s revenue total $8.26 billion. Net earnings were relatively flat at $597 million, a $7 million increase over the first quarter of 2009. This resulted in an equally flat earnings per share total of $1.55, versus $1.53 reported in the
same quarter of 2009.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
IBM Raises Dividend, Enlarges Stock Repurchasing Program
IBM‘s board of directors made two financial announcements. First, the board has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.65. This represents an 18% increase over the prior quarter’s dividend of $0.55. The board’s second
announcement revealed the company’s plans to add an additional $8 billion in funds to its stock repurchasing program. This amount will join the $2 billion that was already set aside for the purchasing program.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
KPN Reports Strong First Quarter Financials
KPN announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue of EUR 3.27 billion. This is a 3.5% decrease from Q1 2009’s total of EUR 3.39 billion. On a more positive note, the
company’s operating profit rose 25%, jumping from EUR 632 million in the first quarter of 2009, to EUR 793 million during the same period of 2010. This caused an even greater 42% increase in net profit for KPN. Its quarterly net profit is listed as EUR 449
million, versus the EUR 317 million that it reported during the first quarter of 2009. The jump in earnings per share (EPS) was larger still. The company’s quarterly EPS rose from EUR 0.19 in Q1 2009, to EUR 0.28 in 2010. This amounted to a 47% increase.
KPN saw these results as an affirmation of its current guidance on the 2010 year.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Lockheed Martin Announces $0.63 Dividend for 2nd Quarter of 2010
Lockheed Martin announced that its Board of Directors has approved a dividend of $0.63 per share for the second quarter of the fiscal year. This amount will be payable on June 25, 2010 to all shareholders of
record by the close of business on June 1, 2010.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Microsoft Posts Strong Q1 on Windows 7 Success
Microsoft reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue of $14.50 billion for the quarter, which ended Mar. 31, 2010. This represents a 6% increase over the same period
in 2009. Microsoft’s operating income also rose 17%, over Q1 2009, to $5.17 billion. However, the most dramatic movement in the company’s results can be found in its net income totals. Microsoft posted a net income of $4.01 billion for the quarter. This
represented a 35% increase over 2009’s number. This produced a similarly risen earnings per share total of $0.45. These results can be attributed to the sharp 28% rise in revenue from strong sales of the company’s Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft
claims the OS has already risen above 10% of the global market share.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
Motorola Posts Profits as Smartphone Sales Stay Strong
Motorola posted an unexpected profit for the first quarter, ended March 31, 2010, as sales of its new phones outperformed its own forecasts. Earnings were $69 million USD, with $0.03 per share, up 124 percent
compared to 2009 first quarter losses of $291 million, or $0.13 loss per share. Motorola had forecasted loss per share of between $0.01 and $0.03. First quarter revenues were $5 billion, a 6.1 percent drop. The Schaumburg, IL, US company has been trying to
reverse its slide in phone sales, by focusing on new smartphones, such as the Droid, and by announcing plans to introduce 20 new Android smartphones by the end of 2010. Unfortunately, Motorola has lost its position as the largest, US phone maker, to Apple,
which sold 8.8 million iPhones to Motorola’s 8.5 million handsets. Four years ago, Motorola sold more than 46 million Razr phones, in the first quarter.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
NCR Posts Q1 Losses on Underfunded Pension Plan
NCR released its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company saw a revenue of $1.03 billion, a modest 2% increase over the same quarter in 2009. The company’s net income totals continued the negative
trend of 2009. It reported a net loss of $19 million, or $0.12 per diluted share. This is even further into the red than Q1 2009, which saw the company lose $15 million, or $0.09 per diluted share. NCR seemed to place the blame for its losses largely on
its underfunded pension plan. As part of the announcements of its financial results it revealed that it has formed a definitive strategic plan to remedy the situation.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
NEC Revises its 2010 Financial Forecast
NEC Japan revised its consolidated financial forecast, for the 2010 fiscal year, ended March 31, 2010. It is now projecting revenues of 3.58 trillion JPY ($38 billion USD), and earnings of 10 billion JPY.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Nokia Reports Profit but Misses Expectations
Nokia, the world’s largest handset maker, posted a good profit number late last week for the first quarter ended March 31 but fell short of Wall Street expectations, causing its share price to dive more that 15%.
Finland-based Nokia reported earnings of 349 million euros (US$465 million), or 9 cents a share, for the quarter ended March 31, up from the 122 million euros it earned in 2009’s first quarter. Sales were up just 3 percent to 9.52 billion euros, showing
growth for the first time in two years. For the quarter, Nokia shipped 107.8 million handsets, a 16 percent gain from the year-earlier quarter, which boosted sales 8 percent higher, to 6.6 billion euros for the company’s devices and services division.
Smartphone shipments jumped 50 percent to 21.5 million units.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Northrop Grumman Posts Strong Q1 Raises Year-End Expectations
Northrop Grumman released its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. Sales were up by a little less than $700 million to $8.6 billion. Net earnings followed suit, going from $389 million during the first
quarter of 2009, to $469 million during the same period in 2010. This caused a significant jump in earnings per share (EPS), which were up to $1.53, versus $1.17 reported during the first quarter of 2009. On these results, the company has raised its
year-end EPS prediction to $5.75-$6.00
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Polycom Posts Record Setting Revenue, Disappointing Income for Q1
Polycom posted its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company’s revenues totaled $276 million, its highest Q1 total ever. This follows revenues of $225 million during the same quarter of 2009.
Despite the increased revenue, the company’s net earnings dropped from $8 million, in Q1 2009, to $5 million in the first quarter of 2010. This caused a similar drop from $0.10 to $0.06 in earnings per share during the same period. Polycom’s chairman and
CEO, Robert Hagerty, claims that the sharp increase in revenue is indicative that several of its current programs to increase growth are beginning to take effect.
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
Qualcomm Swings to Profit
QUALCOMM reported its financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal 2010 year, ended March 28, 2010. The company logged net income of of $774 million, or 46 cents a share, compared with a loss of $289
million, or 18 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Revenue rose to $2.7 billion from $2.45 billion. Adjusted earnings were 59 cents a share, after taking out one-time events. Chief Executive Paul Jacobs attributed the company’s results to “healthy
3G device shipments and greater than expected demand for our chipsets.”
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
Raytheon Reports Flat Q1 2010, Ups Year-End Dividend Prediction
Raytheon announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a relatively steady year-over-year net income of $6.05 billion. This was a modest 3% increase from Q1 2009’s $5.88 billion.
