News Briefs for the Week Ending
12/02/2010
Copyright 2010, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1012
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
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Accenture to Acquire CAS Computer Anwendungs-und Systemeratung
Accenture announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CAS Computer Anwendungs-und Systemberatung AG (CAS), a provider of customer relationship management (CRM), and mobility software. Accenture
says it will use the acquired company’s assets to enhance its own ability to offer in-store strategies and retail execution planning for its customers. The company says it will maintain the CAS brand, and will continue to operate the existing CAS corporate
headquarters. The transaction is expected to close within 60 days. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/19/2010
Boeing to Acquire Montana-Based Operations of Summit Aeronautics
Boeing announced the signing of an agreement to acquire the business and operations of Summit Aeronautics Group, maker of titanium and other hard metal structures for commercial and military aircraft. Included in the
purchase is the building, assets, and inventory of the company’s Helena, Montana location, which Boeing will assume the operation of. Once acquired, the site, Including its 135 employees, will become part of Boeing Fabrication. The transaction is expected
to close in the fourth quarter of 2010. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Capgemini Acquires Thesys Technologies
Capgemini revealed that it has acquired Thesys Technologies, an IT services company specializing in banking service implementation. Capgemini says it will use the acquisition to enhance its own Temenos-enabled
core banking front-to back-office solutions and other products. The transaction also includes approximately 300 employees, which will be transitioning to Capgemini’s Temenos business. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/24/2010
Cardinal Health Acquires Chinese Pharma Distributor Zuellig
Cardinal Health announced that it has acquired the privately held Zuellig Pharma China, a pharmaceutical distributor in China, for a total of $470 million. The company says it will use the acquisition to establish
a foothold in the growing Chinese pharmaceutical industry. The purchase of Zuellig gives Cardinal an established base in 31 of the 34 provinces of China, as well as 49,000 hospitals and clinics, and 123,000 pharmacies. Following the completion of the
acquisition, Zuellig will be absorbed into Cardinal Health’s Pharmaceutical unit.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
CenturyLink, Qwest Reach Agreement with Cox Communications
CenturyLink and Qwest Communications, which are in the process of a merger, have reached an agreement on wholesale conditions with Cox
Communications that resolves concerns Cox raised about the companies’ pending merger in Arizona and Nebraska. As a result of the agreement, Cox acknowledged that the merger “is in the public interest” and that it should be approved in state
proceedings. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have approved CenturyLink’s acquisition of Qwest. The companies also must receive approvals from nine additional states and the Federal Communications Commission. The transaction is expected to be
completed during the first half of 2011.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
CenturyLink, Qwest Reach Agreement with Arizona Regulators
CenturyLink and Qwest Communications have reached an agreement with the staff of the Arizona Corporate Commission (ACC) and the Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO) on
the proposed merger of the two telecommunication companies. The companies, the ACC staff and the RUCO agreed to a resolution of retail and wholesale issues, which includes the companies providing regular integration updates and reports. Additionally, the
combined company will invest a minimum of $70 million in broadband infrastructure in Arizona over five years. As a result of the agreement, the ACC commission staff and the RUCO will recommend that the merger should be approved by the ACC. The staff’s
recommendation is subject to review and approval by the commission members. CenturyLink and Qwest have received more than half of the state regulatory approvals needed to complete the transaction. The companies must receive approvals from nine additional
states, including Arizona, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Ericsson to Acquire Assets of former Nortel Chinese Venture
Ericsson agreed to purchase certain assets of Guangdong Nortel Telecommunication Equipment (GDNT) for $50 million USD. GDNT is a leading Chinese research, development and manufacturing company, and an Ericsson
supplier since its acquisition of Nortel’s CDMA and GSM businesses. It was founded in 1995 as a joint venture between Nortel and several Chinese corporations and telecommunications operators. It is believed the acquisition will help secure the continued
development of CDMA and GSM businesses in China. The transaction includes research and development (R&D) facilities, manufacturing facilities, and support and customer service in China. Some 1,100 employees – approximately 550 in R&D alone – will be
integrated into the Ericsson group over the coming months. The purchase is structured as an asset sale, and is subject to final balance sheet adjustments.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Gilat Closes Wavestream Acquisition
Gilat Satellite Networks has completed its previously-announced acquisition of Wavestream Corporation. Wavestream makes high power solid state amplifiers. It was acquired by Gilat for approximately $130 million USD
and an earn-out over the next 12 months of up to $6.8 million. Gilat expects to use Wavestream’s technology and sales reach to grow its market position in the US government sector.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Rumor: Google Near Deal to Buy Groupon for $6 Billlion
According to The New York Times Deal Book blog, Google is near a deal to acquire Groupon, an online daily discounter with a local market focus, for as much as $6 billion
USD. Quoting people with knowledge of the discussions, the Times said a deal could be struck as soon as this week, but noted that talks could still fall apart.
Source: NYTimes, 12/1/2010
Juniper Acquires Intellectual Property of Blackwave
Juniper Networks announced it acquired the intellectual property assets of Blackwave, a firm that focuses on Internet video storage and delivery infrastructure. It says the purchase will allow it to extend its
solutions for delivering Internet video content with better scale, performance, and scalability. Specifically, Juniper will integrate Blackwave’s technology with its Media Flow Controller, to better control its converged content delivery solutions.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Lockheed Martin Completes Divestiture of EIG Business
Lockheed Martin announced that it has completed the divestiture of its Enterprise Integration Group (EIG) business to Veritas Capital for $815 million in cash. The divestiture was undertaken due to increased
governmental concerns over perceived organizational conflicts of interest.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
News Corp Acquires 90% Stake in Wireless Generation
News Corp announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 90 percent of Wireless Generation, a privately-held education technology company. The transaction will be completed for approximately
$360 in cash. Upon the closing of the deal, Wireless Generation will become an independent subsidiary of News Corp, and will be managed by current CEO and founder Larry Berger, as well as President and COO Josh Reibel, and Executive Vice President and
Chief Product Officer Laurence Holt. The trio will retain the remaining 10 percent of the company.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Novell Agrees to be Acquired by Attachmate
Novell announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement with the Attachmate Corporation. Attachmate will acquire Novell for $6.10 per share, for a total of $2.2 billion USD. The price represents a 9%
premium over the company’s most recent trading prices. Following its acquisition, Novell will be operated as two separate companies: Novell and SUSE. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval, and is expected to close some time during the
first quarter of 2011.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Red Hat Acquires Application Developer Makara
Red Hat announced that it has acquired Makara, a developer of deployment and management solutions for applications in the cloud. Red Hat says the acquired assets will be used to enhance its Platform-as-a-Service
(PaaS) solutions, a portion of its Cloud Foundations portfolio. Specifically, the company plans to combine its own JBoss Enterprise Middleware infrastructure with Makara’s Cloud Application Platform to create an entirely new PaaS offering. No financial
terms for the transaction, or specific product availability dates were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Trend Micro to Acquire Mobile Armor
Trend Micro signed a definitive agreement to purchase data protection vendor, Mobile Armor, which offers full-disk, file/folder, and removable media encryption for endpoints. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The transaction is expected to close before December 31.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
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KPN and Telefonica Sign Multinational Customer Network Sharing Deal
KPN and Telefonica announced the signing of a partnership agreement for multinational customers (MNCs). The agreement is designed to provide ubiquitous service to more than 1200
MNCs across the companies’ networks. The joint services will span more than 20 countries, including locations in Europe, North America, and South America. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/25/2010
Siemens, CA Forge Alliance for Sustainability Management
Siemens IT Solutions and Services is collaborating with CA Technologies to provide joint carbon and sustainability management tools and processes. The collaboration will combine CA’s
ecoSoftware suite with Siemens’ multi-discipline industrial experience in carbon and sustainability management. The alliance was announced in mid-November at Green IT Expo in London.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
BIOMETRICS
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Morpho’s Biometric Terminal Receives Indian Certification
Morpho announced that MorphoTop, a 10 fingerprint image capture terminal, has been officially certified by Unique Identification Authority of India, the body in charge of India’s Aadhaar project. This certification
means that the terminal is now compliant for capturing fingerprints for enrollment and verification purposes under the biometric project.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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Symantec Report Offers Sobering Statistics on Disaster Recovery
Forty-four percent of data on virtual systems is not regularly backed up, while 60 percent of virtualized servers are not covered in current disaster recovery plans, according to Symantec‘s Disaster Recovery Survey. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said that they have
encountered problems protecting mission-critical applications in virtual and physical environments because they use multiple tools to manage and secure their data. In terms of cloud computing, respondents reported that their organization runs approximately
50 percent of mission-critical applications in the cloud.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
CALL CENTER
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RightNow Launches New Generation of Voice Experience Management
RightNow launched the newest generation of its Voice Experience Management solutions. The tool attempts to automatically route callers by recognizing their reason for calling. The company is positioning the new
offering as an improvement over the use of “Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems as a call automation or call deflection tool.” More information about the new Voice Experience Management solutions is available from their product page.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
CARRIER SERVICES
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AT&T, Omnicom Announce Strategic Relationship
AT&T announced a global strategic relationship, including a new contract for its products and services worth at least $57 million USD, with advertising and marketing communications firm Omnicom. AT&T said it will work
with Omnicom to develop networking solutions to connect Omnicom’s offices around the world. Omnicom will also explore the use of AT&T’s Managed Hosting and Application Services to help accelerate the delivery of packaged applications across Omnicom’s
global network. Additional AT&T networking solutions under consideration by Omnicom are AT&T’s Telepresence Solution, Cloud Services, and Unified Communications.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Clearwire, Sprint Launch 4G Service in New Areas
Broadband wireless network provider Clearwire and carrier Sprint – which uses Clearwire for its 4G branded service and is that company’s majority shareholder – announced the
launch of 4G services in Los Angeles, south Florida, and Ohio. Sprint said it was launching 4G services in Washington, DC, as well. In Florida, Sprint and Clearwire 4G service has been launched in the Miami area, covering approximately 3.8 million people.
