News Briefs for the Week Ending
12/10/2010
Copyright 2010, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1012
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
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BMC Software Acquires GridApp Systems
BMC Software announced that it has acquired the privately-held GridApp Systems, a provider of automated database provisioning, patching, and administration. BMC says it will use the acquisition to expand its services to
include database automation, which it says will allow for “full stack end-to-end enterprise application deployment and management.” No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 12/3/2010
Boeing Completes Acquisition of CDM Technologies
Boeing completed its acquisition of CDM Technologies, a software engineering company specializing in real-time transportation and logistics planning systems for the US military. The acquired company will be used to
enhance Boeing’s own offerings in the area of logistics command and control. It will become part of Tapestry Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CSC Agrees to Acquire Image Solutions
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Image Solutions, a privately-held provider of regulatory submission management solutions, implementation, and
outsourcing services for the Life Sciences sector. CSC says it will use the acquisition to support its own CSC Health Care strategic growth, specifically by enhancing its Life Sciences sector. The transaction is still subject to Image Solutions shareholder
approval, although it is expected to close before the end of the year. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Dell in Talks Regarding the Acquisition of Compellent
Dell is in discussions with enterprise storage systems provider Compellent Technologies regarding a possible business merger. The companies have entered into an exclusive
agreement to negotiate a deal in which Dell would acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Compellent at a price of $27.50 USD per share.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Earthlink Completes Acquisition of ITC^DeltaCom for $524 Million
Earthlink announced that it has completed its acquisition of ITC^DeltaCom, an integrated communications provider for the southeastern US, for $524 million in cash. Upon the completion of the acquisition Earthlink
will merge its New Edge Networks and EarthLink Business Services operations with DeltaCom. The new entity will market its services under the “EarthLink Business” brand.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Google Acquires Streaming Video Company Widevine
Google announced that it has acquired Widevine, a provider of on-demand video services to media companies. Although no specific plans for the acquisition were announced, Google said it will continue to
support Widevine’s existing customers, and integrate the company’s technology into its own offerings, the likeliest of which is its YouTube video site. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
Source: Vendor, 12/3/2010
Groupon Rejects Google’s Buyout Offer, Considering IPO
Groupon has rejected a purchase offer from Google, according to The Los Angeles Times. Groupon offers consumers local discounted deals based on the number of users willing to
commit to purchasing the discounted item or service. The increasing popularity of the service led Google to make an offer of between $5 and %6 billion according the Times’ sources. Furthermore, the Times said that the company is not ruling out the
possibility of holding its own initial public offering some time in 2011. Groupon is expected to pull in $500 million in revenue this year.
Source: LA Times, 12/9/2010
Juniper Buys Cloud Security Vendor Altor Networks
Juniper Networks has acquired Altor Networks, a provider of virtualization security technology, for $95 million. Earlier in the year, Juniper made a venture investment in Altor Networks. Juniper expects to
integrate Altor’s data center and cloud security into its own suite of security offerings.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Juniper Acquires Altor Networks for $95 Million USD
Juniper Networks acquired Altor Networks – which provides virtualization security technology – to boost its capability for offering an integrated security architecture that protects physical and virtual systems
alike. The acquisition is valued at $95 million, net of Altor shares that are already Juniper controlled.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Motorola Mobility to Acquire Connected Home Firm 4Home
Motorola Mobility signed an agreement to purchase 4Home, a connected home services and software company. 4Home delivers connected home services through its carrier grade software
platform, ControlPoint. Services include energy management, home security, media management, and home health. The acquisition will close by year’s end.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
PAETEC Completes Acquisition of Cavalier Telephone
PAETEC completed its acquisition of the Cavalier Telephone Corporation. As part of the acquisition, PAETEC also acquired Cavalier’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Intellifiber Networks. The combined assets of the acquired
companies give PAETEC and additional 11,947 route-miles of fiber, as well as 4,681 route miles throughout several of its existing metro areas. No financial terms for the acquisition were announced.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Salesforce.com Signs Agreement to Acquire Heroku
Salesforce.com announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Heroku, a cloud application platform for developing Ruby-based software, for $212 million USD in cash. Ruby is a development
language, similar to Java, that is commonly used on socially-enabled applications. Salesforce.com says it will use this acquisition to enhance support for the Ruby language on its Cloud 2 offering. The transaction is expected to close prior to the end of
Salesforce.com’s fiscal fourth quarter, which occurs on January 31, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Software AG and IDS Scheer Merger Approved
Software AG announced that its merger with IDS Scheer has been approved by the Saarland Higher Regional Court. This clears the way for the merger to be entered into the commercial register, which should be
followed promptly by its completion. The exchange rate for outstanding share of IDS Scheer stock has been established at 33 shares for 4 shares of Software AG common stock.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
TIBCO Acquires Loyalty Management Provider Loyalty Labs
TIBCO announced that it has acquired Loyalty Lab, a provider of loyalty management solutions, for approximately $23 million in cash. TIBCO will use the acquisition to expand its own customer loyalty product offerings.
The Founder and Chairman of Loyalty Lab, Mark H. Goldstein, and its CEO, Matt Howland, have both joined TIBCO, and will continue to operate the business as a subsidiary.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Windstream Closes Hosted Solutions Acquisition
Windstream has completed its acquisition of Hosted Solutions, a provider of enterprise cloud-computing services in a deal valued at $310 million. With the purchase, Windstream acquired more than 600 customers
and data centers in North Carolina and Massachusetts. Windstream provides local and long distance phone, DISH Network Digital TV, and high-speed Broadband DSL Internet service to residential and business customers in 16 states across the Southeast,
Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions of the US.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
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Accenture Expands Relationship with Universal Music Group
Accenture announced that it has expanded its relationship with the Universal Music Group (UMG). The broadening of relations focuses on the use of Accenture’s Retail Services Platform as a method of distributing
digital content to UMG’s partners, as well as consumers. Accenture says this new technology will allow the music company to sell its products directly to fans, as well as providing support for various consumer-facing retail and promotional services.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CA Collaborates with Tekmark Global Solutions on New Partner Program
Computer Associates (CA) announced the launch of a new CA Services Tiered Partner Program in collaboration with Tekmark Global Solutions. The company says the new program creates a more effective process and structure to
support the growth of its CA Services partner network. Under the new program, members with work with Tekmark on operational functions including timekeeping, payment processing, and contract management. CA says this will reduce administrative burdens on
individual members. The CA Services Tiered Partner Program is currently available in North America, with European availability expected to follow some time in the first half of 2011. More information about the partner program, including how to become a
member, is available from CA’s Web site.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Cisco to Design Technology Infrastructure Filipino Smart City
Cisco Systems announced an agreement with Global Gateway Development and Peregrine Development International to design and develop the technology infrastructure for the Global Gateway Logistics City in the
Philippines. The deployment is part of its Smart+Connected Communities initiative.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Korea Telecom Signs Licensing Deal with Ideaworks Labs
Korea Telecom (KT) has entered into a multi-year commercial license agreement with Ideaworks Labs. KT developers will be provided with a localized and KT-branded version of the Airplay Software Development Kit to
create applications and deploy them across KT customer phone and tablet devices that run on Android, iOS, Bada, Symbian, and other operating system platforms.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Salesforce.com and BMC Software Launch Remedyforce
Salesforce.com and BMC Software jointly announced the launch of Remedyforce, a new IT service management solution. Features of the new offering include incorporating service
desk functionality with change management, knowledge management, and problem management applications; integration with the Force.com platform; collaboration via Salesforce Chatter; and mobile access. Remedyforce is available now from the Force.com
store.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Toshiba to Open JV Chip Design House in Brazil
Toshiba Japan and its Semp Toshiba Informatica affiliate announced they will establish a semiconductor design house joint venture with the Wemher von Braun Center for Advanced Research, an electronics engineering
research institute in Brazil. The venture will design semiconductors for applications in Brazil. It will launch in March.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
BIOMETRICS
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Smart Card from L-1 Identity Solutions Offers 15-Year Life
L-1 Identity Solutions has debuted ExianSmart, a contactless identification card with a 15-year life span. ExianSmart features support for both color and laser personalization, tamper resistance containing base materials
that destroy the card if the card is altered, and various customization options.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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Human Error Biggest Factor in UK Data Loss According to New Research
Research conducted by e-Solutions, a UK fraud prevention and compliance firm, reveals that human error accounts for 56 percent of all total system downtime and data loss, and the financial services,
manufacturing, telecommunications and healthcare sectors are more at risk than any other. Central and local government also regularly experiences significant problems in this field, which could be alleviated had the proper contingency plans been put into
place, according to the research.