Income from continuing operations was even flatter at $453 million, versus the $449 million reported for the first quarter of 2009. Despite the lack of change, earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations rose 6%, from $1.11 in the first quarter of
2009, to $1.18 during the same quarter of 2010. On these results, Raytheon increased its projected year-end dividend to $1.50. The company has also authorized a new $2.0 billion share repurchase program.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
RightNow Posts Increased Revenue, Decreased Net Income for Q1 2010
RightNow posted its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The company reported a total revenue of $42.1 million, a 17% increase over Q1 2009’s $36.0 million. On a more negative note, net income
fell year-over-year to $585,000 or $0.02 per share. This is down from $1.3 million, or $0.04 per share for the first quarter of 2009. RightNow signed contracts with numerous new customers during the quarter, including deals with Beretta, Epson,
RealNetworks, and Zynga.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
SAP Reports Strong Revenues, Huge Profit Growth for Q1
SAP announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a total revenue of EUR 2.5 billion. This surpassed the first quarter of 2009’s total of EUR 2.4 billion. The majority of this gain
was the result of a 12% year-over-year increase in software and software related services revenue. SAP’s operating profit showed a sharp 81% uptick. It rose from EUR 307 million in Q1 2009 to EUR 557 million in 2010. The company’s net profit nearly
doubled, going from EUR 196 in the first quarter of 2009 to EUR 387 million during the same period in 2010. This placed SAP’s quarterly earnings per share (EPS) at EUR 0.33 up from EUR 0.17 during the same period of the prior year.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Siemens’ Second Quarter Profits Improve 48 Percent
German conglomerate Siemens reported that its net profits grew 48 percent for the 2010 fiscal second quarter, ended March 31st, as cost cuts offset a decline in revenue, and helped it lift its outlook for the rest
of the year. Profits were 1.49 billion EUR ($1.97 billion USD), compared to 2009 fiscal second quarter profits of 1.01 billion EUR. Revenues were 18.2 billion EUR, down four percent from 2009 fiscal second quarter revenues of 18.9 billion EUR. In spite of
the slip, Siemens reported that its units – including healthcare – were set to surpass 2009’s operating earnings of 7.5 billion EUR, above its initial guidance of 6-6.5 billion EUR.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Software AG Posts Strong Gains in Q1 Financials
Software AG announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue of EUR 250.3 million, a sizable 51% increase over 2009’s EUR 165.3 million. Its net income rose 9% from EUR
25.6 million in Q1 2009, to EUR 28 million during the same period in 2010. This generated a 10% increase in earnings per share (EPS), bringing the quarterly EPS up to EUR 0.98, versus EUR 0.90 in the first quarter of 2009. Software AG’s CEO, Karl-Heinz
Streibich says these results prove the company is well positioned for the coming year.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Sybase Posts Dramatic Rise in Q1 2010 Financial Results
Sybase announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue of $294.0 million, a 10% increase over Q1 2009’s $267.5 million. Sybase’s net income came in at $52.5 million, a
dramatic 28% increase over the same period last year. This lead to a 24% growth in earnings per share, which rose to $0.60. The company also posted a total of $99.3 million in cash flow from continuing operations.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
Unisys Posts All Round Losses in Q1 Financials
Unisys posted its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company saw a revenue of $998 million. This is down from its Q1 2009 total of $1.07 billion. Also in the red were the companies net earnings
totals. While an improvement over the $24.4 million it lost in the first quarter of 2009, the company still dropped $11.6 million into the negative. This created a loss of $0.27 per share. Again, this is still an improvement over Q1 2009, when it lost
$0.66 per share. Unisys claims that, despite the losses, the quarter shows progress on its task of simplifying and streamlining its business.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Verisign Posts Disappointing Q1 Results
Verisign announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company posted a revenue from continuing operations of $264 million, this rose only 1% from the total posted in the comparable quarter of
2009. Net income totals dipped into the red at $51 million or $0.28 per share, after reaching $65 million or $0.34 per share during the first quarter of 2009.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
ZTE Posts Strong Revenue and Profit Growth
ZTE posted its financial results for the first quarter of 2010. The company’s revenue rose to RMB13.26 billion from RMB11.67 billion during the same quarter in 2009. This was an impressive 13.6% increase. Net profits
showed stronger growth at 39.7%, going from RMB78.7 during Q1 2009, to RMB109.9. The company saw the strongest growth from its terminal segment and telecommunications software, systems, and services division, which grew 41.8% and 40.8% respectively.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
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AT&T Wins Public Safety Contract in Arizona County
AT&T announced a new, two-year contract with the Pima County (Arizona) Sheriff’s Department to provide wireless voice and data services including Apple iPhones to approximately 200 officers. The iPhones are equipped
with COPLINK, an application produced by i2. Arizona last week passed a law requiring state and local police to determine the status of people if there is “reasonable suspicion” that they are illegal immigrants, and to arrest people who are unable to
provide documentation proving they are in the US legally. It also makes it a crime to transport someone who is an illegal immigrant and to hire day laborers off the street. Pima County is located on the southern border with Mexico.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Raytheon to Build Nuclear Integrated Standoff Inspection System
Raytheon announced that it has received a contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) for the creation of a nuclear material detection device. The goal of the project is to create a reliable, accurate
Integrated Standoff Inspection System (ISIS). The system, once developed, will be used by the US government to track the movement of any nuclear material into and out of the US.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Sprint Nextel Losses Widen
Sprint Nextel lost US$865 million, or 29 cents a share, in the first quarter – compared with a loss of $594 million, or 21 cents a share, in the first quarter last year. The carrier’s results include a non-cash
charge of $365 million, or 12 cents a share, related to deferred tax assets. First quarter revenue fell 1.5% to $8.09 billion. Sprint said it lost net 75,000 customers in the first quarter, with 578,000 subscribers moving out of long-term contracts. A year
ago, the company lost 1.3 postpaid customers in the first quarter. Sprint added 348,000 prepaid customers and 155,000 wholesale customers in Q1. A Sprint spokesman said the integration of Virgin Mobile USA has proceeded ahead of schedule and that the
prepaid business posted a strong reversal from the weaker trends seen in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
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Autonomy Taps Kainos for New Electronics Records Management System
Autonomy announced that it has teamed with Kainos, an IT consulting company, to launch Evolve, an Electronic Document Management solution. The joint solution will give healthcare professionals to access electronic
health records (EHRs) through Autonomy’s Meaning Based Computing solutions, a set of products which applies categorical meaning to human-created entries into a patient’s chart. The companies claim the additional benefits of this new solution include a
unified viewpoint for all records, improved security, easy integration with existing hospital systems, and automated compliance and information governance features.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
McKesson Launches Product Templates for Chiropractors
McKesson announced that it has created a set of templates to customize its Practice Partner Patient Records, Medisoft Clinical, and Lytec MD systems for the chiropractic field. The 12 specialized templates will
walk the physician through the task of entering patient data into an electronic health record (EHR) form. The software can then sync the data across all instances of that patient’s record on connected systems. As part of an program designed to promote the
launch of these new templates, McKesson is offering a credit of $1,500 for the first provider and $750 for each additional provider to all chiropractic customers who purchase these templates.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
INDUSTRY GROUPS
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Long-Term Study Launched on Mobile Phone Use, Health Issue Links
European researchers have launched a major long-term study of mobile phone use and health. The Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS) will monitor the health of at least 250,000 mobile
phone users for 20 to 30 years. Experts hope it will provide a definitive answer to the question of whether mobile phones are linked to cancer, migraines, infertility, and other health problems. Those taking part in the research will be aged from 18 to 69
and live in five European countries including the UK. The UK arm of the study is led by a team from Imperial College London.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
EARTH 4G Energy Preservation Consortium Launched
A group of 15 telecommunications service providers, component and infrastructure vendors, and academic institutions launched the Energy Aware Radio and neTwork tecHnologies (EARTH) consortium. The group’s goal is
to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy consumption, among 4G mobile wireless communications networks, within the next 2-1/2 years. The EARTH initiative supports the EU’s Work Programme for Information and Communication Technologies, focused on
realizing the new generation of telecom infrastructure, network, and Internet technologies. Vendor participants include Alcatel, Ericsson, Telecom Italia, NXP Semiconductors France, DOCOMO Communications Laboratories Europe, each working alongside the
University of Surrey, Technische Universitat Dresden, Technical University of Lisbon, University of Oulu, and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. It will last until June, 2012.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Kaspersky Joins Vendor Alliance
Kaspersky Lab joined the eNsembleT Multi-Core Alliance, an organization founded to improve on multi-core parallel processing platforms and software development.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
INTERNET
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ICANN Approves First 4 IDN ccTLDs
The Internet Corporation for Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that it has given final approval to the internationalized domain name (IDN) country code top level domains (ccTLD) of four countries. These countries
are Egypt, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They are the first nations to receive IDN ccTLD delegation approval from the Internet regulator, the final step needed to use these domains on the Web. ICANN said that Web
addresses containing the non-Latin characters unique to each of these 4 countries should begin appearing on the Internet soon.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
ICANN Completes String Evaluation Process for Jordan’s ccTLD
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that it has completed its string evaluation approval process for Jordan’s new proposed country code top level domain name (ccTLD). This new
internationalized domain name (IDN) will be among the first to contain non-Latin characters, in this case, Arabic script. The .JO ccTLD, which was approved via the group’s Fast Track process,
will not be available until ICANN has completed the String Delegation review process on it. This is the third, and final, step on the path to being usable on the Web. ICANN is currently processing a total of 21 other string evaluation requests.