Regionally, service extends from North Fort Lauderdale to the south Miami metro area that includes Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, North Miami, Hallandale, Dania Beach, and Hollywood. In the Los Angeles, California launch, the 4G service covers more than 11
million people, extending from West Hills (east of Burbank) to Irvine and back up to Ontario, including most of the Los Angeles metro area. In Ohio, 4G service has been launched in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
DISH Network Launches Sling-Based TV Everywhere Service
DISH Network officially launched its new TV Everywhere service. The new offering allows customers to access both live and recorded television programming from devices such as laptops, tablets, and compatible
smartphones. This is made possible by a combination of the company’s new Sling Adapter, a set-top box that captures programming and streams it over a data connection, and a new mobile application. DISH Network is selling the Sling Adapter to new and
existing customers for $99, while the mobile application is available as a free download for iOS, Android, Windows, OS X, and the Blackberry OS.
Source: Vendor, 11/18/2010
Swisscom Launches New Premium Mobile Data Tier
Swisscom announced the launch of a new mobile data service tier titled NATEL data premium. The new offering gives customers access to 21 Mbps download rates via the company’s cellular network. The data service will
be available for a monthly fee of CHF 85, which includes 5 GB of data transfer allowance. This new tier builds on existing NATEL offerings, which previously maxed out at 2GB per month.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Verizon Begins Rollout of 150/35 Mbps Internet Service over FiOS
Verizon said it is launching 150/35 megabits per second Internet service over the company’s all-fiber-optic FiOS network. The company has begun to roll out the high-speed service to the majority of the more than
12.5 million homes the FiOS network passes, and will make the service available to Verizon FiOS small-business customers by the end of the year.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Verizon to Launch LTE Service Next Week
Verizon Wireless announced it will launch its commercial LTE (Long Term Evolution) service in 38 markets and at more than 60 airports on December 5th. The carrier’s first two LTE devices will be USB
dongles; both will be backward compatible with Verizon’s EVDO network. Verizon will charge $50 per month for 5 GB of LTE data and $80 for 10 GB of data; both plans will have a $10/GB per month overage. Customers will get text alerts when they reach 50
percent, 75 percent, 90 percent, and 100 percent of their usage allotment. All of Verizon’s LTE plans are postpaid, requiring a two-year contract.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
CHIP TECHNOLOGY
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IBM Details Milestone in Photonics-based Chip Design
Cnet reported that IBM has achieved a major milestone in making the dream of silicon photonics, in which computer chips send signals of light rather than electricity, into reality.
At a semiconductor industry conference in Tokyo, an IBM researcher detailed how the company has created a chip that integrates many of the necessary elements of optical communication between a processor and other devices. The design uses conventional
rather than exotic chip manufacturing technology, involves very small components, and essentially permits a fiber-optic communication line to be attached directly to a processor, according to the Cnet report. The technology may first be used in IBM’s
Exascale project to build a computer that can perform a quintillion mathematical calculations per second – roughly 1,000 times that of today’s fastest supercomputers.
Source: CNet, 12/1/2010
Telegent Ships 100 Millionth Mobile TV Chip
Mobile TV chip manufacturer Telegent Systems (Sunnyvale, California) announced it has shipped its 100 millionth mobile TV receiver. Handsets that include Telegent’s technology, enabled to receive free-to-air
broadcast TV in mobile devices, have been adopted by consumers in emerging markets including Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and India. The company’s customers include Samsung, ZTE, Tianyu, and more than one hundred other design
houses and original equipment manufacturers in Taiwan and China, Telegent said.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
CLOUD COMPUTING
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Broadvision Launches Clearvale PaasPort for the Telecoms Industry
Broadvision announced the launch of Clearvale PaasPort for the telecommunications industry. The new product is designed to closely resemble Facebook‘s recently launched
Messages service, but, unlike Facebook’s product, it is specifically targeted at business customers. The platform-as-a-service solution creates a “social business cloud” to give telecom companies the ability to provide their customers with cloud-based
enterprise services. Broadvision says it has already signed Japanese carrier Softbank up for the PaasPort service.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Fujitsu Debuts Outsourced Private Cloud Management
Fujitsu Japan rolled out its new Private Cloud Service, an outsourced service that includes server and storage virtualization and automation for the private cloud. Fujitsu will handle the complete lifecycle of the
customer’s private cloud: from planning and design for initial deployment, to construction, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, and disposition. The Private Cloud Service is available for cloud computing environments in Japan.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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Alcatel to Provide ISAM Technology for Saudi Telecom
Alcatel-Lucent signed a multi-million EUR frame contract to provide its Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) technology for Saudi Telecom Company (STC), to upgrade the carrier’s broadband access
network. ISAM will allow STC to better accommodate bandwidth demanding applications, it says, by allowing it to deliver seamless, high speed broadband multimedia services such as high speed data, IPTV, VoIP, and content on demand. Alcatel will also provide
professional services, including network design, deployment, installation, commissioning, testing, and project management support.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Alcatel Provides Triple Play Express for W Carolina Tel
Alcatel-Lucent deployed Triple Play Express (TPE) – which offers pre-integrated voice, video, and data for regional, local, and independent service providers – for West Carolina Tel. Effective January 1st,
nearly 15,000 customers in South Carolina can access cutting edge IPTV services and ultra high speed video and data. The TPE solution also supports video on demand, HDTV, remote DVR, an applications dashboard, and CallerID features.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Alcatel Equipment Used for PT 100G-bps Demonstration
Portugal Telecom demonstrated a 100G-bps connection across the 400 kilometer stretch between Lisbon and Oporto – the highest speed ever achieved on a full, in-service telecommunications network – using Alcatel-Lucent Light Manager and service router technology. The companies demonstrated end to end, optical Internet Protocol (IP) across an existing dense wavelength division multiplexing link. The demonstration
used optical transmission and switching and routing IP/Multi-protocol Label Switching equipment to prove these velocities are already possible over optical fiber existing networks that process live traffic.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Bell Canada Launches NETGEAR Turbo Hub Wired/Wireless Router
Bell Canada announced the launch of its NETGEAR Turbo Hub, a new wireless Internet access device with download speeds of 21 Mbps. The hybrid router is capable of offering both wired, and wireless connectivity via the
company’s wireline or high-speed cellular broadband. The NETGEAR Turbo Hub is available now from Bell for $149.95 with a 2-year contract or for $299.95 with no contract. Data plans start at $35 a month for 3GB.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Cisco Provides Connected Physical Security System for Russian Network
Cisco announced that Selectel, a data center network in Russia, has deployed a Cisco Connected Physical Security solution that provides integrated video surveillance and access control at the company’s new data center
in Moscow. The new data center offers its customers a wide range of telecom services such as the collocation of servers and the leasing of physical and virtual dedicated servers. It occupies a space of more than 500 square meters. This is the first
integrated physical security system project using Cisco equipment and software implemented by ARMO-LINE, a Cisco Premier Certified Partner in Russia. The project was delivered in four months and included the design, installation, and integration of
security systems and their deployment.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
FiberLight Launches New Network in Baltimore
Fiber network provider FiberLight held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Baltimore Technology Park in Baltimore, Maryland to officially launch a new $20 million, 104-mile fiber optic network. The new network will
augment FiberLight’s existing 123-mile Baltimore network and 299-mile Virginia and Washington, DC networks by extending the underground optical backbone past the downtown Baltimore business district to connect to the cities of Laurel, Columbia, Elkridge,
and Greenbelt.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
RedCLARA Research Consortium Expands Deal with Global Crossing
Global Crossing announced that RedCLARA (Cooperacion Latinoamericana de Redes Avanzadas), an academic consortium devoted to research and education in Latin America, has
signed a three-year contract for connectivity solutions between Sao Paulo, Brazil and Madrid, Spain. The contract expands RedCLARA’s current relationship with Global Crossing, which includes colocation services in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
M‚xico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Global Crossing enables RedCLARA to connect its network of more than 700 universities and research centers in Latin America with more than 3,500 academic institutions in Europe and the rest of the world.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
HP to Provide Australia’s Marriott with Routers, Switches
HP Networking agreed to provide Marriott International in Australia with the high performance infrastructure needed to deliver advanced, in-room technology services to hotel guests. Marriott selected HP’s E
series routers, switches, and controllers as part of a more comprehensive infrastructure upgrade to address the growing demand for high speed wireless Internet access, IPTV, and future services among hotel guests.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Huawei to Deploy LTE TDD Network for Poland’s Aero2
Huawei Technologies was awarded a frame contract to deploy a commercial longterm evolution time (LTE) division duplex (TDD) network for Aero2, a top Polish mobile broadband operator. Presumably, the LTE TDD network
will allow Aero2 to offer ultra-speed data rates and mobile broadband services, such as video call and mobile Internet access. The network will be operational in early 2011.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Huawei Selected for China Mobile WDN, LTE Networks
Huawei Technologies was selected to construct a massive 80x40G Wavelength Division Multiplexing national backbone network for China Mobile. It says the network will allow China Mobile to offer more ultra broadband
services to subscribers in cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. The migration comes in response to increased service traffic, which has strained China Mobile’s legacy 10G backbone network nearly to the point of capacity. The project follows a
call for bids, issued this past June, and is the first trial of an optical transport network national backbone network in China. Huawei also deployed a longterm evolution time division duplex trial network for China Mobile, in Guangzhou, China. The network
allowed visitors to access services such as mobile high definition (HD) video conferencing and surveillance, and HD video on demand.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Chinese Mining Company Migrates to Juniper Communications Equipment
Juniper Networks announced that China’s Yunnan Copper Company has migrated its data center network to switches, routers, and security devices running Juniper’s Junos operating system. Deployment of Juniper Networks’
EX4200 Ethernet Switches, SRX3600 Service Gateways, and M10i Multiservice Edge Routers enables Yunnan Copper to scale its data center operations and provide improved services to its branch offices and subsidiaries, Juniper said. Juniper Networks is
headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Juniper Provides Technology for Saudi Arabia’s Yesser Project
Juniper Networks provided switching, routing, and security technology for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), to create the Infrastructure as a platform for MCIT’s
country-wide e-government project “Yesser.” The new high performance network and data center infrastructure will presumably allow many different government departments to interact with citizens – and each other – online, providing faster services and
transactions for government organizations and their commercial and constituent clients. MCIT is responsible for the deployment and management of IT and network based services across the Kingdom, including broadcast, digital, and telephony activities.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Juniper Contributes to Tokyo Institute of Technology Network
The Tokyo Institute of Technology upgraded its multi-site campus network using Juniper Networks‘ Ethernet switches, routers, and security devices. The new infrastructure runs on Junos. According to Juniper, the
upgrade will increase network performance by adding 10GbE connections to every building on the Institute’s three campus sites, servicing 13,000 students and staff.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Juniper to Provide Routers, Switches for 360networks
Juniper Networks was selected by 360networks – a communications services wholesaler – to provide Ethernet routers, switches, and Junos Space software. The deployment should extend its capabilities for supporting
growing customer capacity demands and introducing wholesale IP services.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
RestorePoint to Use Level 3’s Dedicated Internet Access Service
Level 3 announced that it has won a contract from RestorePoint to provide the disaster recovery and data protection company with dedicated Internet access services. Financial terms of the contract were not released.
