News Briefs for the Week Ending

12/17/2010

Docid:00020009

Publication Date: 1012

Publication Type: NEWS

• ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
• ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
• BUSINESS CONTINUITY
• CARRIER SERVICES
• CLOUD COMPUTING
• COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
• CONFERENCING
• CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
• DATA BREACHES
• DBMS
• ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
• ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING
• FINANCIAL
• GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
• HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
• INTERNET
• LEGAL
• MALWARE WATCH
• MOBILE APPS
• OPERATING SYSTEMS
• PERIPHERALS
• PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
• PUBLIC SAFETY
• REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
• SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
• SEARCH
• SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
• SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
• SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
• SMARTPHONES
• SOCIAL MEDIA
• STORAGE
• STREAMING MEDIA
• UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
• WEB COMMERCE

ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES

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Google made a brief announcement to address the current state of its experimental 1 Gbps fiber project. The company said that, although it had originally intended to announce selected communities by the end of
this year, it has been forced to push that date to early 2011. Google cited the massive response – more than 1,100 submissions – as the reason for the delay.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

Nokia Siemens, T-Mobile Promoting Long Term HSPA Evolution

Nokia Siemens Networks and T-Mobile USA announced they are driving the standardization of a high speed packet access (HSPA) technology dubbed Long Term HSPA
Evolution, which they say could improve mobile broadband with speeds matching those promised by longterm evolution. Operators would be able to achieve peak data rates of more than 650M bps, they said. Commercial deployment is expected by 2013.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

Nokia Siemens to Provide Technology for Elisa Network Upgrade

Nokia Siemens Networks announced it will provide the technology to cover the first phase of Finnish operator Elisa’s longterm evolution rollout, 3G expansion, and GSM modernization. Nokia Siemens will
provide radio access network technology.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

ZTE Signs $85 Million Contract with Aircel for SDR-Based 3G Network

ZTE announced that it has received an $85 million contract from Aircel to build and deploy an advanced SDR-based 3G network. Additionally, ZTE will be responsible for upgrading the company’s 2G network, as well as
future 3G upgrades. The new network will be based on ZTE’s SDR (unified 2G/3G/HSPA/HSPA+) platform.

Source: Vendor, 12/12/2010

CONFERENCING

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Cisco Announces TelePresence Rooms in Algeria, Vietnam

Cisco Systems announced it equipped offices in Algeria and Vietnam with TelePresence rooms. TelePresence is its teleconferencing solution that offers a live, face to face virtual meetings. TelePresence meeting
participants can share content, create high quality video recordings, consult, and access personalized services. It also announced it will deploy its WebEx enterprise collaboration suite – which combines real time collaboration with VoIP technology – for
Saudi Arabia’s General Investment Authority.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES

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Accenture Announces Multi-Year Deal with Hilton Worldwide

Accenture announced the signing of a multi-year deal with Hilton Worldwide to provide application development and support services for its property management systems and Web sites for more than 3,600 hotels
worldwide. Additionally, Accenture will be tasked with providing Hilton with global service desk support for all of its locations. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

Capgemini Earns 5-Year Extension on Three General Motors Contracts

Capgemini announced that it has been awarded renewals on three contracts separate from the General Motors Corporation. The contract areas include Global Sales, Service & Marketing; Global Purchasing and Supply
Chain; and Global Business Services organizations. The combined value of the new 5-year application integration management agreements is more than $100 million. Capgemini’s areas of performance will include strategic planning, data management, systems
engineering and architecture (SE&A), software engineering, program management, and verification and validation (V&V).

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

EMC Announces New Compliance Services

EMC announced expanded consulting services to help organizations meet new guidelines outlined within the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 2.0, effective January 1, 2011. The new services help
organizations reduce compliance costs with the standard and offer customers a holistic and forward-looking approach to risk management, EMC said.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

HP to Provide Technology Infrastructure, Services for E.ON

Hewlett-Packard (HP) signed a $1.4 billion USD outsourcing services contract to provide the technology infrastructure to support European utility E.ON’s data center operations and workplace services, globally, over a
five year period. HP will directly manage data center services and workplace services for more than 80,000 employees. HP also will act as operational integrator, collaborating closely with E.ON’s other key IT suppliers. As a result, more than 1,100
employees will transfer to HP in April 2011. HP currently supplies technology equipment, support services, and managed print services for E.ON.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

HP Introduces Critical Advantage Client Support Service

HP Technology Services announced Critical Advantage, a support service it says can help clients improve the performance and availability of business critical applications
running on virtualized ProLiant servers. Critical Advantage offers an assigned account team to deliver support and maintain the uptime of business-critical, virtualized environments, focusing on problem resolution and process improvement.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

Verizon Business to Deploy Integrated Com Network for Getinge Group

Under a new 3 1/2-year agreement, Verizon Business will deploy and manage an integrated communication and networking solution for Getinge Group, a provider of health care and life sciences products and systems
with more than 12,000 employees at 150 companies, worldwide. Verizon is consolidating Getinge’s global communication environment onto a global private IP network. Verizon Business will provide the firm with managed security and other professional services
support. Getinge is also using Verizon’s Computing-as-a-Service solution.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

DATA BREACHES

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FBI Looking for Links in McDonald’s Data Breach

The Register reported that US FBI agents looking into the theft of customer data belonging to McDonald’s are investigating similar breaches that may have hit more than 100 other companies that used e-mail
marketing services from Atlanta, Georgia-based Silverpop. Online tech news site TechSpot reported that fast food giant McDonald’s servers were recently compromised and hackers
were able to get access to customers’ e-mail addresses, names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, genders, as well as certain information about their promotional preferences and Web information interests. The sites affected were: McDonalds.com,
365Black.com, McDonalds.ca, mcdonaldsmom.com, mcdlive.com, monopoly.com, playatmcd.com, and meencanta.com.

