News Briefs for the Week Ending 09/10/2010






News Briefs for the Week Ending

09/10/2010



Copyright 2010, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.

Docid:00020009

Publication Date: 1009

Publication Type: NEWS



ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES


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AuthenTec, UPEK Announce Merger

AuthenTec and UPEK, a supplier of fingerprint products for consumer, business and government applications, announced that the two companies have merged. AuthenTec will remain headquartered in Melbourne, Florida
and will be led by newly named CEO Larry Ciaccia, who previously served as AuthenTec’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Ericsson Acquires InCode Strategy

Ericsson acquired some assets of inCode’s Strategy and Technology Group, a firm that provides business and consulting services to clients in the telecommunications field. The acquisition includes 45 strategy,
business, and technical consultants – in the US and Canada – as well as contracts, technology, and intellectual property. It will operate as the Strategy Consulting Group of Ericsson North America, under the inCode brand.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Lightower Closes Veroxity Acquisition

Competitive service provider Lightower has completed its acquisition of Veroxity Technology Partners, a provider of fiber based data and Internet connectivity. The acquisition will give Lightower an immediately
expansion of its fiber footprint and customer base in the Boston metro market, expand its New England and New York City network presence, and national long haul network that connects major US cities. Specifically, Lightower will add 2,000 network route
miles to its current 4,500 network route mile network and fiber connectivity into major data centers and commercial buildings. In total, the combined Lightower network will cover more than 6,500 network route miles with service to more than 2,000
commercial buildings.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Swisscom to Tender Takeover Offer for Remaining Shares of Fastweb

Swisscom announced that it intends to tender a public takeover offer for the remaining 17.918% of shares in Fastweb. The offer is for the amount of EUR 18 per share, or a total of EUR 256 million. The company
wishes to acquire the remainder of the Fastweb in order to de-list it from the Milan stock exchange. The offer will require at least 95 percent of shareholders approve the transaction before it will be approved by Italian regulatory authorities.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Vodafone Sells Stake in China Mobile

Vodafone has sold its stake in China Mobile for HK$50.9 billion (US$6.5 billion). Newbury, England-based Vodafone sold about 642.9 million shares of China Mobile, according
Bloomberg News. Vodafone, which acquired its 3.2 percent stake in China Mobile in two transactions between 2000 and 2002 for $3.25 billion, doubled the value of that investment and has said it does not consider its
minority holdings essential. Vodafone still owns about 45 percent of Verizon Wireless and 44 percent of Paris-based SFR, which are majority-owned by Verizon Communications and Vivendi, respectively.

Source: Bloomberg, 9/8/2010

ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES


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AOL Partners with EllenTV.com for Traffic, Content Sharing

AOL announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with the Web site for the Ellen Degeneres Show. The alliance focuses on the sharing of traffic within the demographic of
Women 25-54. AOL will promote the EllenTV site on its KitchenDaily, PopEater, and AOL Television properties, while EllenTV.com will promote the breadth of AOL properties on its pages. AOL will also begin distributing video content provided by EllenTV
across its network of sites. No financial terms for the deal were disclosed.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Citrix Teams with Cisco for Joint Virtualization Solution

Citrix announced that it has teamed with Cisco to jointly offer the new Cisco Desktop Virtualization Solution with Citrix XenDesktop. The new system combines Cisco’s unified
computing environment with Citrix virtualization technologies such as FlexCast and HDX. Other highlights of the new offering include preconfigured kits to ease its deployment, access to combined support services, and certified integration with products
such as Citrix XenServer and VMware vSphere. The new virtualization solution is available now through joint channel partners.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Nokia Siemens, OpenCloud Establish OEM Agreement

Nokia Siemens Networks announced it will invest an undisclosed amount in OpenCloud, which provides real time Application Servers and Service Broker systems. It also announced an agreement to allow
OpenCloud technology to be integrated into its charge@once charging and billing solution. The partnership will presumably strengthen Nokia Siemens’ footprint in the Charging and Service Delivery Platform markets.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Swisscom to Launch Line of Virtualized Services with Cisco

Swisscom announced that it will begin offering a line of virtualized solutions in collaboration with Cisco. The line will focus on Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) services and video communication
offerings. All services will be offered on an on-demand basis, with a pay-as-you-go model. The company expects the first joint products to be available to both domestic and international customers before the end of the year.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Yahoo Partners with Vestel for Internet-Connected TV Line in Europe

Yahoo announced that it has partnered with Vestel, one of the largest TV manufacturers in Europe, to bring its services to Yahoo Connected TVs in 2011. The Internet-connected televisions will support streaming movies
and television programs as well as applications for social networking and online video content. The televisions are expected to be available in more than 40 countries across Europe.

Source: Vendor, 9/3/2010

BIOMETRICS


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Morpho to Create Mauritanian Secure ID Program

Morpho (Safran Group) has signed a contract with the Mauritanian Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization to implement a program for the production of secure national identification documents. This project
is one of the key components in the country’s National Digital Confidence Framework program, and is expected to boost security within the country and at its borders.

Source: Vendor, 9/6/2010

CALL CENTER


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NEC Provides Technology for Aero Energy Call Center

NEC Corporation of America provided its UNIVERGE Spericall Contact Center to help Aero Energy – a fuel supplies distributor – improve its customer service capabilities. According to NEC, it can queue up to 1,400 calls
per day to help agents access information and provide automatic callback for customers.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

CARRIER SERVICES


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Swisscom Lowers Mobile Termination Fee by Half

Swisscom announced that it will be lowering its mobile termination fee. The company is reducing the cost of terminating a line of service from CHF 0.14 per minute to CHF 0.08 per minute. This will be further
reduced to CHF 0.07 per minute at the beginning of 2011. Swisscom says this halving of its rates will bring it to the “European level” and should satisfy complaints filed against it by VTX and Verizon. The company also
noted that it plans to cut prices for business and residential customers, but is still working out the specifics of those price reductions.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

T-Mobile USA Launches “Kids Are Free” Promotion

T-Mobile USA has launched a new promotional offer called Kids Are Free to make family communication “easy and more budget friendly.” With Kids Are Free, new and existing T-Mobile customers who sign up for a
qualifying family plan through Nov. 2, 2010, receive free add-a-line service on up to three lines of their plan until 2012.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

CHIP TECHNOLOGY


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Samsung Announces Dual-Core Mobile Processor

Samsung announced a dual-core processor for tablets PCs, netbooks, and smartphones. The Orion processor contains a pair of 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores. Besides handling video playback and recording at 1080p and 30
frames per second, a smartphone based on Orion can be equipped with two displays, while at the same driving a third external display such as a TV or a monitor via an HDMI port, according to Samsung. Samsung is also pushing Orion’s graphics performance.
Orion will be available to “select customers in the fourth quarter of 2010” and will go into “mass production in the first half of 2011,” according to Samsung.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

CLOUD COMPUTING


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AWS Launches Support for Amazon VPC in AWS Management Console

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has added support for Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) to the AWS management console. This allows customers to manage such resources as subnets and VPN connections
directly within the AWS console. The new service is provided free of charge to all Amazon VPC users.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

