News Briefs for the Week Ending
01/28/2011
Copyright 2011, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1101
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
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CA Acquires Service Assurance Management Firm Torokina
Computer Associates (CA) acquired Torokina Networks, a provider of assurance management solutions for 3G, 4G, and LTE service providers. The company plans to use the acquisition to expand its own assurance management
offerings to include the aforementioned communications technologies. CA has already launched a new service assurance offering based on a combination of its CA Infrastructure Management portfolio and the Torokina product. The company also said that staff
from Torokina will be joining its own deployment team. No financial terms for the transaction were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Cisco to Purchase Pari Networks to Improve Smart Services
Cisco Systems announced it will acquire Pari Networks, a privately held provider of network, change, and compliance management products. Pari’s technology should compliment
existing Cisco smart service capabilities, boosting Cisco’s ability to manage customer networks through proactive, personalized services. Pari is headquartered in Milpitas, CA, US, although part of its employee base works in Hyderabad, India. The
acquisition – still subject to standard closing conditions – will be finalized in the third quarter.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Teradata Completes Acquisition of Aprimo
Teradata completed its acquisition of Aprimo, a maker of cloud-based integrated marketing software. The company plans on using the acquisition to expand its offerings in the area of Integrated Marketing Management.
Additionally, Teradata says it plans to leverage the acquired assets into new business application, particularly those that can provide business insight into large amounts of data. Aprimo’s operations will be integrated into Teradata’s own, and will be
used to support the company’s development, marketing, sales, and services. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Verizon to Acquire Terremark for $1.4 Billion
Verizon Communications announced it is acquiring Terremark, a global provider of managed IT infrastructure and cloud services, for $19.00 per share in cash, or a total equity value of $1.4 billion. Verizon
anticipates it will commence a tender offer between Feb.10, 2011, and Feb. 17, 2011, for all shares of common stock of Terremark.The transaction is subject to the valid tender of a majority of the shares of Terremark; the expiration or early termination of
the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust waiting period; and other customary closing conditions. The Board of Directors of Terremark has unanimously approved the transaction, and the transaction was unanimously approved by the directors of Verizon. Verizon has also
entered into agreements with three stockholders of Terremark to tender their shares into the offer, representing approximately 27.6 percent of the outstanding voting shares of Terremark. Verizon expects to close the tender offer late in the first quarter
of 2011. The transaction will accelerate Verizon’s “everything-as-a-service” cloud strategy. Verizon plans to operate the new unit as a wholly owned subsidiary retaining the Terremark name and with Terremark’s current management team continuing to manage
the company.
Source: Vendor, 1/28/2011
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
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HP Names Ingram Micro as Visual Collaboration Distributor
Hewlett-Packard announced an agreement to name Ingram Micro as an authorized distributor for its high definition Visual Collaboration videoconferencing software in the US.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Lenovo, NEC to Establish Joint PC Venture in Japan
Lenovo and NEC Japan reported they are creating a joint venture company to be called NEC Lenovo Japan Group. Lenovo and NEC will establish a new organization known as Lenovo
NEC Holdings, registered in the Netherlands. Lenovo will hold a 51 percent stake in the joint venture, and NEC Personal Products president Hideyo Takasu will become President and CEO. The companies will also discuss further cooperation, such as selling
PCs and providing global support to Japanese companies operating outside Japan, as well as producing and selling devices such as tablets and IT platform products such as servers.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Nokia Siemens to Aid Skolkovo in Russian IT Growth Initiative
Nokia Siemens Networks signed an agreement with the Skolkovo Foundation – a project looking to develop an innovation hub near Moscow – to support the growth of Russian technical education, research and
development, venture capital initiatives, and infrastructure. The hub will first focus on areas of telecommunications, information technology, energy, biomedical research, and civil-use nuclear technology.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Telefonica, MasterCard Form Joint Venture
MasterCard and global telecommunications company Telefonica announced a joint venture with the goal of developing mobile financial solutions in 12 Latin America countries
where Telefonica is present with the Movistar brand. The new company, managed independently, will have a 50/50 ownership.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Telefonica Signs Expanded Strategic Alliance with China Unicom
Telefonica announced plans to expand its relationship with China Unicom. The two companies will collaborate in areas such as procurement, mobile service platforms, wholesale carriers, and roaming, technology.
Additionally, the companies have made mutual investments in each other, totaling approximately $500 million each. This new agreement follows one signed in 2009, which also included a mutual investment of $1 billion.
