News Briefs for the Week Ending 06/04/2010






News Briefs for the Week Ending

06/04/2010



Copyright 2010, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.

Docid:00020009

Publication Date: 1006

Publication Type: NEWS



ACQUISITIONS, MERGERS, DIVESTITURES


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AT&T to Sell Japanese Outsourcing Services to IIJ

AT&T and Japanese ISP and business services provider Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) have signed an agreement for IIJ to acquire AT&T Japan’s operations that are focused on
domestic Japanese outsourcing services. The services include approximately 1,600 domestic Japanese business customers and approximately 250 AT&T employees who support those customers. The companies said the agreement supports AT&T’s focus on providing
managed global connectivity and application services for multinational corporations, and complements IIJ’s strategy of expanding its portfolio of domestic services and customer relationships. AT&T will continue to maintain a presence in Japan, including
substantial operations and employees dedicated to AT&T Global Network infrastructures in Japan, which are not part of the sales agreement.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Avaya to Sell 59 Percent Controlling Stake in AGC Networks

Avaya agreed to sell its 59 percent controlling interest in AGC Networks to the Essar Group for 780 million INR ($16.7 million USD). The sale will allow it to focus on developing future business growth initiatives in
India, while also extending its channel coverage via the Avaya Connect global channel program, it claims. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including a requirement that Essar affiliate a mandatory open offer, made to public
shareholders. AGC will retain its 500 staff members and will remain an Avaya channel partner, serving customers in India and Australia.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

Capgemini Buys Plaisir Informatique, Enters Data Migration Business

Capgemini Financial Services announced that it has acquired Plaisir Informatique, a company which specialized in complex data migrations for the banking and insurance sectors. Capgemini plans on using the acquired
assets to bring its services to the French data migration market. The company’s target customers will include banks and insurers, but it also plans on branching out to attract pension and industrial entities as well. No financial terms for the transaction
were announced.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Convergys Completes Sale of HRM Business to NorthgateArinso

Congergys announced that it has successfully completed the sale of its Human Resources Management (HRM) line of business to NorthgateArinso, a human resources software and services provider. As part of the deal,
NorthgateArinso took on 2,300 of the employees involved in the transaction. No financial terms for the deal were discussed.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

FCC to Hold Public Forum on Proposed Comcast/NBCU Merger

The Federal Communications Commission announced it will hold a public forum on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Northwestern University Law School in Chicago to discuss the proposed Comcast/NBC Universal merger. The forum will consist of two panels in the afternoon, followed by a special segment from 6 to 8 pm for the public to
ask questions and share their views about the proposed merger. An agenda with further details will be provided as the date approaches, according to the FCC’s press
release
.

Source: fcc, 6/3/2010

Google Reportedly Acquires Invite Media for $70 Million

Google has acquired Invite Media, according to a report from All Things Digital. The purchased company specialized in systems
designed to help buyers navigate high-volume display advertising exchanges. The article notes that Google’s own exchange, launched last year, would fit this description. While neither company involved in the transaction has confirmed the deal’s existence,
letalone a price, the article posits that the acquisition cost Google around $70 million. Furthermore, sources familiar with the situation claim that Google intends to leave Invite Media as an independent entity for the time being. It will, however,
eventually fold the company into its own DoubleClick for Advertisers business.

Source: All Things D, 6/2/2010

Infor Acquires Bridgelogix, Plans Deeper Integration

Infor announced that it has acquired Bridgelogix, a creator of barcode data solutions, and former Infor solution partner. Infor claims that the purchase will allow it to more closely integrate the Bridgelogix
technologies found in its products, such as Infor ERP solutions, and Infor Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). The company says it expects the purchase to help it produce new and improved products in the areas of shop floor control, warehouse management,
lean manufacturing, and time and attendance.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Nortel Closes CVAS Sale to GENBAND

Nortel Networks announced that it has completed the sale of substantially all of the global assets of Nortel’s Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions (CVAS) business to GENBAND
for a purchase price of US$282 million, less balance sheet and other adjustments of approximately US$100 million, for a net purchase price of approximately US$182 million, which is subject to post-close working capital adjustments. Nortel, which is
operating under bankruptcy protection and selling of most of its businesses, said most of Nortel’s CVAS employees are joining GENBAND, which is headquartered in Plano, Texas.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Verizon Sets Date for Wireline Spin-off

Verizon Communications will officially turn over its wireline business in 13 states and parts of California to Frontier Communications on July 1. The final regulatory
approval for the sale was received last week. Verizon shareholders will hold about 60% of Frontier’s stock, and Frontier’s shareholders will own the remainder.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Windstream Closes Iowa Telecom Acquisition

Arkansas-based Windstream has closed its acquisition of Iowa Telecommunications Services. The final cost of the deal was $1.2 billion. Iowa Telecom shareholders
received .804 shares of Windstream stock and $7.90 in cash per Iowa Telecom share. The Iowa Telecom purchase gives Windstream deeper rural market reach and ownership of 15 FCC Advanced Wireless Service licenses, and three 700MHz band licenses. Windstream
has not discussed its plans for those properties. Windstream still has not said whether it will keep Iowa telecom’s 800 workers, although it did say last year it will maintain operations in Iowa Telecom’s Newton headquarters and will expand the call center
there. At the end of the first quarter of this year, Iowa Telecom served 249,000 access lines, 96,000 high-speed Internet customers, and 27,500 digital TV customers in Iowa and Minnesota. The acquisition, announced in November, 2009 was Windstream’s fourth
acquisition last year. Windstream also acquired NuVox, Lexcom, and D&E Communications in 2009.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

ALLIANCES, JOINT VENTURES


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Acer Partners with Founder Group

Acer International signed an agreement with the Founder Group, a Chinese tech firm, to help expand its ITC business in China. The companies plan to involve Acer in the planning, development, and
design of future Founder PC products in China. Founder – which is generally regarded for its strong distribution channel and PC marketing presence in China – is also considering additional business cooperation relating to PC products such as activities on
intellectual property rights, supply chain, and after service.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

Capgemini Forms Financial Alliance with Temenos

Capgemini announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Temenos, a provider of banking software. The deal focuses on the task of enhancing the sales, service, and delivery capabilities of
Temenos’ core banking solutions. The alliance will also allow Temenos to offer Capgemini’s data migration, testing, and project management services to its existing customers. The companies plan on expanding the relationship over the next three years, with
the eventual goal of bringing the total number of Temenos experts operating out of its Model Bank Centers of Excellence to around 300.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

APPLICATION SOFTWARE


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HP Unveils New Communications, Networking Offerings

Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced a slew of new products and services, targeted primarily at small and medium-sized businesses. The new offerings include: a Unified Communication & Collaboration product, developed
with Microsoft; virtual rooms for remote collaboration; peer-to-peer support and resources; online services for managing project planning, operations, and service management processes; and converged infrastructure deployment products and services. HP also
introduced new V1410 switches, StorageWorks X1000 Networked Storage Systems, and P2000 G3 SCSI modular arrays with updated capacity. Additional information about the new products and services
are available from HP’s Web site.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

BIOMETRICS


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Biometrics Used to ID Oklahoma Blood Donors

The Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) will begin deploying BIO-key‘s TruDonor biometric identification technology as a security measure for blood donors later this year. OBI is incorporating BIO-key’s fingerprint
identification application to provide blood donors with a method to establish their identity.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

BioLink’s Biometric Offering Utilized by Canadian Provider

Data Centers Canada has selected BioLink‘s BioTime to provide physical access control in protecting both its facility and private collocation cages. BioTime is a biometric access control system allowing
identification of users by their fingerprints, proximity cards and/or PIN codes and passwords.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

BUSINESS CONTINUITY


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Canadian Officials Announce Disaster Recovery Strategy

Canada’s ministers announced the National Strategy and Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure, which was developed in partnership with federal and provincial/territorial governments and owners and operators in
ten critical infrastructure sectors. The strategy will “strengthen the ability to protect vital assets and systems, such as electricity grids, transportation networks, financial systems and telecommunications” while also enabling Canadian officials to test
disaster recovery plans in preparation for an emergency.