AWS Launches Cheaper Micro Instances for Lower Throughput Apps

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of micro instances for Amazon EC2, a new, cheaper, instance for lower throughput applications. The new instances provide 613 MB of memory and support both 32 and 64-bit
platforms on Linux and Windows. Prices start at $0.02 per hour for Linux instances, and $0.03 per hour for Windows versions. More information about the new instances can be found at the Amazon EC2 product page.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

AWS Launches Beta for Identity and Access Management Feature

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a beta preview for its newest feature, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM). The new service allows for the creation of multiple users, including accompanying user account
management, within an AWS account. The company says that this will make it unnecessary to share passwords, and will allow customers to terminate a users access, should the need arise. More information about the new feature, and how to join the beta
program, is available at the new IAM page.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Microsoft Launches Beta Phase for Dynamics CRM Online

Microsoft announced the launch of a beta phase for its Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. The hosted service uses an Outlook-based interface, a contextual CRM Ribbon, RoleTailored design, and user personalization to
ease the CRM communication process. An identical product is already scheduled for release as an on-premises solution titled Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Interested customers can join the beta program via its newly launched Web site.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Open-Xchange Launches Updates Collaboration Software

Open-Xchange announced the release of the latest update for its collaboration software. The company said this edition includes more then 100 improvements in the areas of email, calendar, address book, and
document and task management. The update also includes new “Social OX” functionality designed to aggregate email and contacts from external mail services, as well as providing a method of sharing large files without attaching them to an email. More
information about the numerous features included in the release is available at Open-Xchange’s blog.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Siemens, Oracle to Launch Development Environment Cloud Service

Siemens IT Solutions and Services and Oracle will be launching a development environment cloud service – Test and Development Cloud – whereby customers can select services to
deploy and pay just for those services used. Using a Web-based, self service portal, software developers can select the individual tools in accordance with each project’s specific requirements, combining them as necessary. Oracle will provide software and
tools, while Siemens will implement the overall application and provide associated cloud services. A pilot version of the new service will be unveiled on September 19th at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT


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ADC Deploys InterReach Fusion System for VA Airport

ADC deployed its InterReach Fusion distributed antenna system for Washington Reagan National Airport in Virginia, to help extend its WiMAX coverage and capacity. According to ADC, the systems use Multiple Input/Multiple
Output (MIMO) technology to increase signal quality and throughput. Presumably, it will also help simplify deployments for WiMAX and longterm evolution (LTE). InterReach Fusion supports any mobile service, including GSM, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, HSPA, LTE, and
WiMAX.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Alcatel Demos 100G Fiber in Australia

Alcatel-Lucent and Nextgen Networks successfully demonstrated broadband traffic at 100G-bps speeds, over Nextgen’s network backbone. Nextgen – a fiber network
operator in Australia – says it will accommodate the growing use of smartphones, video and multimedia downloads, device-to-device communications, and, ultimately, new content rich services such as 3D entertainment and remote healthcare applications. The
demonstration – which included Alcatel converged optical and IP technologies – enabled the transfer of more than 100,000 MP3 files per minute, or live streaming of over 15,000 HDTV channels at the same time.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Alcatel Demonstrates 100GbE Interface in China

Alcatel-Lucent demonstrated a 100GbE interface for its 7750 Service Router, alongside China Telecom. The demonstration validates the service router’s ability to
support scaling connections at 100G-bps when deployed throughout the carrier network. Potentially, this allows it to extend beyond the IP core, into the service edge and metro, where services meet the network. China Telecom’s Beijing Research Institute
also tested the readiness of Alcatel’s IPsolution for deployment at the service edge, for use in constructing super broadband networks.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Alcatel to Deploy IMS for Vietnam Telecom National

Alcatel-Lucent Vietnam reported it will deliver an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) for Vietnam Telecom National as its parent company – Vietnam Posts & Telecommunications – looks to become a top Next Generation
Networks service provider in Vietnam. Presumably, it will help migrate existing public switched telephone network services to help improve network performance, security, and workforce productivity.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Cisco to Provide Technology for Australian Education Network

Cisco Australia and New Zealand provided wired and wireless technology for Australia’s Department of Early Education and Child Development (DEECD) as it looks to support learning in up to 1,000 primary and
secondary schools in Victoria. The education-grade network will support future demand for one-to-one computing, learning space mobility, high definition video, digital content, and the Ultranet.

Source: Vendor, 9/6/2010

Cisco Deploying IP/MPLS for Spain’s Albertis Telecom

Cisco Systems Spain is deploying an Internet Protocol/Multi-protocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) system – including aggregation services routers – to help video and Carrier Ethernet provider Albertis Telecom upgrade its
IP next generation network. Albertis is looking to add support for video contribution and production, Carrier Ethernet transport, and distribution and content distribution services, while also improving capacity.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Huawei Provides LTE/EPC for Mobyland Network

Huawei Technologies provided end to end longterm evolution / evolved packet core (LTE/EPC) technology for Mobyland’s commercial 1800-MHz LTE/EPC network in Poland, with cooperation from 2G mobile provider CenterNet.
The deployment will allow Mobyland to offer mobile broadband download speeds of more than 146M bps, per user. It will serve as the first commercial LTE/EPC network based on the 1800-MHz spectrum, with 20-MHz bandwidth on one radio unit.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Net2Phone Adds Enterprise SIP Gateway to Product Portfolio

InnoMedia and Net2Phone announced immediate plans to offer the InnoMedia ESBC 8528-4B to Net2Phone’s cable customers. The ESBC 8528-4B is an Enterprise SIP Gateway that
includes embedded Session Border Controller functions for MSOs (multiple system operators). The product offers device-initiated DQoS over DOCSIS cable networks to deliver QoS managed SIP trunks. Located at the network edge, the ESBC 8528-4B enables network
address translation and firewall traversal, permitting VoIP traffic to enter the network, while preventing unauthorized access. The ESBC 8528-4B is interoperable with enterprise customer equipment, such as an IP-PBX or IP Phones, Net2Phone said. Net2Phone
is a subsidiary of IDT Telecom.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Juniper Provides Switches, Routers for Atrium, China Mobile

Juniper Networks provided switch, router, and security technology for Atrium Network and China Mobile Shaanxi. The technology will connect more than 300 network endpoints for Atrium, which provides connectivity
solutions for the financial community in Europe and the Americas. It will also allow China Mobile Shaanxi to offer a low latency data center fabric to address growing bandwidth and service delivery demands, Juniper says.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

CNN Taps Level 3 for Managed Video Network Services

Level 3 announced it has expanded its relationship with cable news network CNN to include Managed Video Network Services (MVNS), a fully managed video delivery, IP, and networking solution. Level 3 has installed its
MVNS platform into CNN’s global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as adding fiber capacity into CNN’s studios in New York City.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Level 3 Wins Expanded Contract from Fox Sports