Source: The Register, 12/16/2010

Gawker Media Hack Exposes Usernames, Passwords in Major Breach

Gawker Media discovered last weekend that its servers had been hacked, resulting in security breaches at its stable of Web sites: Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Gawker, Jezebel, io9, Jalopnik, Kotaku, Deadspin, and Fleshbot. Anyone registered at any of those sites may have had their passwords and usernames exposed, Gawker Media said. The sites require registration only if a visitor wants to leave comments, but have more than one million registered users. Beyond the immediate Gawker site-related impact, users were reminded that if they use
the same login and password for other online sites, those site passwords should be changed, too, because the entire hacked file of usernames and passwords was being shared over the Web. The online magazine Slate posted a
widget to help people determine if their userids and passwords were among those compromised, although any Gawker-registered user should assume the worst. As evidence of the cascade effect of the Gawker server
break-in, both Twitter and LinkedIn are thought to have suffered problems related to Gawker-compromised logins and passwords. An online hacker
collective called Gnosis claimed responsibility for the hack, according to TNW and other Web media sources.

Source: Gawker, 12/13/2010

DBMS

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Oracle Releases MySQL 5.5

Oracle announced the general availability of MySQL 5.5. This update focuses on improving overall performance, and enhancing the software’s Web
application scalability across the Windows and Linux operating systems. Included in the various editions of this release will be the MySQL 5.5 Community Edition, which is available as a free download under the GNU General Public License.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE

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Avaya Updates Agile Communication Environment Software

Avaya introduced Agile Communication Environment Release 2.3, software for embedding real time communications capabilities into business applications to help create processes that streamline business collaboration and
speed workflows. R2.3 features integration with Avaya’s Aura platform, a client-side add-on for Microsoft Communicator, and new embedded voice capabilities.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING

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CSC Earns Certification in SAP Value Management Methodology

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has completed SAP Education training and certification in the SAP Value Management methodology. This certification entitles CSC to
SAP methodologies and resources, including strategies benchmarking, business case development, and value realization tools. CSC was tested in the areas of Value Lifecycle Management approach and methodologies, High Impact Strategy Benchmarking and
performance improvement programs, and Value Management content and tools before receiving this certificate. More information about what this means for the company’s future offerings is available from its SAP product
page.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Oracle Launches JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Apparel Management

Oracle announced the launch of its new JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Apparel Management solution. This new module within Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 9.0 portfolio is designed to optimize the management of products
that feature a variety of different attributes including styles, colors, and sizes. The company says the software can be used to prioritize dynamic order allocations and seasonal collections lifecycles. It also supports the development of multi-attribute
products ranging from components to finished goods. More information about this new release is available from its product page.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

SAP Launches First User Experience Pack for Business All-in-One

SAP announced the release of the first “user experience” package for its SAP Business All-in-One solutions. SAP says the package will allow for faster access to information as well as increased productivity via a
unified and personalized environment. The solution also provides users with a single working environment compatible with both SAP and non-SAP applications. A video preview of the new software is available from the SAP Newsroom YouTube channel.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

FINANCIAL

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Amerisource Bergen Reaffirms Guidance, Prices Stock Repurchase

Amerisource Bergen reaffirmed its financial guidance for the 2011 fiscal year at its recent investor’s day. The company expects revenue to grow between 2% and 4% during the year, with a predicted earnings
per share total in the range of $2.31 to $2.41. It also revealed that it expects to spend approximately $400 million, depending on market conditions, to accomplish the goals of its previously announced stock repurchasing program.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Atlantic Tele-Network Board Declares Quarterly Dividend

Atlantic Tele-Network announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, payable on January 10, 2011, on all common shares outstanding to stockholders of record as of December
31, 2010. Atlantic Tele-Network – headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts – provides telecommunications services to rural, niche, and other under-served markets and geographies in the United States, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

Bell Canada Announces $1.97 Dividend, Pension Plan Infusion

Bell Canada announced its dividend for the year, as well as a plan to infuse funds into its pension plan. The company posted a dividend of $1.97 per share for 2011. This represents a 7.7% increase over last year. This
amount will be payable on April 15, 2011 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2011. Additionally, the company has undertaken a plan to siphon $750 million into its defined benefit pension plan from cash on hand.

Source: Vendor, 12/10/2010

Boeing Announces $0.42 Quarterly Dividend

Boeing announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share. This amount will be payable on March 4, 2011 to all shareholders of record on February 11, 2011.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

CSC Declares $0.20 Quarterly Dividend, $1 Billion Stock Repurchase

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) made a pair of financial announcements. First, the company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share. This amount will be payable on January 13, 2011 to all shareholders of
record at the close of business on December 23, 2010. This represents a 33% increase over the company’s previous quarter. Additionally, CSC announced that its board of directors has approved a share repurchase program of up to $1 billion. The company says
it will implement the repurchase via open market transactions, which will be funded by available cash. No end date for the program has been set as of the time of writing.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

Global Crossing UK Revenue, Profit Down

Global Crossing announced third quarter results for its subsidiary, Global Crossing (UK) Telecommunications Limited (GCUK). For the third quarter of 2010, GCUK generated revenue of 75 million British pounds
($116.96 million USD) – down 3 percent sequentially and up 1 percent year-over-year. The sequential decrease was primarily due to lower sales related to short-interval demand, such as purchases of equipment and professional services, and somewhat higher
sales credits after lower than average sales credits in the prior quarter, the company said. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to increased sales to enterprise customers. Gross profit was 28 million British pounds for the quarter, a sequential
decrease of less than 1 million pounds and a year-over-year decrease of 1 million pounds. The year-over-year decrease was due to a 4 million pound favorable regulatory ruling in the year-ago period, mostly offset by sales growth and lower depreciation and
amortization.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

NTT DoCoMo Earnings Up for First Six Months of 2010

For the six months ended Sptember 30, 2010, wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo reported earnings of 309.7 million yen ($3.6 million USD), up 8.8% from the same period in the prior year. Basic earnings per share were
7,444,81 yen, up from 6,817.99 yen for the six months ended Speptember 30, 2009. Revenue was 2.1 million yen, down slightly from the same period a year earlier.