RestorePoint – based in Alphretta, Georgia – will use Level 3’s service to improve the transmission rate of large amounts of data.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Maine Fiber Company Selects nextGen as Prime Contractor
Maine Fiber Company announced that it has selected nextGen Telecom Services Group as the prime network infrastructure construction contractor for the Three Ring Binder
project, an 1,100 mile fiber optic network spanning 100 Maine communities that encompasses 110,000 households, 600 schools, libraries and other anchor community institutions, and 38 government facilities. NextGen has also been selected to provide on-going
maintenance and emergency restoration services. NextGen has already begun work on the project and expects to complete the construction phase in two years. Maine Fiber Company’s investors are providing a private match of approximately $7 million (20% of the
total cost) to complete project funding. The project received $25.4 million in grant funding from the US Department of Commerce in December 2009.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
NEC, Telefonica Moviles Conducting LTE Field Trial in Argentina
NEC Argentina is working with mobile carrier Telefonica Moviles Argentina on a longterm evolution (LTE) field trial. The Buenos Aires trial – now underway and running through mid December – includes NEC LTE systems,
including terminals, base stations, and core networks. NEC will also run mobility testing, such as throughput measurement from a fixed point, handover between networks, and latency tests. The companies say the trial is the first in the AWS band in Central
and South America.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Nokia Siemens to Upgrade Tusmobil 3G Network
Nokia Siemens Networks was selected by Tusmobil to upgrade the Slovenian operator’s 3G mobile network, potentially helping it accommodate up to 21M-bps traffic. Tusmobil will migrate to an all IP,
high-speed packet access plus (HSPA+) network – presumably the world’s first – on the 900-MHz frequency band. Over a three year period, Nokia Siemens will provide its Flexi Multi-radio base station, FlexiPacket Microwave, and complete IP backhaul platform.
It will also provide network implementation and operator services.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
NTT Com Strikes WLAN Roaming Deal with China Telecom
NTT Communications announced a Wi-Fi roaming relationship with China Telecom (via Aicent) that will give NTT Com customers traveling in
China the ability to use China Telecom’s wireless local area network (WLAN) access points for data roaming. Subscribers to NTT Com’s HOTSPOT WLAN service in Japan will have access to more than 100,000 access points in 31 Chinese provinces, government-ruled
municipalities, and autonomous regions. Access will cost 25 yen per minute, approximately 30 cents USD per minute.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
tw telecom Expands Fiber Network in Atlanta Metro Area
tw telecom announced a major expansion of its fiber network in the metro Atlanta, Georgia area. The expansion reaches more than 600 additional commercial buildings in business districts within the Georgia cities
of Johns Creek, Suwanee, Duluth, Norcross, Emory University area, Decatur, and Tucker.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
CONFERENCING
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AT&T, BT Launch Inter-Provider Telepresence Meeting Service
Telecom giants AT&T and BT announced the commercial availability of inter-provider, exchange-to-exchange telepresence meeting capability. The new connection between AT&T and BT
telepresence exchanges enables the carriers’ business customers to schedule telepresence meetings and to connect their telepresence endpoints seamlessly. The systems use Cisco TelePresence endpoints. In the future, AT&T
and BT customers will also have access to a directory that will help them determine what other registered organizations and locations are accessible through the inter-provider connection.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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Dell to Provide Hosting, Support Services for Carlyle
Dell Services announced a five year contract with the Carlyle Group to provide hosting and support for its Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise
and Hyperion performance management applications. Dell will provide technical support, application maintenance, integration services, and an integrated solution that includes hardware, data center hosting, IT service management, and applications
management.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Ericsson Extends Managed Services Deal with AXIS
Ericsson announced an agreement to manage the operations and field maintenance of AXIS’ Indonesian network, which services eight million customers in Greater Jakarta and Northern Sumatra. Ericsson will provide the
3G operator with managed services – extending an existing collaborative agreement signed in 2008 – over a four year period, and will now be responsible for AXIS network operations, field maintenance, support services, and spare parts management.
Source: Vendor, 12/29/2010
Global Crossing Wins Expanded Contract with Brazilian Company
Global Crossing said it has expanded and renewed an agreement to provide data center and managed security services to Positivo Inform tica, the largest computer manufacturer in Brazil and a leader in that
country’s education technology segment. As part of the agreement, Global Crossing provides connectivity to four education portals created and maintained by Positivo Inform tica’s Educational Technology division. Global Crossing has 17 data centers, and the
company’s hosting and colocation footprint currently offers facilities in 60 cities globally, including data centers in Cotia, Curitiba, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
IBM Signs IT Services Contract with Finnish Bank Samlink
IBM announced the signing of a new IT services contract with Samlink, a Finnish bank chain. IBM will be called on to manage both internal and customer facing systems, such as workstations, self-service kiosks, wireless
networks, servers, and printers. The deal has a duration of 5 years, and a total value of approximately EUR 38 million. This expands upon an earlier contract between the two companies for data center maintenance.
Source: Vendor, 11/24/2010
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
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Magnolia Updates Enterprise Web Authoring System
Content management system vendor Magnolia announced the release of Magnolia CMS 4.4, with new tools that enable enterprise Web authors to collaborate in the quick creation of professional-grade, multi-lingual
sites, Magnolia said. The Community and Enterprise editions of version 4.4 are available for download now. The Community Edition is a free open source download. Pricing for the Enterprise Edition, which includes additional features for large organizations,
together with professional service and support, starts at $12,000 USD.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
CRM
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Infor Launches CRM Epiphany Data Advisor
Infor launched its new CRM Epiphany Data Advisor, a tool for collecting, consolidating, and improving opt-in customer data. This is the second module released in the Advisor Family, and, like its predecessor, fully
integrates with all CRM Epiphany modules. Other features of the Data Advisor include automated data analysis and improvement recommendations, enterprise-wide data collection and coordination, as well as data consolidation and ongoing optimization. More
information about this release can be found at Infor’s CRM page.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
CYBERCRIME
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US Government Seizes Several Alleged Illegal File-Sharing Sites
The New York Times is reporting that the US Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, has seized the URLs of several “illegal file-sharing” sites. The included
sites were shut down, and visitors were redirected to a message detailing the closure and seizure by the US government. Among the sites seized were those hosting torrent files (a popular method of file-sharing), as well as several sites that served as
search engines for finding torrent files on the Web. The effort was spearheaded by John T. Morton, the assistant secretary of ICE, and representatives of the Motion Picture Association of America. It remains unclear what specific grounds the government
based its seizure on. A bill designed to allow the government to shut down sites participating in illegal file-sharing is only now being considered by congress, and, if approved, will not become law for some time.
Source: NYTimes, 11/26/2010
DATA BREACHES
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OMB Calls for Review of Data Protection Policies
The release of thousands of pages of classified US government information by Web site WikiLeaks prompted an order to all federal agencies by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to immediately review the procedures in place for protecting sensitive data. In a directive issued November 28, OMB
director Jacob Lew called on all federal agencies to establish special security assessment teams to conduct the reviews. Each team should include counterintelligence experts as well as security and information assurance experts, the directive noted. Lew’s
memo requires that each agency evaluate their specific security measures for restricting access to classified government systems.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
WikiLeaks Posts Massive Data Cache Downloaded from SIPRNET
Web site WikiLeaks on Sunday, November 28th posted a quarter million documents – confidential US diplomatic cables (communiqués) that reveal US State Department threat assessments,
policy discussions, and candid views of foreign leaders and countries, including US allies. The material was obtained by WikiLeaks and made available to a number of news organizations many weeks prior to publication. The
New York Times also obtained the documents in advance from the UK’s Guardian newspaper. The leaked files apparently originated from the US Defense Department‘s SIPRNet
(Secret IP Router Network), which is used for exchanging information up to the “secret” level, and is jointly administered by the NSA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Information Systems Agency. The US State Department said on November
30th it had narrowed access to its cable database in the wake of the latest data breach. In terms of who provided classified information to WikiLeaks, the prime suspect in the case is a US Army Private, who is also the prime suspect in an earlier data
breach involving downloading classified documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through SIPRNet and providing them to WikiLeaks. SIPRNet was established to improve communication between government agencies in the wake of 9/11 but apparently –
according to multiple news reports – activity on SIPRNet is not monitored once a user has been authorized to access the network. One report speculated that the data was downloaded and burned to a CD.
Source: NYTimes, 12/1/2010
Security Group Issues Report on Corporate Breaches
The UK’s Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure published new guidance on investigating signs of corporate network breaches.
The report offers information on what to look for and how to handle such incidents.