Level 3 announced it will provide FOX Sports with Level 3’s Vyvx VenueNet+ sports broadcasting services including video, voice, and Internet in venues throughout the US for the 2010 professional football season. This
contract is an expansion of Level 3’s multi-year relationship with Fox Sports.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

ZTE Partners with CSL for HSPA+/LTE Hybrid Network

ZTE announced that it is partnering with CSL Limited to launch the world’s first DC HSPA+ (42 Mbps)/LTE hybrid network. The network has been in testing since the end of 2009, with it reaching real-world download
speeds as high as 100 Mbps using a pre-commercial LTE modem. The network is expected to grow to cover the entirety of Hong Kong following its launch. No specific date for commercial availability of the hybrid service has been set.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

CONFERENCING


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Cisco Deploys Conferencing for Healthcare in Russia

Cisco Systems‘ TelePresence Technology Group deployed its Tandberg Edge 85 MXP high definition video conferencing system for Valaam Monastery’s new Russian telemedicine center. It says the deployment will provide a
high quality video connection between local healthcare practitioners – on Valaam Island – and mainland hospitals as far as 137 miles away in St. Petersburg.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Cisco Installs TelePresence Room at Nigeria Office

Cisco Systems announced it installed a TelePresence meeting room at its Lagos, Nigeria office. The installation marks the second major Cisco deployment of TelePresence in the country.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES


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SAIC Receives $27 Million Contract from Holly Corporation

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced that its subsidiary, Benham Constructors, received two contracts from the Holly Corporation, a refiner and marketer of petroleum products. The deals focus
on the provision of engineering, procurement, and construction services for Holly’s Interconnecting Piping Project and Diesel Hydrotreater Revamp project. The contracts have a combined value of approximately $27 million.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

CYBERCRIME


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TechCrunch Europe Hacked

Popular tech blog TechCrunch Europe was compromised earlier this week and its code changed to redirect visitors to a server delivering malicious PDFs. Once downloaded and run, the PDF files exploited a
vulnerability and made the infected system download a version of the ZeuS Trojan. According to Trend Micro, the server in question is located in Germany and is hosted by Netdirect. Computerworld reported that the hack attack and malware issue were resolved within 24 hours.

Source: TrendMicro, 9/6/2010

DESKTOPS


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Dell Reclaims #2 PC Vendor Status from Acer in Q2; HP # 1

Dell overtook Taiwanese computer company Acer International in the second quarter – ended June 30, 2010 – to once again claim its #2 position behind
Hewlett-Packard (HP) in the global PC market, according to a recent report
published by iSuppli. The news comes just nine months after Dell fell to third in the market. Dell shipped 10.5 million units during the period, for a 12.8 percent market share. Ironically, it was down from 10.7 million units, and 13 percent, sequentially.
Acer experienced a 6.2 percent decline from the first quarter, and shipped 10.2 million units, for a 12.4 percent market share. Overall, the PC market was up 1.1 percent – approximately 82 million units – from the first quarter. Traditionally, Dell has
occupied the second place position behind fellow US vendor HP, which has been the leader for 16 consecutive quarters. Dell market share has been declining for about two years, since it was announced in the 2008 second quarter that Dell PCs accounted for 16
percent of the market.

Source: iSuppli, 9/6/2010

HP Introduces Small/”Micro” Business Servers, Printers, PCs

Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced its JustRight IT portfolio of new server, printer, and PC products for “micro” and small businesses. It includes: a new ProLiant MicroServer for businesses with up to 10 employees;
Officejet Pro 8500A e-All-in-One series and 7500A Wide Format e-All-in-One printers with Web connectivity; and 500B and 505B series business minitower desktops. Additional information is available at hp.com/go/whatsnewforsmb. HP also previewed a Photosmart eStation printer – model C510 – that uses Android. It was developed to run with the Zeen tablet.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE


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FCC Releases APIs for Unlocking, Sharing Agency Data

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a suite of new tools designed to unlock FCC data and use it for new applications. The datasets and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) released by the
agency include the results of the FCC Consumer Broadband Speed Test, which has tallied more than 1 million tests taken since the release of the tool in March. The agency also released an API that can match geographic location with government data
aggregated at the census block level, the first tool of its kind developed by a federal agency. The FCC also announced the creation of a developer community designed to help drive future releases through feedback
and collaboration, the FCC said. The developer community page includes links to the data sets and APIs.

Source: FCC, 9/8/2010

Intel Introduces Parall Studio 2011

Intel has introduced Intel Parallel Studio 2011, an updated development tool suite Intel said makes it easier for software developers to improve the performance and reliability of serial and parallel applications by
using its latest multicore processors. This release adds Intel Parallel Building Blocks amd Parallel Advisor, a threading assistant that helps developers transition code from serial to parallel, including full support for the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010
development environment.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Micro Focus Releases Updated Studio and Server Enterprise Edition

Micro Focus announced the release of the latest edition of two of its products, Studio Enterprise Edition (Studio EE) and Server Enterprise Edition (Server EE) v6.0 SP1. Studio EE is a set of graphical tools designed
to let customers migrate business applications to run on lower cost platforms, while Server EE supports the deployment of those applications on their new platform without the need for any code changes. The primary focus of the new update is the addition of
the ability to migrate data to Microsoft SQL Server installations. More information about these new releases can be found at the Studio EE and Server EE product pages.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE


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Cisco, Citrix Introduce Desktop Virtualization Platform

Cisco Systems and Citrix Systems are delivering a combined desktop virtualization platform for deploying high definition virtual desktops and applications. The Cisco Desktop
Virtualization Solution with Citrix XenDesktop combines Cisco unified computing and Citrix desktop virtualization technology. It is available now through the companies’ joint channel partners.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Keane Launches DynAMO Application Management Outsourcing Solution

Keane announced the launch of DynAMO its new application management outsourcing solution. The company says the
new product can provide businesses with optimization opportunities that can improve application value, reduce cost of ownership, and reduce risks.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Oracle Launches Two New Solutions in Data Integration Product Line

Oracle announced the release of two new solutions in its Data Integration product line: Oracle GoldenGate 11g and Oracle Data Integrator 11g. GoldenGate 11g is designed to deliver real-time data integration for
mission critical systems via a system of low-impact, low-latency data acquisition, distribution, and delivery. Data Integrator Enterprise Edition 11g, on the other hand, uses its Extract Load and Transform (E-LT) technology to transform raw data into a
data warehouse. More information about both products can be found at Oracle’s Data Integration page.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

FINANCIAL


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China Telecom Profit Up; Reaches 1.8 billion Subscribers

In a press release citing preliminary financial results, China Telecom reported that its operating revenue in
the first half of this year reached 1075.51 billion yuan (about US$158 billion), an increase of 4.9%; and net profit of 88.11 billion yuan, an increase of 4.7%. As of June 30, China Telecom’s total subscribers numbered 1.81 billion.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