Source: Vendor, 10/28/2010

Sprint: No Plans At Present to Acquire Clearwire

In response to the closing of Clearwire‘s private debt offering, Sprint – Clearwire’s largest shareholder – issued a statement saying it was “pleased that Clearwire has been
able to secure third-party funding, which demonstrates its strength as a wholesale provider of 4G network service to Sprint.” Sprint has declined to invest more money in Clearwire for now, saying it continues to hold discussions with Clearwire regarding
further investment in the company but has “no plans at present to acquire Clearwire.” Clearwire needed to raise money to continue the buildout of its network. Sprint uses Clearwire’s WiMAX-based “4G” network for its high speed broadband services.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

Telus Sets Financial Targets for 2011, Expects Profit Growth

Telus announced its financial targets for the 2011 fiscal year. For revenue the company is targeting an amount between $9.925 and $10.225 billion, with $5.2 to $5.35 billion expected from its wireless division, and
$4.725 to $4.875 billion coming from its wireline segment. The company is also targeting a total earnings per share of $3.50 to $3.90, representing a 9% to 22% change from this year’s guidance.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

VeriSign Declares $3.00 Special Dividend

VeriSign announced that its board of directors has declared a special dividend of $3.00 per share of its common stock. The board is using this dividend to return approximately $516 million to its shareholders. The
amount will be payable on December 28, 2010 to shareholders of record by the close of business on December 20, 2010.

Source: Vendor, 12/10/2010

Vonage Announces Completion of Refinancing with $200 Million Loan

Vonage announced that it has successfully completed its planned refinancing. It says its new $200 million, 5-year loan will allow it to install a more efficient capital structure. The financing effectively wiped out
a trio of lien debts totaling $194 million, with interest rates ranging from 16% to 20%. The new loan has a lower interest rate, and will reduce annual costs by $20 million, the company says.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

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ARC Networks Wins GSA Preferred Vendor Status

ARC Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Broadview Networks, announced that it has been approved as a preferred vendor by the General Services Administration (GSA) of the US
Federal government. Under the GSA IT Schedule 70 contract, ARC Networks is now eligible to sell its cable and wiring services for local area networks, wireless networking, and security systems directly to state and Federal agencies.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

CSC Wins Four EPA Applications Management Contracts

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it is the recipient of four Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applications management contracts. The slate of agreements will see CSC providing the EPA with
services such as custom applications, off-the-shelf application support, e-mail support, mobile collaboration tools, hardware management, and maintenance. The combined contracts have a total value of approximately $124 million, and were awarded under the
Information Technology Solutions-Environmental Protection Agency II blanket purchase agreement.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

CSC Wins $33 Million Contract with Department of Veteran Affairs

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that it has received a contract from the US General Services Administration to provide software development services to the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Under the
terms of the contract, CSC, along with subcontractor Helpdesk Response, will provide the department with information technology and software development services for the VA’s Financial Services Center (FSC). The agreement has a one-year base period, four
one-year options, and an estimated total value of $33 million.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS

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Allscripts Receives Meaningful Use Certification for MyWay HER

Allscripts announced that its MyWay EHR version 9.0 has received Complete EHR Ambulatory certification. This classification ensures that the electronic health record solution will meet the Stage 1 meaningful use
requirements needed in order for a health care provider to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). MyWay EHR version 0.0 will retain its certfication through 2012.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

ICSA Labs Certified for eHealth Records Solutions Testing

The US Department of Health and Human Services has designated ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon Business, as an Authorized
Testing and Certification Body for products and solutions for electronic health records. The records are used to securely share patient information electronically between physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

INTERNET

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Amazon Sites Brought Down by Hardware Failure, Not Hackers

Amazon said the recent 30 minute downtime that affected its British, French, German, Austrian, and Italian sites was the result of a “hardware failure,” not a distributed denial of service by WikiLeaks supporters,
according to a BBC report. The company had been named as a target of the group known as Anonymous, which has been attacking companies that denied services or donations to WikiLeaks following its controversial
release of secret US documents. Anonymous later released a statement saying that it chose not to target Amazon, however, as such an attack would be more harmful to consumers than anyone else. The nature of the hardware failure remains undisclosed.

Source: BBC, 12/13/2010

Google Taps Sonic.net for FTTH Network Pilot

Google announced that competitive residential broadband provider Sonic.net will run Google’s pilot FTTH (Fiber to the Home) network at Stanford University in California. The FTTH
network will deliver up to 1 Gbps speeds to about 850 faculty and staff members’ homes located on campus. Sonic.net will manage network operations and provide customer service and support, and installation and repair. Construction on Google’s Stanford
FTTH network will begin early next year. Google’s Stanford trial network is separate from its ongoing Fiber Communities project

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

ICANN Posts Final Review of Technical Liaison Group

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that JAS Communications, an independent reviewer, has published its findings on the organization’s Technical Liaison Group (TLG). The draft report, detailing recommendations and conclusions based on their research into the TLG, was published for public comment in October. The reviewers have now
completed their final report on the TLG, and have published it for public comment once again. More information about this audit is available from the TLG Review Page.