Source: CPNI, 11/22/2010
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
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Sybase Launches iAnywhere Blue SDK for Android Devices
Sybase announced the launch of a new iAnywhere Blue SDK for the Android mobile operating system. The software developer’s kit supports the Bluetooth Core Specification version 3.0+ High Speed (HS), and allows for the
creation of solutions using both Bluetooth and 802.11-based technologies. Sybase says this technology brings support for previously impossible tasks, such as streaming video, using the Bluetooth protocol. More information is available from the company’s Blue SDK page.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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CA Launches Identity Manager on Saleforce.com’s AppExchange 2
CA announced the launch of its CA Identity Manager on the AppExchange 2 platform, Salesforce.com‘s online business app
martketplace. The software allows companies to automate numerous identity management tasks, including role-based user provisioning, de-provisioning, and self-service access requests. More information on the CA Identity Manager is available from the
company’s Security Solution page.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Google Releases Google Earth 6 with Improved StreetView, Trees
Google released the latest iteration of Google Earth, the company’s interactive atlas software. The sixth edition of Google Earth includes two major upgrades: a more integrated StreetView, and the addition of
three-dimensional trees. The new StreetView functionality allows users to drop Google’s “pegman” icon on any street they’d like to view, and quickly be presented with the street level imagery of that location. Additionally, once in StreetView, the scroll
wheel on the user’s mouse will serve as a pair of virtual legs, allowing them to “walk” down the street by rolling it in the direction of their choice. As for the new trees, Google says it has added more than 80 million individual trees, including numerous
varieties, to locations around the globe. Google Earth 6 is available as a free download from the Google Earth homepage.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
HP Unveils Unified Application Lifecycle Management System
Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) 11, a unified system it says can accelerate software and services delivery across a heterogeneous environment.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
SAP Launches New High-Performance Analytic Appliance
SAP launched its new High-Performance Analytic Appliance (SAP HANA) software. The software uses in-memory data computing to enhance its ability to rapidly process analytics-based jobs. The company is positioning the
software to grow into a full-fledged platform, on which future high-speed analytics applications can be based. More information about the SAP HANA software can be found at the company’s TechEd Newsroom.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
FINANCIAL
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Cisco Authorizes Up to $10 Billion in Additional Stock Repurchases
Cisco announced that at a regularly scheduled meeting of its board of directors today, the board authorized up to $10 billion in additional repurchases of its common stock. Cisco’s board had previously authorized up
to $72 billion in stock repurchases. There is no fixed termination date for the repurchase program.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Dell More Than Doubles Third Quarter Profits
Computer maker Dell more than doubled profits for its 2011 fiscal third quarter ended October 29, 2010. Dell attributed the results to internal cost cutting and falling prices for such components as memory chips,
storage drives, and flat panel displays. Earnings were $822 million USD, or $0.42 per share, up 144 percent, up from 2010 fiscal third quarter profits of $337 million, with $0.17 per share. Revenues were $15.4 billion, up 19 percent from 2010 fiscal third
quarter revenues of $12.9 billion.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
HP’s Fourth Quarter Revenues Up Eight Percent
Hewlett-Packard (HP) posted revenues of $33.3 billion USD for its 2010 fiscal fourth quarter ended October 31, 2010. This was up eight percent from 2009 fiscal fourth quarter revenues of $30.8 billion, including a
slight negative currency impact of about one percentage point. Profits were $2.5 billion, or $1.10 per share, up five percent from 2009 fiscal fourth quarter profits of $2.4 billion, or $0.99 per share. For the full fiscal year, profits were $8.8 billion,
with $3.69 per share, a 14 percent jump from fiscal 2009 profits of $7.7 billion, or $3.14 per share. Revenues were $126 billion, up 10 percent from fiscal 2009 sales of $114.6 billion.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Salesforce.com Reports Increased Revenues, Sliding Profits in Q3
Salesforce.com announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010. The company’s revenue totaled $429 million, a 30% increase, year-over-year. Most of this was accounted for by $403 million in
revenue from subscription and support services, while the remaining $26 million was derived from professional services. On a negative note, earnings per share decreased 6%, year-over-year, to $0.15. However, the company added a net total of 4,800 new
customers over the quarter, bringing it to 87,200, a 28% year-over-year increase. On these results the company predicted a fourth quarter revenue range of between $447 and $449 million.
Source: Vendor, 11/18/2010
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
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Agilent to Provide Spectrum Analyzers for US Navy
Agilent Technologies signed a $1.8 million USD contract to provide the US Navy with handheld spectrum analyzers – for helping its technicians install, monitor, and maintain in-the-field radio frequency electronic
systems – over a five year period.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
CSC Receives Contract to Support EPA’s HRS and NPL Programs
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it was the winner of a contract to provide technical support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazard Ranking System (HRS) and National Priorities List
(NPL) program. CSC will be expected to provide technical, logistical, and information management support for the projects. The contract has a two-year base period, on three-year option, and two one year award periods. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
CSC in Two Teams Contracted By FAA Engineering 2020 Program
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it is a member of two teams that have received contracts under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) System Engineering 2020 (SE2020) program. Se2020 consists of
numerous task orders designed to provide mission analysis, research, development, prototyping, and flight demonstration of solutions. No specific financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
QinetiQ Lands NASA Contract
NASA has selected QinetiQ to provide engineering services and products at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in a contract valued at $1.96 billion USD. Under the
contract, QinetiQ will support an institutional capability for the engineering development of ground systems and equipment for handling, testing, servicing and other ground processing of launch vehicles, spacecraft and payloads.
Source: NASA, 11/18/2010
Northrop Grumman Earns $83.4 Million DMDC Task Order
Northrop Grumman announced that it has received a task order to support the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). The agreement calls for the company to provide project management, software development, data
management support, and research and analysis. The deal has a six-month base period, 4 annual options, and a total value of $83.4 million if all options are exercised.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Raytheon Selected as Part of $30 Billion FBI IT Contract
Raytheon announced that it has been selected as one of several awardees by the FBI to provide systems development, operations and maintenance, business re-engineering, and new technologies support for the bureau’s
enterprise initiatives. The IT contract, the largest in FBI history, has a ceiling value of more than $30 billion, and a duration of 8 years. Under the terms of the agreement the included companies will be able to compete for task orders in several
functional areas, including supply chain, hardware, software, operations and maintenance, technical, and development.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
SAIC Receives $321 Million Contract from NASA
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) received a contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide a variety of IT services in support of the its Enterprise Applications
Competency Center. The so called Enterprise Applications Service Technologies (EAST) contract will commence on Feb 1, 2011, and will see SAIC supporting the systems at all 10 of NASA’s field offices, as well as its Washington, DC headquarters. The
agreement has a two-year base period, one two-year option, one single-year option, and a ceiling value of $321 million.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
SAIC Receives $42 Million Contract from US Navy
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) received a contract from the US Navy Program Executive Office (PEO) for C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence). The agreement calls on
SAIC to provide the Control Program Office with tactical data link (TDL) engineering and technical support services. This will include the development, testing, and certification of new capabilities, as well as providing fielding management services in
support of interoperability. The contract has a one-year base period, four annual options, and a total value of more than $42 million if all options are exercised.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
GRANTS
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Sprint Awards More than $55,000 in Grants to New York Non-Profits
Sprint announced that it has awarded five New York City-area non-profit organizations with Sprint Foundation grants as part of the 2010 Sprint Local Grant Program and the 2010 Sprint Community Champions program. The
two largest grants were to The Museum of the City of New York, which received a $25,000 grant for its Weekend Family Programs and Theatre for a New Audience, which received a $25,000 grant for its Arts in Education Program. The grants totaled more than
$55,000.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
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Allscripts Enterprise HER Receives Meaningful Use Certification
Allscripts announced that its Allscripts Enterprise EHR, Version 11.2 has
earned certification as a Complete EHR by an agent of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB). This guarantees users’ compliance with Stage 1 Meaningful Use measures required by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
HP to Provide Technology for Kenyan Health System
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced an alliance with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Kenya, to provide structural and systematic upgrades to its testing and
treatment health system. This system supports more than 120,000 infants exposed to HIV. HP will work with CHAI and the Kenya Ministry of Public Health & Sanitation to provide the technology for capturing, managing, and diagnosing test results.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Telus Launches Health Space Platform
Canadian telecom Telus has launched Telus Health Space, a confidential online consumer platform that enables users to access and manage their own health information. Powered by Microsoft HealthVault, the service will soon be available to millions of Canadians, the company said. Telus health space will give Canadians the ability to create, store, and manage their family’s health information in
an environment that uses the latest in encryption and protection technology, Telus said.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
INTERNET
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FTC Calls for “Do Not Track” Button to Protect Consumer Privacy
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report detailing its view on the need for a “Do Not Track” mechanism to be built into modern Web
browsers. This feature would give consumers the power to determine whether their online search and browsing history could be tracked by third parties for analytical purposes. The FTC further recommended that a “privacy by design” approach be adopted by
online companies, which includes assurances such as consumer data protection, limited retention of data, and procedures to promote data accuracy. Although the report acknowledges existing efforts to provide similar protection, it calls the current options
inadequate, and says they are being implemented too slowly.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Google to Launch its E-Book Store Before the End of the Year
Google is planning to open its Google Editions e-book store before the end of the year, according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper, having spoken to a Google Product Management
Director, reports that the shopping site should be up and running in the US before the end of the year, and available to the rest of the world by the end of the first quarter of 2011. Having finally settled the legal obstacles which prevented a planned
Summer launch, the site will open with Google’s “read anywhere” model, which allows customers to purchase a book once, and read it on any compatible devices. The books will be backed up on a cloud-based storage system, which will be tied to the reader’s
Google account, and will allow most devices with a Web browser to serve as e-readers. The Journal goes on to predict that the store will launch with hundreds of thousands of retail titles, and millions of free books.