China Unicom Reports Revenues Up

China Unicom announced preliminary financial results for the first half of 2010. The telecom said revenue totaled 82.11 billion yuan (about US$12.1 billion), representing an increase of 7.6% over the same
period last year. Telecommunications service revenue (excluding upfront connection fees) was 79.10 billion yuan, representing an increase of 6.6% over the same period last year. Revenue from the carrier’s mobile business was 41.05 billion yuan,
representing an increase of 17.7% over the same period last year, and telecommunications service revenue was 39.09 billion yuan, representing an increase of 14.3% over the same period last year. Revenue from China Unicom’s fixed-line business was 40.11
billion yuan, representing a decrease of 2.4% over the same period last year, and telecommunications service revenue was 39.48 billion yuan, representing a decrease of 1.1% over the same period last year. At the end of July, China Unicom reported a total
of 303 million subscribers.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Ciena Reports Wider Loss on Acquisition Costs

Ciena released unaudited results for its fiscal third quarter ended July 31, 2010. Revenue for the fiscal third quarter 2010 totaled US $389.7 million. This included $221.8 million in revenue from the acquired assets
of the Metro Ethernet Networks (MEN) business of Nortel, reflecting the first full quarter of those operations since the close of the transaction on March 19, 2010. Ciena said its net loss for the fiscal third quarter 2010 was $109.9 million, or a loss of
$1.18 per share, which compares to a net loss of $26.5 million, or a loss of $0.29 per share, for the fiscal third quarter of 2009. The fiscal third quarter 2010 included $17.0 million in acquisition and integration-related costs associated with Ciena’s
acquisition of the MEN Business.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Siemens Investing More than $100 Million in Green Initiative

Siemens reported it is investing up to 100 million EUR ($127 million USD) – through the end of 2012 – to make its factories more environmentally friendly. It is currently analyzing the environmental performance and
energy efficiency of 300 sites worldwide.

Source: Vendor, 9/6/2010

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS


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Accenture Signs $73 Million Contract with Defense Logistics Agency

Accenture announced that it has signed a contract with the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for the integration of its supply chain into its Enterprise Business System (EBS) platform. Under the contract Accenture
will be replacing two of the agency’s legacy systems with SAP-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) architecture. This marks the final component of a project undertaken by the DLA and Accenture in 2007. The contract has a 4-year duration, and a total
value of $73 million.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

CSC Receives $228 Million Contract from Intelligence Agency

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has received an IT outsourcing contract from a major intelligence community agency. The $228 million deal calls for CSC to acquire install and integrate
mission-critical IT services, such as secure and non-secure networks, data centers, desktops, multimedia, and telephony. The agreement has a one-year base period and 4 annual options.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Telos Wins Air Force Network Management Modernization Contract

Enterprise network security company Telos announced that it has received a $13 million order from the US Air Force to deliver a web proxy server replacement, as well as certify and accredit an advanced software
version for the Combat Information Transport System program. The network management initiative will replace aging equipment and improve security, the firm said, and includes hardware, software, training, and certification and accreditation services. This
contract was awarded through the Network Centric Solutions contract vehicle.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

INTERNET


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Google Launches Family Safety Center

Google announced the launch of its new Family Safety Center. The site is dedicated to helping parents and children collaborate to stay safe online. The site includes
such content as advice from child safety organizations, tips from parents at Google, and information and instructions on how to use the safety features built into many Google products.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Google Launches SideWiki Web Element

Google announced the creation of a new SideWiki Web element. The new sidebar can be embedded directly on a Web page, and allows users to post comments and ask questions which can be viewed by other visitors to that
site. The functionality was previously limited to users of Google’s toolbar, and SideWiki extension for Google’s Chrome browser. The code necessary for embedding the sidebar is available from Google’s SideWiki page.

Source: Vendor, 9/3/2010

Google Launches Support for OpenID for New Sign-Ups

Google announced that it has begun supporting OpenID for new user sign-ups only. For now, users can sign up for a Google ID with their existing Yahoo ID. According to an official Google Code blog post, this method of verification results in a much higher percentage of completed verifications than its previous policy.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Japanese Firms Form New Company Devoted to IPv6 Transition

Six Japanese companies, including telecom KDDI, have partnered to form a new company called Japan Network Enabler Corporation (JPNE) to jointly support the transition by enterprises from Internet Protocol version 4,
which is quickly running out of address space, to IPv6. In April 2011, NTT (another member of the partnership) is scheduled to start services adopting IPv6. In order to provide IPv6 connection services to users of NTT’s
next generation network, JPNE will provide support for IPv6 connection by Japanese Internet Service Providers, as well as the environment for continuous Internet connection after the exhaustion of IPv4 address.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Microsoft’s Bing Launches Redu, Educational Awareness Site

Microsoft‘s Bing announced the launch of a new Web site called REDU (Rethink/Reform/Rebuild Education). REDU describes itself as "a
movement designed to expand and encourage the national conversation around education reform by providing information and resources to learn, a community platform to connect, and tools and initiatives to act."

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Mozilla Releases New Firefox 4 Beta with Media, Security Improvements

Mozilla released the latest beta version of its Firefox 4 browser with three new significant features. The first is the addition of support for graphics acceleration, which allows systems running the browser to tap
into the video acceleration abilities of built-in video cards for playing Web content. The second new feature allows developers to view and edit the raw data behind audio and video files on a Web site directly within the browser. The last new feature is a
security tool called HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), which the company says will prevent so called “man in the middle” attacks from being executed on the browser. The latest version is available as a free download from Mozilla.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Verizon Business Offers Guidance on Transitioning to IPv6

Verizon Business has issued a press release outlining tips for transitioning from the current Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to IPv6. Verizon urged businesses and government agencies worldwide to prepare
for the transition now because IPv4 addresses are expected to be exhausted as early as next year according to ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers). Beginning the transition now will ensure that e-mail, Web, and
business applications will be accessible via both protocols once version 4 addresses run out. The Verizon Business recommendations are: determine the business impact of IPv4 address depletion; determine
if your service provider has a plan for delivering IPv6 coverage; evaluate internal infrastructure for IPv6 compliance; make an investment in IPv6; and develop an IPv6 migration plan for internal and external networking.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

LAPTOPS & TABLETS


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Amazon to Begin Selling Kindle Through Best Buy Stores

Amazon‘s popular Kindle e-reader will soon be available at Best Buy retail locations. Best Buy joins Staples and Target, all of whom will be selling the Kindle this Fall. Best Buy will continue to sell its current
lineup of competing e-readers, including several Sony models and Barnes and Noble’s Nook.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Toshiba Debuts Android Folio Tablet, AC100 Netbook

Toshiba introduced the Folio 100 Android tablet – which resembles Apple’s iPad with its 10.1 inch, multi-touch screen – and new AC100 Android netbook. Folio 100 will be available in both 3G and non-3G models when it
is released in Europe the fourth quarter. Folio with Wi-Fi networking costs 399 EUR ($511 EUR), while the 3G version costs 499 EUR. The AC100 also has a 10.1 inch screen.