Source: Vendor, 1/23/2011
Toshiba, Bulgarian Energy Holding to Collaborate on Energy Research
Toshiba Japan signed an agreement to collaborate on energy efficiency research with Bulgarian Energy Holding. The potential relationship between the parties includes closer
cooperation in energy generation, including thermal, hydro, nuclear, and solar photovoltaic power, as the parties look to increase the efficiency of power transmission and distribution through the development of smart grids.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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European Agency Report Puts Focus on Resilience
ENISA, the European Union’s cybersecurity agency, has released a report detailing the principles of “end to end” (e2e)
resilience. The report focuses on how networks using e2e can enable end to end connectivity and discusses the aspects involved for policy makers.
Source: ENISA, 1/25/2011
CARRIER SERVICES
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Charter Teams with TiVo for New Set Top Boxes, Features
Charter signed an agreement with TiVo which will see the TiVo user interface installed on a new hybrid cable and IP technology solution for Charter customers. The first phase of the multi-year deal will see
Charter utilizing the TiVo Premiere set top box, as well as its upcoming multi-room and non-DVR platforms. The companies plan on expanding future device generations with new features and third-party applications, such as search, navigation and
recommendation features.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Level 3 Rolls out VPN, Dedicated Internet Access Services in Europe
Level 3 announced that it is rolling out dedicated internet access (DIA) and virtual private network (VPN) services for enterprise customers in several European markets, including France, Germany, and the United
Kingdom. Its DIA and VPN services had previously only been available in North America. The DIA service gives enterprise customers the most direct route to Level 3’s Tier 1 backbone for Internet access. Level 3’s VPN portfolio offers several solutions for
high-performance wide area networking.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Telefonica O2 Launches New Public Wi-Fi Initiative
Telefonica O2 announced plans to deploy a new public Wi-Fi platform in the UK. The new O2 Premium Hotspots will be run in partnership with various venues across the country, and will be usable free of charge by anyone,
regardless of their carrier subscriptions. The company says that it will double the number of public Wi-Fi hotspots available from competing offerings such as BT Openzone and The Cloud by 2013.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Verizon Launches Google Apps for Small Businesses
Verizon launched a range of new business applications in collaboration with Google. The new Google Apps for Verizon product line is designed to provide advertising opportunities for smaller companies by providing them with a domain name and email address. The
company also says that it will boost business productivity by providing cloud-based access to business tools, no matter where the company’s employees are. Google Apps for Verizon is available now as a free service, with three user accounts, to any business
subscribing to a bundle which consists of the company’s Internet service, and either its voice or TV service. The service can also be purchased in a stand-alone version for $3.99 per month, per user.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
CLOUD COMPUTING
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AWS Launches Amazon Simple Email Service
Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched a beta version of its new Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES). The bulk and transactional email-sending service is designed for use
by businesses and developers, and eliminates the need for on-site emails solutions, as well as other third-party email services. Additionally, Amazon SES is designed to be interoperable with other AWS services, including applications being run on the
company’s Amazon EC2 service. Amazon SES is available now in a free tier, or a paid model based on the number of emails sent, and data transferred.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
AWS Adds Amazon Cloudwatch Support to Management Console
Amazon Web Services (AWS) added support for its Amazon Cloudwatch to its AWS Management Console. The console allows users to monitor their resource by automatically
collecting various metrics. Users may then log into the console and review, search, and browse the collected data in various formats. Cloudwatch was previously available for Amazon EC2 instances, EBS volumes, RDS DB instances, and Elastic Load Balancers.
The new service is provided free of charge to AWS subscribers.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Citrix Announces Engineering Support for Amazon Web Services
Citrix announced engineering support for Amazon Web Services (AWS) via its Xen Virtualization platform. The company lists the benefits of this new offering as increased
interoperability between its own XenServer products and AWS’ Elastic Cloud 2; the optimization of Windows instances hosted on AWS; and the availability of new solutions, including disaster recovery, on-demand applications, and advanced security compliance.