Source: WSJ, 12/1/2010
ICANN Opens Public Comment Period on Registrar Acceditation Changes
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced the opening of a public comment period to obtain feedback on proposed changes to the registrar accreditation process. Changes include a new set
of terms and conditions for applicants, additional due diligence checks, and an increase for the application fee to fund the added due diligence
processes. The comment forum will be open until January 21, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Level 3 Charges Comcast with Erecting Internet “Toll Booth”
Highlighting one aspect of the continuing disputes over net neutrality, Level 3 went public with its disagreement with Comcast over transmission fees. (Level 3 provides content
delivery services over the Internet, including the streaming of content for Netflix.) In a press release, Level 3 said that on November 19, 2010, Comcast informed Level 3 that, for the first time, it would charge a recurring fee for Level 3 to transmit
Internet online movies and other content to Comcast’s customers who request such content. Level 3 charged that Comcast “is effectively putting up a toll booth at the borders of its broadband Internet access network, enabling it to unilaterally decide how
much to charge for content which competes with its own cable TV and Xfinity delivered content.” Further, Level 3 said, the action taken by Comcast “threatens the open Internet and is a clear abuse of the dominant control that Comcast exerts in broadband
access markets as the nation’s largest cable provider.” Ultimately, Level 3 agreed to the new payment terms “under protest,” it said, “in order to ensure customers did not experience any disruptions.” Comcast responded, calling Level 3’s position “simply duplicitous,” and characterizing the disagreement as “commercial negotiations.” Comcast said Level 3 wanted to pass along a two-fold
increase in traffic – for free. “This is not the way settlement-free peering works in the Internet world,” Comcast concluded. The war of words continued with Level 3 again issuing a press
release, saying the disagreement is an issue of Internet openness, not a peering dispute.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
MSN Joins Rodale to Launch Fitbie, a New Online Fitness Destination
MSN announced, in collaboration with Rodale, the launch of Fitbie a new online destination for fitness education and content. The site will feature content from Rodale’s other
fitness properties, such as Women’s Health, Prevention, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Men’s Health. Fitbie will also allow visitors to create personalized profiles that track their individual diet and fitness goals, as well as free trials of more advances
fitness tracking applications.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Verizon Asks that FCC Make Any Net Neutrality Rules Interim
Verizon Communications has responded to the FCC‘s proposed framework for regulating broadband communications in the context of net neutrality, asking the agency to make any rules
interim rather than permanent. Verizon said: “If the FCC decides to act on the net neutrality issue, we urge the commissioners to recognize the limitations of the current statute and the rapidly changing conditions in the marketplace and make any rules it
adopts interim, rather than permanent … The FCC’s authority to act in this area is uncertain, and Congress has indicated a strong interest in addressing this issue; interim rules would encourage congressional action, while showing appropriate deference
to Congress.”
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
LAPTOPS & TABLETS
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Acer Previews New Releases, Including Dual Screen Tablet
Acer International unveiled several new tablet and smartphone products at a recent media event in New York City, including a new 4.8 inch Android phone, and new Windows 7 and Android tablets. A
highlight among the releases is the Iconia dual screen tablet/laptop, a hybrid device with two 14 inch high definition touchscreen displays. The Windows 7 system uses Intel processors.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Asus Announces Tablet PC with Ultra-Sensitive Touchscreen
Asus International introduced its new Eee Note EA-800, a Wi-Fi supported, handheld tablet it says has an ultra-sensitive handwriting input, and also debuted a nine inch, touchscreen Ebook reader: the Eee Reader DR900.
The EA-800 has an eight inch glass touchscreen – with matte finish – that supposedly mimics the smooth feel of paper. Images are displayed in 768×1024 resolution, and it has a non backlit display that can be read even in broad daylight, Asus says. The
EA-800 also has a 13 hour battery life.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Dell Introduces the Inspiron Duo Convertible Tablet
Dell introduced the new Inspiron duo convertible tablet PC, with full keyboard and touchscreen. Inspiron duo is the latest in Dell’s growing mobility product portfolio, which includes the five inch Streak 5 device. It
comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium, and costs $549 ($649 with optional dock), via the Dell online store. Through the holiday season, it will also be
available in retail, exclusively at Microsoft stores and online at store.microsoft.com.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Dell Unveils New “Ultra-Portable” Vostro V130 Laptop
Dell introduced its Vostro V130 small business laptop. It says the 13 inch system is one of the thinnest (0.65 inches) and lightest (3.5 pounds) laptops available. It is also the first to offer Hyperbaric Cooling, an
advanced cooling technology from Intel. It retails for $429 USD.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Kno’s Groundbreaking Tablet Close to Release
Kno began accepting a limited number of pre-orders for the first shipments of its tablet textbook for the education market. The 14-inch systems are available in single screen ($599 USD) and dual screen ($899)
configurations. The first shipments will commence by year’s end. Recently, Kno has been beta testing the digital textbook, through which students can browse Kno’s online library of tens of thousands of textbooks
and supplemental materials, from publishers such as Cengage, McGraw Hill, Pearson, Macmillan, Bedford, Freeman & Worth, Holtzbrinck, BarCharts Publishing, Kaplan, Random House, and a large number of the University Presses.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
LEGAL
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Google Under Investigation by EU for Alleged Anti-Competitive Behavior
The European Union has opened an investigation into allegations that Google used
its market position to harm the ability of other businesses to compete with its own offerings. Specifically, the EU will attempt to determine whether Google used its own paid search results service as a method of lowering the search ranking of competing
service, such as price comparison search engines. The investigation will also probe whether Google purposely lowered the “Quality Score” (a factor which determines the price advertisers are charged by Google)of competing services; whether it blocked
competing service from appearing in advertisements on its own network of sites; and whether it restricted the portability of online advertising campaign data in order to lock advertisers into its own service. The EU has no specific timeframe for the
completion of these investigations.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
SAP Loses Oracle Lawsuit, is Ordered to Pay $1.3 Million
SAP has been ordered to pay Oracle $1.3 billion by a federal judge, the New York Times Reports. This judgement resulted from SAP illicitly
copying Oracle software and its accompanying manuals in a bid to attract customers. Although SAP said the incident caused little or no damage to Oracle, the judge disagreed and awarded Oracle the single largest amount ever handed down in a copyright
infringement case. For its part, SAP says it plans to explore every available avenue to counter the judgement, including post-judgement motions, and appeals. The article posits that the real victory for Oracle came in the form of a boost for its public
image, and a black mark on the record of SAP.
Source: NYTimes, 11/23/2010
WiLAN Files Another Round of Lawsuits; Cable Companies Targeted
Alleging patent infringement over the technology in cable modems, WiLAN has filed lawsuits against Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter Communications in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Ottawa,
Canada-based WiLAN, a technology licensing company, says the US cable companies have violated patent No. 5,761,602 by marketing and selling cable systems and modems. Issued in 1998, the patent in question covers “hybrid multichannel data transmission
system utilizing a broadcast medium.” WiLAN has a history of filing patent infringement suits against leading technology companies. Last month, WiLAN announced suits against Alcatel-Lucent, Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, and several others involved in
mobile communications. Last April, the firm sued Acer, Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and other companies over alleged patent infringement regarding the use of Bluetooth in PCs and mobile phones.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
M2M
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America Movil to Use Jasper Wireless’ Platform for M2M Applications
Jasper Wireless and America Movil announced a partnership agreement that will offer Jasper Wireless’ M2M (machine-to-machine) platform across America Movil’s
properties in North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. The platform will allow mobile operators to connect and manage enterprise applications such as transport and logistics, e-health care, and tracking. America Movil has operations in 18
countries and 206 million mobile subscribers.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
MALWARE WATCH
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Kaspersky Notes Spam Decrease in October
According to Kaspersky Lab‘s October spam report, the amount of spam in mail traffic decreased by 3.7 percentage points and
averaged 77.4% for the month. Russia laid claim to the top producing country for the month of October with 11.3% of all spam distributed worldwide. For the first time in a long while, the US dropped to 18th place in spam production.
Source: Vendor, 11/25/2010
Kaspersky Spots Two New Malware Programs in the Wild
Kaspersky Lab issued a warning about two new ransomware programs that are circulating on the Internet and have the potential to wipe out data on PCs. One of the malicious programs is a new variant of the infamous
GpCode Trojan that targets files with a wide variety of extensions, and encrypts them without the user’s authorization. The second program is a Trojan that infects the master boot record (MBR) of a compromised computer and overwrites the boot area before
demanding that the computer’s owner makes a payment for a password that will restore the MBR.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
MOBILE APPS
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Amazon Launches Price Check App for iPhone
Amazon announced the launch of its new Price Check app for the Apple iPhone. The application allows shoppers to compare the prices of items they are browsing in stores with the prices for the same item from
Amazon.com and its participating merchants. Users can search items by scanning a barcode, taking a picture of the item, typing in the name, or speaking it aloud. The new application is available now as a free download from the Apple App Store.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
AOL Launches Winamp Music Player App for Android
AOL announced the launch of its Winamp app for Android, a music player and management application. The app includes a wireless syncing feature, which eliminates the need to use a wired connection when adding music; the
ability to import an iTunes library; Internet radio stations; and an included widget. The Winamp app is available for download from the Android Marketplace.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
New AT&T Mobile App Offers Backup Services for Small Business
AT&T has launched a new mobile application called Backup and Go that lets small business customers access their backed up PC data from an iPhone. The displays 52 of the most common file types, including documents,
spreadsheets, presentations, and photos. The app also lets users share and collaborate on files with colleagues and clients. It is available as a free download from the Apple App Store on iPhones or at the iTunes App store. Access to the Backup and Go
Mobile app requires a login to an AT&T Tech Support 360 Backup and Go account and can only be used by Backup and Go subscribers.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
AT&T Offers Actsoft GPS-Based Mobile Workforce Management Apps
AT&T has added Actsoft to its mobile application lineup. Actsoft’s Comet suite lets AT&T business customers manage their mobile resources, including field employees, vehicles, and inventory. Businesses that purchase Actsoft through AT&T will have the
added convenience of consolidated billing, the carrier said.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
DISH Network Launches iPad Version of DISH Remote Access App
DISH Network announced the launch of the iPad version of DISH Remote Access, a free application which allows subscribers to view live and recorded television on their compatible smartphones, tablets, and
laptops. It should be noted that the app requires users to have a broadband-connected, Sling-enabled device attached to their set-top box in order to stream their video content to the remote device. The iPad version of the application is available from the
Apple App Store. More information about this release, and existing versions of the application can be found at the DISH Remote Access product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
MSN Launches Movie Finder Application for Windows Phone 7
MSN announced the launch of a new entertainment application for the Windows Phone 7 operating system. The new MSN Movies for Windows app allows users to browse movie times, read reviews, watch trailers, and buy tickets.