Source: Vendor, 5/28/2010

SunGard Offers Tips on Disaster Recovery during a Hurricane

With the 2010 hurricane season predicted to be more active than usual, SunGard Availability Services has outlined seven tips to help organizations prepare for a hurricane. Among its tips, SunGard
directs people to be personally prepared, have steps in place to ensure that people can respond to a disaster, and reexamine and realign responsibilities to ensure that they are still valid.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

CARRIER SERVICES


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AT&T Drops Unlimited Data Plan; Adds Lower-Cost Option

AT&T announced new wireless data plans that provide new tiers of pricing, but eliminated its previous “Unlimited” data plan. The new
mobile data plans start at $15 per month. The new plans are DataPlus, which provides 200 MB of data for $15 per month; DataPro, which offers 2 GB of data for $25 per month; and Tethering for smartphone customers, including iPhone users, which costs an
additional $20 per month, on top of the DataPro plan. Tethering lets customers use their smartphones as modems to provide broadband connections for laptops or other computing devices. Current smartphone customers are not required to switch to the new
plans, but can choose to do so without a contract extension, AT&T said. The new wireless data plans – including the new tethering option for iPhone users – will be available beginning June 7. Current AT&T voice and texting plans are unchanged.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Clearwire Launches 4G Service in New Markets

Clearwire announced that it launched its CLEAR 4G mobile internet service in Washington, CD, Kansas City, KS, and Baltimore, MD. By the end of 2010, Clearwire said its 4G network is expected to cover up to 120
million people, including additional cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, Miami, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Level 3 to Deliver Ethernet Services to Baltimore Tech Park

Level 3 announced that it has been selected to deliver high-speed Ethernet services to Baltimore Technology Park (BTP), a highly redundant data center facility in
downtown Baltimore, Maryland. Level 3’s connection will allow BTP to deliver network connectivity of up to 1 Gigabit per second to its customers, with the potential to upgrade that capacity as its business needs dictate.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Rogers Named Top Company for Young Employees in Canada

Rogers announced that it has been named the top employer for young people in Canada. The report was published by Mediacorp Canada, and focused on companies that offered what if felt were the best benefits for young
workers in the country. Types of benefits included training programs, health insurance, and financial rewards. Also among the most important considerations was the presence of a share purchase plan and a pension program. Rogers attributes its having won
this accolade to the diversity of its workforce and focus on new talent.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

CLOUD COMPUTING & SAAS


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F-Secure to Lead Finnish Cloud Software Program

The Cloud Software Program of the Finnish Strategic Center for Science, Technology and Innovation in the Field of ICT is being lead by F-Secure. The program, which consists of 20 vendors and eight research organizations, is working to build new cloud business models, a lean software enterprise model, and open cloud software infrastructure.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Fujitsu Assumes Control of J-SaaS Cloud Computing Site

Fujitsu announced that it has assumed control of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) online delivery site from Japan Research Institute of New Systems of Society. The so-called J-SaaS site was designed as a Web services
platform by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Its goal was to improve the available SaaS application infrastructure for small to medium-sized businesses. Fujitsu plans to continue with this purpose for the site, and will be integrating
J-SaaS into its own cloud computing business. The company said that it will continue to support all current J-SaaS customers, as well as begin accepting new customers. Future plans for the service include the addition of new applications in areas such as
financial accounting, tax filing, and payroll calculations.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

NEC Launches Cloud Computing Education System for Argentina

NEC Argentina launched a cloud computing based education system for the Ministry of Education in the San Juan Province of Argentina. The new system – which includes thin client terminals housed at a data center in
the Ministry of Education – is part of a government program to optimize the region’s education system. Argentina’s Ministry of Education is offering applications and services through Software as a Service and Desktop as a Service options for e-mail,
information portal services, e-learning services, and virtual libraries. The wide area wireless network will potentially service 192 elementary schools in and around San Juan.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Oracle Releases Duo of Desktop Virtualization Solutions

Oracle announced the updated release of two of its desktop virtualization solutions, its Sun Ray 3 Plus Client, and its Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software. Features of Sun Ray 3 Plus include no need for a local operating system, Energy Star 5.0 qualification, support for higher display
resolutions, and improved security. Enhancements to the latest release of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software include wider platform support, particularly Windows 7; increased network flexibility, with support for VLAN and Microsoft Hyper-V; and
improved performance. More information on both products can be found at the links provided.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT


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Alcatel to Provide Equipment for China Telecom Network

Alcatel-Lucent reported it was selected as an equipment provider for China Telecom’s CDMA/EV-DO Rev B network at the Expo 2010 trade show in Shanghai, China. According to Alcatel, the technology will allow
China Telecom to boost its mobile network capacity, and offer 3G services such as VoIP, voice on demand, and media streaming. The contract was secured by Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell, and follows the earlier trial of multi carrier Rev B technology in three
districts of Shanghai.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Brocade Unveils New Blade Offerings

Brocade Communications Systems unveiled three new blades to integrate with its NetIron MLX series and DCX Backbone. These include the 8x10G-M series blade for Carrier Ethernet networks and 8x10G-D series blade for
the data center, which, according to Brocade, double wire speed 10GbE density, as well as the FC8-64 “high performance” blade.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Gilat to Provide Satellite Equipment for Ethiopia’s SchoolNet Project

Gilat Satellite Networks announced that it has been chosen by Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation, Ethiopia’s national telecom operator, to provide satellite communications equipment that will be deployed as part
of Ethiopia’s SchoolNet project. SchoolNet is a satellite-based network that provides Internet connectivity as well as TV- broadcast educational content to secondary schools across Ethiopia.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Huawei to Deploy IPTime Broadband for Brazil’s NET

Huawei Technologies will deploy an IPTime broadband metro solution for NET – a cable TV and broadband service provider in Brazil – to upgrade NET’s IP metro network. The technology will allow NET to provide
subscribers with high definition and 3D video services, especially during the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

Huawei Deploys Video Gateway Technology for Beijing Unicom

Huawei Technologies announced it deployed telecommunications network technology for Beijing Unicom – a China Unicom subsidiary – to allow it to provide multimedia video communications between mobile callers and
traditional, fixed line customers, using a video interworking gateway (VIG). The VIG technology will provide a IP multimedia subsystem and IP multimedia media gateway for Beijing Unicom services for fixed mobile convergence.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

Motorola Provides TD-LTE Trial for World Expo Attendees

Motorola‘s Networks business is working with Innofidei to allow visitors to the Shanghai World Expo to trial mobile broadband on a pre-commercial TD-LTE network. The network demonstrates a high quality video wall,
including 24 simultaneous video streams, remote monitoring capabilities, and high speed Internet browsing applications.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

ZTE Partners with Public Mobiletoday for New CDMA Network in Canada

ZTE announced that it would be cooperating with Canadian operator Public Mobiletoday on the construction of a CDMA-based network in Canada. The network will cover an estimated 19 million people across the provinces
of Ontario and Quebec. ZTE will be involved in all aspects of the network, including building, and maintaining its wireless units, core network, service platforms, and IP architecture. ZTE will also be providing Public Mobiletoday with handsets for the
network. No financial terms for the deal were announced.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES


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Accenture to Help University of Michigan Update its IT Assets

Accenture announced that it has signed an IT transformation agreement with the University of Michigan. The deal will see Accenture taking part in the school’s NextGen Michigan program, a college-wide effort to
streamline and update the school’s IT infrastructure. The goal of the effort is to find new and sustainable cost saving methods within the IT department, and subsequently, reinvest the saving into advancing the university’s strategies. The first step will
be cooperating with the University of Michigan’s Information and Technology Services (ITS) department to product an IT rationalization roadmap following the initial assessments.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

General Dynamics Selected as Contractor for FAA Overhaul

General Dynamics announced that it is among the three large-business contractors selected for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) System Engineering 2020 Research and Development/Mission Analysis
Support program. The contract’s goal is to improve the safety and efficiency of US airspace via the FAA’s NextGen modernization program. For this purpose, General Dynamics will be providing research and development, and systems engineering services. The
work will focus on specific areas, such as increasing arrivals and departures at high-density airports; increasing terminal flexibility; reducing weather impact; and improving overall safety. The contract has a duration of 10 years, and a total value of
$1.2 billion if all options are exercised. Actual funding for the individual related tasks will be awarded through smaller task orders.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE


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Adobe Reveals its Technology Behind WIRED Magazine on the iPad

Adobe announced the availability of its new digital viewer technology. The company revealed its new product with the launch of WIRED magazine’s iPad version. The publication was developed entirely on Adobe new digital
publication platform. This allows for rich media and interactive features to be inserted into the periodicals created with it. These include such enhancements as 3D models, embedded video, scalable imagery, and thumbnail views of the entire issue. Adobe
has released the digital publishing platform as a framework to be operated from within its InDesign CS5 product. The company also promises to release software which will convert existing InDesign CS5 projects into applications similar to the WIRED magazine
reader. More information about the digital publishing platform can be found at the company’s new product page.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

FINANCIAL


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Bell Canada Earnings Up in Q1

BCE, the parent of Bell Canada reported the carrier’s first quarter financial results. Net earnings were up 61.3% to $608 million (CAD); Bell revenues grew 3.8% during the first
quarter.