Source: Vendor, 12/3/2010
Red Hat Launches JBoss Enterprise BRMS 5.1
Red Hat announced the launch of JBoss Enterprise BRMS 5.1, the newest addition to its open source middleware portfolio. The software is an open source business rules management system designed to enable active
decisions on business rules development, access, and change management. New features include ease-of-use improvements; simplified rules for publishing to applications, SOA, and cloud deployments; as well as performance enhancements. More information about
the software can be found at Red hat’s JBoss page.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CALL CENTER
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Avaya Opens Emergency 911 Call Center in Jordan
Avaya Government Solutions launched a modern emergency 911 call center in Jordan. The project – funded by the US government under its counter-terrorism and narcotics program – was deployed alongside
MicroAutomation. It will support the emerging Jordanian economy by helping ensure continuity and communications, while promoting public safety.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
CARRIER SERVICES
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Belgacom Raising Most Service Rates for 2011
Belgacom announced that it will be adjusting its billing rates on January 1, 2011. Several of the company’s fixed and mobile line rates will be raised by 0.52%, while fixed Internet rates will increase 1.3%. Mobile
rate plans will be seeing the largest increase at 2.5%, effective January 15, 2011. Despite the rate hikes, the company says fixed-to-mobile calls will become much cheaper, resulting in the average consumer paying only EUR 0.38 more per month. A full list of specific rate changes for each plan is available from Belgacom’s Web site.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Sprint Inks International 4G Roaming Agreements
Sprint announced that it has signed international 4G roaming agreements with Digicel in Jamaica and Global Mobile in Taiwan. Sprint mobile devices that operate with the SmartView Connection Manager will automatically
detect the Digicel and Global Mobile Networks, Sprint said, giving its customers the option to connect and roam with an unlimited 24 hour day pass. Pricing and launch details are still to be determined, the carrier said.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Vodafone Tapped by Unilever to Manage Mobility Services
Vodafone Global Enterprise has been selected by Unilever to manage its mobility services globally in a three-year deal. Global conglomerate Unilever makes home,
personal care, and food products. Covering 63 countries, the new strategic alliance will see Vodafone Global Enterprise supply some 50,000 Unilever employees with devices, connectivity, and managed mobile services. Mobile giant Vodafone operates in 30
countries and partners with networks in more than 40 more countries, including its partnership with Verizon Wireless in the US.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
CHIP TECHNOLOGY
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Intel Chips to Power Slew of New Tablets in 2011
Intel CEO Paul Otellini, speaking at an industry conference covered by CNet, said its chips will be in more than 35 different tablet designs in 2011. Otellini listed more than 15 brands, including upcoming consumer
tablets from Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, and Motion Computing.
Source: CNet, 12/9/2010
Samsung Releases Faster Memory for Smartphones, Tablets
Samsung announced last week that it has developed a fast version of low-power memory that could help speed up applications in tablets and smartphones. The 4-gigabit LPDDR2 DRAM can transfer data up to 1,066 megabits
per second, which is as fast as memory used in PCs, Samsung said in a press release.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
CLOUD COMPUTING
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Amazon Web Services Launches Route 53 DNS Service
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched a new Domain Name System (DNS) Web service called Amazon Route 53. Interested parties can find more information about Amazon Route 53 at its product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
AT&T to Provide Cloud Security Services to GEA Group
AT&T announced that it has signed an agreement with Germany-based GEA Group to provide the firm with cloud-based security services. AT&T has provided GEA’s global network infrastructure since 2004, connecting 450 GEA
branch offices in 50 countries via a Broadband Virtual Private Network. As part of the new agreement, AT&T will provide remote access for more than 13,000 users, managed security services, and managed hosting services worldwide. GEA is a systems provider
for food and energy processes. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
AWS Launches BatchDeleteAttributes API for SimpleDB
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that its SimpleDB product now supports a BatchDeleteAttributes API. This allows users to perform multiple DeleteAttributes operations in a single call, thus reducing round trip
time and latencies. AWS says the result is the optimization of incoming requests, and, ultimately, better throughput. The new APIs are available now for all AWS regions. More information is available from the Simple DB Developer’s Guide.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
AWS Launches Free Monitoring Service for EC2 Instances
Amazon Web Services launched free basic monitoring metrics for all of its Amazon EC2 instances. This offering, provided by the company’s Cloudwatch monitoring service, will automatically be applied to all future and existing EC2 instances. Users can
sign into the AWS Management Console to see monitoring results such as CPU performance, disk read and writes, and network traffic. More information about the free monitoring option is available from AWS’ Cloudwatch product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
AWS Receives Payment Card Industry Level 1 Certification
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has achieved Level 1 compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS). This opens up the possibility for merchants and service providers to
run applications which store credit card information on AWS’ systems. Level 1 constitutes the highest level security certification awarded by the PCI DSS. More information about the new certification can be found at AWS’ security page.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CA Launches New Cloud-Enabled CA Clarity Solution on Force.com
Computer Associates (CA) announced the launch of a new Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) solution. The new solution combines the company’s CA Clarity product, with several new cloud-based applications: CA Idea
Vision, a product building tool; CA Product Vision, a project lifecycle management tool; and CA Agile Vision, a planning and development application. The company has collaborated with Salesforce.com to bring this
new PPM option to the Force.com platform. More information about this new solution can be found at the CA Clarity product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Cisco and BMC Collaborating on Cloud Development
Cisco Systems announced an agreement with BMC Software to develop and market new solutions for large scale, multi-tenant cloud computing infrastructures. The companies announced the
Integrated Cloud Delivery Platform, for service providers and large scale private cloud computing environments. They will also align their respective product development roadmaps and technology architectures.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
SONDA Announces Cloud Services Using VCE Platform
IT services firm SONDA announced it will begin offering new cloud computing services based on the Vblock infrastructure platform of the Virtual Computing Environment, an initiative between Cisco Systems, EMC, and Vmware. The public cloud services help migrate to cloud computing by providing IT infrastructure and unified support services, SONDA says. Services will cover servers and virtual
desktops, disaster recovery, storage, and e-mail.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
CSC Receives SAP Certification for Cloud Services
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that its has been certified by SAP to provide its entire catalogue of cloud-based applications. CSC plans on incorporating the entirety of
the SAP software selection into its own Trusted Cloud Services portfolio. To receive this certification, CSC had to undergo testing of its infrastructure, processes, and technical staff, as well as a technical review of the physical and logical security
processes, and infrastructure, including servers, software and storage capabilities. More information about how this certification affects CSC’s own product lines is available from the company’s SAP product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CSC Launches CloudSRM on Force.com
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) launched CloudSRM, a supplier relationship management (SRM) solution built on Salesforce.com‘s cloud computing platform, Force.com. CSC says the new product reduces costs by providing users with an integrated toolset and knowledge base. CloudSRM will also integrate with any existing ERP
system, and provides integrated internal client collaboration and evaluation tools.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Google Launches Cloud-Based Exchange Backup Service
Google announced the launch of a new service titled Google Message Continuity. The new offering is a cloud-based email continuity solution. The solution functions by creating replicas of Microsoft Exchange accounts
in its cloud environment using Google’s Gmail, Calendar, and Contacts applications. In the event of a server failure or security breach the cloud version of the users account will remain intact, and will serve as a replacement email portal until the local
server can be fixed. More information about Google Message Continuity is available from the company’s Postini page.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
IBM Announces SAP Certification of Cloud and Hosted Services
IBM announced that its ability to deliver and manage its clients installations of SAP applications via a hosted or cloud delivery model has been certified by SAP AG. This gives IBM the
ability to provide its customers with cloud-based support for the entire SAP solution catalogue. IBM achieved this certification following extensive testing of its hosting, infrastructure, processes, and technical staff. More information about how this
affects IBM’s offerings is available from the company’s SAP products page.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
IBM Launches Tivoli Live Service Manager
IBM announced the launch of its new Tivoli Live Service manager, a cloud-based IT service desk solution. This subscription based offering allows
customers to utilize the same functionality of an on-site Tivoli installation, while adding the increased scalability and adaptability of a cloud-based solution. This new product joins Tivoli Live monitoring service as the second member of IBM’s
software-as-a-service Tivoli Live portfolio. Both products are available now, and are based on IBM’s existing architecture for increased interoperability.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Novell Launches Updated Cloud Manager
Novell announced the release of an updated version the Novell Cloud Manager. The new edition features enhanced capabilities for transferring physical and
virtual infrastructure into a cloud environment. Novell says it has also added a new iPhone mobile client to the cloud manager to allow for cloud administration from anywhere.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Oracle Launches Exalogic Elastic Cloud X2-2
Oracle announced the availability of its Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud X2-2. The company describes the new platform as “a complete cloud
application infrastructure for consolidating the widest possible range of Java and non-Java application types and workloads.” Features of the new system include InfiniBand-based I/O fabric, solid-state storage, and a choice between Oracle Solaris and
Oracle Linux operating systems. More information about this newest release is available from the Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Salesforce.com Launches Database.com, Cloud-Computing Database
Salesforce.com announced the launch of Database.com, a new offering it describes as “the World’s First Enterprise Database Built for the Cloud.” The new solution uses the same technology behind
salesforce.com’s existing offerings, but focuses on providing customers with a cloud-based replacement for their database needs. Database.com’s features include open standards, including support for numerous languages and platforms; support for application
calls from the Android and iOS operating systems; support for Amazon EC2; and support for VMForce. Salesforce.com also touted the new offerings security, announcing that it has already received ISO 27001, SAS 70 Type II, and SysTrust certifications.