The app will also provide turn-by-turn directions to the theater its user chooses. MSN Movies for Windows is available for download from the Zune Marketplace installed on all Windows Phone 7 devices.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
SugarCRM Launches iPhone Application for Sugar 6
SugarCRM launched a new iPhone application designed to extend the capabilities of its Sugar 6 product. The application is being made available at no additional charge to purchasers of Sugar Professional Edition,
and, for a limited time, Sugar Enterprise Edition. The company says the app is designed to make it easier to “find, create and modify customer information such as leads, opportunities and support cases.” The application is available as a free download from
the Apple App Store.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
MOBILE PLATFORMS
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Apple Issues New iOS 4.2 Software Update
Apple made iOS 4.2 – the latest version of its mobile operating system – available for download for iPad, iPhone 3G/3GS/4, and the second and third generation iPod touch. iOS 4.2 will allow iPad users to run apps,
instantly organizing and switching between them, while also preserving battery life, Apple says. The update offers more than 100 new features over previous versions, including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, AirPlay multimedia streaming and AirPrint
Wi-Fi printing. The iOS 4.2 update is available immediately for download to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, by syncing the device with iTunes 10.1. Some features may not be available on all products.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
OPERATING SYSTEMS
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Debian Releases Seventh Update for GNU/Linux 5.0, “Lenny”
Debian officially launched the seventh update for its stable distribution Debian GNU/Linux 5.0, codenamed Lenny. This update focuses on corrections for security problems, and resolutions for a few major issues found
since the last stable release. The update is available now from one of Debian’s mirrors, and does not require any major reinstallations.
Source: Vendor, 11/27/2010
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
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Accenture Announces Plans for New Research Center in Dublin
Accenture announced plans to open a new research, development and innovation centre in Dublin, Ireland. The Accenture Analytics Innovation Centre (AAIC) will focus on the development of predictive analytics for
customers around the world. The company says the new location will grow to house more than 100 employees, bringing it to 1,300 employees in Ireland total.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Accenture Appoints Richard A. Lumb as Chief Exec of Financial Services
Accenture appointed Richard A. Lumb as the new group chief executive of the company’s Financial Services operating group. He will be replacing Pierre Nanterme, who will become Accenture’s chief executive officer
on January 1, 2011. Prior to this new appointment, Lumb served as the company’s senior managing director of the Financial Services operating unit in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The appointment is effective December 1.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Adobe Hires Jace Johnson as VP of Government Affairs
Adobe announced that Jace Johnson has been appointed as its new vice president for government affairs and public policy. A former Chief of Staff to US Senator Orrin Hatch, Johnson’s main task will be to work with
government entities and industry associations on a range of public policy issues. He will also be expected to advocate for the increased use of technology for the federal government’s information, collaboration, and open government needs
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
AOL Launches Video Division with 5min Media Co-Founder Leading
AOL announced the creation of a new video division to aggregate the entirety of its video assets into one corporate segment. The new division will handle the entire lifecycle of the company’s video content, including
creation, syndication, distribution, and monetization. The division’s operations will be overseen by newly appointed Senior Vice President Ran Harnevo. Harnevo joined AOL with its acquisition of 5min Media, which he co-founded.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
AOL Hires Mike DeLuca to Head New AOL Local Sales Division
AOL announced that Mike DeLuca has been named Head of Sales, AOL Local. DeLuca will be called on to collaborate with AOL Advertising to create local sales teams for the company’s products, including Patch, City’s Best,
MapQuest, and Wow!. DeLuca comes to AOL from Yodle, where he served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
CA Hires Michael Denning as New GM of Security
CA announced the appointment of Michael Denning as the new general manager of its Security business. He will be replacing Dave Hansen, who accepted a position with the company’s Technologies division. Denning will report
to David Cobson, executive vice president and group executive, Customer Solutions Group. Prior to this hiring, Denning worked as head of Enterprise Security Services at VeriSign.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Cablevision Approves Plan to Spin-Off Rainbow Media Holdings
Cablevision announced that its board of directors has authorized company management to explore a possible leveraged spin-off of its Rainbow Media Holdings LLC business to Cablevision’s stockholders. The
transaction would be handled as a tax-free pro rata distribution to shareholders. The spun-off Rainbow would include national programming stations, such as AMC, WE tv, IFC, and Wedding Central, as well as Rainbow Network Communications (RNC), a network
programming origination and distribution company. Meanwhile, the cable and telecommunications businesses would remain a part of Cablevision itself. The company is targeting mid-2011 as the closing date for this transaction, assuming it receives timely
regulatory approval.
Source: Vendor, 11/18//2010
ICANN Elects S‚bastien Bachollet to Board of Directors
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number (ICANN) announced that S‚bastien Bachollet has been elected to the group’s Board of Directors. Bachollet will occupy seat 15 on the Board, and will officially
begin his tenure at the 2010 Annual General Meeting scheduled for December 5-10.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Juniper Names Former Alcatel Executive as EMEA SVP
Juniper Networks named Sean Dolan as SVP, EMEA. Dolan is a former Alcatel-Lucent executive with more than 25 years of industry experience. He most recently served as president for Alcatel’s Asia Pacific regional
activities.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
KPN Announces Slate of Personnel Changes for the New Year
KPN announced a list of personnel changes which will take effect in the new year. Ron de Mos, the current Managing Director Business Market at KPN, will become a member of the Board of Management of Getronics, a KPN
group member. He is succeeding Jos Schoemaker, who will be transitioning into a new position with KPN. Additionally, John van Vianen has been appointed Managing Director Business Market at KPN, and Willem Offerhaus, the current Vice President Sales at
Getronics, will replace van Vianen in his previous role as CEO of iBasis, another KPN company.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Lockheed Martin Hires Brad Hicks as VP of Radar Programs
Lockheed Martin announced that it has hired Brad Hicks as the new vice president of radar programs for its Mission Systems and Sensors (MS2) business. Prior to this hiring, Hicks served as a consultant for
the Monitor Group. He retired from the US Navy in 2009.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Micro Focus Appoints Adrian Saunders as VP of Professional Services
Micro Focus announced that Adrian Saunders has been appointed as the company’s new vice president of Professional Services. He will be responsible for determining the strategy of the company’s Professional Services
division, as well as supporting the implementation of the company’s application modernization solutions. Before accepting this position, Saunders worked as managing director of COLT Europe’s IT Managed Services Division.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Byrne Appointed MITRE Senior Vice President
Richard J. Byrne has been named senior vice president and general manager of MITRE‘s Command and Control Center (C2C). The C2C is one of two operating centers within the Department of Defense (DOD) Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence Federally Funded Research and Development Center that MITRE operates on behalf of the DoD.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Mitre Elects Richard J. Byrne as SVP and GM of C2C
Mitre announced that it has elected Richard J. Byrne to the position of senior vice president and general manager of its Command and Control Center (C2C). C2C is one of the operations centers Mitre maintains on behalf
of the US Department of Defense (DoD). Prior to this election, Byrne served as a vice president within the Center for Integrated Intelligence Systems, a branch of the DoD.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
Motorola Approves Mobility Separation, Names New Board
Motorola – which will change its name to Motorola Solutions and begin trading on the New York Stock exchange under the “MSI” ticker symbol – approved the separation of Motorola Mobility Holdings through a tax free
dividend involving the distribution of all Motorola Mobility common stock, held by Motorola, to Motorola stockholders. It also approved a reverse stock split of shares of Motorola common stock following the distribution. It also announced the following
board members: director, president, and CEO Gregory Brown; non-executive chair David Dorman; and directors William Bratton, Michael Hayden, Vincent Intieri, Judy Lewent, Samuel Scott, Douglas Warner, and John White. In addition, it will elect Greg Brown as
Motorola Solutions chairman, effective 2011.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
Nokia Siemens to Open Smart Lab in South Korea
Nokia Siemens Networks announced it will open a Smart Lab in South Korea, for developing smart device optimized software, services, and networks. The facility – considered a nod to the explosion in
popularity of “smart” devices – will deliver wireless broadband connectivity and explore the potential of wireless broadband technologies in delivering the end user experience. Researchers will collaborate with operators and handset manufacturers to
develop services, applications, and network infrastructure that support industry trends such as cloud computing, machine to machine, and smart devices. It will cater to local and global markets, and will compliment other Smart Labs in Finland and the US.
It will open in the 2011 first quarter.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Northrop Grumman Appoints Susan Sloan as VP of Space Systems
Northrop Grumman announced the appointment of Susan Sloan as vice president of the Space Systems business area within the company’s Navigation Systems Division. In the new role, Sloan will lead the division’s
inertial measurement unit programs and products for space applications, including the company’s Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit. Before joining Northrop Grumman, Sloan worked as a program manager for Intelsat.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Novell Appoints Javier Colado as SVP of Global Sales
Novell announced the appointment of Javier Colado to the office of Senior Vice President of Global Sales. Colado will also continue in his current role as President of Novell EMEA. The additional title will place
Colado in charge of both direct and partner sales activities for Novell worldwide. Javier Colado has been with Novell since 2006, when he was hired as Vice President and Area General Manager .
Source: Vendor, 11/19/2010
Raytheon Appoints Todd Ernst as new VP of Investor Relations
Raytheon announced that Todd Ernst has been named as the company’s new vice president, investor relations. He will report to Senior Vice President and CFO David C. Wajsgras. Ernst will be replacing Marc Kaplan, who
has moved to Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. Prior to joining Raytheon, Todd Ernst worked as a senior research analyst at Neuberger Berman.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Salesforce.com Appoints JP Rangaswami as Chief Scientist
Salesforce.com announced that it has appointed JP Rangaswami to the newly created position of Chief Scientist. Rangaswami will be tasked with promoting the use of Salesforce.com’s real-time, mobile, and social
capabilities to European customers, as well as contributing to the company’s overall product strategy. He will report directly to Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com. Prior to this hiring, Rangaswami worked as Chief Scientist for BT.