Source: Vendor, 12/10/2010

Opera Debuts its Newest Desktop Browser, Opera 11

Opera officially debuted the newest version of its desktop browser, Opera 11. The company lists the browser’s new features as tab stacking, a method of organizing related tabs into groups; extensions, add-ons which
increase Opera 11’s functionality; mouse gestures for commonly used functions; and a new address bar that alerts the user to the security level of the Web site they are about to visit. Opera also says it has improved performance by up to 30 percent. Opera
11 can be downloaded from the Opera home page.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

LEGAL

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DIRECTV Settles Dispute Over Ads, Customer Service, and Policies

DIRECTV announced that it has signed agreements with state Attorney Generals in all 50 US states to settle disputes over its advertising, customer service, and third-party retailer policies. The company says the
settlement is merely a formalization of the changes it had already implemented to better serve and educate its customers. More information about the details of the settlement are available from a Web page DIRECTV has created on the matter.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

DoJ Files Civil Lawsuit over Deepwater Horizon Disaster

US Attorney General Eric Holder announced the filing of a civil lawsuit over the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The suit, filed with the US District Court in New Orleans,
names nine defendants, including oil giant BP, Anadarko Petroleum, and Transocean Holdings. The US alleges a range of violations of federal safety and operational regulations; it aims to prove the defendants responsible – under the Oil Pollution Act – for
government removal costs, economic losses, and environmental damages. The suit also seeks civil penalties under the Clean Water Act.

Source: DoJ, 12/15/2010

MALWARE WATCH

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Google, Micorsoft Ad Networks Hit by Malware

Cybercriminals infected Google’s and Microsoft’s online ad networks last week with malicious ads that attacked users’ PCs. The attack lasted several days, according to security vendor Armorize. Armorize said the
spread of HDD Plus malware was accomplished via drive-by download “malvertising” through DoubleClick (Google’s Ad Network) and rad.msn.com (Microsoft ‘s Ad Network). The vendor said the malicious javascript was served from ADShufffle.com.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

‘Tis The Season – for Malware

Security researchers at MX Lab are warning about a new wave of fake e-mails purporting to come from Hallmark, which try to pass along a computer
Trojan as a Christmas card. According to MX Lab, the e-mails began circulating the week of December 6 and have a subject of “1st Christmas Card.” Their header is spoofed to appear as if they originate from Hallmark and they use a template that mimics the
look of Hallmark’s Web site. The e-mails carry an attached file named SnowFairy.zip, which is actually aTrojan.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

MOBILE APPS

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Google Launches Google Maps 5.0 For Android with 3D, Offline Maps

Google announced the launch of Google Maps 5.0 for Android with two key new features: 3D interaction and offline reliability. The first, 3D interaction, allows users to tilt, rotate, zoom, and pan around simplified
3D representations of the structures in one of more than 100 major cities around the world. This can be done either with the device’s touchscreen, or with compatible devices’ grypscopes, compasses, and motion controls. The second feature, offline
reliability, uses the software’s new dynamically drawn maps to allow it to store large sections of map data for later use when a network connection may not be available. The new software is compatible with devices running Android 1.6 or later, while the 3D
features require Android 2.0 or later. Google Maps 5.0 is available as a free download from the Android Marketplace.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

OPERATING SYSTEMS

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Debian 6.0 “Squeeze” to Ship with Completely Free Linux Kernel

The Debian Project announced that Debian 6.0 “Squeeze” will ship with a completely free Linux Kernel. This is the first time the project has managed to create a kernel devoid of any non-free firmware, as defined by
The Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG). Although the project has been striving for this goal since the release of Debian 4.0, it acknowledges that some Debian users will require non-free
firmware for the functionality they need to be supported. In light of this, Squeeze will be released with archives of alternative installation images and additional packages.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

PERIPHERALS

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Google Releases First Major Update for Google TV Devices

Google announced the release of the first major update for its Google TV operating system. Among the improvements were an updated Netflix application, which now allows users to search and play from the entire Netflix
catalogue; an improvement to Dual View mode, which allows the smaller screen to be moved or resized; support for Android-based remote control app; and updated movie search functionality. Google says the update will be rolled out compatible device owners
gradually over the course of this week. The new Google TV Remote App is available from the Android Marketplace.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION

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Acer Names New President for Pan America Operations

Acer Pan America announced Emmanuel Fromont – the VP of its EMEA Packard Bell division – as its new corporate VP and president, effective January 1st. Fromont replaces Rudi Schmidleithner, who resigned
due to personal reasons.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Agilent Unveils Digital Test Solutions Online Resource

Agilent Technologies introduced its Digital Test Solutions and Expertise Online Center, a learning site to provide high speed tools for digital testing. Presumably, it will
provide information on standards such as USB, SATA, PCI Express, HDMI, DisplayPort, and memory.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

Apple to Open Mac App Store in January

Apple announced it will open its Mac App Store on January 6, 2010, for discovering, installing, and updating Mac apps. It will first be available in 90 countries and will feature both pay and free content. It is
available to Mac OS X Snow Leopard users as a free download, via Software Update.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Avaya to Invest $154 Million in R&D in Ontario

Avaya will invest $154 million USD in global research and development (R&D) facilities throughout Ottowa and Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The initiative – which includes an additional investment of $5 million by the
Ontario government – will support 350 skilled R&D personnel to focus on next generation IP telephony and Unified Communications (UC) technology.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

BT Opens Local MPLS Point of Presence in Saudi Arabia

BT announced the launch of a local Point of Presence (PoP) in its Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network for Saudi Arabia. The new location is being opened in collaboration with the Saudi Telecom Company (STC),
which will provide day-to-day operations for the PoP. BT’s MPLS network is available in more than 170 countries worldwide, and provides customers with a wide range of IP-based services.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

CSC Appoints Erik Brynjolfsson to Board of Directors

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced that Erik Brynjolfsson has been elected to its board of directors. Brynjolfsson currently serves as the Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center
for Digital Business. Brynjolfsson will join the Audit Committee when he takes his seat on the board.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