Source: Vendor, 5/6/2010

General Dynamics Reports Quarterly Dividend

General Dynamics announced its quarterly dividend for the period. The company’s board of directors approved a disbursement of $0.42 per share of the company’s common stock. The amount will be payable on
August 6, 2010, to all shareholders of record by the close of business on July 2, 2010.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Lenovo Returns to Profitability in the Fourth Quarter

Lenovo reported that its profits were $13 million USD for the 2010 fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, 2010, bolstered by stronger PC demand among both consumer and corporate buyers. This was up from 2009 fiscal
fourth quarter losses of $264 million. Revenues were $4.3 billion, up 56 percent from 2009 fiscal fourth quarter revenues of $2.7 billion. Lenovo’s global PC shipments grew 59 percent for the quarter, marking the fourth consecutive quarter in which its
sales surpassed rivals’ PC sales, it claims. For the full fiscal year, revenues were $16.6 billion, an 11.4 percent year to year increase. Profits were $129 million, with $1.42 per share, up from prior fiscal year losses of $226 million.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

QinetiQ Releases Preliminary Financials for 2010

QinetiQ reported preliminary revenues of 1.63 billion GBP ($2.38 billion USD) for the year ended March 31, 2010. Revenues were flat compared with 2009’s annual revenues of 1.62 billion ($2.37 billion). Net debt, as
at 31 March 2010, was 457.4 million ($668 million), as compared to 537.9 million ($785.8 million) in 2009.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Raytheon Announces Quarterly Dividend

Raytheon announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.375 cents per outstanding share of its common stock. This cash amount will be payable on August 12, 2010 to all shareholders of
record by the close of business on July 6, 2010.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Verizon Board Okays Quarterly Dividend

Verizon Communications‘ board has declared a quarterly dividend of 47.5 cents per outstanding share, unchanged from the previous quarter. The dividend is payable on Aug. 2, 2010 to Verizon Communications
shareowners of record at the close of business on July 9, 2010. Verizon has approximately 2.6 million shareowners and approximately 2.8 billion shares of common stock outstanding. The company said it made $5.3 billion in dividend payments last year.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS


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Accenture Receives $182 Million Navy Financial Services Contract

Accenture announced that it has received a contract from the US Navy calling for it to support the Navy’s Office of Financial Operations in its efforts to complete the department’s Financial Improvement Program
(FIP). The project’s goals include improving the timeliness, accuracy, and reliability of the Navy’s financial management capabilities. Accenture will also be providing audit readiness support, training, data integrity enhancements, and system interface
improvements. The contract has a one-year base period, and four annual options. Its total value could reach $181.9 million if all options are exercised.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Northrop Grumman Receives Homeland Security Deal for FEMA Exercises

Northrop Grumman announced that it has been awarded a contract from the US department of Homeland Security. The deal calls for Northrop Grumman to design, support, and conduct Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) regional preparedness exercises. The company will handle all FEMA preparedness exercises for 28 states, including all of FEMA’s region VI through X states. The deal has a duration of 20 months, and a total value of $5.5 million. It was awarded under
the National Exercise Program contract.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Raytheon Receives $21.8 Million Contract for JET Modifications

Raytheon announced that it has received a $21.8 million contract for modifications to the Joint Environmental Toolkit (JET) from the US Air Force. The JET system is designed to provide warfighters with accurate,
real-time weather information for their decision-making process. It includes information on both terrestrial weather as well as environmental conditions in space. This latest phase of the program is focusing on integration, consolidation, extension and,
possibly, the replacement of existing meteorological operational capabilities. Raytheon claims the JET system could also benefit civilian weather forecasters as well, with increased accuracy and automated routine processes.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS


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Cisco Medica System Selected by EHN

Cisco Systems‘ Medical Data Exchange Solution (MDES) was selected by the Electronic Health Network (EHN) for deployment across 22 Palmetto Primary Care locations in South Carolina, US. Approximately 60 Palmetto
physicians and 137 specialists will use Cisco MDES as the platform for the ELN’s electronic health record and personal health record solutions, to service more than 250,000 patients. The EHN provides patient health education and wellness applications.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Harris Corp Receives HIPAA Compliance Contract from VA

Harris Corp announced that it has received a contract from the Veterans Health Administration to support the agency’s migration to updated standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA). Harris will be working as a subcontractor for the Engineering Services Network team, which was awarded the potential $10.9 million 8 month contract. The HIPAA changes focus on standards for electronic health records, as well as security and
privacy updates. The contract is among several VA-related awards that came to Harris by way of its 2009 acquisition of Patriot Technologies, a healthcare IT provider.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

McKesson Launches Connect-Rx 7.1 for Medication Dispensing Systems

McKesson announced the release of Connect-Rx 7.1. The updated solution provides enhancements for the company’s AcuDose-Rx medication dispensing cabinets and Anesthesia-Rx medication carts. McKesson claims the
improvements will enhance supply chain efficiency while reducing the risk of patients receiving incorrect medication or dosages. Connect-Rx 7.1 is available now.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

McKesson Re-Launches Personal Health Advisor Service

McKesson announced the re-launch of its Personal Health Advisor product. The resurrected service is designed to help insurance holders better manage their health via interactive online resources, and a 24 hour
nurse advice hotline. Members can also receive correspondence through text messages or the mail. The company is marketing the Personal Health Advisor service to health plan carriers as a way to increase member engagement, decrease delivery costs, and
integrate healthcare plan management solutions. McKesson notes that its Personal Health Advisor is powered by its Health Data Repository, an archive of all active members’ electronic health records (EHRs)

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Telus Announces Availability of Telus Health Space

Telus announced the availability of Telus Health Space, a product designed to be a “secure, interoperable application environment and personal health information platform.” The product, which is powered by Microsoft’s
Health Vault, is being made available for licensing by provincial governments, health authorities, hospitals, insurers, individual practitioners, and employers. Telus notes that Health Space has already received Canada Health Infoway pre-implementation
certification, the first product to do so in Canada. The ultimate goal of the Health Space service is to provide patients and healthcare professionals with a centralized repository for health information such as allergies, test results, and medical
history. The company expects users to benefit from increased safety and convenience as a result.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

INTERNET


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Google Adds Moderator Technology to YouTube

Google announced that it has added its Google Moderator service to all YouTube channels. The service will allow a video uploader
to create an area for discussion with set parameters. These include restrictions on topic, length of submissions, and types of submissions. The service can also be embedded into third-party sites or blogs.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

ICANN Groups Releases Final Report on gTLD Abuse

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that the Registration Abuse Policies Working Group has released its final report. The report includes recommendations from the group on how to
best deal with registration abuse of generalized top level domains (gTLDs). The report will now be taken under consideration by the GNSO Council. Among the addressed abuses are cybersquatting, WHOIS information access problems, malicious use of domain
names, and fake renewal notices. The next step will be for the GNSO Council to review the report and decide on concrete policy changes based on the recommendations. The full report can be found here.