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
Opera Releases Opera 10.52 Browser for Macs
Opera announced that it has released version 10.52 of its Opera Web browser for the Mac. The new version of the browser features a revamped user interface, speed improvements, and support for multi-touch gestures
usable on MacBook computers. Opera claims that, thanks to a new JavaScript engine(Carakan), and new graphic library (Vega), the latest update showed 10 times the speed of its predecessor, Opera 10.10. Opera 10.52 for OS X is available for free from Opera’s
download page.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Study Finds Active Interest in US Government Web Sites
The Pew Internet & American Life project released a new study, which found that US adults are keen to have online accesss to their government. The study found that 40% of US adult Internet users had accessed government data on the Web, with the most common topics of interest being stimulus cash spending, and legislation content. A
smaller, but still substantial, 31% of this same group had used a blog, online video, or social networking site to get news about the government. Within this statistic, Pew found strong growth in usage by groups that have traditionally been less likely to
access these forms of communications, such as minority groups. The survey, which was completed during November and December 2009, included phone interviews with 2,258 US residents, age 18 and older.
Source: PewInternet, 4/27/2010
IT ASSET MANAGEMENT
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BMC Launches 2 New Cloud-Based IT Service Solutions
BMC announced the release of two new cloud-based IT service solutions, BMC Remedy OnDemand and BMC ServiceDesk on Force.com. The company is targeting IT Service Management (ITSM) and service desk customers with the
solutions. They provide a subscription-based pay-as-you-go pricing model, which requires no software or hardware to be installed for use. BMC Remedy OnDemand also integrates with BMC Atrium Configuration Management Database (CMDB) out-of-the-box, which
gives customers a single control panel for all BMC Business Service Management (BSM) platform products.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
General Dynamics Signs HHS Medicare Support Contract
General Dynamics announced that it has received a contract from the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The deal calls for General Dynamics to
provider IT support and operational components for CMS’ Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) program. The RDS program handles such functions as application processing, payment and overpayment processing, and appeals processing. The task order has an initial value of
$16 million, and a maximum value of $84 million if all options are exercised.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
IBM Signs Deal with Toronto Airport Authority for IT Services
IBM announced that it has signed a $130 million agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). Under the agreement, all airlines and airport tenants located in the member airports will receive IT services
from IBM. This includes support for systems at kiosks, check-in counters, and terminal gates. The GTAA believes the deal will aid it in its efforts to increase the transparency of its spending on IT related costs. The contract has a duration of 5
years.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
LAPTOPS & NETBOOKS
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Intel Introduces New Convertible Classmate PC Model
Intel unveiled its new Convertible Classmate PC, a new touch screen, tablet netbook version of the rugged, child oriented laptop family. Though the overall look of the new system is similar to its 2009 predecessor, it
also has a rubberized, outer shell, a spill resistant keyboard and screen, and a shock detecting hard drive. Intel introduced the new Classmate systems at a special demonstration at the Central Park Zoo, in New York City, a demonstration that also included
hardware peripherals and software from several partners. Classmate is Intel’s global initiative, which parallels One Laptop Per Child and other programs, in terms of getting computers and the Internet into the hands of children, especially in developing
countries. It will generally retail for $499 USD.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Lenovo Announces Low End, Budget Enterprise Laptops
Lenovo announced its new ThinkPad L series of budget laptops. They were designed to provide a lower cost alternative to Lenovo’s higher priced systems. The Intel based L series features a lower resolution screen and
does not feature a solid state drive. The first models – the 14 inch L412 and 15 inch L512 – will cost $649 USD. They go on sale in mid-May.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
LEGAL
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Google Wins German, US Trademark Cases
Ars Technica reported that Google has won two trademark violation cases filed against it in Germany and the US. Google prevailed in the German high court and in the US, where
the judge in the case said AdWords did not infringe on Rosetta Stone’s trademark.
Source: Ars Technica, 4/30/2010
MALWARE WATCH
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BitDefender: iPad Users Beware of Circulating Malware
BitDefender is warning iPad users of a threat that comes in the form of an unsolicited email that promises to keep iPad’s software updated. The email instructs users to download the latest version of iTunes via
an attached link, but the link is actually malware that opens up a backdoor and steals sensitive information from the computer.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
CA: Storm Is Back
CA reported that the Storm worm is back in circulation as a Trojan downloader. After a hiatus of a few years, Storm has been detected as Win32/Pecoan and is currently sending out massive quantities of spam via a botnet.