Source: Vendor, 9/6/2010

LEGAL


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SEC Settles Case Against Former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio

Fierce Telecom reported that the US Securities and Exchange Commission has settled its case with former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio, who is currently serving a six-year term for
insider-trading activities. Nacchio, whose prison term was recently cut by two months was also required to pay a $19 million fine and forfeit $44.6 million related to his insider-trading activities. While the settlement still needs a federal judge’s
approval, documents filed last week in a Denver federal court revealed that Nacchio would not admit guilt, but that he has agreed to never hold an executive post at another publicly-held company.

Source: FierceTelecom, 9/7/2010

ACLU Files Suit to Block Search of Electronics at US Borders

The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed a lawsuit to block US government agents from conducting searches of electronic devices at US borders, Govexec.com
reports. The suit, filed against the Department of Homeland Security, alleges that the policy contains violations of a citizen’s first and fourth amendment rights. The case was filed on behalf of Pascal Abidor, a US/French dual-citizen who had his laptop
seized and detained for 11 days after boarding a train in upstate New York.

Source: Govexec, 9/9/2010

HP Sues Oracle Over Hurd Hiring for Fears of Confidentiality Breach

Oracle is being sued by HP over its hiring of Mark Hurd, the former HP CEO ousted for misconduct concerning alleged fraudulent expense claims. HP says in the suit that Hurd cannot
fulfill his new role at Oracle without revealing confidential information and industry secrets covered by a confidentiality agreement that Hurd signed on his departure. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle and the man responsible for hiring Hurd, responded to the
suit in a statement calling it “vindictive." He said that HP is "making it impossible for a relationship between the two companies to continue." Prior to HP filing the lawsuit, Oracle had announced that Charles Phillips had resigned as
Oracle President and been replaced by Hurd. Hurd is also taking over the seat on the board of directors vacated by Phillips.

Source: AP, 9/8/2010

M2M


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Qualcom Europe Introduces New Telematics Solution

Qualcomm Enterprise Services Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of QUALCOMM, announced the launch of the Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) and Pay-How-You-Drive (PHYD) services, two new telematics solutions for the auto
insurance market. PAYD and PHYD enable insurance companies to correlate the cost of motoring insurance directly to vehicle use – measured against time, distance. and place. The new product will be commercially available in the Autumn of 2010.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

MALWARE WATCH


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Facebook Users Fall Victim to “Free iPhone” Wall Spammer

Facebook users fell victim to another security breach, PCWorld reports. The latest incursion came in the form of a single spammer gaining the ability to post unauthorized
images to users walls. This resulted in the posting of thousands of images across an equal number of accounts. Most of the posts consisted of a “free iPhone” advertisement which, if clicked on, would lead users to a page containing a survey they were asked
to fill out. This is a commonly known scam which plagues the site, and usually results in no reward, and the victim being inundated with emails and phone calls. Facebook informed affected users that it had fixed the flaw, and that all messages posted by
the spammer has been deleted. No accounts were compromised, the site says.

Source: PCWorld, 9/7/2010

Kaspersky Reports New Twitter Exploit

Kaspersky Lab reported on a new Twitter exploit that uses an XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) vulnerability to steal the cookie of the user, which is transferred to two specific
servers. Essentially, any account which clicked on the malicious links is compromised. It is thought that the attacks originated from Brazil.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

SonicWALL Warns of Pay-Per-Install Bamital Trojan

SonicWALL reported a Bamital Trojan Installer being distributed in the wild as part of Pay-Per-Install campaign by the malware authors. Bamital Trojan family is known to monitor user browsing activity, modify
internet search results and display advertisements generating revenue for the malware authors.

Source: Vendor, 9/3/2010

MOBILE APPS


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Apparent Networks Releases AppView

Network management software firm Apparent Networks announced the release of AppView, a collection of application-specific modules for managing networks. The launch of AppView Voice will be the first of
several modules that will generate and analyze application traffic on a production network without using software agents or application infrastructure, the firm said.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Opera Mobile to Appear on Toshiba Folio 100 Tablet, MediaTek Phones

Opera announced a pair of new alliances which will see its Opera Mobile Web browser pre-loaded on numerous new devices. The company’s first deal, with Toshiba, will see Opera Mobile shipping alongside the default
Android browser on the company’s upcoming Folio 100 tablet. Its second deal, signed with wireless semiconductor company MediaTek, will see the company’s Opera Mobile 10 being customized for the MediaTek’s 2.75G and 3G feature phones. No financial terms for
either deal were disclosed.

Source: Vendor, 9/6/2010

OPERATING SYSTEMS


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Debian Releases 6th Update for GNU/Linux 5.0

The Debian Project released its sixth update to the GNU/Linux 5.0 operating system. The update focuses on providing updates to security and corrections for a few serious problems with the OS. Debian says that this
does not constitute a completely new version of GNU/Linux 5.0, and that all users should update via an up-to-date Debian mirror.

Source: Vendor, 9/4/2010

PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION


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AOL Hires Jim Wiatt as Strategic Advisor on Content Partnerships

AOL announced that it has hired Jim Wiatt as a strategic advisor to the company. Wiatt, former chairman and chief executive of the William Morris Agency, will be tasked with advising the company on a wide range of issues
related to its development of content partnerships in the entertainment and media industries. As part of his transition into the new role, Wiatt will be stepping down from this position on AOL’s board of directors.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

BT Announces Beginning of Expansion in the Asia Pacific Region

BT announced that it has begun its plan to expand into the Asia Pacific region. The company says that it will establish new resources, infrastructure, and expand its portfolio of services for the region. This includes
the hiring of about 300 employees, who will be deployed across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and Singapore. The company will be promoting the launch of its new services in the area with demonstrations of its technology in Beijing, Delhi, Hong
Kong, Singapore, and Sydney.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Comcast Names Cynthia Hook Senior VP and General Auditor

Comcast announced that Cynthia Hook has joined the company as Senior Vice President and General Auditor. In this capacity, she oversees all internal audit staff, risk management, and the performance of financial,
operational, and systems audits, among other responsibilities. Hook reports to the Audit Committee of the Comcast board of directors and to Michael Angelakis, Chief Financial Officer, Comcast Corporation. Prior to joining Comcast, she spent 12 years at
Dell, most recently serving as Vice President of Global Audit and Transformation

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Deutsche Telekom Appoints 3 New Managers for New Initiative

Deutsche Telekom announced a plan to reorganize and bring new leadership to three business segments within the company. Smart grids, smart vehicles and networked healthcare are all being placed under new management to
begin the company’s planned efforts to combine these segments into a new “Intelligent Network Solutions” business. The goal of the new business is to produce EUR 1 billion in revenue for Deutsche Telekom before the end of 2015. The three new managers are
Gabriele Riedmann de Trinidad, who will be tasked with expanding the company’s energy segment; Horst Leonberger, who will lead the smart vehicle business area; and Axel Wehmeier, who will take over the company’s healthcare business.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Harris Corp Hires Mike Deloney As VP and GM, DoD Programs

Harris Corp announced that it has named Mike Deloney as the new vice president and general manager of Department of Defense (DoD) Programs for its IT services business. He will be reporting to John Heller, current
president of Harris IT Services, and the former holder of Deloney’s new position. Deloney’s responsibilities will include customer interface, program execution, and business development for all DoD-related accounts. Deloney’s previous experience includes
over 30 years in the industry, including time spent as president of Global Strategies Group (North America) for the US Air Force.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