Source: Vendor, 5/29/2010

Mozilla Releases Stable Version of Firefox Sync Add-On

Mozilla announced that its Firefox Sync technology has had its experimental status removed. The former Mozilla Labs project originally went under the title “Weave Sync.” Like this original version, Firefox Sync
allows users to bring their history, bookmarks, and open tabs with them to any installation of Firefox which supports the add-on. Improvements added to the software over the development process include support for 15 languages, a simplified sign-up
process, and one-touch access to all synchronized items. Firefox Sync is available now as an add-on for the desktop version of the browser, and should soon be available as a part of the yet-to-be approved Firefox Home iPhone app. Mozilla has also said that
it plans to incorporate the functionality of Firefox Sync into a future major release of the browser.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

NetMarketShare Reports on Browser Market Share for May 2010

NetApplications site NetMarketShare posted its latest Web browser market share numbers for the month of May 2010. Microsoft‘s Internet Explorer was once again on top, with all versions in use accounting for 59.69%. Its slow decline continued however, losing another 0.26% over its share in April. Mozilla‘s Firefox followed suit, falling to 24.35% of the market. This represented a .24% loss in share for the month. The two companies’ losses seem to have been absorbed by the third, fourth, and fifth place browsers.
The up-and-coming Google Chrome once again showed the largest gain, coming in at 7.05%, or 0.32% higher than in April. The smallest gain was shown by fourth place contender Apple’s Safari, with a 0.05% rise bringing it to 4.77 percent of the market.
Lastly, Opera showed strong growth, adding 0.13% to its share, bringing it to 2.42% of the market. The remainder of the market was accounted for by Opera’s Opera Mini mobile browser at 0.74%, and all other browsers at 0.9%

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Pew Finds Young Users Are Most Concerned with Online Reputation

In its latest report, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project examined “reputation and online identity management in the age of social media.” The report found that the level of concern over personal privacy on the Internet varies greatly between age groups, but the group most concerned with their online profiles are young
adults between the ages of 18 and 29. Among this group, 44 percent have limited their online exposure; 71 percent have changed social network privacy settings; and 47 percent have deleted comments made on their profiles. These activities fell to their
lowest levels in the 50-64 age group. Among these individuals, 33 percent limited their personal info, 55 percent changed privacy settings, and only 29 percent deleted comments. The report also found that users may have a reason to be wary about their
online reputation, since 38 percent of Internet users admitted to searching for information about their friends, and 40 percent of users have been contacted by someone from their past who found them online. The report is based on a telephone survey
conducted between August and September 2009.

Source: Vendor, 5/26/2010

LAPTOPS & NETBOOKS


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Some 30 New Tablet PC Models Introduced at Computex

Nearly 30 new tablet PC models were introduced at this year’s Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan. They include: Getac, AAEON, and Aca ruggedized systems; Browan’s Android based FreePP; Pioneer Computers Australia’s DreamBook; and dozens of tablets
from vendors such as Asus, Amtek, Digitran, Rhinotech, Arbor, FirstOne, Anadem, ACA Digital, and Sambest. To date, major PC manufacturers such as Lenovo, HP, and MSI have introduced their own tablet PC models, while Dell, Acer, and Sony are among those
planning to launch tablets later this year.

Source: Vendor, 6/4/2010

Apple Reports iPad Sales Have Topped Two Million

Apple confirmed in a press release that its iPad device sales have topped two million in the less than 60 days since its launch on April 3rd. The iPad
is now shipping in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, and will be available in nine more countries come July.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

Asus Unveils Eee Pad to Compete with Apple iPad

Asus International unveiled its new Eee Pad, an offering designed specifically to go head to head with Apple’s iPad. The Eee Pad – not to be confused with Asus’ similarly named Eee PC laptop – is a Windows 7 based
device with a touch sensitive screen. It can be used as a multimedia player, e-reader, Web browser, or, with the help of a keyboard docking station, a PC. Asus will release 10 inch and 12 inch versions. No shipping date was offered. In a separate
announcement, Asus announced the Eee Tablet, an e-reader device with embedded camera. It will launch in September, for between $199 and $299 USD. The firm also unveiled its new lineup of U Series Bamboo laptops, environmentally friendly, 20-24 inch systems
that incorporate power saving Super Hybrid Engine technology, and Android based smartphone models.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

LEGAL


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Google Now Under Investigation in 4 Countries over Wi-Fi Data Fiasco

Google can add Canada to the list of countries that currently have it under investigation for its collection of Wi-Fi data, according to Computerworld. The data was
collected – accidentally, Google claims – during the process of collecting Wi-Fi signal information for use in Google’s services. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada joins similar authorities in France, Germany, and Italy which already had the privacy leak
under scrutiny. Elizabeth Denham, Canada’s Assistant Privacy Commissioner, hopes the investigation will serve as an example to companies planning to undertake similar data collection endeavors to be more careful about ensuring that no private data is being
collected. Google had not responded to this latest investigation as of the time of writing.

Source: Computerworld, 6/2/2010

ActiveVideo Sues Verizon for Patent Infringement

Fierce Telecom reported that ActiveVideo Networks, based in San Jose, California, has accused Verizon Communications of
infringing five of its interactive television patents. A lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia alleges that Verizon’s FiOS system is using technology developed by ActiveVideo, which is Cablevision’s top interactive TV
vendor. In March, Verizon sued Cablevision, saying the cable company had stolen technology used in Verizon’s FiOS system

Source: FierceTelecom, 6/1/2010

MALWARE WATCH


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Intego Warns of Spyware Installed by Free Mac Apps

Intego has discovered a spyware application that is installed by a number of freely distributed Mac applications and screen savers found on a variety of Web sites. This spyware, OSX/OpinionSpy, performs a number of
malicious actions, from scanning files to recording user activity, as well as sending information about this activity to remote servers and opening a backdoor on infected Macs. The information provided with some of these applications contains a misleading
text that users must accept explaining that a “market research” program is installed with them, but not all of these specify this. Some of these programs are also distributed directly from developers’ Web sites with no such warning.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Report: Adobe Products Are Main Target, US Is King of Malware

According to Kaspersky Lab‘s report ‘Information Security Threats in the First Quarter of
2010’, Adobe products are the primary target for hackers and virus writers due to their prevalence and multi-platform capabilities. The report highlights the fact that many users of Adobe products have not installed the
patches designed to remove the software’s vulnerabilities and therefore remain susceptible to attack. Among the top 10 most prevalent software vulnerabilities detected on users’ computers over the first three months of 2010, three were found in Adobe
products, six were found in Microsoft products, and one was found in a Sun product. Over the first three months of this year, more than 119 million malware hosting servers were
detected, of which 27.57% were located in the US and 22.59% in Russia, with just 12.84% in China.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

SonicWALL Sees New Malware on the Rise: SpyEye

SonicWALL has been monitoring newer variants of the SpyEye bots in the wild and has found it to be very similar to Zeus in terms of functionality and features. SpyEye is a Web-based crimeware toolkit that was
first released in early January, 2010 and its most notable feature is its ability to kill Zeus bot infection on the victim machine. SpyEye steals financial information that includes banking credentials & credit card numbers as well as other sensitive data
from its victims.

Source: Vendor, 5/28/2010

Clickjacking Hits Facebook, Says Sophos

Sophos is warning Facebook users to beware of clickjacking attacks which take advantage of the social network’s “Like” feature. The latest lure is a link which claims to point
to a Web site containing a naked photo of Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore. Hackers have hidden an invisible button under the mouse, so wherever someone clicks on the Web site to determine that the user “likes” a page, the mouse-press is
hijacked. This information is then published to the user’s Facebook page, and shared with online friends, resulting in the link spreading virally. This latest attack follows another clickjacking that occurred over the Memorial Day weekend.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Samsung Customers Get Surprise: Virus-Laced Smartphones

The UK Register reported that new users of Samsung‘s S8500 Wave smartphones could be getting more than they bargained for: malware. The 1GB microSD card that shipped with
the Bada platform-based “iPhone killer” came installed with Windows-based malware that attempted to infect PCs with a Trojan once they are connected or paired with the smartphone. The issue is restricted to customers in Germany. Samsung has said that all
other shipments of the S8500 Wave will be virus-free.