Source: Vendor, 11/24/2010
PUBLIC SAFETY
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US Achieves Major Aviation Security Milestone: DHS
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that 100 percent of passengers on flights within or bound for the United States are now being checked against government watchlists – fulfilling a key
9/11 Commission recommendation a month ahead of schedule. Under Secure Flight, the Transportation Security Administration prescreens passenger name, date of birth, and
gender against terrorist watchlists before passengers receive their boarding passes, which helps prevent the misidentification of passengers who have names similar to individuals on government watchlists.
Source: DHS, 11/30/2010
Frontier Taking Aggressive Approach to Stopping Copper Wire Thefts
Independent local exchange carrier Frontier Communications announced that it is taking an aggressive approach to stopping copper wire thefts and damage to the company’s network facilities. “Damage to our
facilities can affect communications access in an emergency, increase company costs and consumer rates, and disrupt community phone and broadband connections,” said Lynne Monaco, Frontier’s Director of Security. The carrier said the sluggish pace of the
economic recovery, combined with increases in copper prices, have sparked an increase in copper thefts in its service areas. Frontier asked its customers to report any suspicious activity around telecommunications equipment and facilities by calling the
company’s toll free security line at 800-590-6605, and asked anyone witnessing a theft in progress to call 911.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
Guidance Updated for Biothreat Sample Collection
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, along with federal, state, and local agencies – has updated an existing standard for sample collection and developed overall guidance for when first responders must
collect a sample of suspected biothreat agents. The original standard protocol, published in 2006, outlined a two-step process for collecting bulk samples of suspicious powder from a solid surface. The new guidance, which is available from ASTM International, details how first responders should establish relationships ahead of time so that they can effectively address such critical situations.
Source: NIST, 11/24/2010
Verizon to Provide Emergency Responder Credentialing for Virginia
Under a new three-year contract, Verizon Business is providing the state of Virginia with “smart credentialing” services that will enable authorities to electronically confirm the identities and skills of
emergency responders arriving at a disaster scene. Verizon said its First Responder Authentication Credentialing solution provides the commonwealth with identity credentials that are interoperable with Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201.
FIPS 201 was developed to support Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), the presidential mandate establishing common identification requirements for federal executive branch employees and contractors. Virginia’s deployment was facilitated
by recently-finalized federal interoperability guidelines – Personal Identification Verification Interoperability (PIV-I) – that make it easier for state agencies and federal agencies outside the federal executive branch to deploy smart credentials that
are interoperable with federal systems. Verizon Business is working on the project with other vendors including ActivIdentity, DAP Technologies, Oberthur Technologies, and Probaris.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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Study: Government, Industry Unprepared for Oil Rig Blowout, Spill
The New York Times reported that a presidential commission has concluded that both government agencies and the oil industry were “thoroughly unprepared” for a
deepwater blowout and oil spill like the one that occurred this year in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to “significant delays in capping the well and major environmental damage.” One major finding was that the oil companies, despite multibillion-dollar
profits over the past several years, have devoted only minuscule amounts of money to planning to control or clean up after a significant spill. The reports found government agencies also neglected to devote adequate personnel, money, and technology to
preparing for a major offshore accident. The Minerals Management Service, in particular, was criticized as unprepared to deal with the BP spill and even after reorganization (and renaming as the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management), "it still lags
far behind in the capabilities needed to address another accident,” the commission said.
Source: NYTimes, 11/23/2010
AT&T Steps Up Campaign Against Net Neutrality
AT&T has intensified its lobbying campaign against net neutrality rules for wireless and wired networks. According to The Washington Post, which cited FCC filings, AT&T
executives met with or placed calls to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s office eight times in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Jim Cicconi, AT&T’s senior executive vice president of external and legal affairs, has met
with Edward Lazarus, Genachowski’s chief of staff, on five separate occasions since Nov. 17. The actions appeared to culminate in a telephone call between Genachowski and Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s chairman, CEO and president, on Nov. 23. AT&T has been one
of the most vociferous opponents of net neutrality rules.
Source: WaPo, 11/29/2010
US, Netherlands Align to Fight Terrorism, Promote Security
Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute joined Dutch Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten to sign a Preventing and Combating Serious Crime Agreement allowing for the exchange of biometric
and biographic data between the United States and the Netherlands in an effort to boost security. Under the agreement, the two nations will share law enforcement data, including fingerprints, to better identify known terrorists and criminals during
investigations and other law enforcement activities.
Source: DHS, 11/19/2010
DHS Opens Cyber Security Ops Center
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the opening of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center’s (MS-ISAC) Cyber Security Operations Center, a 24-hour watch and warning facility for state and
local government agencies.
Source: DHS, 11/18/2010
European Union Rolls Out Security Strategy
The European Union has adopted an Internal Security Strategy, comprising 41 actions that target the most urgent security issues threatening Europe. The purpose of the strategy is to take a comprehensive approach
to addressing these challenges, which include cybercrime and terrorism.
Source: EU, 11/22/2010
FCC Extends Deadline for Adopting New Emergency Alert Protocol
The US Federal Communications Commission has acted to extend the deadline for broadcasters, cable companies, satellite radio and television operators, and wireline video service providers to implement the new federal
common messaging protocol adopted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the transmission of next-generation emergency alerts and warnings to the public. In 2007, the FCC required all Emergency Alert System (EAS) participants to have the
capability to receive Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)-formatted EAS messages within 180 days of FEMA’s adoption of a CAP standard (i.e., March 29, 2011). With the FCC’s latest order, the new deadline for all EAS participants to implement the new technology was extended to September 30, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
FCC Offers Scaled-Back Draft of Proposed Broadband Regulations
US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has presented a draft framework for regulating
broadband Internet services that would bar both wired and wireless Internet service providers from blocking “lawful content.” The proposal, however, would allow broadband providers to charge consumers different rates for different levels of service –
falling short of the complete “net neutrality” that proponents of an “open Internet” are seeking. Specifically, the proposed framework says broadband providers need “meaningful flexibility to manage their networks – for example, to deal with traffic that’s
harmful to the network or unwanted by users, and to address the effects of congestion.” The framework will form the basis for a proposed order scheduled to be voted on during the FCC’s December 21 meeting. It seems clear the framework will come under fire
from all sides in the debate.
Source: FCC, 12/1/2010
NIST Seeks Comments on Cryptography for Personal ID Paper
Public comment is sought for the National Institute of Standards and Technology‘s Draft Special Publication 800-78-3, Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identity Verification. Commentary may be
submitted regarding this draft through December 3.
Source: NIST, 11/19/2010
Small Business Administration Study Finds Urban-Rural Digital Divide
A recent study by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) found that an urban-rural digital divide does exist in the provision and adoption of broadband
services. The SBA said the difference is statistically significant, negatively impacting rural small businesses. Citing one impact, the study found that small businesses in rural areas are less likely to benefit from the new technologies facilitated by
access to broadband services, like Voice over IP.
Source: SBA, 11/23/2010
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
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Avanti Launches Hylas 1 Satellite, Offers Broadband to Rural Europe
Avanti will soon be able to provide satellite broadband service to million of new residences and businesses across rural Europe thanks to its new HYLAS 1 satellite. The KA-band satellite cost the company GBP 120
million, and will offer customers tiers of service ranging from 2 Mbps, to 10 Mbps, with prices starting at EUR 25 per month. This launch will be followed by the HYLAS 2, which will reach orbit in 2012, and will provide coverage to additional countries in
Europe, as well as portions of Africa and the Middle East.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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Apple Updates Safari
Apple released Safari 5.0.3 and 4.1.3 to mitigate multiple vulnerabilities in earlier versions. An article directs users to immediately apply the updates.
Source: Vendor, 11/18/2010
Hitachi Cosminexus Kit Contain Critical Flaws
Various Hitachi products contain a vulnerable version of Cosminexus Developers Kit for Java. The vendor advisory details
which products are affected and instructs users to update to fixed versions.
Source: Secunia, 11/30/2010
Insecure Loading Flaw Discovered in McAfee VirusScan
McAfee VirusScan Enterprise has a vulnerability caused by the application loading libraries (e.g. traceapp.dll) in an insecure manner. This can be exploited to load arbitrary libraries by tricking a user into e.g.
opening a Word Document with an embedded ActiveX control located on a remote WebDAV or SMB share in Office 2003. The vulnerability is confirmed in version 8.5.0i.
Source: Secunia, 11/29/2010
No Fix Yet for Novell iClient Buffer Overflow
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Novell‘s iPrint Client and has been confirmed in version 5.52. Novell issued an advisory to
educate users about this issue. The only solution at this time is to set the kill-bit switch for the affected ActiveX control.
Source: Secunia, 11/19/2010
VMware Fixes ESX Flaw
VMware patched the service kernel package in ESX, fixing a vulnerability. More information is available from an article on the vendor’s Web site.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
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New F-Secure Partnership Looks to Protect Industrial Automation
Global AC drive manufacturer Vacon and F-Secure have teamed up on computer security research in industrial automation applications in response to the Stuxnet worm. Although the Stuxnet malware does not directly
infect Vacon’s AC drives, the two companies want to raise awareness in the domains of industrial automation processes and data communication so that the industry can be prepared for such risks in the future.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
FDIC Needs Better Security System Controls: GAO
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) audited the FDIC‘s controls for protecting the confidentiality and integrity of its
financial systems and information, and the progress the FDIC has made in preventing previously reported information security weaknesses. Although the FDIC resolved earlier security flaws that were reported by the GAO, there are still weaknesses in its
information security controls. The GAO noted that the FDIC did not always encrypt sensitive data, audit and monitor security events, or strongly restrict user access to its systems.