More information about the new collaborative offerings is available from Citrix’s Amazon Web Services Page.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
HP Unveils Cloud Delivery, Management Offerings
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced new Hybrid Delivery cloud products and services for what it calls the “Instant-On Enterprise.” The new portfolio includes Enterprise Cloud Services for delivering “private cloud as a
service” implementations hosted at HP data centers, and CloudSystem, an integrated system for building, managing, and consuming services across a private, public, or hybrid cloud environment.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
HP to Provide Cloud, Other Technology for mothers2mothers
Hewlett-Packard announced it will provide database, cloud, and mobile services technology for mothers2mothers – a South African non-governmental group focused on preventing the spread of HIV in Africa – to convert its
paper-based patient records into a collaborative digital system for information access. Mothers2mothers has more than 700 sites in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
IBM Launches New Virtual Desktop Offering
IBM launched its Virtual Desktop for Smart Business solution. The new product is designed to give users access to their personal desktop from any compatible mobile
device, including tablets, netbooks, laptops, and thin clients. The software supports the hosting of Windows or Linux desktops, and includes self-configuring, self-managing, and self-protecting features designed to reduce the need for outside IT
help.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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Alcatel Provides Contact Center Technology for Mobile TeleSystems
Alcatel-Lucent deployed Genesys contact center technology for Mobile TeleSystems, a telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS. The technology will aid in call identification and routing, and also
provide workload distribution across multiple sites. Presumably, this will eliminate over- or under-utilized resources for Mobile TeleSystems’ Ulyanovsk contact center, which services more than 10 million customers, and processes up to four million calls
per month.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Cisco Rolls Out Networking, Security, Storage Products
Cisco Systems added new networking, security, and storage products to its “Connect” and “Secure” small business portfolios, including new Ethernet switches, network security firewalls, and a new backup service for
storage products.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Ericsson to Supply GPON Technology to China Unicom
Ericsson agreed to supply its GB-capable passive optical network (GPON) technology and a smart management system for China Unicom, which will use it in more than 10 Chinese provinces to accommodate subscribers
looking for advanced Internet and multimedia streaming services. The contract marks China Unicom’s first large scale GPON deployment.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Ericsson to Upgrade Telefonica O2 UK 3G Network
Ericsson was selected to upgrade Telefonica O2 UK’s network, presumably extending coverage, voice, and data capacity for O2 customers and allowing it to accommodate growth in the use of smartphones and smart
applications. Ericsson was named the sole supplier for the core network infrastructure, and will deploy base stations and mobile softswitch technology. It will also provide program management, systems integration, and deployment services.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Ericsson to Upgrade DTAC’s Thailand Network
Ericsson signed a contract to modernize DTAC’s 2G, GSM/EDGE network in Thailand, as the operator prepares to offer mobile broadband services based on wideband code division multiple access / highspeed packet access
and longterm evolution / 4G. It says the upgrade will improve network capacity and enhance speeds so that DTAC’s 20 million subscribers can access new smartphone features, faster Web browsing and downloads, and improved performance.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
HP Provides Networking Technology for University of New Mexico
HP Networking provided technology to help the University of New Mexico (UNM) improve its network infrastructure. The deployment – which includes data center technologies – should allow UNM to continue to extend
services to students, faculty, and staff, accommodating high performance connectivity. UNM now also relies on HP network technology for the video displays and digital signage throughout its basketball arena.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Level 3 Wins North Florida Broadband Authority Contract
Level 3 announced that it has been selected by the North Florida Broadband Authority (NFBA) to improve broadband connectivity for Florida businesses. The NFBA covers a 14-county area of northern Florida, which is
underserved with broadband Internet access. Under terms of the five-year agreement, Level 3 will provide the NFBA with two 1 Gigabit wavelength circuits delivered in four rural markets, plus high-speed Internet Protocol services in Tampa and Orlando.