Source: Register, 6/3/2010

MOBILE SOFTWARE & PLATFORMS


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Amazon to Begin Selling Kindles at Target Stores

Amazon will begin selling its Kindle e-reader device at Target retail stores. Target will be the first brick-and-mortar retailer to carry the device. The Kindle is expected to be available at Target stores starting
June 6.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

comScore Releases Mobile App and Browser Usage Totals

comScore released its latest report on mobile phone application downloads, which found the vast majority of app downloads are being driven by smartphones, with a 63 percent gap between users who access apps from a
feature phone, and those who access them from a smartphone. Among the individual genres of mobile applications, social networking was the predictable winner. Thanks to the rapid growth of sites like Facebook and Twitter over the past year, social networking app users jumped from just 4.3 million in 2009, to 14.5 million today. The closest competitor was the news application sector, which showed 124 perfect year-over-year growth.
Sports information, bank account access, and weather applications also made strong showings with triple digit year-over-year growth. Despite the rapid expansion, users who accessed their mobile browsers still slightly outnumbered app users, with 72.9
million browsing, while 69.6 million used apps. Similar to app users, Web browsers also spent most of their time accessing social networking sites.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

eBay’s StubHub Publishes its Own iPhone App

eBay company StubHub announced that it has released an application on the Apple App Store. Designed for the iPhone and iPod touch, the software will let customers browse and purchase
the user-posted event tickets sold on the site. The app includes many of the features of the standard version of the StubHub site, including seating maps, ticket listings, pricing filters, and more. The software also features social networking integration,
and automated alerts for when an artist found in the user’s iTunes library is performing nearby. The application is available now, free of charge, from the Apple App Store.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Microsoft Graduates “Tag” from Beta

Microsoft announced that it has taken its Microsoft Tag product out of beta. Tag is a visual icon that can be produced and scanned similarly to a two-dimensional barcode, or QR code. The Tag can be placed on
buildings, products, and in print media to allow users to access Web pages and other services by scanning the Tag with their mobile device’s camera. Microsoft is hoping to garner widespread adoption of this technology, and is offering its basic Tag service
free of charge. This means that anyone can go to the company’s Tag Web site and enter a Web address, which will be turned into a scannable Tag. Among the places Tags can already be found are Golf
Digest Magazine, Wheaties Cereal boxes, and as part of a self-guided walking tour of the city of Amsterdam. Microsoft said that it also plans to offer value-added services related to Tag, such as advanced reporting and analytics, and real-time
location-based services.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Mozilla Creates Firefox Home for Apple’s iPhone

Mozilla announced the creation of its new Firefox Home app, for the Apple iPhone. The application is not a full Web browser. Rather, it attempts to add the functionality of Mozilla’s Firefox Sync and “Awesome Bar”
to the iPhone. Firefox sync allows users to gain instant access to their bookmarks, browsing history, and the tabs from their last browsing session from various platforms. In this case, Firefox Home will let users load URLs from any of the aforementioned
areas into the iPhone’s Mobile Safari browser. Meanwhile, the “Awesome Bar” functionality will let users take advantage of the predictive search technology found in the Firefox browser’s address bar. This will provide Web addresses and search terms based
on the partial phrase in the box, as the user types it. Again, this will still load into Mobile Safari once a URL is entered. Though the software is complete, it must still gain approval from Apple’s App store. If the app is approved, it will be available
free of charge.

Source: Vendor, 5/26/2010

Skype Launches 3G Version of iPhone App

Internet telephony company Skype has launched a new version of its iPhone application. The update enables iPhone users to make and receive Skype-to-Skype calls, and to call mobiles and landlines around the world over
their 3G data connections. Skype said the update includes significant call quality enhancements.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Telefonica Throws its Support Behind MeeGo Platform

Telefonica made an announcement to reveal its plans to support the upcoming MeeGo platform. MeeGo is a joint venture between chip maker Intel and mobile phone company Nokia. Like Google’s Android, it is an operating system designed to run everything from mobile phones, to large Internet-connected devices. Telefonica said that it plans to work with the two companies to place the MeeGo
platform in everything from smartphones, and netbooks, to tablets, and televisions. As part of the announcement Telefonica also committed to working with device manufacturers, application developers and service providers to bring the platform to a wide
range of devices.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Wavelink Ships New Version of Enterprise Mobility Management Software

Wavelink announced the availability of Avalanche 5, its latest version of its mobile device management and wireless infrastructure management software. Wavelink Avalanche 5 provides a vendor-neutral management
solution for the wireless enterprise. New capabilities in the latest release include a Web-based console, device location mapping, wireless wide area network enhancements, and security compliance tools.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

OPERATING SYSTEMS


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Google to Release Chrome OS in Q4 2010, Focus on Netbooks

Google will release its Chrome operating system during the fourth quarter of the year, according to PCWorld. The news was revealed in a speech by Sundar Pichai, Google’s vice
president of product management, at this year’s Computex gathering. The article notes that this is one quarter later than initial reports expected the OS to arrive. The operating system will be focused on netbooks during its early release. It is expected
to certify clamshell form factor devices with screens between 10 and 12 inches, keyboard, and touchpads. Google will use an Internet-intensive model for the platform, which will feature an application store that sells Web-apps that can be installed
locally. The company also mentioned that it plans to allow manufacturers to put their own customized user interface overlays on the Chrome OS, but that users should not except these to appear until some time after launch.

Source: PCWorld, 6/2/2010

Google Ditches Windows on Company Computers; Cites Security

Google has banned the use of Microsoft‘s Windows operating system on its employees’ corporate computers, the Financial Times reports.
According to employees of company, the move is in response to previous security breaches on systems running version of the Windows OS – the most damaging being the infamous Google China attacks, which used a flaw in Windows and Internet explorer to gain
access to Gmail user information. While it is being reported that some new employees are still being allowed to install the OS on their laptops, its use on desktops at the company is being strictly forbidden. In its place, Google is offering employees the
option of Apple’s OS X or Linux-based operating systems. Another reason for the change, mentioned in the article, is that Google would like to begin transitioning its employees to its own upcoming Chrome OS. An employee familiar with the matter believes
that the company would like to run as much of its own business as possible on its own products.

Source: Financial Times, 6/1/2010

PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES


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AT&T Mobility Employees in Southeast Region Ratify Contract

AT&T‘s wireless company, AT&T Mobility LLC, announced that wireless employees in its Southeast Region have voted to ratify a four-year agreement with the Communications Workers of America. The agreement covers about
11,200 CWA members in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Avaya Fills Two Executive Vacancies

Avaya appointed Joel Hackney – who currently heads its Data and Government Solutions units – as president of Field Operations and SVP of Global Sales and Marketing. Hackney replaces Todd Abbott, who will step down to
pursue other interests. Avaya also announced that Jim Chirico was appointed EVP of Business Operations. The changes take effect June 14th.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Bell Canada Opens New Green Data Center in Ontario

Bell Canada announced that it will be opening a new environmentally-friendly data center in Markham, Ontario. The center will be focused on providing services for Bell Business Market customers. These will include
co-location, managed hosting, infrastructure-as-a-service, and hosted unified communications. Bell has lowered the ecological impact the new center will have through a deal with Markham District Energy (MDE). The energy company will be providing the
telecom carrier with green energy, cold water for cooling, and a natural gas powered backup system. In the long-term, MDE also plans on recapturing heat produced by the data center to improve its own operational efficiency.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

CSC Appoints Steve Sparling as New VP and Global Segment Leader

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has appointed Steve Sparling as the new Vice President and Global Segment Leader for its Technology and Consumer Group. The new role will see him reporting to Mary
Jo Morris, president of CSC’s Technology and Consumer Group. Sparling’s responsibilities will include the company’s consulting, systems design and integration, managed hosting, and outsourcing businesses. He has been with CSC for 7 years, before which he
served as vice president for Answerthink, a startup firm he helped to found.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

GENBAND Names Executive Team at Close of CVAS Acquisition

GENBAND announced the appointment of several key executives at the close of its acquisition of substantially all assets of Nortel Networks‘ Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions
(CVAS) Business. Daryl Raiford has been named Chief Financial Officer and Jeff Townley has been named President of Operations, responsible for Professional Services, Support, Manufacturing and Supply Chain. Townley is a 26-year veteran of Nortel’s Global
Operations group, Other GENBAND senior management team members include Jan Gaulding, Chief Administration Officer; Pablo Gargiulo, President of Global Sales; Mehmet Balos, Chief Marketing Officer; Keith Landau, Chief Product Officer, responsible for R&D,
Product Line Management and Quality; Fred Kemmerer, Chief Technical Officer; and Mark Pugerude, Chief Strategy Officer.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