Storm first surfaced three years ago and was thought to be responsible for about 20 percent of the spam in circulation. That version faded out in September 2007, but the new Storm appears to bear many of the same characteristics of the original.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
SonicWALL Reports on Malware Targeting PDF Files
SonicWALL discovered a new PDF malware that is quickly circulating and targeting an Adobe PDF flaw. If the recipient opens the spam, which looks like an email from a mail domain
server or operator, the malware downloads a Trojan executable. It is advised that users not open any emails from unknown senders.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
MOBILE SOFTWARE & PLATFORMS
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Apple’s Jobs Offers Harsh Criticism for Adobe Flash
In an official statement on the Apple Web site, CEO and founder Steve Jobs detailed the technical problems he has with Adobe’s Flash technology, and the company’s reasons for excluding it
from Apple’s popular lineup of devices, such as the iPhone and iPad. According to Jobs, Flash puts a third party between Apple and software developers, meaning that developers can only take advantage of improvements from Apple if Adobe upgrades its own
software. Jobs also criticized the technology, saying it has too many bugs, drains batteries too quickly, and is too oriented toward PCs to work on the iPhone or iPad. He also cited reliability, security, and performance, issues – as well as the fact that
Flash was designed “for PCs using mice, not for touch screens using fingers” – as some of the reasons Apple will continue to keep the program off its devices. Adobe representatives did not have an immediate comment.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
AT&T Launches New Mobile Apps
AT&T announced that it has released two new mobile apps. Its AT&T Connect mobile conferencing application is now available for the iPhone from Apple’s App Store, and an updated version of the YPmobile App for the iPhone
and iPod Touch are available as well. The latter application lets users search for local information via voice.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Flash Support Confirmed for Android 2.2, “Froyo”
Google will be including full support for Adobe Flash in the next version of its Android mobile operating system. The news was revealed in an interview with Andy Rubin, Google’s Vice President of Engineering,
published in the New York Times. Version 2.2, codenamed Froyo, will include Adobe’s Flash plug-in, presumably version 10.1, currently in beta testing for the
mobile OS.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
NEC, Partners Developing Symbian, Linux Compatible Platform
NEC Japan, Fujitsu Japan, NTT DoCoMo, Renesas Electronics, Panasonic
Mobile Communications, and Sharp Electronics announced they are developing a mobile phone platform. It will be compatible with both the Symbian and Linux operating systems (OSs), with open OSs such as Android also
under consideration. The companies claim the platform will offer streamlined processing speeds, for high quality video, and 3D graphics processing, for advanced mobile multimedia functions. In theory, it will also prevent mobile phone manufacturers from
having to develop basic application processing functions, on their own. A commercial launch of mobile phones – incorporating the platform – is scheduled for between September 2011 and March, 2012, for mobile phone manufacturers, worldwide.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Nokia to Launch Symbian^3-Based Smartphone in Third Quarter
Nokia said it plans to launch the first smartphone based on the Symbian^3 platform in the third quarter of 2010. The N8 smartphone will have a 12 megapixel camera and allow people to record and edit High Definition
video clips, as well as watch Web TV services. The platform will be the first commercial version of the software released since the Symbian Foundation announced in February that it had made its code open source. The software in the N8 allows the phone to have multi-touch and multi-tasking, Nokia said, with easy access to such social networks as Twitter and Facebook.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Opera Licenses Opera Mini to Vogins Technology
Opera announced that Vogins Technology, a Chinese mobile middleware maker, has licensed its Opera Mini Web browser to be included with its MediaTek-based mobile phones. The specialized version has been optimized to
function on the company’s MediaTek middleware infrastructure. The application will be available exclusively on the Vogins App Store.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
OPERATING SYSTEMS
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Microsoft Releases Windows Embedded Standard 7
Microsoft announced the release of Windows Embedded Standard 7. The new version of the Windows operating system is designed to work on a component by component basis on devices such as thin clients, industrial
controls, set-top boxes (STBs), and televisions. The product is targeted at the OEMs that build these devices. This edition of the embedded operating system also features Windows Touch, which allows it to work with both traditional, and multi-touch
touchscreen devices. More information on the product can be found at Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Standard Newsroom.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Canonical Announces Launch Date, Features for Ubuntu 10.04
Canonical announced the release of the latest version of the Ubuntu operating system. Ubuntu 10.04 Long Term Support (LTS) includes 3 years of guaranteed support, among other improvements. These include faster
boot times, social networking integration, improved file sharing, and built in music and application stores. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS will be available free of charge from the operating system’s official site on April 29, 2010.
The OS is also expected to be included with consumer computing devices beginning this summer.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES
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Bell Canada Opens New LEED Certified Building at Mississagua HQ
Bell Canada announced the opening of a new building at its Mississauga campus. The fourth building on the company’s compound is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, 350,000 square foot
facility. It will allow for the expansion of current operations at the company’s main campus, while furthering its efforts to maintain a sustainable headquarters.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Boeing Selects Pat Gaines to Lead Korean Business
Boeing announced that it has selected a new President for its Korean business. The company will appoint Pat Gaines to President of Boeing Korea effective June 4. He will be replacing Bill Oberlin, who is retiring in
July. The position will place Gaines in charge of the companies current operations and future strategies in the Asian country. Gaines has been with Boeing for 23 years, most recently working as vice president of Customer Support for the Asia-Pacific
division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Cisco Opens Entrepreneur Training Center in UAE
Cisco Middle East announced it opened an Entrepreneur Institute Training Center, in the UAE, in conjunction with Knowledge Horizon. Knowledge Horizon – a Dubai based institute – will offer both in-person and
distance learning sessions, for helping entrepreneurs in the region enhance business development opportunities. The facility will also provide a forum for SMBs to collaborate on business expertise.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
FBI Appoints Snow Assistant Cyber Director
Gordon M. Snow was named assistant director of the FBI‘s Cyber Division. In this new role, he will be responsible for leading the FBI’s efforts to protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and
high-technology crimes.
Source: FBI, 4/23/2010
HP Extends its PartnerONE Channel Program
Hewlett-Packard outlined several enhancements to its PartnerONE channel partner program, including new programs focused on healthcare, SMB expansion, and imaging and printing. The changes take effect May 1st. Further
details are available at hp.com/go/hpchannelnews. It also announced a new AllianceONE partner program, for optimizing technology – across servers, storage, networking, and professional services, supporting
the mission critical, converged infrastructure.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
HP Unveils the HP Download Store, Beta Version
Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced the beta version of its HP Download Store, which it hopes will offer a virtual marketplace for consumers and small businesses to purchase HP
software and services. The Download Store is powered by Digital River, and provides access to six pay-as-you-go support and collaboration services, including monthly subscriptions.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Level 3 Expanding Presence in US Gulf Coast Region
Level 3 recently announced that it has expanded its operations and local presence in the Gulf Coast area, which includes New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama. The company
said it will build on its existing network assets of more than 300 metro fiber route miles throughout the Gulf Coast area. Level 3 plans to augment network capacity in the region and expand the number of businesses that are directly connected to the Level
3 network, focusing on expanding services to mid-sized businesses.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
MITRE Appoints Current VP to Role of Cyber Security Director
MITRE announced that it has appointed current vice president, Gary Gagnon, to the newly created position of director of cyber security. The position will put him in charge of overseeing the cyber security activities
on the accounts of all of the company’s government customers, as well as MITRE’s internal cyber security. Gagnon joined MITRE in 1986. He has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of computer security, and has served in numerous high-level roles
within MITRE.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Northrop Grumman Selects Virginia for New Corporate Office
Northrop Grumman announced that it has selected Virginia as the location for its new corporate offices. The company, which said it also considered both Maryland and Washington DC, is currently seeking a facility
in the Arlington/ Falls Church area. It expects to complete its search and have the facility opened by the summer of 2011. Northrop Grumman will employ about 300 workers at this location.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Northrop Grumman Appoints Cheryl L. Janey as VP of Communications
Northrop Grumman announced that it has named Cheryl L. Janey as its new vice president of communications for the company’s Information Systems sector. The new position will require her to report to Linda A. Mills,
corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Information Systems. Janey’s responsibilities will include managing the entirety of the company’s sector communications and positioning activities. Prior to this appointment, Cheryl L. Janey served
as leader of operational objectives for the company’s federal-civil business.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Oracle Expands, Reorganizes Leadership at Financial Services
Oracle announced that it has expanded the leadership of its Financial Services Global Business Unit (FSGBU). Frank Brienzi has been appointed as general manager of the FSGBU. The new position also earns him a place
on the board of directors for Oracle Financial Services Software (OFSS). Additionally, R. Ravisankar has been appointed to the post of COO of the FSGBU. He will be replacing Rajesh Hukku, who has been promoted to the role of Chief Strategy Officer for the
company’s entire financial services division.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
PCTS Appoints Chris Doran as Director of RTLS
Patient Care Technology Systems (PCTS) announced that it has appointed Chris Doran as the Director of RTLS Solutions for the company. The position will put him in charge of reviewing new technologies, and evaluating
their potential for integration into the Amelior Enterprise Visibility & Workflow Automation Suite. Prior to joining PCTS, Doran worked with 3M Track and Trace Division and with Ekahau, a provider of wi-fi based locating technology.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Siemens Names Several New Executives
Siemens announced that Richard Hausmann – the president and CEO of Siemens China – will head all aspects of its Smart Grid applications project. The project involves developing new products, solutions and services
for intelligent power grids, including, for example, how they will interact in the future with electrically powered vehicles. Mei Wei Cheng will now become president of the Siemens subsidiary, in China, and will also head Siemens’ northeast Asia region.