Deutsche Telekom Extends Rene Olbermann’s Contract by 5 Years

Deutsche Telekom announced that its Supervisory Board has decided to extend the contract of Ren‚ Obermann for another 5 years. Obermann currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of Deutsche Telekom
AG. The contract was set to expire on October 31, 2011, but will now run until October 2016. The company noted that the new contract includes a renegotiated remuneration scheme, which takes financial changes in the company into account.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Infor Announces Three New Additions to its Executive Team

Infor announced an expansion of its executive team. The trio of new appointments include Duncan Angove, as president of products, marketing, and support; Pam Murphy as corporate senior vice president of operations;
and Stephan Scholl as executive vice president of global field operations. All three will be reporting directly to Charles Phillips, chief executive officer of Infor.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

Juniper to Add Personnel to India Excellence Center

Juniper Networks reported it will expand its India Excellence Center, a research and development (R&D) facility in Bangalore. It will add 750 to its existing roster of 1,800 staff and 300 development partners over a
two year period.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

Microsoft Announces $0.16 Dividend, New Independent Director

Microsoft announced its most recent quarterly dividend, and its choice to fill the role of its board’s lead independent director. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share. This will be payable
on March 10, 2011 to all shareholders of record on February 17, 2011. Additionally, Reed Hastings, founder, chairman, and CEO of Netflix, has been appointed as the board’s new lead independent director. He will replace Raymond V. Gilmartin, who has served
in the role since 2004.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

NCR Signs New Agreement with Warner Home Video for BLOCKBUSTER Kiosks

NCR announced that it has signed a new agreement with Warner Home Video that will see the studio’s new release titles available at NCR’s BLOCKBUSTER Express DVD rental kiosks 28 days after their release. NCR chose this
new agreement to lower its acquisition costs, form a direct relationship with the studio, and access a wider variety of new releases. The agreement will go into effect with titles scheduled to hit retail stores in January 2011.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Nokia Plans to Cut 800 Jobs in Finland: Report

Reuters – citing a report by the Finnish News Agency – said cellphone maker Nokia plans to cut 800 jobs in its home market of Finland.
According to the report, discussions between Nokia and its Finnish employee representatives began in October, when the company announced 1,800 job cuts worldwide. Nokia has not yet responded to the report.

Source: Reuters, 12/14/2010

Polycom to Assemble Video Conferencing Devices in Russia

US video conferencing company Polycom will become the latest overseas firm to start assembling products in Russia, as that country continues its efforts to acquire foreign technology expertise. Reuters reported that Polycom has signed an agreement with state conglomerate Russian Technologies and will start assembling video conferencing devices at its factory.

Source: Reuters, 12/13/2010

SAIC Appoints Andrew Jazwick as SVP of Aviation Security

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced that it has appointed Andrew Jazwick as senior vice president of aviation security. Jazwick’s primary goal will be to build customer relationship around
SAIC’s recent acquisition of Reveal Imaging Technologies, particularly building on the acquired company’s TSA approved security technologies. Andrew Jazwick has been with the company since 1999, serving as a liaison to the executive and legislative
branches of the US federal government.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

Siemens Japan Names New President for Region

Siemens Japan appointed Junichi Obata as CEO, effective January 1, 2011. The 47-year-old Obata will also be CEO of the regional Cluster Japan, and head of Siemens Healthcare in Japan. He most recently
served as president for Covidien.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Time Warner Cable Announces Senior Management Changes

Time Warner Cable announced that Robert D. Marcus has been named President and Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. He will continue to report to Glenn A. Britt, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer. The company also announced that Landel C. Hobbs, Chief Operating Officer, will be leaving the company. Marcus joined Time Warner Cable in 2005 as Senior Executive Vice President, responsible for corporate groups including mergers and acquisitions,
business affairs, programming, and human resources. In January 2008, he assumed accountability for the company’s finance functions.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

Twitter Announces Two New Directors, Massive Growth in 2010

Twitter announced a pair of new members for its Board of Directors, as well as its recent growth numbers. The company says that, in the past 12 months, it has processed 25 billion tweets, added 100 million new
registered accounts, and expanded from a workforce of 130 to 350 employees. In addition to these changes Twitter has also added Mike McCue and David Rosenblatt as two new members of its Board of Directors. The decision to add the duo resulted from a new
round of capital funding provided by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and existing investors.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

PUBLIC SAFETY

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Final Report Again Faults Virginia Tech for 2007 Shooting Response

The US Department of Education issued a final report faulting leaders of Virginia Tech for failing to issue a
“timely warning” to the university community for two hours after they became aware a gunman was on the loose in April 2007 in a rampage that ultimately killed 32 people. The report concludes the school did not notify students in a “timely manner” – as
dictated by the Clery Act – of a dorm-room shooting that left two people dead on the morning of April 16, 2007. The same shooter went to the university’s Norris Hall more than two hours later and killed 30 more people before turning the gun on himself. The
Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose information about crimes on or near their campuses, and includes provisions concerning timely notification. An earlier, preliminary report by the Department of Education came to the same
conclusion. University officials from Virginia Tech disputed that report, saying “Virginia Tech professionals acted appropriately in their response to the tragic events of April 16, 2007, based on the best information then available to them.” The
Department of Education released a statement along with the new, final report saying: “While Virginia Tech failed to adequately warn students that day, we recognize that the university has put far-reaching changes in place since that time to help improve
campus safety and better protect its students and community.”