Database.com is expected to launch as a standalone service some time in 2011. It will be free for 3 or less users with fewer than 100,000 records and 50,000 transactions a month. Each additional 100,000 records will cost $10 a month, as will each
additional 150,000 transactions.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Unisys Launches Hosted Secure Private Cloud Solution
Unisys launched its Unisys Hosted Secure Private Cloud Solution. The company says this new offering can provide customers with fast access to IT resources, precise control over business assets, and easier compliance
with regulatory requirements. Pricing for the private cloud is based on a monthly fee, plus pay-as-you-go charges. Unisys also announced that it is offering its Stealth Solution, an extra layer of security for the new hosted cloud that ensures the protection of data as it is exiting and entering Unisys’ systems, as an
add-on.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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ADC to Provide Fiber Connectivity for FTTP Network
ADC will provide fiber connectivity and management technology for Halstad Telephone Company’s Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) network, for which deployment began earlier this year. The network includes businesses and homes
in areas of North Dakota and Minnesota. The FTTP installation will be completed by mid 2011. HTC provides data services at 2,500 locations. It plans to install nearly 300 miles of fiber optic cable in the upcoming months.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Alcatel Deploys RAN Technology for Russia’s MegaFon
Alcatel-Lucent provided converged radio access network technology for Russian 3G services provider MegaFon, to support its launch of a converged 2G/3G network in Siberia. The network will allow MegaFon to
offer advanced mobile services for more than 2.5 million regional subscribers.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Alcatel Conducts New, Live LTE Demonstration, Trial
Alcatel-Lucent and Vodafone Qatar announced they performed a live longterm evolution (LTE) technology demonstration in the Middle East. Alcatel provided a full
turnkey portfolio that includes 17 radio base stations, 2G/3G and microwave equipment, as well as design, site engineering, integration, installation, commissioning, and network operation services. Alcatel also announced a LTE trial, with Arqiva, in
portions of rural West Wales, UK.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
China Telecom Completes Ultra Long Haul 100G Transmission Test
China Telecom, Huawei, and Corning jointly announced the completion of China’s first 100G wavelength division multiplexing (WDM),
ultra long haul transmission test. The test was conducted over a 3000 kilometer long terrestrial fiber system (approximately 1864 miles). For the trial, China Telecom tested Huawei’s OSN 8800 platform and Corning’s SMF-28 ULL (ultra-low-loss) fiber.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Harris Earns $15 Million Contract for Public Safety Radio System
Harris Corp announced that it has received a $15 million contract to design and deploy a new public safety radio system for the County of Monterey, California. The goal of the new system will be to improve coverage,
reliability, and communication interoperability between local, county, state, and federal first responders.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
HP Shipping IEEE 802.3az Standard Products
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced it began shipping products based on the new IEEE Entergy Efficient Ethernet standard: IEEE 802.3az. The technology reduces IT device power consumption by
adjusting energy use according to network traffic between switches and other networked devices.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Huawei to Provide One Network for Millicom Call Network
Huawei Technologies was selected by Millicom – a mobile phone network provider in Latin America and Africa – to deploy its international, long distance network in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The network
will use Huawei’s One Network, call technology designed to support new business models for interconnectivity.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Huawei Unveils Optical Bandwidth Management Prototype
Huawei Technologies introduced a prototype optical transport technology it says will allow operators to better manage bandwidth resources by using only the level of bandwidth necessary for video, storage, and data
services. Traditional optical transport network outdoor units provide a fixed amount of bandwidth for a certain service.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Juniper Deploys MX Series Routers for Packet One
Juniper Networks deployed its MX series Universal Edge Routers for Packet One Networks, a 4G WiMAX services provider in Malaysia. The deployment will help create a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) core network
to increase Packet One’s network capacity and accelerate the delivery of fixed and mobile wireless broadband services. To date, Packet One has over 200,000 subscribers. It also provided M and EX series routers and switches for CITIC Telecom International,
and announced that SkyVision Global Networks extended its backbone edge and peering infrastructure using Juniper M series multiservice Edge routers.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Callx to Use Level 3 Voice Termination Services
Level 3 announced it has signed an agreement with Callx Communications that will enable Callx to use Level 3’s voice termination services. Based in Scarsdale, New York, Callx offers voice broadcasting, prepaid
calling cards, wholesale voice termination, and telecom platform consulting services. Level 3 said its domestic and international voice termination services will enable Callx to improve the quality and network reach of its voice services.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
NSM Provides Packet Core for Tele2’s LTE Launch
Nokia Siemens Networks provided the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for Tele2 Sweden’s new longterm evolution (LTE) launch, which should provide subscribers with high quality voice, data, and real time
multimedia services. Using the EPC technology Tele2 can provide support for 4G/LTE, 3G, and 2G mobile services for data, as well as traditional, circuit switched voice telephony and IP telephony services. Nokia Siemens was also named the key supplier for
Orange America’s core and access network – which provides high definition voice and high speed packet access (HSPA) services – and was selected by Aircel to supply, deploy, and manage its HSPA+ enabled 3G mobile broadband network in India.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
TelePacific Expanding Its Ethernet Network
California-based CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) TelePacific Communications announced it is “aggressively expanding” its Ethernet network. The carrier now offers Ethernet over Copper in the majority of
its California and Nevada service areas, and will bring a total of 120 Ethernet over Copper wire centers online by the end of the first quarter, 2011. TelePacific currently has 52 wire centers online; the expansion will make Ethernet over Copper, Ethernet
over T1, and Ethernet over DS3 offerings available in all markets TelePacific serves. The CLEC’s full portfolio of Ethernet transport can deliver services at speeds ranging from 1 Mbps to 1 Gbps. TelePacific currently offers Ethernet over Copper, T1, and
DS3 in all its markets. Ethernet over fiber is available in Las Vegas, San Diego, greater Los Angeles, and Orange County.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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Accenture Receives Contract from National Water of Saudi Arabia
Accenture announced that it has received a contract from the National Water Company of Saudi Arabia to design and install a comprehensive IT solution for its water and waste water services in the cities of Riyadh
and Jeddah. Accenture will be deploying a range of Oracle-based solutions for customer service, billing, a self-service portal, enterprise asset management, and middleware. It will also provide maintenance and support for the new infrastructure for a
period of 1 year. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
AT&T, Cisco to Manage Shell’s IT Infrastructure
AT&T and Cisco announced they have been chosen by Shell to carry out a global energy-efficiency project focused on improving Shell’s information technology infrastructure. AT&T was
selected to manage a significant part of Shell’s IT infrastructure and telecommunications services as part of a wider series of outsourcing agreements. Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group was selected to conduct the IT infrastructure
energy-consumption audit and make recommendations. The project will involve calculating the carbon footprint of Shell’s IT operations as well as mapping Shell’s energy-usage patterns with a goal of ensuring an energy-efficient IT network. Financial terms
of the deal were not released.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
HP to Provide Technology, Services for TOPS Supermarket
HP Enterprise Services signed a seven year, $80 million USD contract with TOPS Friendly Markets – a supermarket chain in New York and Pennsylvania – to provide applications and infrastructure technology. HP will
continue to provide applications management through a multi-tiered platform that includes mainframe, midrange servers, and Web hosting in support of TOPS’ business, and will provide applications management services for retail, supply chain, marketing, and
merchandising applications.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Orange to Provide Microsoft Office 360 Support to Cirque du Soleil
Orange has been chosen by Cirque du Soleil, the entertainment company, to provide messaging and collaboration services with the Microsoft Office 365 cloud platform. The contract will see Orange delivering Microsoft
Exchange Online to several thousands of the company’s employees around the world, as well as providing consultancy, project management, implementation, and operational support. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Global Brewer Taps Verizon Business for Managed IT Networking Services
Carlsberg has selected Verizon Business as its new network operations partner for the brewer’s European operations. Under a new, four-year agreement Verizon Business will
provide integrated IT network operations, supported by managed services and security offerings, across 20 countries in Europe. The Verizon solution consolidates Carlsberg’s European IT services onto a fully-managed corporate network, including wide- and
local-area networks, Internet connectivity, data, and security. Financial terms of the contract were not released.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
CRM
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Zoho Expands CRM with QuickBooks, Telephony Integration
Zoho announced new integrations for its Zoho CRM product, including interoperability with QuickBooks, and telephony systems. The new Zoho CRM for QuickBooks connector allows users to sync customer data between the two
applications. Features include the ability to import and export numerous forms of data, automatically resolve synchronization conflicts, set up field mapping, and view data transfer history. Zoho PhoneBridge directly integrates Zoho CRM’s functionality
with numerous existing telephony systems. Its features include the automatic display of pertinent information when a contact calls, automatic call logging, outbound dial functionality, and support for PBX systems including Asterisk, Avaya, Elastix, and
Trixbox. Both products are available immediately with Zoho CRM for QuickBooks priced at $25 per organization, per month, and Zoho PhoneBridge priced at $6 per user, per month.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
CYBERCRIME
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Dutch Police Arrest WikiLeaks Sympathizer in Hack Attacks
Dutch authorities said they have arrested a 16-year-old boy suspected of being involved in attacks on the Web sites of MasterCard and Visa, allegedly mounted by sympathizers of document-leaking Web site WikiLeaks. The Wall Street Journal reported that the suspect, whom authorities did not name, remains in custody and is due to appear before a judge today.
Source: WSJ, 12/9/2010
LimeWire Shuts Down, Demands Shut Down of Unauthorized Versions
LimeWire posted its official shutdown notice on its homepage. The notice informs users of the cessation of its services, and includes a link to the injunction which forced the peer to peer service to shut down.