KPMG Names Joachim Schindler Head of Global Audit

KPMG named Joachim Schindler as its new global head of audit for KPMG International. He will be responsible for the delivery of audit services across all regions of the company’s business. Additionally, He will
continue to serve in his previous position as head of audit for KPMG Europe. Schindler is replacing Henry R. Keizer, who has since moved on to the position of deputy chairman and chief operating officer of KPMG.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Lockheed Martin Announces Results of VESP Effort

Lockheed Martin announced the results of its recently launched Voluntary Executive Separation Program (VESP) program to reduce overhead and curtail the number of impending involuntary layoffs. The offer drew
in 600 respondents, or about 25 percent of the company’s total executive population with offers of monetary compensation for an early exit. The company says that the program will also help it align its newly reduced pool of executives with a workforce that
itself has been reduced by about 10,000 employees over the past year.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Pricewaterhouse Coopers Hires Tom Boniface as Co-Lead of Indirect Tax

PricewaterhouseCoopers announced that Tom Boniface has joined the company as co-leader of its Indirect Tax Practice. He will focus on the areas of value added taxes (VAT) and will work from the company’s New York
offices. Boniface has over 15 years of experience in the indirect tax field, with his most recent position being head of the consumption practice for KPMG.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Red Hat Hires Mark Bohannon as VP of Corp. Affairs and Public Policy

Red Hat announced that Mark Bohannon has been appointed to the position of Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Global Public Policy, effective October 1, 2010. His primary responsibility will be to lead the
company’s staff in dealing with governmental policy makers, industry groups, and in other areas, such as innovation policy, open source and standards adoption, and tax initiatives. Bohannon comes to Red Hat from the Software & Information Industry
Association (SIIA), where he served as Senior Vice, President Public Policy.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Verizon Joins Board of Texas e-Health Alliance

Verizon Communications announced that it will help develop an e-health policy to benefit Texas residents as a board member of the Texas e-Health Alliance, a nonprofit organization
of health information technology stakeholders.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Vodafone Announces Restructuring

Vodafone Group announced a reorganization of its management structure, taking the group form three to two regional divisions, appointing a new chief commercial officer. and separating management of its minority
holdings. Starting October 1, the company will have two operating regions: Europe and Africa, Middle East, and Asia (AMEA). “Europe” will comprise all the countries of the previous Europe division plus the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania. and Turkey.
AMEA will cover Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, comprising all emerging economies in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, plus Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The company’s minority holdings in Verizon Wireless, SFR, Polkomtel, and Bharti
Holding, will be managed outside the regional structure, and the group CEO, CFO, and strategic business director will be in charge of “effecting strategies to maximize shareholder value” from the investments, the company said.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

World Wide Web Foundation Invites Former UK PM Gordon Brown to Board

The World Wide Web Foundation announced that former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined its Board of Directors. Brown’s primary task will be to advise the foundation on ways to involve disadvantaged
communities and world leaders in the development of Web-based programs to connect people and bring about positive change. In particular, Brown will help support the foundation’s efforts to improve the quality of life in Africa by using education to combat
poverty and political turmoil. Gordon Brown was invited to join the World Wide Web Foundation by its director, Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

PUBLIC SAFETY


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Ericsson, Motorola Partner for Next-Gen Public Safety Solutions

Motorola Solutions and Ericsson announced they are partnering to provide LTE-based solutions for next generation public safety broadband solutions. The
companies said their unified platform will provide for the advanced capabilities needed by US first responder agencies, and that LTE (Long Term Evolution) broadband will support real-time information sharing between command center and devices.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

New FEMA Site Promotes Private-Public Partnerships

The Federal Emergency Management Agency launched a new Web page for state and local officials and their private sector partners to provide them with resources and the opportunity to share practices and ideas. The goal
of the new page is to build a national resource that will benefit emergency management professionals and their constituents in communities nationwide.

Source: FEMA, 9/89/2010

County in WY Selects March Networks for Surveillance and Security

Campbell County, Wyoming is using March Networks‘ VideoSphere Video Management System, Edge encoders, and 4000 C Series hybrid recorders for integrated security across its facilities. Campbell County has
completed installations at multiple sites, including its court house, sheriff’s office, museum and a recreation center.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

PlantCML Technology Used to Alert Thousands

PlantCML, an EADS company, announced the Plymouth County Sheriffs Department in Massachusetts used its emergency notification technology to alert people throughout Plymouth
and Bristol counties regarding the threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis during the month of August. The more than 211,000 geographically distributed calls sent through the GeoCast WebT advised area homes and businesses of safety precautions and localized
aerial mosquito spraying.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

REGULATORY


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Canadian Regulators Move to Ensure Broadband Competition

The Financial Post reported that Canadian regulators have ruled that the country’s major Internet providers, such as Bell Canada and Telus.
must lease network space to smaller competitors at matching speeds to ensure competition for broadband services. The decision is a victory for independent resellers like TekSavvy Solutions and Telnet Communications, which will now be able to keep pace with
incumbent’s offerings.

Source: FinancialPost, 9/7/2010

RFID


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ASL Launches AT&T-Connected Shipment Tracking Device

American Security Logistics (ASL) and AT&T announced the availability of a wirelessly-connected device that will track the location and ongoing movement of cargo pallet shipments by sending data across AT&T’s wireless
network. ASL has equipped its new AIRDEX VISI-pallet with a wirelessly-connected tracking device manufactured by GlobalSat and distributed by US BioSensors. Designed for high-value cargo shipments, the tracking
device provides ongoing visibility of an individual pallet location while gathering operating and condition data, which it feeds across the AT&T network to an around-the-clock management information service bureau. The tracking and condition data is
managed and made available by GlobalTrak, a division of Systems Planning Corporation, and follows the precise movements of cargo-in-transit under a range of conditions including pallets traveling inside fast-moving
trucks, trains, or containers.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS


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Gilat to Provide Satellite Network for Telefonica’s Wholesale Unit

Gilat Satellite Networks announced that it has been chosen to provide a SkyEdge II satellite network for Telefonica’s International Wholesale Services, the wholesale organization within the Telefonica Group, which is one of the largest telecommunications operators in Latin America. Gilat said the contract is an extension of a long-standing relationship with Telefonica.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

SEARCH


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Google Launches Search-As-You-Type Feature

Google has launched "search as you type" functionality from its main search page. The feature eliminates the need for hitting "return" or clicking on the "search" button by
populating the search page with results as a query is typed in. The new “Google Instant” function begins when a user enters the first letter of a query. Then, Google Suggest attempts to "predict" the user’s intended query. When a user is
satisfied with the "prediction," he or she can hit the tab button to see results, or continue to enter search terms to refine the results. Users can also scroll down through query suggestions to see the results of alternative ways
of completing a query. The new feature is being rolled out to all users of the default Google search page this week. It will debut internationally over the next week in selected countries including France, Germany, the UK, and Italy. The company also plans
to bring the feature to mobile phones in the near future. As soon as the new feature launched – a feature that is very annoying to some users – instructions were posted in tech news sites and blogs explaining how to disable it. To disable Google
Instant, simply opt out by clicking on “Search Options” at the top of the main Google search page, scrolling down the page to “Google Instant”, and selecting “Do Not Use Google Instant.” Google has set its search page to use the feature by default.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Yahoo Launches Search Tool for Chinese Users