Siemens also appointed Denice Kronau as Chief Diversity Officer, effective June 1st, and Joe Kaeser and Hermann Requardt as managing board members.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Verizon Business Opens Second Data Center in Hong Kong
Verizon Business said it is opening a second data center in Hong Kong. The new facility is part of Verizon’s plan to deliver new cloud and data center services in the region – and to provide expanded direct
access to Verizon’s global network. Yali Liu, director of network planning for Verizon in the Asia-Pacific region said: “Our latest Hong Kong center is strategically located at the gateway to mainland China and is especially important to our clients who
want to expand business into greater China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.” The new 3,000-square-meter facility, located in the iTech Tower in Tsuen Wan, will feature reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer technology and provide
interconnections with the four main local carriers as well as with Verizon’s global network. The center will also house a new Private IP node to extend the company’s metro network footprint for offering companies direct access to Verizon’s Private IP
service. A public IP node will be located in the center, as well.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Verizon Foundation Issues $1 Million Education-Related Grant
The International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English have received $1 million in grants from the Verizon Foundatio to expand their partnership with Verizon Thinkfinity. Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston announced the grants April 26th at the International Reading Association’s annual conference being held this year in Chicago. The association and the national
council will use the funds to create resources for ReadWriteThink, one of eight partner sites included in the Verizon Thinkfinity network.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
PUBLIC SAFETY
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New Guide Issued in UK for Food Safety
The UK Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure has issued a specification for keeping food and beverages safe from chemical and biological attacks. This specification provides broad guidelines to food industry operators which helps assess and reduce the risk to their businesses and to mitigate the consequences of an attack.
Source: CPNI, 4/29/2010
State of Emergency Declared as Oil Slick Nears Gulf Coastline
Louisiana Govenor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency in preparation for the arrival of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is reportedly reaching land today, and federal authorities, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet
Napolitano, pledged a robust response to the growing threat of an ecological disaster. Napolitano said she has designated the leak a “spill of national significance,” meaning officials can
draw on assets from other areas to combat it. A command center is open in Robert, Louisiana. A second will be opened in Mobile, Alabama, Napolitano said. Napolitano said she will travel today to the Gulf Coast, along with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson. Federal officials are also launching an investigation into the causes of the April 20th explosion that left 11 workers
missing, three critically injured, and an ongoing oil spill. On April 28th, rig operator BP admitted the spill may be up to five times worse than originally thought and welcomed any help the US government and military may be able to provide in containing
the oil leak.
Source: DHS, 4/29/2010
GAO: Gang Strategy in Place, but Oversight Needed
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed federal efforts to combat gangs active in both the US and Central America. In its research, the GAO examined federal agencies’ antigang plans; interviewed
officials representing varying population sizes and geographic regions; and spoke with US and foreign officials in El Salvador and Guatemala where US agencies have implemented antigang programs. The GAO made several recommendations in its report including how the National Security Council needs to revise its antigang strategy to consist of oversight and performance
measures.
Source: GAO, 4/23/2010
Tsunami Planning Needs Improvement: GAO
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) regularly reviews the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) strategy and status in detecting and warning about
tsunamis. The GAO analyzed documentation from the NOAA and interviewed officials responsible for tsunami planning and preparedness efforts. In its subsequent report, the GAO advised the NOAA revise its
tsunami strategy to ensure that all plan components are complete and develop a tsunami research transition plan.
Source: GAO, 4/28/2010
Study: Size of Firefighting Crews Influence Life Saving
A study issued by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology shows that the size of
firefighting crews has a substantial effect on the fire service’s ability to protect lives and property in residential fires. The study found that four-person firefighting crews were able to complete 22 essential firefighting and rescue tasks in a typical
residential structure 30 percent faster than two-person crews and 25 percent faster than three-person crews. The report is the first to quantify the effects of crew sizes and arrival times on the fire service’s lifesaving and firefighting operations for
residential fires.
Source: NIST, 4/28/2010
REGULATORY
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CIA Plan Addresses Issue of Cyber Security
The CIA unveiled its five-year strategic plan, CIA 2015, which provides directives on how to address national security challenges including cyber threats, terrorism, and the actions of rogue states. Among the pillars of
this strategy is for the CIA to invest in multilingual employees in a better effort to be ready for and handle emergencies.
Source: CIA, 4/26/2010
UK Issues Data Center Security Guidelines
The UK Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure published a guide called the Protection of Data Centers. The guide treats the
protection of data centers holistically, covering the protection principles from initial site selection through to design, build, and operation. It covers all the elements required without proscription as individual requirements will vary.
Source: CPNI, 4/27/2010
US, Australia Sign Emergency Management Deal
The Department of Homeland Security signed a partnership with the Australian Attorney-General in an effort to strengthen emergency management cooperation in the event of major storms and other disasters. Under the terms
of the agreement, the two countries will share information on each government’s emergency management frameworks; exchange public awareness details on preparing for natural disasters; and enable emergency management specialists from both the US and
Australia to partner.
Source: DHS, 4/28/2010
FEMA Launches Site for Mobile Access
The Federal Emergency Management Agency launched a new mobile Web site. The new site provides access to critical information regarding emergency preparedness and what to do before and
after a disaster.