Additionally, the notice addressed the unauthorized versions of LimeWire which remain in use, demanding that they cease their use of the LimeWire name, and that all users running the aforementioned software as a tool for piracy immediately cease and desist
from doing so.
Source: Vendor, 12/5/2010
WikiLeaks Supporters Target MasterCard, PayPal
CNN reported that a group of hackers known as “Anonymous” – who have voiced support for WikiLeaks – have unleashed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on companies that have
denied service to WikiLeaks. Calling their work “Operation Payback,” the hackers set up accounts on Facebook and Twitter promoting their mission. Both social networking sites closed
down the accounts but not before Anonymous targeted MasterCard with a DDoS after the credit card company blocked WikiLeaks from its payment network. Anonymous launched a similar DoS attack on PayPal‘s blog for denouncing WikiLeaks and for restricting its access to payments from that site. CNN also reported Anonymous tried and failed to take down Amazon Web Services, which
has mammoth capacity and is extremely well defended.
Source: CNN, 12/9/2010
DATA BREACHES
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Another Services Provider Boots WikiLeaks
DNS services provider, EveryDNS.net, disabled services for wikileaks.org and wikileaks.ch last weekend, saying WikiLeaks had violated its Acceptable Use Policy. In a statement posted on its main page, US-based
EveryDNS.net said it was “not taking a position on the content hosted on the wikileaks.org or wikileaks.ch website,” but following established policies. Last Friday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) , which booted WikiLeaks
content from its servers, issued a strongly-worded statement denying that US government pressure or DDoS attacks led to its decision, saying AWS "does not pre-screen its customers, but it does have terms of service that must be followed. WikiLeaks
was not following them." WikiLeaks posted on Twitter that it is still available on several domains. In related news, online payment giant PayPal said in a blog post that it has cut off the account used by WikiLeaks
to collect donations, and both MasterCard and Visa stopped handling donations made to WikiLeaks using their charge cards.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
DESKTOPS
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Lenovo Previews New IdeaPad Laptops, Desktop
Lenovo introduced three new “Idea” PC models: IdeaPad Y460p, IdeaPad Y560p, and IdeaCentre K330. The 14 and 15 inch IdeaPad laptops and IdeaCentre desktop are Intel based and come packaged with Windows 7. They will
be available in early 2011, and range in price from $$699-849 USD.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
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AWS Launches Mobile SDK for Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of a new mobile software developer’s kit (SDK). The SDK was created to make it easier for software developers to create applications designed to call an AWS Web
service API from a mobile device. This ability was previously only available to developers who wrote their own libraries to handle the connections. Supported protocols for the new SDK are storage, database accessibility, and messaging. The SDK is currently
available for devices running the Android mobile operating system, and Apple’s iOS. AWS has also set up a resource
page for developers who plan on using the SDK.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Alcatel Releases New OmniPCX Communications Platform
Alcatel-Lucent released its OmniPCX Office Rich Communication Edition R8, which it says provides a platform for next generation multimedia communications. It offers VoIP in its core, and a session initiation
protocol feature set, and provides real time user contact information that shows availability and status. It also offers support for multi-channel communications, encompassing voice, messaging, and conferencing. It can serve up to 200 users.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
CSC Launches Java Platform Edition of Exceed Suite
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced the launch of its new Java Platform Enterprise Edition (Java EE) of its Exceed software. The Exceed suite is designed to provide property & casualty insurers with policy
administration, billing, and collections. The Java version of the software supports Sun Solaris and Linux on IBM’s System z, as well as DB2 and WebSphere. CSC says it also plans on expanding this list to include Windows, SQL Server, and others. More
information about this release is available at the Exceed product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
Fujitsu Launches Manufacturing Design Support Software
Fujitsu System Solutions launched new design-support software – PLEMIA M3/DMx – for the manufacturing sector. It says the software can help consolidate management during manufacturing related tasks.
Presumably, it allows the manufacturer to review costs and shorten the development lifecycle.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Micro Focus Announces Modernization Workbench 3.2
Micro Focus launched the latest version of its Modernization Workbench, a platform designed to help companies seek out cost
reduction methods and better understand the relationship of their applications. Modernization Workbench 3.2 focuses on helping companies deal with “IT Debt,” or the costs resulting from delaying the update of a given application. The software has also
added the ability to better filter application cost, value, and risk data.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
FINANCIAL
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CA Announces $0.04 Quarterly Dividend
Computer Associates (CA) announced its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.04 per share. This amount will be payable on December 22, 2010 to all shareholders of record by the close of business on
December 13, 2010.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
China Mobile Profit, Revenue Up
China Mobile Limited reported its financials for the period from January 1, 2010 to September 30, 2010. The Chinese operator posted a profit of 87.245 billion RMD ($13.09 billion USD) for the period, up 3.9%
over the same period in 2009. Revenue for the period was 352.643 billion RMD, up 7.8%. Its subscribers now total 589.76 million, a net gain of 47.47 million customers.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Citrix Launches New Startup Accelerator Investment Fund
Citrix launched a new investment fund called the Citrix Startup Accelerator. The company says the goal of the fund is to support “new technologies or business models that can extend the Citrix virtual computing
solution portfolio and contribute to its vision of a world where anyone can work and play from anywhere on any device.” Selection for inclusion in the Startup Accelerator will entail seed funding, mentoring, subsidized office space, and access to the
global Citrix ecosystem, partners and customers. More information is available from the investment fund’s Web page.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Deutsche Telekom Announces Completion of Share Buyback Program
Deutsche Telekom announced that it has concluded its most recent share buyback program. The program, which began on July 27, 2010, was brought to a close on December 3, 2010. In total, the initiative repurchased about
40 million shares with a total value of EUR 102.40 million. This constitutes about 0.9% of the companies total outstanding shares.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
General Dynamics Announces $0.42 Dividend
General Dynamics announced that its board of directors has approved a dividend of $0.42 per share of the company’s common stock. This amount will be payable February 4, 2011 to all shareholders of record by
January 14, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
IDT Board Declares Quarterly Dividend
The board of directors of IDT declared a cash dividend of $0.22 per share for the second quarter of its 2011 fiscal year. The dividend will the paid December 28th to shareholders of record at the close of business on
December 16th. Holders of IDT Corporation Common Stock, Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock will receive the dividend.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Micro Focus Announces Positive Results for Half Year Ending October 31
Micro Focus released its interim results for the half year ending October 31, 2010. The company’s total revenue grew 8.7%, year-over-year, to reach $215.6 million. Operating profit rose significantly, going from
$42.1 million during the corresponding half of 2009, to $66.7 million this half. This resulted in earnings per share of $0.27, or almost twice the $0.14 the company reported during the same half in 2009. The company reaffirmed its existing guidance on
these results, and predicted a positive revenue impact to begin surfacing in 2011 and last throughout 2012.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Novell Announces Positive Results for Q4 and FY2010
Novell announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ending October 31, 2010. For the quarter, the company’s revenue totaled $206.5 million, a $6 million decline over the same period in 2009.
Net income jumped to $322 million, mostly due to $308 million in non-cash tax provision benefits. This is after suffering a net loss of $256 million during the last quarter of 2009. These profits resulted in earnings per share of $0.91, versus a loss of
$0.74 during the aforementioned quarter in 2009. For the full year, the company recorded a revenue of $811.8 million, a slight decline, compared to the $862.1 million it reported for 2009. Net income totaled $377 million, thanks to uneven performance
through the year. However, this still represented an improvement over 2009’s net loss of $212 million. Earnings per share were $1.07, versus a net loss per share of $0.62 in 2009.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Rogers to Purchase and Cancel 3.1 Million Shares of Class B Stock
Rogers announced that it has agreed to purchase for cancellation 3.1 million of its Class B Non-Voting shares. This number represents approximately 0.69 percent of all outstanding Class B shares. The entire
transaction will cost Rogers CA$100 million, and is the result of an agreement with “an arm’s-length third party seller.”