HP to Eliminate 9,000 Jobs Over Three Years

Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced it plans to cut 9,000 personnel over the next three years as it creates automated commercial data centers for new services. Ultimately, HP expects the shakeup to result in annual gross
savings of about $1 billion, and net savings of $500-$700 million.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

IBM Opens Global Security Operation Center in Bangalore, India

IBM announced the opening of a new global security operations center in Bangalore, India. The center will be staffed 24 hours a day with IBM security professionals and members of its X-Force security research and
development team. IBM says that this facility will add its assets to its 8 other global security operations centers, allowing it to better handle the approximately 8 billion security events it processes in a given day.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Lockheed Martin Outlines Organizational Shuffle

Lockheed Martin announced plans to reorganize several divisions of the company to strengthen its long-term performance potential. Two companies from Lockheed’s Information Systems & Global Services (IS&GS)
business area will be divested. They are the Enterprise Integration Group (EIG), and Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE). Together, these companies account for 3 percent of both Lockheeds revenue, and its operating income. Two other units in the IS&GS
business area will be realigned. Readiness & Stability Operations (RSO) and Savi Technology will both be absorbed into the Simulation, Training and Support (STS) unit under the Electronic Systems business area. As a result, the STS unit will be renamed the
Global Training and Logistics unit. Lastly, the aforementioned IS&GS business area will have its name changed to include “Solutions,” rather than “Services.”

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Lockheed Martin Senior VP and General Counsel to Depart

Lockheed Martin announced the departure of Senior Vice President and General Counsel James B. Comey. Comey will be leaving the company to take a position at Bridgewater Associates. He will remain in his
current positions until June 24th, and will continue to serve on Lockheed’s executive management team for the remainder of the summer, to ensure a smooth transition. Comey has been with Lockheed since 2001, when he joined the company following his tenure
as Deputy Attorney General and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Nokia Siemens Appoints BT Executive as CTO

Nokia Siemens Networks appointed Hossein Moiin as CTO, effective July 1st. He will report to CEO Rajeev Suri. Moiin is currently responsible for mobile technology and architecture at BT.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

PAETEC Opens Office in Portland, Maine

PAETEC – which provides telecom service to medium- and large-sized businesses, colleges and universities, hospitals, hotels, government organizations, and other institutions within its service area -announced the
opening of its local office in Portland, Maine, with plans to fill ten positions from the Portland area. PAETEC offers telecom services in 84 of the largest 100 metropolitan service areas in the US.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Software AG Increases Stake, Staff at Leipzig-based itCampus Facility

Software AG announced that it will be expanding its Leipzig-based itCampus Research Facility. The location – which is owned by itCampus, a full member of the Software AG Group – is expected to receive a 25
percent increase in its workforce over the remainder of 2010. This will include an additional 15 research engineers being added to the staff. As part of the same announcement, Software AG revealed that it has purchased the remaining 49 percent stake in the
facility. It now owns 100 percent of itCampus.

Source: Vendor, 5/28/2010

Telefonica O2 Announces Ed Smith as New Head of its Legal Team

Telefonica O2 announced that it has appointed Ed Smith as the new head of its legal team. The new position will see him reporting to Telef¢nica Europe’s Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs Kate Jarvis. Smith’s tasks
will include the company’s UK legal support, as well as streamlining the efficiency of the legal team.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Verizon Foundation Seeks Grant Proposals

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, is seeking grant proposals from nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that
provide technology-based literacy services to students who are learning to speak English. The grants will total $100,000, with individual awards up to $10,000. To qualify for funding, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing programs
that serve Massachusetts and Rhode Island residents.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Yahoo Appoints Raymie Stata as New CTO and Senior VP

Yahoo announced that it has promoted Raymie Stata to the offices of Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President. The position will see him reporting to the company’s Chief Products Office Blake Irving. This
role will give Stata the responsibility of driving the company’s future technology roadmaps. He will be joined in this effort by Chief Scientist Prabhakar Raghavan, and David Dibble, head of Service Engineering and Operations. Stata has served in various
high-ranking offices for Yahoo since joining the company in 2004.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

PUBLIC SAFETY


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Aon Report Sees New Fronts in Terrorism

Aon released its 2010 Aon Terrorism Threat Map, which reveals that international counterterrorism efforts appear to be stifling the ability of terrorist groups to mount
significant attacks on the scale of those of September 11, 2001. According to the analysis, al-Qaida is being forced to focus on building its networks in traditional conflict zones. Concerns remain, however, about such networks and followers in Europe and
North America as well as the re-emergence of more traditional left, right, and nationalist terrorist groups. Established insurgencies continue to provide the focal points for terrorism in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Somalia and Yemen.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

DHS Allocates $78 Million for Airport Security

The Department of Homeland Security announced $78 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for airport security technology projects handled by the Transportation
Security Administration
. The ARRA funds include $28.3 million for the installation of an inline baggage system at San Diego International Airport; $26.6 million for the installation of two inline baggage screening systems at Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport; and $11.5 million for the construction of an inline baggage screening system at Little Rock National Airport

Source: DHS, 6/2/2010

Chevy, OnStar to Launch First Responder Training Program

Chevrolet and OnStar announced the formation of a training program to educate first responders in the US on how to manage electric vehicles in accidents. The announcement was made by General Motors in San
Francisco jointly with the International Association of Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the National Emergency Number Association. The inaugural training sessions will take place in Chicago in
August at the IAFC’s Fire-Rescue International Conference, and will feature the Chevrolet Volt, an electric vehicle with a range-extending gas generator, which is expected to be offered for sale later this year. Local first responder training workshops
will begin to roll out with the car in San Francisco, Los Angles, Detroit, and Washington DC when Volt sales begin. General Motors said the Volt’s high voltage system runs at 360 volts, similar to GMs current 2-mode hybrids, which run at 300 volts, and
that not much will be different when dealing with the Volt in an accident scenario as compared to hybrids already on the road. GM, however, wants to “raise the comfort level” of paramedics, police, and fire-fighters responding to future accidents by
“making sure they know where the shut-offs are” and how to cut through the car’s high-strength steel quickly.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Nuclear Convention Is Strengthening Safety: GAO

After the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine, more than 50 nations, including the United States, participated in the development of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, a treaty that seeks to promote the safety of civilian nuclear power reactors.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reviewed the parties’ views on the benefits and limitations of the Convention, efforts to improve implementation of the Convention, and how International Atomic Energy
Agency programs complement the Convention’s safety goals. The GAO recommended that the Department of State work with other parties to the Convention to encourage the
use of performance metrics to track progress toward improving safety of civilian nuclear power plants.

Source: GAO, 4/29/2010

US Forecasters See Very Active Hurricane Season Ahead

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team has updated its predictions and is now calling for a very active 2010 season in the Atlantic basin
with 18 named storms predicted. The forecast was based on much warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures and cooling tropical Pacific conditions that will likely transition into a weak La Nina by mid-season. Of the 18 storms, the team
now anticipates 10 hurricanes forming in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and Nov. 30. Five are expected to develop into major hurricanes, with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. The scientists increased their forecast from April’s prediction of 15
named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes. Long-term (1950-2000) averages are 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year. The new prediction is in line with NOAA‘s forecast, which predicts an "active to extremely active" hurricane season ahead. The forecasts are even more worrisome than usual given the continuing oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Source: colostate.edu, 6/3/2010

REGULATORY


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UK to Cancel National ID Card Program

The UK’s new coalition government plans to cancel that country’s national ID card program, calling it part of a “substantial erosion of civil liberties” that took place under the
former Labour government. Following the UK’s recent election where no party gained a majority in Parliament, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have joined to form a new government with David Cameron as prime minister. The parties have also agreed to
scrap the National Identity Register, a computer system storing information from biometric passports and ID cards under development by the UK’s Identity and Passport Service and
Border Agency. They will also cancel the “next generation” of biometric passports and the Contact Point database, which stores information on minors under 18. The change is due to become effective within 100 days.