Source: FEMA, 4/28/2010
SEARCH
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Google Adds Google Earth Functionality to Google Maps
Google announced that it is combining the functionality of two of its most popular Web-based applications, Google Earth and Google Maps. The new Earth view setting in Google Maps will allow Maps users to view the 3D
modeled content, previously only available in the separate application, directly within the mapping software. The unification of the two, seemingly similar, services has been a long-term goal of the company. Both Google Maps and Google Earth will also
continue to exist as separate entities. Users who wish to access the newly integrated Earth view will have to download the Google Earth plugin, before visiting Google Maps.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Google Updates Mobile Image Search
Google announced an update to the mobile version of its Google Images search engine. The new version, which is available to iPhone 3.0+ and Android 2.1 users, replaces the previous user interface with a streamlined
one optimized for increased browsing speed. The optimizations include a redesigned results page, with a larger number of thumbnails per screen; and a image viewing page which maximizes the image size, while placing the image on a black background for
higher visibility. The service is available now in 38 languages from the “Images” tab of Google’s mobile search page.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Microsoft Snatching Yahoo’s Search Share, Damaging Self
Microsoft may be doing itself more harm than good in the search engine race. A trend has emerged that sees the majority of the search share being absorbed by Microsoft’s search engines as having come from Yahoo. This is detrimental to Microsoft since it is, in essence, taking search share away from itself: it acquired the rights to Yahoo’s search engine business in July of last year. Going back to October 2009, the first
month Nielsen used its current measurement methodology, Yahoo showed a 15.4% market share, while Microsoft’s was at 9.7%. In its most recent report, Nielsen said Yahoo has dropped down to 13.4%, while Microsoft’s
search business rose to account for 12.2%. Even more disturbing for Microsoft is the fact that, over that same period, Google, the company Microsoft would most like to poach from, only lost 0.4% of its search share. If
the trend continues, Microsoft will overtake Yahoo as the number 2 search provider in the near future, while Google will remain on top, relatively unfazed.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Yahoo Adds Specific Menu Items to Local Restaurant Search
Yahoo announced a new feature for its local search engine. The new tool allows users to find restaurants by menu items available at the establishment. The search engine accomplishes this by organizing and quantifying
the online menus of nearby restaurants for search purposes. The service is available now as part of Yahoo’s normal search results.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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Cisco Advisory Details Issues with Cameras, Routers
Cisco released an advisory regarding security vulnerabilities within its Small Business Video Surveillance Cameras and RVS4000 4-port
Gigabit Security Routers. Users are advised to apply all workarounds.
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
SeaMonkey Gets Update from Fedora
An update for SeaMonkey has been been released by Fedora. An advisory details this update. Users may access the
updates via the yum utility.
Source: Secunia, 4/22/2010
Flaws Found in Google Chrome
Google Chrome has three critical vulnerabilities that require an update. An advisory instructs users to update
to version 4.1.249.1064.
Source: Secunia, 4/28/2010
IBM WebSphere Critical Fix Coming on May 10
Several vulnerabilities have been reported in IBM WebSphere Application Server for z/OS. An advisory provides further information from IBM and
users should apply APAR PM12247 or Fix Pack 6.1.0.31 when available (currently scheduled for 10th May 2010).
Source: Secunia, 4/26/2010
Joomla Portfolio Flaw Reported in Version 2.0.2
A vulnerability and a security issue have been discovered in the Portfolio component for Joomla. The security issue and the vulnerability are confirmed in version 2.0.2. Other versions may also be affected.
Source: Secunia, 4/22/2010
McAfee Apologizes for Causing System Shutdowns
Security vendor McAfee issued an open letter to customers, apologizing for the faulty antivirus update file that put customers’
PCs running Windows XP into endless reboot loops last week, essentially shutting down thousands of businesses, public agencies, and hospitals worldwide while IT staffers worked to identify and fix the problem. The faulty update from McAfee had identified a
harmless Windows file as a virus. David DeWalt, McAfee President and CEO said in a blog post: “We deeply regret the impact this may have had on you. In some cases, the outages were lengthy. Even among the vast majority of customers who did not experience
operating disruptions, the mere possibility created an unwelcome distraction and reason for concern.” McAfee posted a fixed update for download soon after the problem was discovered but too late to stop the damage. DeWalt said the company is rolling out
new capabilities to provide another level of protection against such false positives occurring again by using an “expansive” whitelist of critical system files and their associated cryptographic hashes.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Microsoft Re-releases Windows Server Update
Microsoft re-released a security update regarding a vulnerability with Windows Media Services running on Windows 2000 Server. The update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way that the Windows Media
Unicast Service (nsum.exe) handles transport info network packets. Users should read the advisory for more details.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Flaw in Opera Has No Fix
A vulnerability has been discovered in Opera. The vulnerability is confirmed in version 10.52 for Windows. Other versions may also be affected. There is no fix at this time.
Source: Secunia, 4/27/2010
Red Hat Releases X.Org-X11-Server Fix
Red Hat has issued an update for X.Org-X11-Server. Users are directed to the vendor’s advisory for more information.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Updates for Reader, Acrobat Available from SuSE
SuSE released updates for Acrobat and Reader. Updates are available from the SuSE Web site and an advisory has been posted for
viewing.
Source: Secunia, 4/22/2010
SuSE Releases Fix for Several Products
SuSE issued an advisory and an update for multiple packages. Products may be updated via YaST Online Update or the SuSE FTP
server.
Source: Secunia, 4/28/2010
Advisory Provides VideoLAN Vulnerability Information
VideoLAN issued an advisory for its VLC Media Player, which contains several critical issues.Version 1.0.6 addresses these issues and introduces further
stability fixes. Version 1.1.0 (currently in pre-release stage) addresses these issues as well and introduces further enhancements and fixes over version 1.0.6.
Source: Secunia, 4/19/2010
SECURITY PRODUCTS & CONTRACTS
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ASIS Publishes Book for Investigators
ASIS International has released a new book entitled, “Professional Investigator’s Manual.” Topics such as investigations management, interview and interrogation, undercover investigations, and due diligence are
discussed in this new publication, providing techniques required by professional investigators.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
AuthenTec Integrates Products for Smart Grid Infrastructure
AuthenTec announced a security offering for the Smart Grid Infrastructure, acquired through the company’s purchase of SafeNet’s Embedded Security Solutions. The security offering integrates several existing
TrueProtect products: QuickSec toolkits for clients and servers; SafeXcel packet engines; and SafeZone secure platform.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Google Sees Rise in Fake Antivirus Software
Google reported that fake antivirus software accounts for the growing amount of malware that is circulating. Over a 13-month period, Google analyzed over 240 million Web pages and found that fake antivirus software
programs accounted for 15 percent of the malware that it detected. Fake antivirus software tricks users into thinking that they they need to scan their systems with unsolicited applications, but once they download the software, the computers become
infected with malicious code.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Juniper Deploys SRX5800 for Indonesian Service Provider
Juniper Networks reported it deployed firewall technology for PT XL Axiata, an Indonesian mobile service provider, to expand the capacity of its Internet access gateway infrastructure. Juniper’s SRX5800 Services
Gateway can handle up to 10 million concurrent sessions, with 120G-bps firewall throughput. It also offers firewalling and network address translation.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
L-1 Identity Solutions to Support Security Initiative
L-1 Identity Solutions and World Bank are collaborating to improve the way governments in developing countries deliver services to citizens as part of the launch of the World Bank
eTransform Initiative (ETI). L-1 will offer its background in identity management, specifically civilian enrollment services, biometric technologies, and design and production of secure identity documents, to contribute to the knowledge network and offer
best practices for implementation of the ETI.