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
SAIC Posts Positive Results in Q3 Financials
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) posted its financial results for the third quarter of 2010. The company’s revenue totaled $2.86 billion, a notable increase over the same quarter in 2009 when it
reported a revenue of $2.76 billion. Net income also rose, reaching $172 million, or $0.46 per share, versus the $135 million, or $0.34 per share, reported during the same quarter in 2009. Walt Havenstein, SAIC’s chief executive officer pointed to strong
growth in the company’s fixed-price contracts as being a significant contributing factor to the company’s year-over-year growth.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Verizon Files to Suspend SEC Reporting for Wireless Division
Verizon Communications announced that its subsidiary, Cellco Partnership (which does business as Verizon Wireless), has filed a Form 15 with the US Securities and
Exchange Commission to suspend its SEC reporting obligations. As a result, Cellco Partnership will no longer file annual audited financial information or quarterly unaudited financial information with the SEC. Verizon said this process continues its
efforts to reduce costs and streamline its financial reporting. Verizon suspended SEC reporting for all of its US telephone company subsidiaries by 2004. Information about Cellco Partnership will be included in Verizon’s financial statements, the company
said, and it plans to post annual audited financial statements for Cellco Partnership on Verizon’s investor relations Web site.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Verizon Board Declares Dividend
Verizon’s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 48.75 cents per outstanding share, unchanged from the previous quarter. The dividend is payable on Feb. 1, 2011, to Verizon Communications shareowners
of record at the close of business on Jan. 10, 2011.Verizon has approximately 2.7 million shareowners and approximately 2.8 billion shares of common stock outstanding. The company said it has made $4.0 billion in dividend payments in the first three
quarters of 2010.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
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Accenture Selected to Participate in $30 Billion FBI IT Contract
Accenture announced that it has been selected as one of the prime contractors in the FBI IT Supplies and Support Services contracting vehicle. The agreement, which has a ceiling value of more than $30 billion,
allows the bureau to accept bids on its IT service needs from the selected participants. Accenture has been approved to bid in 5 of the contract’s areas: hardware, software and related services; operations and maintenance; technical and development; and
“other,” which includes briefings and process improvements.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Microsoft Selected by USDA for New Cloud Messaging System
Microsoft announced that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected it to provide the software behind its new cloud-based Enterprise Messaging Service (EMS). The service will include e-mail, Web
conferencing, document collaboration and instant messaging. Microsoft says the USDA will be the first cabinet-level agency to adopt cloud-based email and collaboration software. The implementation of the system will include Microsoft Exchange Online,
Office SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online, and Microsoft Office Live Meeting, and will be installed by Dell Computers. The new installation is expected to unify more than 120,000 users currently spread across
21 email systems.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
SAIC Announces $40 Million Task Order from US DHS
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced that it has received a task order from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate to provide systems
engineering services to the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program. SAIC’s tasks will include supporting the areas of infrastructure capacity planning, architecture development and alignment, information systems security,
and systems assurance. The deal has a nine-month base period, four one-year options, and a total value of more than $40 million if all options are exercised.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
SAIC Awarded Contract to Modernize Border Patrol Communications
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) received a task order from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to modernize the tactical communications system used by
its agents patrolling the US borders. SAIC will be called on to upgrade Land Mobile Radio (LMR) communications capabilities for personnel across 20 geographic locations spanning the US. The radios include encryption technology, global positioning
capabilities, and digital interoperability. The task order has a two-year base period, and a total value of more than $45 million.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
Unisys Receives Contract to Bring Google-Based Collaboration to GSA
Unisys announced that the US General Services Administration (GSA) has commissioned it to create a cloud-based e-mail and employee collaboration system using the Google Apps
platform. Unisys says the project will provide 17,000 GSA employees and contractors worldwide with access to Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google’s array of online collaboration tools. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
INTERNET
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Google Opens Google eBooks, a Cloud-Based E-Book Marketplace
Google officially launched its new e-book store. The new Google eBooks will offer customers 3 million
titles, many of which are free. The store’s selection ranges from current bestsellers to classics and out-of-print texts. Once purchased or downloaded, books will be stored in the cloud, and can be viewed on any device supporting the company’s new eBooks Web Reader. Google has also released free reader applications for its own Android operating system, as well as Apple‘s iOS. The company said it also
plans on offering titles through independent booksellers, including members of the American Booksellers Association.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Google Announces Changes for Chrome 8, Chrome Web Store
Google announced several new additions to its Chrome Web browser included in its latest version. Chrome 8 includes support for Google’s Instant Search functionality built into its OmniBar. This allows for results to
populate the browser as soon as the user begins typing. The browser’s JavaScript rendering engine, V8, has also undergone a revamp, which Google says has doubled its speed. The second major addition is the launch of a Chrome Web Store. The store will allow users to purchase and download Web-based and installable applications which will run via the Chrome browser. The store is currently only available in the US and features a
selection of games, applications, and tools. The store will feature prominently in the Chrome browser and the upcoming Chrome operating system.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
ICANN Publishes Draft Final Report on Single Character IDN TLDs
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number (ICANN) announced that it has published the Draft Final Report on policy
aspects of introducing Single Character IDN TLDs (Internationalized Domain Name Top Level Domains). Included in the report is the recommendation that single-character IDN TLDs be put into use, that the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process should be applied to
these new TLDs, and that they should be analyzed on a case by case basis. Public comments on the draft will be accepted until December 30, 2010.
Source: Vendor, 12/4/2010
Verizon Business Introduces New IPv6 Transition Services
Verizon Business introduced IPv6 Transition Professional Services, designed to help organizations access, plan, and implement IPv6 readiness across global, extended enterprise systems. The new services span the
IPv6 implementation lifecycle: IPv6 Impact Assessment and Gap Compliance Analysis; IPv6 Transition Planning; and IPv6 Implementation. According to the latest figures from American Registry for Internet Numbers, less than 3 percent of Internet Protocol
version 4 (IPv4) Web addresses remain available in the global pool, necessitating the acceleration of IPv6 implementation efforts.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Yahoo Launches Restaurant Comparison Quickapp
Yahoo launched its new Restaurant Comparison Quickapp. The application allows users to compare eating destinations based on factors such as price, distance, cuisine type, atmosphere, and ratings side by side. Users
can choose the restaurants to compare, or choose from an automatically generated list of nearby eateries with similar features to their searched for destination. The Restaurant Comparison Quickapp is available from the Yahoo homepage.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
LAPTOPS & TABLETS
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Motorola Introduces New Rugged Mobile Computer Series
Motorola‘s Solutions business announced the MC55A0 series of rugged mobile computers. The MC55A0 series was developed for the mobile worker, and is available in models for customer-facing business applications and
healthcare environments.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Toshiba Unveils New Entry Level Netbook in Singapore
Toshiba Singapore introduced its new NB520 netbook. The Intel based system – which costs 599 SGD ($460 USD) – comes with a 10-inch display and 250-GB hard drive with shock absorber. It comes packaged
with Windows 7.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
LEGAL
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Intellectual Ventures Sues Major Security, Semiconductor Companies
Intellectual Ventures, founded by former Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold, has filed three patent infringement lawsuits against nine companies in the security, memory, and
chip markets. CNet reported that one lawsuit names as defendants Check Point Software Technologies, McAfee, Symantec, and Trend Micro and accuses them of infringing on four of its patents related to antivirus and Internet
security. The second suit accuses Elpida Memory and Hynix Semiconductor, makers of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and Flash memory, of infringing between five and seven of its patents. The final suit alleges that three makers of FPGA
(Field-Programmable Gate Array) logic chips – Altera, Lattice Semiconducto, and Microsemi – infringed three to five patents. The lawsuits were filed in federal court in Delaware.
Source: CNet, 12/9/2010
Motorola’s Symbol Settles Intellectual Property Case
Motorola‘s Solutions business announced an agreement between its Symbol Technologies subsidiary and Janam Technologies, to settle any outstanding intellectual property disputes.
In 2008, Symbol sued Janam for allegedly infringing on patents related to mobile computing technologies. Janam has taken a royalty bearing license under Symbol’s patents. Other terms have not been released.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Red Hat Files Brief with Supreme Court to Combat Patent Law Changes
Red Hat announced that it has filed a brief with the US Supreme Court to seek correction of the standard for inducing patent infringement.
The goal of the brief is to encourage the court to overturn a lower court ruling, which would clear the way for the expansion of patent litigation. Red Hat believes that only infringers that had previous knowledge of the patent, and comprehension that
their activity infringed upon it, should be held liable under the law. This contradicts the court’s current stance that lack of knowledge does not preclude a defendant from being found liable. The case is likely to come before the Supreme Court some time
in the Spring of 2011.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
MALWARE WATCH
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Kaspersky: Drive-by Downloads Posed Biggest Threats in November
According to Kaspersky Lab‘s malware statistics for November, the biggest threats for the month were drive-by
downloads, attacks that result in malware being downloaded to users’ computers when they visit infected sites. The Top 20 malicious programs detected on the Internet in November included a total of nine exploits, three redirects and one script downloader
that were used for carrying out drive-by downloads.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
New Worm Hitting Email
SonicWALL is warning Internet users to beware of a Zbot worm that is spreading in the wild. This new variant is spreading through emails with links to a malicious file; it contains the subject line “Your package
has arrived!”