Source: ips.gov.uk, 5/27/2010

US, France to Implement Security Program at Charles De Gaulle Airport

The US Department of Homeland Security announced that the United States and France have established an arrangement to implement the Immigration Advisory Program at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle International Airport. The
program allows for the identification of high-risk travelers at foreign airports before they board aircraft bound for the United States.

Source: DHS, 6/3/2010

FCC Calls for Broadband Speed Volunteers

The Federal Communications Commission released the results of a survey which found that 80 percent of broadband users in the United States do not know the speed of their broadband connections. The survey is part of the
agency’s overall broadband speed initiative, which involves several bureaus and offices and is being coordinated by the Commission’s Consumer Task Force. The FCC also said it is seeking 10,000 broadband users to participate in a study about whether
consumers receive advertised broadband speeds. Specialized hardware will be installed in the homes of volunteers to measure the performance of all the country’s major Internet service providers across geographic regions and service tiers. Anyone can
register as a volunteer for the test at TestMyISP.com.

Source: FCC.gov, 6/2/2010

FTC Bars Marketing of Keylogger Software for Illegal Uses

The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with CyberSpy Software, an operation that was selling spyware and showing customers how to remotely install it on other people’s computers without their knowledge or
consent. The settlement bars CyberSpy, the maker of “RemoteSpy” keylogger, from advertising that the spyware can be disguised and installed on someone else’s computer. It requires that the software provide notice that the program has been downloaded and
obtain consent from computer owners before the software can be installed.

Source: FTC, 6/2/2010

GAO: More Research Needed for Teen Driver Licensing Systems

States have increasingly adopted laws to limit teen driving exposure, such as Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems, since teenaged drivers have the highest fatality rate of any age group in the United States. The Government Accountability Office
reviewed state GDL systems to identify key system requirements, and challenges states face to improve teen driver safety and how states and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have addressed the challenges. In its report, the GAO recommends that the NHTSA conduct more research on teen driver safety requirements and driver education to help identify the most critical provisions of GDL systems.

Source: GAO, 5/27/2010

FAQ Publication for Continuous Monitoring Available from NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released an FAQ document on continuous monitoring. This publication
describes continuous monitoring, which is one of the six steps in the Risk Management Framework described in NIST Special Publication 800-37, Revision 1, Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems (February 2010).

Source: NIST, 6/1/2010

NIST Releases Security Term Document for Comment

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the Draft NIST Interagency Report 7298 Revision 1, Glossary of Key Information Security Terms for public comment. This glossary of common security terms has been extracted from various NIST publications. Comments will be accepted through June 30.

Source: NIST, 5/28/2010

SEARCH


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Coveo Launches Expresso 2.0 Beta, Entry Level Enterprise Search

Coveo announced the launch of a beta program for its Coveo Expresso 2.0 product, the no-cost, entry-level version of its enterprise search. Designed for
small to medium-sized businesses, Expresso 2.0 can support up to 50 users, 1 million emails, and 100,000 documents. The product can also be integrated with the Coveo Outlook Sidebar to allow users to search additional desktop content, SharePoint files, and
file shares. While the software is free with the aforementioned limits, the company also offers a premium pricing model for businesses requiring a larger scale than the one mentioned above.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Google Adds Personalization to Its Default Search Page

Google announced the creation of a new method of personalizing its default search page. Eschewing the company’s usually minimalist design aesthetic, users can now add their own images as a background on Google’s
standard search page. The image can be uploaded from the user’s computer, chosen from the user’s Picasa Web Album, or selected from a public gallery of images Google has created for the purpose. This move may be an effort to combat users switching to Bing
due to finding the graphically rich search engine page more visually appealing. Google plans to roll this feature out to user in the US gradually over the next few days. It also plans on bringing the feature to international users in “the coming days.”

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Google Adds Mobile Apps to Mobile Search Results

Google added a new feature to the mobile version of its search engine. Users accessing the search site from an iPhone or Android-based handset will now be presented with search results from the devices’ respective
app stores. If a user inputs a query that matches any applications in either the Apple App Store, or Android Marketplace, they will see a link to the application at the top of their search results. The listing includes
some basic information about the application, such as price and average user rating, and a link to the app’s listing in the appropriate app store. The feature is available now to all users of one of the aforementioned handsets.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

Yahoo Adds Trending Topics to Image and Video Search Pages

Yahoo announced a new feature for its image and video search services. The new offering collects information on the most popular search terms across the two engines at the moment and aggregates them into a page of
trending topics. The search engine then provides users with up to 5 pages of images or videos of topics that are currently receiving the most attention. The company claims that this new feature has produced double-digit growth in user engagement, as well
as a 60 percent increase in the time an average user spends on the home page.

Source: Vendor, 5/28/2010

Zoho Launches Unified Search for All Products

Zoho announced the launch of its new “Actionable” search. The new function is designed to provide a unified search that queries all Zoho products at once. The products
include Zoho Mail, Docs, Writer, Sheet, Show, Notebook, Discussions, and Accounts.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES


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Flaw in Photoshop CS4 Requires Update

A vulnerability has been discovered in Adobe Photoshop CS4. Successful exploitation may allow execution of arbitrary code. The vulnerability is confirmed in version 11.0.1. Prior versions may also be affected. The
vendor advisory instructs users to update to version 11.0.2.

Source: Secunia, 5/27/2010

Cisco Releases Updates for Network Building Manager

A security advisory was issued for Cisco‘s Network Building Manager and the legacy Richards-Zeta Mediator products.
Cisco has released software updates that address the vulnerabilities.

Source: Vendor, 5/26/2010

HP Updates JRE/JDK

HP has issued an update for JRE/JDK to fix some vulnerabilities. HP is directing users to update their packages immediately and to read the advisory.

Source: Secunia, 6/2/2010

Microsoft Updates SMB Client Security Bulletin

Microsoft revised a security bulletin from April 13 regarding vulnerabilities in its SMB Client. The vendor added a link to Microsoft
Knowledge Base Article 980232 under Known Issues in the Executive Summary.

Source: Vendor, 5/26/2010

VMware Releases Advisory on ESX, vMA Products

VMware has said that various ESX products and vMA contain a security issue and some vulnerabilities. The vendor issued an advisory
regarding these issues.

Source: Secunia, 5/28/2010

SECURITY PRODUCTS & CONTRACTS


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Astaro RED Designed to Secure Branch Offices of Any Size

Astaro has released RED (Remote Ethernet Device), which combines VPN functionality and IT security for branch offices by connecting with a central Astaro Security Gateway. Astaro RED is designed to secure remote
offices of all sizes and no training, licensing or technical expertise is required at the remote location in order to secure the branch office.

Source: Vendor, 5/26/2010

AT&T Government Solutions Gets GSA Okay for MTIPS Offering

AT&T Government Solutions, a business unit of AT&T, announced that it is the first Networx contract holder to receive the go-ahead from the US General Services Administration to implement Managed Trusted
IP Services (MTIPS). Networx is a contract vehicle that allows AT&T and other carriers to provide communications services to federal government agencies. MTIPS is an offering under the Networx contracts that allows federal agencies to connect to the
Internet through secure IP portals in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget Trusted Internet Connections initiative. Beyond compliance, AT&T said its MTIPS offering provides a portfolio of standard security services to provide greater
network security for mission-sensitive information.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

EADS Radio Network Gets Approval from Canadian Police

EADS Defense & Security‘s CORP25 digital, trunked land mobile radio system has been granted acceptance by the “O” Division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This
distinction validates that the delivered Project 25-based public safety radio network fulfills the operational requirements of the RCMP. As an IP-based, open-standards digital trunked application, CORP25 allows P25 and non-P25 radios to operate together on
one core architecture.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

General Dynamics Announces Availability of TVE Security Solution on HP

General Dynamics announced that its TVE security product is now available on a range of HP brand desktops and notebook computers. TVE is a “green technology” solution which allows multiple users, with
differing levels of security clearance, to all access their data from the same computer. The result is a reduction in the materials and power consumption that would be required for maintaining multiple systems. The first device from the company to support
the technology will be the HP Compaq 8000 Elite business PC for government customers. General Dynamics claims the benefits also include reduced costs for customers, thanks to the decreased power, maintenance, and support costs associated with the reduced
number of systems.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Radware Rolls Out All-Inclusive Security Application

APSolute Attack Prevention is a new offering from Radware. This software consists of all-inclusive attack mitigation, integrating different tools/modules, plus management and reporting to detect and prevent hybrid
threats. The key elements of this application include: DefensePro; an enhanced version of original security software; APSolute Vision, a new unified management system providing monitoring, forensics and reporting; and a new Emergency Response Team service,
a security for immediate, hands-on assistance.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Rapid7, Agiliance Team Up on Risk and Vulnerability Offering

Rapid7 and Agiliance are partnering to integrate integration for rich vulnerability data, risk metrics, and enterprise compliance intelligence for customers. Agiliance has
integrated its GRC application, RiskVision, with Rapid7 NeXpose to help customers to meet internal security policies and meet regulatory compliance requirements.