Source: ed.gov, 12/13/2010

FCC Adopts Framework for Interoperable Public Safety Networks

The US Federal Communication Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) has adopted an order that establishes a
technical framework to ensure interoperability in the public safety mobile broadband networks that states, counties, and cities approved for early deployment are planning to construct. These regional broadband networks must be technically compatible and
fully interoperable with one another, as well as the nationwide network envisioned for America’s first responders. The FCC requirements for a baseline technical framework address core aspects for interoperable communications, such as roaming capabilities,
system identifiers, service coverage and secure communications, to ensure that public safety officials can communicate effectively and seamlessly with one another regardless of what network they are operating on. The Order is based on recommendations made
by the FCC’s Emergency Response Interoperability Center to ensure that public safety broadband communications are interoperable nationwide.

Source: FCC, 12/13/2010

MITRE Deploys Prototype Message Router for Operation Golden Phoenix

MITRE issued a press release detailing how it participated in Operation Golden Phoenix, an exercise sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security with participation from Los Angeles
(California) firefighters, hazardous material units, law enforcement, public health departments, and emergency managers. MITRE deployed a prototype message router, Incident Command Net for First Responder Collaboration and Integration. IC.NET provides
agencies a common platform on which to share information.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Group Says Economic Ills Hurting US Public Health Operations

Non-profit, non-partisan organization Trust for America’s Health issued its annual report on state public health operations, which concluded that the continuing US economic problems represent a danger to
states’ efforts to prepare for potential acts of bioterrorism or other health crises. The organization found that funding for public health operations was lower in 2009-10 than the previous year in 33 states and the District of Columbia. It was the second
consecutive year of budget reductions in 18 states, and 53 percent of local health agencies said in January their main financial support was down from the previous year. Federal financing for public health readiness has dropped by 27 percent since fiscal
2005, accounting for inflation, the group said. The full report, entitled “Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism”, is
available on the Web.

Source: TFAH, 12/15/2010

REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

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Commerce Department Outlines Online Privacy Protection Framework

The US Commerce Department has outlined a “dynamic privacy framework” designed to protect Internet users by setting ground rules for companies that collect consumer data online and use that information for
marketing and other purposes. The Commerce Department policy framework recommends that the US government “articulate certain core privacy
principles” in order to assure baseline consumer protections and that, collectively, the government and stakeholders come together to address specific privacy issues as they arise. Publication of the recommended framework comes two weeks after the Federal Trade Commission recommended the creation of a “Do Not Track” tool to let consumers stop or restrict advertisers from studying their online activity.

Source: Commerce Dept, 12/16/2010

DHS Secretary Highlights Efforts to Improve Cybersecurity

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano delivered remarks about the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen US cybersecurity at The Atlantic and Government Executive’s Cyber Security Forum.
During her remarks, Napolitano underscored the DHS’ efforts to protect federal/civilian networks, improve the nation’s intrusion detection capabilities, and create more robust and resilient cyber systems that are better equipped to prevent and withstand
attacks.

Source: DHS, 12/16/2010

ENISA Says WikiLeaks Events Highlight Need for Cybersecurity

ENISA (European Network & Information Security Agency) has issued a formal statement on the “WikiLeaks events,” which concludes that each incident related to WikiLeaks’ publication of confidential US documents –
including subsequent denial of service (DoS) attacks in support of WikiLeaks – “‘has important implications for information security.” ENISA said the DoS attacks highlight the importance of the Commission’s 2010 enhancements to the European Union’s cybercrime directive, which have the goal of enabling an effective response to cybersecurity incidents.

Source: ENISA, 12/16/2010

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

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Harris Corp Signs $42 Million Contract for Satellite Payload

Harris Corp announced that it has received a $42 million contract from the Sierra Nevada Corporation to provide antenna and radar electronics for a satellite designed to provide military troops with all-weather
high-resolution radar imagery of the earth’s surface. Sierra Nevada commissioned the work on behalf of NASA’s Rapid Response Space Works and Modular Space Vehicles program. The work is expected to take 30 months to complete.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

SEARCH

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Adobe Launches Search&Promote, Powered by Omniture

Adobe officially launched Adobe Search&Promote, Powered by Omniture. The new offering is designed to create a site search and merchandising application with the ability to
anticipate visitor search intent and promote the most relevant products. The new service will function on both desktop and mobile sites, and will offer an increased level of marketer control, metrics-based relevance, and personalization. The product also
includes built-in analytics capabilities via Adobe SiteCatalyst. Adobe Search&Promote is available now. More information about this new product can be found at the Omniture home page.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

comScore Releases US Search Engine Rankings for November 2010

comScore released its US search engine rankings for November 2010. For the explicit core results (excluding context-driven searches) first place went to Google with 66.2%,
dropping 0.1% since October. Yahoo came in second, losing the same amount of share as Google to bring it to 16.4%. Microsoft seemed to pick up the collective losses of its
competitors rising 0.3% to 11.8% and remaining in third place. Ask.com and AOL rounded out the list with 3.6% and 2.0% respectively. Total core searches (including contextually driven
search) also saw Google on top with an unchanged 64.3%. Yahoo followed, gaining a significant 0.8% to reach 19.3%. Microsoft followed in third, losing that same 0.8% to retain 11.3 percent. Ask.com and AOL were fourth and fifth with 3.3% and 1.8%.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

Google Getting Complaints About Promoting its Own Results in US Too

Complaints over Google prioritizing its own services in search results have spread to the US, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is currently under investigation by
the European Union for similar allegations made by travel sites across the continent. Now the Journal is reporting that US-based businesses such as TripAdvisor.com, WebMD, Yelp, and Citysearch are all saying that Google has been consistently placing its
own competing services above their own in its search results.