Source: Vendor, 12/3/2010
MessageLabs Spam Levels Up Versus Last Year
Symantec released its MessageLabs Intelligence 2010 Security Report, which said 2010 spam levels averaged 89.1 percent, a slight increase over 2009, but in
August, the global spam rate peaked at 92.2 percent when a new variant of the Rustock botnet was seeded and adapted for use. For most of 2010 spam from botnets accounted for 88.2 percent of all spam. For 2010, the average number of new malicious Web sites
blocked each day rose to 3,066 compared to 2,465 for 2009, an increase of 24.3 percent.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
MOBILE APPS
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Visa Certifies Mobile Payment Technology from DeviceFidelity
Visa and Visa Europe announced the commercial availability of mobile contactless payments enabled by DeviceFidelity’s In2Pay microSD solution. Visa said this is the first time a mobile solution is included in its list
of Visa-compliant products available for potential commercial deployment by financial institutions in the US and other markets. Visa said certification follows 18 months of testing in partnership with Texas-based DeviceFidelity and trials with financial institutions in the US, Europe, and Asia. Smartphone models compatible for use with the technology include the RIM BlackBerry Bold 9650; the Apple iPhone 4, 3GS, and 3G; and
the Android-based Samsung Vibrant Galaxy 5. Visa said it expects to add additional phone models for use with the technology, including phones based on the Symbian and Windows operating systems.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Comcast Releases Xfinity Mobile App for Android Devices
Comcast has released the Xfinity Mobile app to the Android Market. The application enables Comcast Xfinity customers with Android-powered mobile devices to access home voice mail and comcast.net email messages, as
well as program and manage home DVRs, watch movie trailers, and check local TV listings.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
eBay Launches Android Version of RedLaser, Integrates Milo
eBay made several announcements regarding its RedLaser mobile shopping app. First, Announced the launch of an Android version of the RedLaser app. The new edition will include all of the same functionality as its
existing iPhone counterpart. Additionally, AOL announced that local shopping results from its Milo service will now be integrated into the iPhone and Android versions of the mobile app. This allows users to see the prices and stock levels of nearby
participating retailers by scanning an items barcode with their phone’s camera. The application is available for free via the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Juniper Announces Junos Pulse Connectivity App for iPad
Juniper Networks announced Junos Pulse for iPad, an app it says lets the user securely access and connect with enterprise resources. It is available for free download on iOS 4.2, from the Apple iTunes app store.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Opera Launches New Version of Opera Mini for Galaxy S Phones
Opera announced that a customized version of its Opera Mini mobile Web browser is now available for Samsung‘s line of Galaxy S smartphones. The new version features all of the
same functionality as existing editions of the mobile browser, including the company’s trademark data compression. Opera says the browser will be pre-installed on the device in some markets. Those wishing to download it themselves may visit m.opera.com,
where they will automatically be presented with the appropriate version.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
MOBILE PLATFORMS
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Google Unveils Gingerbread Mobile Platform, Samsung-Made Nexus S
Google introduced the latest version of the Android platform, Android 2.3 – also known as Gingerbread – and the newest Android-based Nexus smartphone developed in partnership with Samsung, the Nexus S. Google said the Gingerbread SDK/NDK is now available for developers, as well. The Nexus S is available unlocked for $529 USD, and for $199 with a two-year T-Mobile
USA contract. Nexus S features a 4-inch contour display, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, front and rear facing cameras, 16GB of internal memory, and NFC (near field communication) hardware that can read information from NFC tags. Beginning December 16,
the Nexus S will be available from Best Buy stores.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
OPERATING SYSTEMS
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Dell Unveils KACE K2000 Windows 7 Migration Software
Dell released its new KACE K2000, software for helping the IT organization migrate to Microsoft Windows 7 from Windows XP. According to Dell, it offers features for determining hardware and driver compatibility,
backing up information, and transferring data. It includes the first 100 nodes and retails for $4,500 USD, with flat, per-appearance and educational pricing also available.
Source: Vendor, 12/10/2010
Android Mobile OS Surging in US Smartphone Market
Google’s Android mobile operating system represents 23.5 percent of the US smartphone market as of October 2010, according to research firm comScore. Apple’s iOS is second, at 24.6 percent. Android-based handsets
made up 17 percent of US smartphones in July 2010, while iOS accounted for 23.8 percent. Research In Motion’s BlackBerry fell from 39.3 percent in July to 35.8 percent in October, comScore said in a press release. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS dropped from
11.8 percent to 9.7 percent, and Palm slipped from 4.9 percent to 3.9 percent. Nearly 61 million US subscribers now own smartphones, the research firm reported, 14 percent higher than the preceding three-month period and representing one out of every four
American wireless subscribers in all.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Google Announces Launch of Chrome OS, Pilot Program
Google officially launched its new Chrome operating system. The new OS is designed to power netbooks, and runs entirely within an instance of Google’s Chrome
browser. This means that all application storage and interaction is handled on the cloud. Google plans on integrating the new OS with its recently-launched Chrome Web Store to provide users with a selection of applications, games, and tools. The operating
system will appear first on a limited edition pilot program netbook. The device, dubbed CR-48, will only be available through a pilot program, and is geared toward developers who want early access to the OS.
Google did not announce any specific consumer-targeted devices of its own but did say netbooks from Acer and Samsung will be available some time during the first half of 2011.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
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Bell Canada Announces Stephen Howe as New EVP and CTO
Bell Canada announced that Stephen Howe has been named the company’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, effective January 1, 2011. He is being promoted from his current position of Senior Vice
President and Chief Technology Officer for Bell Mobility. Howe’s primary focus in the new position will be aiding the wireless and wireline network teams in their efforts to build and enhance the high-capacity broadband networks.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Boeing Announces Election of Ronald A. Williams to Board
Boeing announced that its board of directors has elected Ronald A. Williams as its newest director, effective immediately. Williams is also currently the Chairman of the board at Aetna, a health care insurance
company, where he recently stepped down from the CEO position. He will serve on the board’s Audit and Finance committees.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
BT Announces New Structure for BT Global Services
BT announced a slate of changes to the structure of its Global Services Division. First, the division has been divided into four sectors: banking & financial markets; government & health; consumer packaged goods; and
manufacturing, logistics, and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, a new leader has been appointed to the teams running each of these divisions: Andy Nicholson will lead the banking and financial markets sector; Neil Rogers will take the lead for government &
health; Kim McMann will head up consumer packaged goods; and Bas Burger will helm the manufacturing, logistics, and pharmaceuticals segment. All leaders will report to Jeff Kelly, CEO of BT Global Services.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
Cable&Wireless Opens New Global Market Solutions Center in India
Cable&Wireless announced the opening of a new Global Markets Solutions Centre (GMSC) in Bangalore, India. The new facility will serve as a development center for offshore product developments destined for the company’s
global markets, including the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and North America business areas. The center will also support a range of IT services for local customers.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
CenturyLink Announces Post-Merger Structure
CenturyLink announced the regional structure that will become effective when the company’s acquisition of Qwest Communications clears all state and federal regulatory approval
processes. That process is expected to be completed during the first half of 2011. The combined company’s 37-state service area will be organized into six regions and led by region presidents. The regions and states they will serve are detailed in
CenturyLink’s press release. All but one of the regions will be led by current CenturyLink executives – the exception being the combined company’s Northwest Region, which will be led by Brian Stading, currently VP of network operations and engineering for
Qwest.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Cisco Extends Talent Development Program in Gulf
Cisco Systems announced a series of initiatives in the Gulf region of the US for helping better train, employ, and retain networking and systems engineers. This includes Cisco training and certification courses for
students and professionals, available through Cisco Learning Solutions partners at more than 40 training centers in 31 cities. Scheduled dates and locations are available via the Cisco Learning Network.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Dell Names New Board Member, Presiding Director
Dell appointed Royal Philips Electronics president and CEO Gerard Kleisterlee to its director board, and announced that board member Alex Mandl was named independent presiding director, replacing the retiring Sam
Nunn.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Ericsson Chairman to Step Down in 2011 or 2012
Sweden-based wireless equipment company Ericsson announced its chairman Michael Treschow will leave his position within the next two years. The company said a nomination committee appointed by its largest owners
will propose a new chairman to the annual general meeting in 2011 or 2012. Treschow, 67, has been the chairman of Ericsson since 2002. In a statement, he said Ericsson’s strong market and financial position means “it is now the right time to hand over to a
successor.”
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Fujitsu Transfers Mobile Systems Manufacturing to Subsidiary
Fujitsu Japan announced it will transfer the manufacturing and quality assurance operations for its mobile systems products to its Fujitsu Telecom Networks subsidiary, which focuses on manufacturing photonics
products for the Japanese market.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
HP Opens Sales Training Facility in Texas
Hewlett-Packard (HP) opened HP Sales University, a multi million USD training facility to provide sales professionals with tools and techniques. The campus is located at HP’s site in Plano, TX, US. It employs advanced
learning techniques and leverages HP Instant-On Enterprise business solutions.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
HP Introduces Customer Support Experience Service Program
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced the HP Next Generation Customer Support Experience, a technology services support program that uses automation and mobility technology to address client issues. Presumably, it will help
business and government customers migrate to an “instant-on” enterprise with continuous connectivity. It will be rolled out in several phases over the next 12-18 months.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
McKesson Appoints Brian S. Tyler as President of US Pharmaceutical
McKesson announced that Brian S. Tyler, Ph.D. has been appointed president of McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical, effective January 1, 2011. He will be replacing John Figueroa, who has accepted the position of CEO of
Omnicare. In the new position, Tyler will report to Paul Julian, executive vice president and group president, McKesson Corp, and will be responsible for overseeing McKesson’s US pharmaceutical distribution business. Tyler has been with the company for 13
years, and is currently serving as president of McKesson Medical-Surgical.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
Former McAfee Exec Joins Sophos Board of Directors
Sophos appointed Sandra Bergeron to its board of directors as a non-executive member. Bergeron was previously a senior executive at McAfee and is a director for Qualys.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Sprint Unveils Network Vision
Sprint Nextel unveiled its “Network Vision blueprint,” which aims to consolidate multiple network technologies into one network, meaning Nextel’s iDEN network will be phased out beginning in 2013, as Sprint’s
upgraded network rolls out. Sprint has awarded contracts to Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, and Samsung to bring Network Vision to life.