Source: GAO, 11/30/2010
IndigoVision Cameras Watching Gamblers at Vegas Casino
The Golden Gate Casino in Las Vegas has utilized IndigoVision‘s High Definition (HD) IP Video technology for a surveillance upgrade, in what is believed to be the first ever casino to install a complete HD
gaming floor. The 99-camera system will completely replace the existing analog/DVR equipment.
Source: Vendor, 11/18/2010
Juniper Releases Data Center Security Services Gateway
Juniper Networks released its SRX1400 consolidated security services gateway, for protecting against attacks and unauthorized access. It combines multiple security services and functions in a single system –
integrating configuration, security policy, and device management – including stateful inspection of IPv4, IPv6, Streams Control Transmission Protocol, IPsec VPN, SSL decryption, IP and GTP hardware assisted quality of service, dynamic and virtual routing,
AppSecure Network Address Translation, and application level gateways.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Kaspersky Patents Antispam Technology
Kaspersky Lab has received a US patent for a technology which classifies electronic text messages for the purpose of identifying spam. The technology involves classifying messages based on whether they contain
keywords and phrases which are typical of spam. This approach can be used to configure systems to block new spam types.
Source: Vendor, 11/25/2010
March Networks Touts New Partner Program
March Networks has launched Partner Connections, a new program that provides its Certified Solution Provider (CSP) community with multiple sales incentives, deal registration, training, social media, online
and local events, and channel tools and resources. A new deal registration offering provides incentives to CSPs focused on developing new business leading with March Networks applications.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
NEC to Provide MasterScope Software for Sumisho
NEC Japan announced it will provide MasterScope Invariant Analyzer performance analysis software for Tokyo’s Sumisho Computer Systems. The software automatically detects performance deterioration – even without a
triggering error message – and determines a failure’s origin. Sumisho will use it to analyze information from its server network machinery, which consists of several hundred units.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Online Game Makes Security Learning Fun for All
Trend Micro released Titanium Power Up, an online video game designed to challenge negative perceptions of Internet security with unexpected humor and personality. The game serves as a metaphor for the things
people dislike about Internet security, such as slow speeds, annoying pop-ups and scary warnings, and provides ways to overcome them.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
VeriSign Launches Cloud-Based DNSSEC Service
VeriSign announced the launch of a new cloud-based service designed to ease the implementation of Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). The VeriSign DNSSEC Signing Service is being marketed to registrars
as a method of incorporating signing and provisioning into their current infrastructure. VeriSign says its solution can also reduce costs, decrease complexity, and lessen the administrative burden of implementing DNSSEC support. The company is currently
offering an evaluation period to all of its registrar customers, during which they can test the DNSSEC solution on their own accounts. The offer will run through the end of 2011.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
ICSA Labs Founds Enpoint Security Consortium
ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon Business, has founded the Endpoint Security Consortium. The consortium’s charter members include AVG, McAfee, and Microsoft.
The mission of the consortium is to create “publicly vetted, objective, and credible” security criteria against which endpoint security products can be tested and certified, as well as to educate end users about endpoint products. The consortium also plans
to evaluate endpoint products as components of integrated Internet security programs. This class of products includes anti-malware, personal firewall, and host intrusion prevention and detection. Currently, the consortium is reviewing the draft criteria
that ICSA Labs is proposing to use for endpoint security product certification testing.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
SERVERS
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Dell Deploys Servers for Chicago Board Options Exchange
Dell provided PowerEdge server technology for the Chicago Board Options Exchange, a US options exchange and the creator of listed options, to help boost its performance when handling more than 100 billion transactions
and mission critical applications each day.
Source: Vendor, 11/30/2010
SMARTPHONES
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MetroPCS Launching LG Optimus M Smartphone
US no-contract carrier MetroPCS announced the upcoming launch of its first Android smartphone, the LG Optimus M. The MetroPCS version of the smartphone runs Android 2.2 and has a 3.2-inch touch screen, a
3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, messaging, e-mail, a personal organizer, and a music player. The Optimus M for MetroPCS is available now at stores and online for $229 USD – with no contract. MetroPCS offers a $50 monthly plan that provides customers with
unlimited talk, text, and data services.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Military Sets Up Video-Sharing Site Behind DoD Firewall
The US military workforce can now share videos behind secure network firewalls with the debut of milTube. According to an Army press
release, the new MilTube site has been set up as a safer, more secure alternative to YouTube, with content protected behind firewalls. MilTube joins a suite of other Web 2.0 tools offered to the military, including
MilBook, MilWiki, and MilBlog. Known collectively as MilSuite, these services are part of a Department of Defense effort to provide more secure alternatives to commercial wikis, blogs, and social network sites.
Source: Army, 11/29/2010
Diaspora Opens First Round of Alpha Invites
Diaspora announced the distribution of its first set of alpha-phase invites. The closed phase of release will be opened primarily to Kickstarter backers, with more invites being sent out to members of the
site’s mailing list every week. The social network said that it hopes this phase will help it improve some areas of its fledgling site, including security, extensibility, documentation, and upgrade path clarity. Interested users that have not already
joined the site’s mailing list may do so at it’s main page.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
New Survey Finds Facebook Users Worry about Spam, Hacks
A new F-Secure survey reveals that as many as 78% of Facebook users polled think spam has become a problem on the social network and more than 30% deal with spam on a daily
basis. F-Secure questioned 363 global participants for the survey. Of those, 77% said they feel safe on the Facebook site most of the time while 28% are concerned about their profiles being hacked.
Source: Vendor, 11/24/2010
Facebook Co-Founder Launches Social Activism Network Jumo
Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes announced the official launch of Jumo, a new social network designed specifically for activism, the LA Times
Reports. Hughes says this new site will allow people to become more deeply involved with the causes they are supporting, and provide organizations with more exposure to potential supporters. The site functions by allowing users to log in with their
Facebook credentials, followed by answering a set of questions designed to determine the causes and organizations that would be the best fit for them. The user can then visit the Jumo homepage, or receive emails from the organizations they have formed
connections with, and eventually provide support via donations or other methods. The social activism network is launching with about 3,500 partner organizations for users to choose from. The site is available now, although it remains in a beta phase.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
STORAGE
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Teradata Announces Joint Storage Solution with RainStor
Teradata announced that it is teaming with RainStor to produce a new joint product designed to allow customers to keep their data longer. The companies plan on accomplishing this through de-duplication and
compression. They say the result is a 97% decrease in the required memory footprint for archived data. The data will also remain accessible online, and can be queried using standing SQL language, and other business intelligence tools. No specific
availability date for the new solution was provided.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
VOIP
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Cincinnati Communications Deploys Net2Phone Voice Solution
Net2Phone, owned by IDT, announced that Cincinnati Communications has deployed Net2Phone’s voice solution, Cable VoiceLine, system-wide.
Cincinnati Communications is a Broadband-over-Power-Line provider and serves the Cincinnati, Ohio market. Net2Phone’s Cable VoiceLine uses Session Initiation Protocol signaling to establish and manage voice calls on high-speed data networks, which enables
network providers to offer residential broadband telephony solutions including local, long distance, and international calling.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
Nokia Siemens Provides VoIP Platform for Germany’s Versatel
Nokia Siemens Networks deployed its hiQ voice over IP (VoIP) platform to allow Versatel to provide new converged IP communications services for its enterprise customers. The German services provider
will use the IP Multimedia Subsystem-ready application platform to implement a next generation architecture. Versatel will immediately offer services such as IP Centrex and Customer Self Administration, meaning its customers will no longer have to maintain
their own private branch exchange.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
WEB COMMERCE
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Amazon Launches Italian Localized Site
Amazon announced the launch of its new localized Italian site, Amazon.it. The new retail destination carries books, DVDs, video games, music, and consumer electronics. The company
says this opening constitutes the largest selection of items any of its sites has ever launched with.
Source: Vendor, 11/29/2010
comScore Predicts 11% Growth in E-Commerce for 2010 Holiday Season
comScore announced its predictions for growth in this year’s holiday e-commerce spending. The company reports that, as of November 22, $9.01 billion had already been spent on e-commerce purchases. This beats the
2009 total for the same period, $7.95 billion, by 13 percent. Based on this change, comScore has predicted a total spending volume for the entire holiday 2010 shopping period of $32.4 billion. This represents an 11 percent increase over the 2009 total, and
a jump in growth over the 4 percent difference between the 2008-2009 seasons.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
comScore Reports $649 Million in E-Commerce Spending for Black Friday
comScore reported on this year’s e-commerce spending for Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. The company saw a total of $648 million in sales during the Friday after Thanksgiving, and $1.03 billion for the following
Monday. Black Friday briefly held the title of the single highest sales day in e-commerce history, until Cyber Monday crushed its accomplishment and became the first day ever to break the $1 billion mark. This represented a 9 percent increase in spending
over Black Friday in 2009, and a 16 percent jump for Cyber Monday. Other results of note include a 4 percent increase in the number of consumers visiting online coupon sites, a 12 percent increase in the average amount spent by each buyer, and a 25 percent
increase in the number of visitors to the Amazon network of shopping sites.
Source: Vendor, 11/28/2010
WIRELESS
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Bell Canada Announces Launch of Novatel Wireless U547 Turbo Stick
Bell Canada announced its exclusive Canadian launch of the Novatel Wireless U547 Turbo Stick. The 42 Mbps USB modem runs on the company’s dual cell technology, which allows it to use two carriers’ signals to double the
standard 21Mbps speed available. The U547 USB Modem is available for $49.95 on a three-year contract or for $199.95 with no contract. The accompanying service is currently only available in the Toronto region, although Bell has plans to expand its coverage
area.
Source: Vendor, 11/23/2010
Cox Unveils Wireless Plans
Cable company Cox Communications has unveiled its first wireless plans. Dubbed “Unbelievably Fair” plans, Cox is offering them in different bundles with its existing cable, Internet, and landline services. The new
wireless plans will be offered initially in Hampton Roads, Virginia; Omaha, Nebraska; and Orange County, California.
Source: Vendor, 11/22/2010
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