Source: WSJ, 12/15/2010

SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES

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Microsoft Marks Another Big Patch Tuesday

Microsoft issued a record 17 security updates to patch 40 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer, Office, SharePoint, and Exchange. Two of the 17 updates are tagged as “critical;” another 14 are
classified as “important.” The full version of Microsoft’s Security Bulletin Summary for December 2010] can be found at the vendors’ technet site.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

Microsoft Reissues Patch for Office for Mac

Microsoft has reissued a November “critical” patch for Mac versions of its Office software, Security Bulletin MS10-087. The revised
bulletin includes security updates for Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac and Open XML File Format Converter for Mac.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Mozilla Releases Firefox Security, Stability Update

Mozilla patched 13 vulnerabilities in Firefox, including a re-patch for a bug that was thought quashed in March 2010. Eleven of the 13 flaws are rated “critical.” The patched versions are designated Firefox 3.6.13
and Firefox 3.5.16 by Mozilla, and are available now and are being “pushed” to Firefox users, as well.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

RIM Issues Interim Security Update for Enterprise Server

The PDF distiller on the Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) BlackBerry Attachment Service has again been identified as a security risk, and RIM has issued another interim security update to
patch the vulnerability. The latest BES security flaw is ranked “high severity.”

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Opera Updates Browser to Fix Vulnerabilities

Security vendor Secunia said multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in the Opera Web browser. Users should upgrade to version 11.00 of the browser, which fixes the
vulnerabilities.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES

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ADT, SecureXperts Receive DHS Okay for Partnership

ADT Security Services announced that it has received US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approval for a Mentor-Prot‚g‚ relationship with SecureXperts, headquartered in Smyrna, Georgia. Mentor-Prot‚g‚ programs in the federal government help small businesses compete for contract awards by partnering with larger companies. DHS approved the Mentor-Prot‚g‚
agreement between ADT, which has been DHS SAFETY Act certified since 2007, and SecureXperts for contracting opportunities across various DHS agencies.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Pantech Selects AuthenTec’s DRM Client Solution for Android

AuthenTec announced that mobile device maker Pantech has chosen AuthenTec’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) mFusion Agent to help protect high-value content on several new
Android 2.2-based mobile phones. AuthenTec DRM Fusion Agent Client for Android supports Open Mobile Alliance standards, as well as Windows Media and Microsoft PlayReady standards. It is available to mobile phone OEMs as a complete solution pre-integrated
with popular platforms such as Android. AuthenTec also offers an end-to-end media security solution using the AuthenTec DRM Fusion Server for carriers and network service providers.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Kaspersky Releases Updated Password Manager

Kaspersky Lab has released new version of Kaspersky Password Manager, a solution that ensures the secure creation, use and storage of passwords and other confidential data. Kaspersky Password Manager allows logins
and other confidential information ( e.g., PIN codes to SIM cards; program keys) to be securely stored in an encrypted database.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

March Networks Lands Retail Solution Contract

March Networks announced that one of the world’s largest quick service food franchisors has standardized on a March Networks Retail Solution for its US locations in a deal valued at more than $8 million USD.
The video surveillance and loss prevention solution is designed to help reduce inventory shrinkage and improve operational efficiency. All franchisees are eligible to adopt the systems, with deployments beginning in January 2011 and continuing throughout
the year.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Microsoft to Upgrade Security for Older Office Apps

Computerworld reported that Microsoft will backport an Office 2010 security feature to the older and more widely used Office 2003 and Office 2007 in early 2011. Dubbed
Office File Validation (OVE), the technology validates older, pre-XML file formats for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher, then opens those that do not conform to the documented format – rigged files containing an exploit, for example.

Source: CW, 12/16/2010

NEC, Novell Unveil EXPRESSCLUSTER for SUSE Linux ES

NEC Japan and Novell introduced a disaster recovery solution for the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. NEC EXPRESSCLUSTER X 3.0 – certified for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 – can
help implement business continuity in heterogeneous IT environments, utilizing physical, virtual, and cloud based resources, they say. It also supports the configuring and managing of mixed Linux and Windows cluster environments from a single console.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

RSA Releases SecurID for Android

RSA, the security division of EMC announced the availability of the RSA SecurID Software Token for Android, which is designed to enable an Android-powered device to be used as
an RSA SecurID authenticator, providing two-factor authentication to enterprise applications and resources.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

MessageLabs Sees Botnet Controllers Using Steganography Techniques

Symantec announced the publication of its MessageLabs Intelligence 2010 Security Report. The annual report details how cyber criminals diversified their
tactics to sustain spam and malware at high levels throughout 2010. The report predicts that in 2011 botnet controllers will resort to employing steganography techniques to control their computers. This means hiding their commands in plain view – perhaps
within images or music files distributed through file sharing or social networking web sites. This approach will allow criminals to surreptitiously issue instructions to their botnets without relying on an ISP to host their infrastructure – thus minimizing
the chances of discovery.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

VeriSign Announces DNSSEC Support for the .net Zone

VeriSign announced that it has deployed DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) in the .net zone. This represents the largest zone to be DNSSEC enabled to date, with 13 million domain names included. VeriSign says the new
offering is particularly important due to the .net zone serving as the underpinning for many Internet based software functions.