Sprint currently uses separate equipment to deploy services on 800MHz spectrum, 1.9GHz spectrum and, through its relationship with Clearwire, 2.5GHz spectrum. Under terms of the new contracts, Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, and Samsung will install new
network equipment and software that brings together multiple spectrum bands on a single, multimode base station. The total estimated incremental cost of the Network Vision program during the deployment period is between $4 billion and $5 billion, Sprint
said. But the carrier estimates the total net financial benefit for a seven-year period to be between $10 billion and $11 billion. Cost savings are expected to come from capital efficiencies, reducing energy costs, lowering roaming expenses, backhaul
savings, and the eventual reduction in total cell sites, Sprint said.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Verizon Names Melone Executive VP, CTO
Verizon Communications announced the appointment of Anthony Melone as executive vice president and chief technology officer, with responsibility for Verizon’s technology roadmap, including overall platforms
integrity and architecture, and product development. He was previously senior vice president and chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless. Melone succeeds Shaygan Kheradpir, effective immediately, following Kheradpir’s announcement that he plans to
retire this month after a 23-year career with Verizon and its predecessor companies.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
ZTE Opens Logistics Center in Dallas, Texas
ZTE announced the opening of its first North American logistics center in Dallas, Texas. The center will serve as a hub in ZTE’s global distribution network, and will service 20 operators throughout North America and
Latin America. This opening will be joined shortly by the company’s planned logistics center in India, bringing it to a total of 42 global service centers.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
PUBLIC SAFETY
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Report: Colleges Played Important Role in H1N1 Response
Colleges and universities played an important but largely overlooked role in the nation’s response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, according to a new report “H1N1 &
Higher Ed: Lessons Learned” created by the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. The publication examined the impact of H1N1 on the Big 10+2 universities. Key elements of the
universities’ response in nine areas: Incident management, residence halls, health services, communications, vaccine distribution, teaching, human resources, student engagement and collaborations with public health are all highlighted in the report.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
FCC Launches Web Page to Aid in Narrow Band Migration
The Federal Communications Commission‘s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau launched a new Web page dedicated to providing information and assistance to licensees
migrating their land mobile radio systems from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz or narrower channel bandwidth. The deadline for migration of these systems to narrowband operation is January 1, 2013 and is expected to reduce spectrum congestion, improve communications,
and increase access to the spectrum for users of the 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz bands.
Source: FCC, 12/6/2010
GAO Suggests Further Evaluation for Ferry Security
Because ferries are an important aspect of transportation in the US, and are also potential targets for terrorism, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed security for these vehicles. Additionally, the GAO
assessed which risks the Coast Guard has identified, and what actions other entities have taken to improve ferry security. In its report, the GAO has asked the
Commandant of the Coast Guard to reevaluate vehicle screening requirements and if necessary, to take further action to bolster ferry security.
Source: GAO, 12/3/2010
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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Fed Agencies Must Unite to Secure Federal Lands: GAO
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently analyzed the extent that border security threats have changed on federal lands; how federal agencies operating on these lands have communicated threat information; and
how federal agencies have coordinated strategies. After reviewing interagency agreements and threat assessments, among other documents, the GAO recommended that the Department of the Interior and Agriculture decide if further guidance is needed for federal land closures. The GAO also suggested that both agencies along with the Department of Homeland Security implement interagency agreements while improving information sharing.
Source: GAO, 11/18/2010
GAO: Better Planning, Budgeting Needed for Classified Systems
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed how well the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has
implemented disaster recovery planning for its classified supercomputing systems and how much the NNSA tracks the costs for such planning. After analyzing disaster recovery planning policies, the capabilities of supercomputing capabilities at weapons labs,
and NNSA’s budget data, the GAO suggested that the NNSA better define responsibilities for the disaster recovery planning for the supercomputing environment.
Source: GAO, 12/9/2010
Fed Agencies to Research Financial Cybersecurity
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, and the Financial
Services Sector Coordinating Council are joining forces to research better cybersecurity practices for the financial services sector. The three organizations plan to use their expertise, research and development capabilities, and other resources to
explore new cybersecurity technologies and develop new processes that benefit financial services functions. The collaborative research is also expected to be applicable to health care and smart grid cybersecurity needs.
Source: NIST, 12/8/2010
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
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Google Launches Google Earth Engine
Google announced the launch of Google Earth Engine, a new offering designed to provide the scientific community with unprecedented access to large-scale
environmental data. Google says the new engine will allow scientists to explore imagery and data which has never before been compiled into a usable format. It will also be providing its own cloud-enabled servers for the purpose of processing scientific
analyses, including a 10 million CPU-hour donation to support the tracking of deforestation in developing nations.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
SEARCH
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Google Blocks Thousands of Sites from Search Ranking Manipulation
Google announced it has altered its search indexing algorithms to prevent Web sites from increasing their search rank by using negative treatment of their customers to induce increased traffic. The change was brought
about as a result of a New York Times article that told the story of a consumer that fell victim to a site which appeared at the top of Google’s results by using
this exact strategy. Google says its changes block not only the offender mentioned in the story, but thousands of other sites that provide “an extremely poor user experience” from appearing high on result pages. Google did not reveal the details of the
solution as a precaution against the malicious usage of its details to circumvent the blockage.
Source: Vendor, 12/1/2010
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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QuickTime Version 7.6.9 Is Now Available
Apple updated QuickTime to version 7.6.9 to alleviate various security issues. More details are available from an article posted on Apple’s Web site. Users should
immediately update to mitigate all risks.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Multiple Products Hit with Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability
Core Security Technologies has discovered an insecure library loading vulnerability in various products including Google Earth; Adobe
InDesign, PhotoShop, and Device Central; QuickBooks Pro 2010; and CyberLink Power2Go. Various advisories have been posted, but no
patch has been made available yet.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Google Updates Chrome to Fix Security Holes
Google released Chrome version 8.0.552.215 to address various security issues. Further details are available from a blog
post on the vendor’s Web site.
Source: Vendor, 12/3/2010
Salesforce.com Launches Free Version of Chatter
Salesforce.com announced the launch of Chatter Free, a new, no-cost, version of its Salesforce Chatter. The new version uses the “social invitation” model to let users invite colleagues to collaborate on the
tool. The social version comes packed with support for many of the pay versions, including profiles, status updates, real-time feeds, file sharing, groups, filters, invitations, Chatter mobile support, and Chatter desktop support. Chatter Free is available
now to all employees of paying Salesforce.com customers at no charge.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
VMware Advisory, Fix Available for Various Products
VMware posted an advisory and a fix to address a hole in Movie Decoder, Workstation, and Player. Only Windows versions of these
products are affected. Security issues with VMware Server is also addressed in this advisory, but the vendor has no plans to issue patches for them. Users are directed to migrate to a different product.
Source: Secunia, 12/3/2010
SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
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Adobe Chosen to Provide Google eBooks DRM Software
Adobe announced that Google is using its Adobe Content Server 4 solution as the content protection method for its new Google eBooks store. Adobe says that this agreement, coupled
with the 200 publishers and distributors Google has signed up for the store, makes its Content Server the most widely used Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution for ebooks and other digital publications in the world. More information about Content
Server 4 is available from Adobe’s Digital Publishing blog.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Survey: Global Workforce to Grow in 2011; Security a Top Concern
A global survey from Check Point Software has revealed that IT security administrators are anticipating a significant increase in the number of users connecting to their network in the next year, with 54 percent
citing specific growth in the number of remote users. According to the survey of over 220 IT security administrators, 64 percent of organizations are concerned the growth in remote users will result in exposure to sensitive data. Yet, as the mobile
workforce has been growing, 70 percent of respondents admit they do not use data encryption to secure their business laptops, and 87 percent of organizations do not encrypt USB or portable media devices.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
IBM Launches Enhancements to Rational AppScan Portfolio
IBM announced the addition of new software and analysis capabilities to its Rational AppScan portfolio. The new additions consolidate software vulnerability analysis and reporting into a single view for the entire
enterprise. Additionally, IBM has added string analysis, which notifies developers of which Web application development input needs to be cleansed during the software testing process. The updates software also supports the CAC/PKI federal security
protocol. More information about IBM’s Rational AppScan portfolio is available from its Security page.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Kaspersky Inks Mobile Security Deal with Chinese ISP
Kaspersky Lab and Tencent, a Chinese Internet services provider, signed an agreement to integrate Kaspersky Lab’s mobile Anti-Virus technology into Tencent’s QQ Security Expert. The two companies have launched a
joint initiative to raise users’ awareness of the need for smartphone protection and are developing technologies for mobile security aimed at providing smartphone users, with security services.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Future Internet Explorer Version to Offer User Tracking Controls
Microsoft plans to include a new security feature in the still-in-development Internet Explorer 9, dubbed “Tracking Protection.” This future enhancement will enable users to exercise privacy control over what
information they choose to share with third parties. Users will have the capability to decide which Web sites to share information by adding Tracking Protection Lists to Internet Explorer.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Microsoft Announces “Tracking Protection” for Internet Explorer 9
Microsoft announced that the newest version of its Internet Explorer 9 release candidate will feature an option very similar to the FCC’s recently proposed “opt out” button for online activity tracking. Microsoft
says the new feature, called “Tracking Protection” will allow users to block numerous forms of undesired tracking. Conversely, the tool will also include “Tracking Protection Lists,” which will provide users with a method of allowing specified sites to
continue tracking their online activity. A video demonstration, as well as a detailed report on the logic behind Tracking Protection, is available at the Internet Explorer Blog.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Public Comments Needed for NIST Documentation
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public comment for three draft documents. Draft Special Publication (SP)
800-51 Revision 1 provides recommendations for using two vulnerability naming schemes: Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) and Common Configuration Enumeration (CCE). Draft
NIST Interagency Report 7693 offers information about how asset identification plays into an organization’s ability to correlate different sets of information about assets. Draft
NIST Interagency Report 7694 proposes the Asset Reporting Format, a data model for expressing the transport format of information about assets and the relationships between assets and reports.