Source: Vendor, 4/23/2010
Banking Contract for March Networks Worth $7 Million
March Networks received a $7 million contract from a financial institution to deploy its VideoSphere Banking offering at more than 2,000 banking locations throughout the US. The contract will be carried out
over the next 12 months.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
McAfee Firewall Enterprise 8 Appliance Announced
McAfee unveiled Firewall Enterprise version 8, which will be available for purchase later on this quarter. Firewall Enterprise uses reputation-based technology, including reputation-based blocking and geo-location to
filter unwanted applications before they hit the network.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Northrop Grumman Announces BioTRAC Mobile Biometric Products
Northrop Grumman debuted its new BioTRAC line of mobile biometric products. The BioTRAC line includes four high-resolution fingerprint sensors, dual iris capture cameras, and several barcode readers. All of these
can be fitted into a single hand-held, or vehicle-mounted solution with a plethora of built-in communication options. Northrop Grumman plans on marketing the new biometric solutions to the US military, Homeland Security, and various law enforcement
agencies.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
Novell Teams with Verizon for Identity and Access Management Service
Novell announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with Verizon. The new identity and access management service, called Secure Access Services from Verizon, is being
powered by Novell technology. The companies claim this new product will provide customers with a central control point for Web access to applications and network services, identity federation, and single sign-on access systems. The new solution will be
available to US-based Novell and Verizon customers in June 2010.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Proofpoint Announces Partnership with Titus Labs
Proofpoint and Titus Labs inked a partnership to enable commercial-off-the-shelf interoperability between Titus Labs email and document classification offerings and Proofpoint’s SaaS and on-premises email
security, data loss prevention and email archiving products. Explicit visual labels and corresponding metadata properties that are applied to email messages and their attachments by Titus Labs can automatically trigger a variety of policy enforcement, data
loss prevention, encryption and archiving policies applied by Proofpoint.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Proofpoint Introduces New Version of Email, DLP Platform
Proofpoint 6.1 is the latest version of Proofpoint’s SaaS and appliance-based email security and data loss prevention (DLP) platform. This updated version uses email encryption, data loss prevention, security and
workflow features coupled with multi-protocol (email and Web) DLP capabilities, a new data loss prevention dashboard, and an Outlook plug-in.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
RSA Takes Wraps Off New Identity Verification Product
Identity Verification is a new knowledge-based authentication product from RSA that confirms user identities and authenticates transactions in real-time. RSA Identity Verification, which is targeted at UK
companies, can be used during automated self-service activities such as credit card activations, account updates and password resets.
Source: Vendor, 4/21/2010
SonicWALL Releases Email Security Virtual appliance
SonicWALL announced the availability of its SonicWALL Email Security Virtual Appliance. The release of the SonicWALL Email Security Virtual Appliance is in line with the company’s recently announced plan to
develop and sell a comprehensive line of security virtual appliances. The announcement follows the introduction of SonicWALL ViewPoint Virtual Appliance and the SonicWALL Global Management System Virtual Appliances earlier this year.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Sophos Joins with Law Firm to Teach on Dangers of Data Breaches
Sophos has joined forces with law firm Field Fisher Waterhouse to help organizations avoid serious security breaches. The two companies are working together to educate businesses about the risks related to IT
security and data breaches and how incident responses to such breaches can avoid brand damage.
Source: Vendor, 4/22/2010
Symantec Gives Partners More Options with Updated Program
Symantec is enhancing its Partner Program to place greater emphasis on rewards and to drive competence in key areas while offering partners more support and service options. The newly revamped program will go into
effect at the end of the year.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Verizon Exec Sees Cybersecurity Risks Diminishing in Coming Decade
Even as cybersecurity concerns grow, one security expert, Verizon‘s VP of technology and innovation, sees successful security breaches leveling off and a future “notably better for cyber users” by 2020. Speaking at
the Infosecurity Europe trade show in London, Tippett provided his predictions for the next decade in information security, which included: security will be more measured and more scientific; the long-standing “lack
of security data” problem will lessen; identity will become ubiquitous and simple for everyone; numerous security services will become part of the “cloud;” and prosecution of computer criminals will increase over most of the decade. Tippett concluded: “In
general, cyberthreats will become less and less risky as the decade unfolds. With stronger and more ubiquitous measures in place, we will see a significant decrease in e-mail spam, identity theft and much of the computer crime as we know it today.”
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
Visa Takes a Stand Against Credit Card Scams
Visa is taking steps to help avoid credit card scams, according to CNET. Visa said this week that retailers will no longer be allowed to let third parties charge a customer’s credit
card unless they reenter the card information. Past agreements between retailers and marketing firms enabled advertising to be presented to customers after an online purchase. Customers then submitted their email addresses to unknowingly join a membership
program. The submitted information enabled marketing firms to charge customers a monthly fee as part of joining these programs. This new step from Visa instructs firms to make it clear to cardholders that a second transaction is taking place.
Source: CNET, 4/27/2010
Windstream Offers Mid-Sized Businesses Fortinet Security Bundle
Little Rock, Arkansas-based Windstream Communications announced an expansion of its security portfolio with the introduction of Windstream Managed Security Medium Business Bundle. The new offering is targeted at
business customers with up to 100 users. Windstream is partnering with Fortinet for the product. Windstream offers customized security solutions for large enterprise customers.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
SERVERS
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HP Announces Products for Improving SLA Performance
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced new Integrity designed to improve service level agreement performance. They allow clients to deploy, automate, and manage a complete range of applications, side by side, and within the same
enclosure, HP said. The new integrity portfolio includes servers, software, and services.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Progress Software Releases First Type 5 JDBC Drivers
Progress Software announced the launch of its Progress DataDirect Connect for JDBC. The company said this release represents the first type 5 JDBC driver. Progress claims the type 5 drivers feature all of the same
functionality as the type 4, along with faster performance, better use of memory footprint, and simplified deployment. The new drivers are available now for Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Sybase, MySQL and Informix systems.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
SMARTPHONES
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Avaya to Deploy Guest Media Hub Handheld for Swiss Hotel
Avaya Professional Services will deploy its Guest Media Hub communications device, for Park Hotel Weggis, in Switzerland. The touch screen handheld will function as an in-room, communications device,
allowing guests to interact with staff, access personalized content, browse and order many hotel related amenities, set alarms, and place phone calls. It was developed specifically for the hospitality industry.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Google Kills Plans to Deliver Nexus One for Verizon Network
Google has changed its plans to develop a version of the Android-based Nexus One smartphone for Verizon’s CDMA network. The Nexus One order page now
directs Verizon Wireless customers to buy the Droid Incredible by HTC, described as a “powerful Android phone and similarly feature-packed cousin of the Nexus One.” In the US, the Nexus One currently works with
T-Mobile USA and AT&T GSM-based networks. Google confirmed the change of plans in response to an emailed request for clarification from tech blog Boy Genius Report. Originally, Google said a Verizon
network-compatible version of Nexus One would be ready in “Spring 2010.”