Source: Vendor, 12/10/2010

SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY

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CURRENT Group, C&W Worldwide Partnering for UK Smart Grid Solution

US-based CURRENT Group and Cable&Wireless Worldwide announced an alliance to develop integrated smart grid and smart metering systems to help utility companies achieve the goals
of the UK government’s Low Carbon Economy and National Smart Metering program. C&W’s network and CURRENT’s smart grid sensors, smart meters, and analytic software will be used for an interoperable smart grid solution that can take advantage of the
interoperable PRIME metering standard. PRIME is being adopted by a number of European utilities.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

SMARTPHONES

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LG launches Optimus 2X with Dual-core Processor

LG Electronics unveiled the LG Optimus 2X, what it says is the world’s first smartphone with a dual-core processor. Along with more powerful multimedia features, the LG Optimus 2X’s Tegra 2 processor makes for faster
web browsing and applications, and lets users multitask with virtually no screen lag. Developed by Nvidia, the dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip runs at a clock speed of 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and
audio. The LG Optimus 2X offers 1080p HD video playback and recording with HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to full HD quality. The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA-compatible digital device. The smartphone also
includes both rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD memory expandability, micro-USB port and a 1500mAh battery. The LG Optimus 2X will be available in Korea next month with countries in Europe and Asia to follow. The phone will initially be released with
Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

MetroPCS Introduces Android-based Huawei Ascend Smartphone

Prepaid carrier MetroPCS has introduced the Android-based Huawei Ascend smartphone. It runs Android 2.1 and is available from MetroPCS for $179. The Ascend is also available
from competing prepaid carrier Cricket.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

T-Mobile USA Cuts Prices on Samsung GalaxyTab, Vibrant

T-Mobile USA has cut the price of two of its Android-powered Samsung devices, the GalaxyTab tablet and the Vibrant smartphone. FierceWireless reported that the carrier has reduced the price of the GalaxyTab from
$400 to $350 with a two-year contract, a month after it went on sale. The Vibrant, introduced last Summer, was reduced from $200 to $150 with a two-year contract. The Vibrant is T-Mobile’s version of Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone platform.

Source: FierceWire, 12/15/2010

ZTE Launches Libero Smartphone in Collaboration with SoftBank

ZTE announced the launch of its Libero smartphone, a device created in collaboration with Japanese telecom provider SoftBank. The phone, the first Chinese-made device to be released in Japan, will feature Android
2.2, a 3.5 inch WVGA TFT display, and support for Japanese, English, and Chinese. The Libero is expected to be available some time in late December.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Facebook Adds Facial Recognition Photo Tagging, Clicker Integration

Facebook announced a pair of new features for its social networking site. The first is a method of making photo tagging easier by incorporating facial recognition. The technology attempts to match newly uploaded
photos with individuals tagged in prior uploads. If a match is found the system will suggest the name of the person it believes the photo depicts, and allow the user to confirm or reject the tag. Having your name suggested, as well as having suggestions
made to you will both be optional. The second announcement comes in the form of a new partnership with Clicker, an Internet television guide. Visitors who link their Facebook and Clicker accounts will be presented with
viewing suggestions based on what programs were “liked” by their friends. Both new features are expected to roll out to US users over the next several weeks.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

STORAGE

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AWS Announces Maximum Object Size Increase for Amazon S3

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has increased the maximum object size for its Amazon S3 service from 5 gigabytes to 5 terabytes. This new support also extends to the AWS SDKs, the Amazon S3 Management
Console, and the AWS Import/Export service. AWS suggests the increase could be used for high-resolution video, large backup files, scientific instrument data, or other large datasets. More information is available from the Amazon S3 Developer’s Guide.

Source: Vendor, 12/13/2010

Toshiba Announces New Low-Power Solid State Drives

Toshiba Japan announced a new family of solid state drives (SSDs) it says consume less power. The MK x001GRZB series ranges in capacity of up to 2TB. They use 32 nanometer single-level cell NAND Flash memory and a
6G-bps serial attached SCSI interface. Samples will be available in the 2011 first quarter.

Source: Vendor, 12/14/2010

STREAMING MEDIA

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Adobe Joins with Amazon to Offer Flash Media Server on EC2

Adobe and Amazon Web Services (AWS) jointly announced the availability of Adobe Flash Media Server 4 software on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). The Flash Media
Server is a solution for streaming content and applications. The companies say this will allow small to medium sized firms to take advantage of the Media Server’s capabilities thanks to its lower operating costs and an available pay-as-you-go model. The
new joint offering is available now in North America and the Asian Pacific American Coalition. More details and specific pricing options can be found at Adobe’s Flash Media Server
page.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS

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Hughes Launches New Managed Services Suite for Enterprises

Hughes announced the launch of its new Managed Services suite for enterprises. The new solution uses the company’s ActiveQoS technology to offer customers converged voice, data, and video applications over a
broadband network. Hughes says the technology allows voice and video traffic to run smoothly with minimal packet loss and jitter. The new Managed Services with ActiveQoS are available now

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

Polycom UC Intelligent Core Platform Earns UC APL Certification

Polycom announced that several of the components of its Unified Communications (UC) Intelligent Core infrastructure
platform have received Unified Capabilities Approved Product List (UC APL) certification from the US Department of Defense. This certification, issued by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), verifies that the products have met a certain
level of security-based information assurance and interoperability, and clears it for use on the Defense Switched Network (DSN). More information about this certification, and Polycom’s previous certificates, is available from the company’s Government Certification and Accreditation page.

Source: Vendor, 12/15/2010

WEB COMMERCE

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Amazon Announces Free Nielsen Data for Author Central Users

Amazon announced that authors using its Amazon Author Central service will now be given free access to Nielsen BookScan’s weekly geographic sales data for their print books.
Author Central is provided as a free service to help authors promote their books and connect with fans. In addition to the geographical data, the Nielsen analytics also include book type (hardcover or paperback). Amazon also announced that it has added the
ability for authors to see their rank history on its own Amazon Bestsellers list. Interested authors can get started with the new offering at Amazon’s Author Central
page.

Source: Vendor, 12/9/2010

Bing Announces FanSnap Ticket Search Functionality

Bing announced a major update to its shopping functionality with the FanSnap ticket search service. Microsoft plans to incorporate 57 of the most popular ticket sellers, price
comparison charts, virtual views from the available seats, and a “best value” finder to suggest the most cost-effective ticket. Most of these new options will be available immediately, while the virtual views tool will be rolled out some time in the next
month.

Source: Vendor, 12/16/2010

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