Yahoo announced the launch of a new handwriting-based method of searching on its Taiwan and Hong Kong-based search engines. The system uses a box where users can draw an image of the Chinese character or English
letter they’re attempting to write. The system will then present the user with up to 6 matches for the character it believes they intended. Yahoo says it is launching this service to prevent the need for all computers users in these countries to
familiarize themselves with the complex key combination necessary to type Chinese characters.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES


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Zero-Day Flaw in Adobe Reader, Acrobat

A vulnerability has been discovered in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, which is caused by a boundary error within the font parsing in CoolType.dll and can be exploited to cause a stack-based buffer overflow by e.g. tricking
a user into opening a specially crafted PDF file. The vulnerability is confirmed in versions 8.2.4 and 9.3.4 of Reader and Acrobat versions 9.3.4 and earlier. The vulnerability is currently being actively exploited. An advisory from the vendor provides further information.

Source: Secunia, 9/8/2010

Apple Safari Has Flaws

Apple Safari contains several critical vulnerabilities, resulting in a need to update. An advisory provides further details. Users should update to version 5.0.2 (Mac
OS X 10.5.8, Mac OS X 10.6.2 or later, or Windows 7, Vista, or XP SP2) or 4.1.2 (Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.8).

Source: Secunia, 9/8/2010

Apple Releases iTunes 10

Apple released iTunes 10 to address issues within the WebKit package. An article on Apple’s Web site offers more information about this update.

Source: Vendor, 9/3/2010

Apple Issues Advisory, Updated Version of iOS

Apple iOS contains an array of vulnerabilities which has resulted in a vendor issued advisory. Apple recommends that users of the iPod Touch and iPhone update to to iOS
4.1 (downloadable and installable via iTunes).

Source: Secunia, 9/9/2010

Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Fixes Now Available

Cisco fixed three issues that were found in the Wireless LAN Controller product family. An advisory and updates are available from the vendor.
There are no workarounds for these vulnerabilities so users must apply the updates.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Fedora Issues Fixes for Products

Fedora released updates for Thunderbird, XULrunner, and Firefox. Users may update their versions via the yum utility. Advisories have also been posted on Fedora’s Web site.

Source: Secunia, 9/9/2010

Google Chrome Update Eliminates Earlier Vulnerabilities

An advisory has been issued for Google Chrome which has a variety of flaws. Users must update to version 6.0.472.53
to mitigate the risks.

Source: Secunia, 9/3/2010

Thunderbird Users Need to Update Immediately

Mozilla Thunderbird has been reported to contain a variety of critical flaws. The vendor has released several advisories regarding these issues, which can be found on its Web site. Users are asked to immediately
update to version 3.1.3 or 3.07.

Source: Secunia, 9/8/2010

Mozilla Firefox Has 14 Vulnerabilities; Updated Versions Available

Fourteen critical vulnerabilities have been found in Mozilla Firefox which could result in such issues as the execution of arbitrary code, the corruption of memory, and gaining of server information from internal
networks. Mozilla recommends that users update to version 3.6.9 or 3.5.12. The 14 advisories are posted at Mozilla’s Web site.

Source: Secunia, 9/8/2010

Red Hat Issues Fixes for SeaMonkey, Thunderbird, and Firefox

Red Hat is providing updates for SeaMonkey, Thunderbird, and Firefox. Advisories have been issued and can be found at the Red Hat Network. Updates for the products should be applied immediately.

Source: Secunia, 9/89/2010

SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES


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New Paper Details Importance of Asking the Right Security Questions

The UK’s Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure has published a paper detailing important security questions that companies
should be asking their vendors. The paper is targeted at procurement teams, business risk managers, and information security personnel. The questions are primarily derived with software applications in mind, however the same approach applies equally to
wherever software is found: hardware appliances, multi-function-devices, operating systems, embedded software, databases and other specialist applications.

Source: CPNI, 9/1/2010

CSC Hires Mark Rasch as Director of Cybersecurity and Consulting

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has appointed Mark Rasch director of Cybersecurity and Privacy Consulting for its North American Public Sector business unit. In this position, he will report to
Carlos Solari, vice president of Cyber Technology and Solutions, and will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategy for deploying a new cybersecurity and privacy consulting practice within the company. Rasch has more than 20 years of
experience in security services in the public sector.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Survey: Online Threats Mean Different Things to Different Nations

A new survey from F-Secure details how online security threats mean different things to different people around the world. Asked how concerned they are about their online privacy and data security, Germans (77%)
and Malaysians (73%) expressed the most concern, while the Swedes (42%) and Finns (36%) appeared to be the least concerned. Poland (70%), Finland (60%), and Malaysia (54%) were targeted the most often by online threats while Germany (32%) reported the
lowest figure. The survey interviewed computer users in Finland, Germany, Malaysia, Poland, Sweden, the UK, and the United States.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Kaspersky Article Highlights the Dangers of the Internet

A new article published by Kaspersky Lab has found that today’s cyber attacks are the most dangerous ever. The article, The
Perils of the Internet, describes how attacks usually have two steps: redirecting a user to a malicious resource, and downloading a malicious executable file onto his/ her computer. One of the most common methods used to launch drive-by attacks today is by
using exploit packs that exploit vulnerabilities in legitimate software programs running on the victim machine.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

RSA Provides Technology for US Government Smartcard Offering

RSA‘s Professional Services has aligned with Canon to provide US government standard encryption for its embedded platform used to validate smartcards in Canon printers,
copiers, and multifunction products. RSA’s technology has enabled the company to sell equipment that achieves the security requirements for smartcard authentication to the US public sector, such as the Department of
Defense
.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Sourcefire Integrates

Sourcefire announced an integration with QualysGuard. Sourcefire is delivering a new Qualys Connector, which associates threats detected by the Sourcefire IPSTM (Intrusion Prevention System) with host
vulnerabilities found by QualysGuard Vulnerability Management.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Aware of Online Threats, Users Continue to Surf, Says Symantec Report

A new study from Symantec reveals that two-thirds (65%) of Internet users globally, and almost three-quarters (73%) of US Web surfers have fallen victim to
cybercrimes, including computer viruses, online credit card fraud and identity theft. As the most victimized nations, America ranks third, after China (83%) and Brazil and India (tied at 76%). According to the Norton Cybercrime Report: The Human
Impact, despite the emotional burden, the universal threat, and incidents of cybercrime, people still are not changing their behaviors – with only 51% of adults saying they would change their behavior if they became a victim.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