Source: Vendor, 5/25/2010

RSA Encryption Technology Secures Smart Grid Network

Landis+Gyr signed an agreement with RSA to provide security for its Gridstream smart grid network. Gridstream’s Radio Frequency (RF) mesh network provides a communication
infrastructure between the electric utility and smart meters, distribution devices, and home area network equipment. The relationship with RSA allows Landis+Gyr to embed RSA BSAFE encryption technology into Gridstream RF.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Symantec Delivers New Strategy for Norton

Symantec unveiled Norton Everywhere, a three-part initiative which spans the areas of mobile safety, Web safety across any device, and embedded services on smart devices. Symantec is combining its own consumer
security, backup, and infrastructure technologies with partners to deliver Norton services to consumers across many locations, devices and digital experiences. The offerings will be delivered direct to consumers, as well as through new business-to-business
offerings.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

Trend Micro Promotes Free Day of Tech Support, New Consumer Services

Trend Micro has rolled out its Consumer Premium Services, which feature 24 x 7 live support, assistance by remote support, and preventative and remedial services. In addition, Trend Micro is offering one day for
consumers to register online for a free day of tech support. On June 15, the first 1000 users who register will receive a free support session which will be valid until September 15.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Verifi Hosts Payment Page, Security Tools for Online Retailers

Verifi announced the availability of a hosted payment page that enables merchants to outsource PCI compliance and fraud prevention. Verifi’s hosted payment page provides retailers with the ability to customize their
checkout pages for a branded customer experience, along with tools to be used for sales conversions. The system encrypts credit card data and stores it in a PCI Level I vault, delivering a tokenized code to the merchant for use in managing ongoing customer
transactions.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

SERVERS


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Acer, Vmware Introduce New Servers for Clustering

Acer International and VMware unveiled new high density servers developed specifically to aid in clustering tasks. The 2U, two node rack servers are equipped
with NVIDIA graphics processors.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

Citrix Launches XenServer 5.6

Citrix announced the immediate availability of XenServer 5.6. The company’s latest enterprise level server software features improvements such as enhanced virtualization management, and lowers overall cost of
ownership. The product is being released in four versions: XenServer Advanced Edition, which is $1000 per user; XenServer Enterprise Edition, which is $2,500 per user; and XenServer Platinum Edition, which is $5000 per user. As it has in the past, the
company is also making a free version of the software available with somewhat reduced functionality. Both the free edition of the software and a trial version of the Platinum edition can be found at this page.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

SMARTPHONES


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Acer Introduces Stream Multimedia Smartphone

Acer International unveiled Acer Stream, a high end multimedia smartphone Acer claims is ideal for streaming multimedia content and browsing the Web. It measures 11.2 millimeters, and supports
3G+ connectivity, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

T-Mobile, Nokia Announce Upcoming Smartphone Launch

Nokia and T-Mobile USA announced the upcoming availability of the Nokia E73 Mode, a Wi-Fi calling-enabled QWERTY smartphone. E73 Mode includes Nokia’s Switch Mode feature, which
lets users switch between fully-customizable home screens. The Mode smartphone is expected to be available from T-Mobile USA beginning June 16.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Verizon Wireless Launches BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone

Verizon Wireless announced that the BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone is available to order online now, and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning June 10. The BlackBerry Bold, from RIM, is the first global phone from Verizon Wireless to support GlobalAccess Connect, allowing customers to tether their BlackBerry Bold to a notebook or netbook and use it as a modem for wireless Internet access in more than
200 countries.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

SOCIAL MEDIA


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Facebook Opens Beta Program for Q&A Service

Facebook has opened up a beta program for a question and answer service the social network is developing. Facebook wants volunteers for the beta program who can write "clearly and
authoritatively" on familiar subject matter. It recommends those interested in participating submit "provocative" questions and "detailed, articulate" answers. An application for joining the beta program is posted at Facebook’s Web site.

Source: Vendor, 6/3/2010

Sophos Poll Finds Facebook Users Prefer to “Opt-In” for Personal Data

A poll of 605 Facebook users conducted by security firm Sophos in the wake of the latest changes to the social network’s privacy settings found – not surprisingly – that the
vast majority of respondents favored default settings that do not automatically share their Facebook information. Facebook has "simplified" its privacy settings, allowing users to better control who can see their friends and pages, but Facebook
continues to attract criticism for its practices and the complexity of its privacy controls.

Source: Vendor, 5/27/2010

STANDARDS & PROTOCOLS


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ASIS Updates Security Officer Guideline

ASIS International has released its revised Private Security Officer Selection and Training Guideline, which provides recommended minimum selection and training qualifications designed to improve the performance
of private security officers and the quality of security services. The revised guideline provides the framework for private security officer job descriptions and recommended minimum selection criteria, as well as an outline for the design and delivery of
private security officer training by employers and other agencies.

Source: Vendor, 6/1/2010

More Cable Operators Offering Input to CMAP Spec

Light Reading reported that more cable operators and organizations are supporting efforts led by Comcast to create a multi-MSO (multiple system operator) specification for
a super-dense network access and routing device. Cox Communications had been identified as one MSO providing input for the Converged Multiservice Access Platform (CMAP); others that have signed on or are about to include Cablevision, Charter, Liberty
Global, and Canada’s Rogers Communications, according to Light Reading. Comcast reportedly is in the process of concluding a similar agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative, a corporation that
serves as a programming and hardware purchasing organization for Tier 2 and 3 MSOs. Cable Europe Labs and CableLabs are also involved in the project as advisors.

Source: LightReading, 6/2/2010

SCAP Publication Needs Public Comments

The National Institute of Standards and Technology issued the second public comment release of Special Publication (SP) 800-126 Revision 1, The
Technical Specification for the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP): SCAP Version 1.1. SCAP consists of a suite of specifications for standardizing the format and nomenclature by which security software communicates information about software
flaws and security configurations. Comments are requested through June 28.

Source: NIST, 5/27/2010

STREAMING MEDIA


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Acer Creates clear.fi for Streaming Home Network Content

Acer International created a multimedia console – clear.fi – for allowing users to share content across multiple formats and over multi-platform devices. clear.fi’s console is designed to open
up the home network, presumably allowing users to stream digital content across different platforms and systems. It uses Acer’s new Touch User Interface, for delivering the same graphics on multiple networked devices. According to Acer, the Touch User
interface is compatible with all Acer devices, including smartphones, laptops, and all in one desktop PCs. The console works by presenting a series of device icons onscreen. Users can find pictures, record TV, and access eBooks and music, sharing digital
contents on all devices connected to the home network. Acer also announced the development of LumiRead, a pocket device for reading e-books that can be used with clear.fi.

Source: Vendor, 5/31/2010

SUPERCOMPUTERS


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China’s Supercomputing Advances Highlight Top 500 List

China’s Nebulae supercomputer is listed in second place on the Top500.org‘s annual list of the top supercomputers in the world. The US is home to more than half of the listed supercomputers, including the
world-leading Jaguar system from Cray, which is owned by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It has a top speed of 1.75 petaflops and used by scientists conducting research in astrophysics, climate science, and nuclear energy.

Source: Vendor, 6/2/2010

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