Source: NIST, 12/6/2010
OnSSI Adds Functionality to Software House’s C-CURE Access System
OnSSI released a new software module that integrates its video management system with the latest version (v1.93) of Software House’s C-CURE 9000 security and event management system. The integration with OnSSI
enhances the C-CURE 9000 event management capabilities with a full IP-video toolset, allows users to launch video associated with access control events.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Proofpoint Enhances Enterprise Protection, Privacy Suites
Proofpoint introduced version 6.2 of the Enterprise email security and compliance platform, including new features for the Enterprise Protection and the Enterprise Privacy suites. The Enterprise Protection suite
protects email infrastructure from outside threats including spam, phishing, unpredictable email volumes, and malware, while the Enterprise Privacy suite is an integrated email compliance, data loss prevention, and encryption application.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
New Features Added to Proofpoint Partner Program
Proofpoint announced new enhancements to its Advantage Partner Program. Among the updates to the program, Proofpoint has added an online learning system so that partners can utilize self-paced online technical
training on Proofpoint products.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Proofpoint Releases V6.2 of its Security and Compliance Platform
Proofpoint released version 6.2 of its Proofpoint Enterprise email security and compliance platform. The latest revision includes updates to the Proofpoint Enterprise Protection and the Proofpoint Enterprise
Privacy suites designed to provide better spam protection, encryption enhancements, and improved sender controls. Prices for the suites are $10-$14 per user, per month. Current Proofpoint email security customers will be allowed to upgrade to this new
version free of charge.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
SERVERS
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Oracle Launches Expanded SPARC Line, Exalogic Elastic Cloud T3-1B
Oracle announced that it is expanding the SPARC platform with the launch of its Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud T3-1B engineered system and
a complete refresh of the SPARC Server product line. The new Exalogic Elastic Cloud T3-1B is an integrated hardware and software system designed to run Java
and non-Java applications with extreme performance, while the server revamp includes improvements to the SPARC line’s performance, increases in scalability, and improved security.
Source: Vendor, 12/2/2010
Oracle Launches Expanded Sun Blade Systems Portfolio
Oracle announced an expansion of its Sun Blade systems portfolio. The new additions to the lineup include the SPARC T3-1B
blade server, a dual-node Sun Blade X6275 M2 server module, several storage and networking modules, a new Oracle VM blade cluster reference configuration, and the company’s newly optimized Oracle WebLogic Suite. Additionally the company is offering Sun
Blade server modules for Oracle Solaris, Oracle Linux, and Oracle VM on a pre-installed basis.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
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AT&T, Elster to Offer Wireless Metering Infrastructure Solution
AT&T and smart grid metering technology company Elster announced they have signed a new agreement that will enable end-to-end wireless solutions for utilities. The combined offering
enables utilities to integrate distribution area networking from AT&T’s cellular data network with Elster’s EnergyAxis advanced metering infrastructure solution.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Boeing Signs MOU with KEMA for the Development of New Smart Grid Tech
Boeing announced that it has signed an memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KEVA, a strategic and technical energy consulting firm with the goal of collaborating on the development of Smart Grid technologies and
other technologies for secure, reliable, and sustainable energy infrastructure. The specific areas of research named in the MOU include advanced systems development and integration, technical design and interoperability testing, and cybersecurity.
Additionally, the companies plan on developing middleware applications to ensure the usually disparate systems in a smart grid can function together.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
SMARTPHONES
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Dell Introduces Venue Pro Smartphone for T-Mobile Users
Dell introduced its new Venue Pro, a Windows Phone 7 smartphone with QWERTY keypad. It is available immediately for new and existing T-Mobile USA subscribers, via both Dell, Microsoft retail stores, and store.microsoft.com.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
Swisscom Launches BlackBerry Torch 9800
Swisscom launched its version of RIM‘s Blackberry Torch 9800. The smartphone features a slide-out QWERTZ keyboard as well as a 3.2-inch touch screen. It also ships with a
pre-installed 4GB micro SD card, and the BlackBerry 6 operating system. The Torch is available now from Swisscom for CHF 199, with the required Natel liberty grande subscription.
Source: Vendor, 12/6/2010
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Facebook Announces Latest Updates to User Profile Pages
Facebook announced the latest update to its user profile pages. This revamp contains several new features, including a short introduction explaining basic facts about the user; a row of recently posted photos; a
list of featured friends that are most important to the user; and an experiences section, which allows users to share facts like what classes they’ve taken, their religious background, favorite musicians, or any other items that are of interest to them.
The new style of user profile will be rolling out gradually, with early next year targeted for the completion of its introduction. Users who would like to update their profile early, or who wish to know more about the changes may visit the updated profile page at Facebook.
Source: Vendor, 12/5/2010
Facebook Launches App Control Dashboard for Mobile Site
Facebook announced that it is bringing its application control dashboard to the mobile version of its social network. The dashboard allows users to control what information each application and Web site they use
may access. It also reports on the information each entity has accessed, and when the access occurred. These features are expected to roll out gradually to all mobile users over the next few weeks.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
IRS Expands its Use of Twitter, Add Tax Pro Feed
The US Internal Revenue Service announced plans to expand its use of Twitter to inform the public and tax professionals of important tax information. Its Twitter feed, @IRSNews,
provides readers with federal tax news, and information for tax payers. The new initiative will expand the content of the feed to include tax tips, tax law changes, and information about IRS programs such as e-file, the earned income tax credit, and
“Where’s My Refund.” The IRS has also now established a separate Twitter feed, @IRStaxpros, to serve the same purpose for professional tax preparers.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Pew Study: 8% of Online US Adults use Twitter
The Pew Internet & American Life Project released the results of its recent study of Twitter users in the US. The group found that 8% of US adults with Internet access are users
of the Twitter. This number varied greatly depending on the age group surveyed, however, and on the ethnicity of the user. As might be expected, adults 18-29 years of age showed a much higher likelihood of using Twitter than their older
counterparts, while African-Americans and Latinos were twice as likely to use the micro-blogging service than their Caucasian peers. Usage also doubled among individuals living in urban areas, compared to their rural counterparts. Lastly, the occurrence of
usage also spiked slightly among the college-educated and female demographics.
Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010
Saba Launches Saba Live Connector for Microsoft Sharepoint
Saba announced the launch of the Saba Live Connector for Microsoft SharePoint. The new product is designed to provide users with a method of sharing content across platforms,
breaking down information silos, and driving collaboration across their companies. Features includes personal profiles, expertise locators, “Twitter-like” performance feedback, social learning, and workplace analytics.
More information about the new connector is available from the Saba Live Product page.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
STREAMING MEDIA
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Cisco Introduces Video Optimized Transport for IP NGN
Cisco Systems announced its new Internet Protocol Next Generation Network (IP NGN) Video Optimized Transport, technology for helping service providers and broadcasters deliver IP video technology on an IP NGN
architecture.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
VOIP
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Verizon Business Bolsters VoIP Offerings in Europe
Verizon Business is introducing its voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) portfolio in Switzerland – the eleventh country in Europe targeted by Verizon with business-class VoIP services. Verizon Business also
said it will introduce a new VoIP product service-level agreement throughout Europe; the SLA is already available in the US The company has also certified Cisco VoIP and unified communications and collaboration gear to work with Verizon IP Trunking in the
US and Europe.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
WEB COMMERCE
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comScore Reports More than $17.5 Billion in E-Commerce Spending
comScore released its latest report on e-commerce spending for this holiday season. The trend of increased spending continued through December 5. comScore reported that between November 1 and December 5 more
than $17.5 billion had been spent online. This is a 12% increase over the same period in 2009. comScore notes that one of the driving forces behind the rise may have been this year’s prevalence of free shipping promotions, with more than
half of all transactions featuring this offer.
Source: Vendor, 12/8/2010
WIRELESS
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Alcatel Provides System Integration for Bahamas Wi-Fi Network
Alcatel-Lucent provided system integration for Bahamas Telecommunications Co.’s commercial Wi-Fi mesh network. The network will provide regional commercial wireless services. It was enabled by Aptilo
Networks.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
Huawei Providing WiMAX for Caribbean Network Deployment
Huawei Technologies is providing the end to end WiMAX technology for Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago’s commercial WiMAX network in the Caribbean, which will be completed in early 2011. The network
will bring Internet connectivity to all of the islands. Its first phase – already launched – covers certain hot spots and provides rich wireless broadband services and video surveillance.
Source: Vendor, 12/7/2010
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