Symantec Introduces NetBackup 5000

Symantec announced NetBackup 5000 deduplication appliance and cloud storage for NetBackup and Backup Exec. NetBackup 5000 is a scalable product that can provide source or target-based deduplication.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Symantec Announces Updated Enterprise Vault Products

Symantec announced the availability of Enterprise Vault 9.0 and Enterprise Vault Discovery Collector. Enterprise Vault 9.0 allows for emails from Microsoft Exchange Online to
be combined with on-premise archived content sources into a central repository. Enterprise Vault Discovery Collector pulls unmanaged information from desktops and laptops, as well as data that has not yet been archived from SharePoint Server and file
shares.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Trend Micro Titanium Security 2011 Protects against Cyber Threats

Titanium Security 2011 is Trend Micro‘s newest offering to battle viruses, spyware, and phishing attacks. Titanium 2011, which is now available for purchase, utilizes a cloud-client strategy that combines
cloud-based Web, email, and file reputation services with Trend Micro’s Smart Scanning technology for protection against today’s threats.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

SMARTPHONES


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Huawei to Launch Android-based IDEOS Smartphone

Huawei announced the upcoming launch of a new smartphone called IDEOS, which Huawei describes as an “affordable smartphone” powered by Google‘s Android 2.2 mobile operating
system. The smartphone will be priced between US$100 and $200, depending on the market, Huawei said, and will be released in a number of countries across Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, North America, and Latin America. Industry watchers expect it to
launch in the US before the end of the year. The IDEOS boasts downlink speeds of more than 7.2Mbps and offers WCDMA + WiFi dual network support. The device also doubles as a WiFi router for up to eight devices at a time. The IDEOS supports such functions
as voice dialing, voice navigation, and the ability to run applications off the SD card.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

IDC Ups Forecast of Smartphone Market Growth

Research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said the worldwide market for converged mobile devices (commonly called smartphones) is expected to grow 55.4% this year compared to 2009 amid greater-than-expected
demand for the devices. This is 10% higher than the previous forecast from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. IDC said in a press release that it now expects handset
vendors to ship 269.6 million smartphones this year, compared with the 173.5 million units shipped in 2009. The estimate is 10 percent higher than IDC had previously estimated. The research firm said the introduction of several new smartphones –
including Apple’s iPhone 4, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Torch, and the HTC Evo – caused it to increase its forecast. The smartphone market also will be crowded by more phones running Google’s Android platform, IDC said.

Source: IDC, 9/9/2010

Samsung Fascinate Available Soon from Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless and Samsung Mobile announced that the Samsung Fascinate, a Galaxy S smartphone available exclusively from Verizon in the US, will be available
online on September 8 and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on September 9 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and with a new two-year customer agreement.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

SOCIAL MEDIA


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Craigslist Blocks Adult Services Page, Replaces Link with “Censored”

Online classified site Craigslist has blocked access to its Adult Services pages and replaced the link with a black "censored" bar. The section of the site, which is alleged to contain
everything from ads for prostitution to ads that facilitate human trafficking, has long been under fire by law enforcement officials and human rights groups. Craigslist has maintained that it has a right to provide access to the section, and
that it is not responsible for the content posted there. At the time of this writing, Craigslist’s intentions remained unclear, although one source told The New York Times that the change may be the
site’s way of capitulating to long-standing pressure to shut down the section, while "thumbing its nose at being compelled to do so."

Source: NY Times, 9/4/2010

Twitter Updates the Status of its Ecosystem with Mobile Usage Numbers

Twitter revealed some interesting statistics in its latest update on the status of its "ecosystem." The company announced that it has seen a 62 percent jump in total mobile usership since it began offering
Twitter-branded mobile apps in mid-April. This brings the portion of users accessing the site through mobile applications up to 46 percent, with 16 percent of new users signing up via one of the company’s mobile offerings. Of the mobile apps available, the
iPhone version and BlackBerry version account for the most users at 8 and 7 percent respectively. Despite the success of these applications, Twitter revealed that the most popular method of accessing the service remains its mobile Web site, which still
accounts for 14 percent of tweets.

Source: Vendor, 9/3/2010

STREAMING MEDIA


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Adobe Announces Release of Flash Media Server 4 Software

Adobe announced the release of its new Flash Media Server 4 software. This media streaming and interactive content solution will come in three versions: Flash Media Streaming Server 4, Flash Media Interactive Server
4, and Flash Media Enterprise Server 4. Benefits of the updated software include peer-assisted networking, and Real Time Media Flow Protocol (RTMFP), which the company says can significantly reduce bandwidth usage. More information about the Flash Media
Server 4 line is available from its product page.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

BlinkX Partners with Videojug and Howdini for 50,000 new How-To Videos

blinkX announced that it has signed with Videojug and Howdini to bring 50,000 new professionally produced how-to films to its video search engine. The companies will provide instructional media on a wide variety of
topics, while blinkX will leverage its AdHoc platform to place advertising against the new content. The revenue resulting from these ad exposures will be shared between blinkX and the video’s provider.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

Nokia Siemens Launching New Multiscreen TV Client

Nokia Siemens Networks is launching a new software client – based on Nokia‘s open source Qt development framework and user interface – that allows the consumer to
watch TV content using any network. The Multiscreen TV client can access streams from “over-the-top” Internet TV, broadcast TV, social networks, and other areas of the Web. It provides a user interface for services delivered via Nokia Siemens’ Ubiquity
Multiscreen TV Platform, regardless of location or device. The client supports various operating systems (OS), including mobile OSs such as Android and Symbian.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

YouTube Launches New Site in Argentina

YouTube announced that it has launched its 25th localized version in Argentina. The site will feature localized content, and statistics on viewership within Argentina. The new site is accessible by clicking on the
location tab at the bottom of a YouTube page and selecting Argentina.

Source: Vendor, 9/8/2010

VOIP


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Ericsson Debuts New Media Delivery Network

Ericsson introduced its Media Delivery Network (MDN) solution, which it says helps operators and broadcasters deliver VoIP content. MDN was designed to address video traffic overloads by supporting multi-channel
TV, video on demand, and “over the top” video content from the same core infrastructure. It integrates a content delivery network as part of the Ericsson TV portfolio, and offers features for distribution and delivery, caching, storing, streaming,
transcoding, and managing content.

Source: Vendor, 9/7/2010

Skype Launches Beta of Version 5.0 with 10-Way Video Calling

Skype launched a beta of version 5.0 of its Windows application. The updated version offers numerous improvements, including up to 10-way video calling; offline instant messaging; and improvements to call quality and
call recovery. The beta version can be downloaded from Skype’s Garage page.

Source: Vendor, 9/3/2010

WEB COMMERCE


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Amazon Announces Expansion of Checkout by Amazon Service

Amazon announced that its has expanded its Checkout by Amazon program to allow for deeper integration of customers’ accounts. Unlike the previous
system, customers can now checkout directly on the merchant’s site, without having to be redirected to a checkout page hosted by Amazon. This new payment method includes full support for the customer’s address book, and all of their previously used sources
of funding the transaction.

Source: Vendor, 9/9/2010

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