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Microsoft Signs Licensing Agreement with HTC for Android Handsets
Microsoft announced that it has signed a patent licensing agreement with mobile phone maker HTC. The deal will allow for use of Microsoft’s patent portfolio in HTC’s future
Android-based devices. Microsoft revealed that it will receive royalties for the sale of each of these units but no specific amounts were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Rogers to Offer BlackBerry Compact Pearl 3G
Canada’s Rogers Communications announced that it will be offering the Research in Motion BlackBerry Pearl 3G 3100 in the coming weeks. The new smartphone is the smallest BlackBerry
model, measuring less that two inches wide and weighing just 3.3 ounces. It supports 3G, Wi-Fi, and GPS, as well as including a camera and memory for up to 32 GB of personal content. The Pearl 3G 3100 supports tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band
EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks. Rogers said pricing and availability will be announced in the coming weeks.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
Sprint to Launch New BlackBerry Bold Smartphone May 23
Sprint plans to launch theRIM BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone on May 23. It will sell for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate. The BlackBerry Bold
9650 sports integration with common business applications as well as “easy access” to social networks like Flickr, MySpace, and Facebook.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
T-Mobile USA to Introduce Android-based Navigation Phone This Spring
T-Mobile USA announced the upcoming, exclusive availability of the new Garminfone, the first Android-powered smartphone fully-integrated with Garmin’s GPS navigation software. Anticipated to be available later this
Spring, Garminfone is a full-touch 3G smartphone with a 3.5-inch screen. T-Mobile USA has not yet released pricing or specific availability.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Facebook Receives Letter of Concern from 4 US Senators over Changes
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the recipient of a letter from four US Senators about their concerns over the social networking site’s
recent changes. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mark Begich (D-AK), Al Franken (D-MN), and Charles Schumer (D-NY) wrote the letter in response to the privacy changes introduced at Facebook’s recent f8 conference. The letter focuses on three
issues, all related to the new default settings users are being forced to adopt. The three issues are: publicly available data, and the fact that users are being compelled to provide it; the removal of the 24-hour restriction on third-party storage of user
data; and the massive amounts of user data being shared with third-party Web sites as part of Facebook’s privacy implications of these changes. Specifically, the senators ask that users be opted-out of these new features by default, rather than being
opted-in, with the option to go through a lengthy process to opt-out, as current site policy requires. While the senators ask for voluntary cooperation on mitigating their concerns, they also mention their intention to monitor the situation via the
Federal Trade Commission, if necessary. Senator Franken’s office has posted instructions for opting out of Facebook’s "Instant
Personalization" feature, which is at the heart of the privacy changes.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
STORAGE
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HP StorageWorks SAN Products Certified by US Army
Hewlett-Packard announced that its StorageWorks P4000 SAN products were awarded a Certificate of Networthiness, from the US Army Network Enterprise Technology Command. The accreditation ensures the products meet US Army and Department of Defense
standards for security, compatibility, and sustainability.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
STREAMING MEDIA
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Alcatel, DIRECTV to Integrate Technology for Video Services
Alcatel-Lucent and DIRECTV announced they will offer new video entertainment services, high speed Internet access, and VoIP services, based on the integration of
DIRECTV’s IPAdvantage, a satellite based IP platform, and Alcatel’s VDSL2 technology and multimedia professional services. IPAdvantage converts DIRECTV video signals into IP video packets, to IP enabled receivers, over a single wire, delivering satellite
TV and other services. The IP distribution platform – in addition to supporting advanced video services such as high definition (HD) and HD-DVR receivers – supports voice, Internet, and interactive services. It allows dealers to deliver IP based, dual or
triple play bundles.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Hulu to Start Charging for Watching TV Shows Online
Hulu, the online site for watching US television shows, plans to begin testing a subscription service as soon as May 24, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, which cited
“people with knowledge of the plans.” Under the proposal, Hulu would continue to offer the five most recent episodes of many popular TV shows for free, but viewers who want to see additional episodes would pay $9.95 a month to access a more comprehensive
selection, called Hulu Plus. Hulu ranks second to Google’s YouTube in terms of monthly video streams in the US. It is owned by media giants News Corp, NBC Universal, and the Walt Disney Company.
Source: LATimes, 4/26/2010
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
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HP Announces Application Lifecycle Management Products
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced Service Test Management (STM) 10.5 and Functional Testing 10.0, application lifecycle management applications it claims provide modernization by allowing clients to focus on application
quality, development, and quality assurance. According to HP, STM can help mitigate business risk, offering collaboration between development and quality assurance teams, and presumably helping clients improve quality, earlier in the testing cycle.
Functional Testing supports dynamic Web 2.0 applications, for testing rich Internet applications.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
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RIM Introduces Mobile Voice System 5
Research In Motion Limited (RIM) announced BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5 (BlackBerry MVS 5) with voice over Wi-Fi calling. The new system works with Cisco Unified Communications
Manager to provide business users with the ability to use regular desk phone numbers and extensions from their BlackBerry smartphones. The solution has been tested for interoperability and will be supported by both RIM and Cisco. RIM said a new
interoperability platform has also been added to BlackBerry MVS 5 to enable telecommunications companies to offer BlackBerry MVS 5 as part of their corporate phone system offerings. The company is working to make BlackBerry MVS available for a range of PBX
systems. BlackBerry MVS 5 is expected to be available later this year.
Source: Vendor, 4/29/2010
WEB COMMERCE
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Blinkx Adds Behavioral Targeting to AdHoc Services
Blinkx announced a new Behavioral Targeting service for its Blinkx adHoc product. The adHoc product is a technology which targets online video ads based on voice recognition and image analysis. The new Behavioral
Targeting service will add the ability for advertisers to track ad watching habits over time, enabling them to build a better strategy for serving the most effective ads to each tracked user. This is done by collecting data via cookies, and using that
information to place each consumer into one of 9 predefined categories. These categories all entail a certain set of ads that should be targeted at the consumers within them for the best results. The company has setup a new site about the Behavioral Targeting service for interested parties.
Source: Vendor, 4/28/2010
Google Launches New AdWords Policies, Education Tools
Google announced a trio of changes to its AdWords advertising policies. The first comes in the form of a new method of training individuals to utilize the platform. Google is replacing its old Google Advertising
Professionals (GAP) program with its new Google AdWords Certification program. Differences include more rigorous and comprehensive training, and a certified partner badge, which can be displayed on the advertising partner’s site upon completion of the
certification. The second change is the launch of Google Partner Search. This new search engine attempts to provide AdWords customers with access to the advertising partners that would best suit their needs. This is being targeted at small and medium sized
advertisers that may have found locating partners difficult, due to limited resources. The final announcement revealed Google’s new preferred AdWords API pricing. The new program has the potential to give AdWords developrs free access to the AdWords API
based on their total managed client spend.
Source: Vendor, 4/26/2010
PayPal Signs Deal to Become Accepted form of Payment for Alibaba.com
PayPal announced that it has signed an agreement with small business e-commerce company Alibaba.com. The deal allows users of Alibaba’s AliExpress Platform to use PayPal as a payment method for funding transactions. The AliExpress Platform is designed to handle transactions by small businesses that are of a lower cost and volume than other retailers
may be willing to process. The alliance will allow users of the platform to use PayPal’s direct payment and escrow services when ordering in any of 24 currencies.
Source: Vendor, 4/27/2010
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