Level 3 will also provide the NFBA with gateway colocation in Tampa and Orlando and help build out four in-line amplifier sites across North Central Florida. The terms of the agreement include a lit services IRU (indefeasible right of use), which the NFBA
intends to fund using resources provided by the federal government’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
CONFERENCING
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Cisco Unveils TelePresence EX60 Conferencing System
Cisco Systems launched its new TelePresence EX60 system – a face-to-face virtual meeting solution – in the Gulf region. It was designed for the desktop at home or work, and includes an interactive, eight inch
touchscreen interface and full, high-definition video in a large screen format. H.323 and Session Initiation Protocol bandwidth of up to 6M-bps, point-to-point, allows for high quality calls while the wideband handset allows headset input for privacy.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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AT&T Providing IPv6 Transition Services to Business Customers
AT&T said it is providing consulting services to businesses of all sizes in a push to help organizations transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) from IPv4. The carrier is offering a full suite of consulting
services to help customers with IPv6 readiness and transition, including webcasts, providing access to its IPv6-enabled Proof of Concept Labs, and for-fee engagements that help companies establish an inventory of their entire IT infrastructure and
develop a plan to methodically enable IPv6 on the company’s network infrastructure.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Ericsson Signs Managed Services Deal with MediaCorp
Ericsson signed a managed services agreement to provide the broadband connection to manage MediaCorp’s over-the-top service in Singapore. Ericsson will also provide streaming technology to allow MediaCorp
subscribers to watch multimedia content on a variety of devices. MediaCorp is regarded as a top media organization in Singapore. It has seven TV channels, 13 radio stations, and newspapers, magazines, films, and digital and out-of-home media.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
NCR Signs for Hundreds of New ATM Installations with Chase
NCR signed an expansion to its contract with Chase Bank. The expanded deal will see hundreds of new NCR ATMs being installed at Chase locations around the country. The new units will include NCR’s next-generation
Scalable Deposit Module (SDM) technology, a system which allows customers to deposit cash and checks simultaneously, in any orientation. The company says this, and the machine’s other technologies, result in faster processing times for most customer
transactions. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
CRM
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SugarCRM Forms Strategic Alliance with DynPro
SugarCRM formed a strategic partnership with DynPro, an information systems consulting firm, specializing in business intelligence, customer relationship management, and enterprise resource planning. The goal of
the partnership is to combine SugarCRM’s open-source application with DynPro’s consultation experience. DynPro has already begun offering products based on SugarCRM software, and plans to expand on those offerings in the future.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
CYBERCRIME
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Iran Launches Cybercrime Unit to Deflect Web Attacks
The AFP reported that Iran has rolled out a cybercrime police unit to defend against threats following the Stuxnet virus that crippled its industrial systems last year. The cybercrime team is operational in
Iran’s capital city of Tehran, but other divisions throughout the country will be up and running by March 21.
Source: AFP, 1/23/2011
No Data Compromise in Defense Pharmacy Site Attack,
A hacker who targeted the Department of Defense’s (DOD) PharmacoEconomic Center public access Web site last week was unsuccessful in snagging any sensitive data, according to an article on NextGov. The Web site has been taken offline while US Army security personnel review vulnerabilities. On January 21, security firm Imperva
reported that a hacker was targeting holes in various military, government, and education Web sites. The Army then took the PharmacoEconomic Center site down, but an Army spokesman said no sensitive information was compromised.
Source: NextGov, 1/25/2011
US Defense Official: NATO Must Secure its Networks against Threats
NATO needs to step up and better defend its cyber networks against critical threats, a US defense official said this week. Deputy Defense Secretary (DOD) William J Lynn III
acknowledged that NATO is now making more informed decisions about combating cyberterrorism but that today’s threats go far beyond simple denial-of-service attacks. Lynn said that the United States and NATO must protect critical networks, but “we’re
frankly not there yet.”
Source: DOD, 1/25/2011
Fedora Site Attacked, but with Minimal Intrusion
Fedora‘s Web site was attacked by a hacker who attempted to access servers for the Fedora Project, but was unsuccessful in causing any damage. On January 22, a Fedora contributor was alerted that his account had
been hacked, but further investigation found that the hacker was unable to exploit any of the site’s code or servers, and the compromised account, which had limited privileges, was then locked down.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
DATA BREACHES
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Data Breach Guide Provides Recommendations, Prevention Tips
The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) released its 2011 Data Breach Incident Readiness Guide, which outlines key issues and recommendations to help businesses in breach prevention and incident management. The guide’s highlights include: in 2010, more than 400 data breach incidents were reported affecting more than 26 million records – for a cost to US businesses of more than $5.3 billion. Of
these, 98% were a result of a server exploit. OTA said, on analysis, 90% of the incidents were avoidable if the recommendations outlined in its report had been in place.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
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Opera Updates Devices SDK with Broadcom Support
Opera revealed that version 2.9 of its Devices SDK will support the Broadcom BCM7420 SoC platform out of the box. The broadcom API is installed on a range of cable, satellite, and IP set-top boxes. Opera’s new SDK
features support for HTML5, Application Cache, Web storage, OPIF, and HbbTV. The new software will also allow for the use of Broadcom’s DirectFB and graphics porting layer, allowing for enhanced 2-D and 3-D graphics.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Oracle Updates Insurance Insbridge Rating and Underwriting
Oracle launched the latest version of its Oracle Insurance Insbridge Rating and Underwriting solution. Version 4.1 of the software adds increased flexibility, including new mobile rating functionality. This new
ability will allow insurance salesman to access the full range of the software’s capability from the field, while meeting with potential policy holders. More information about this updated product is available from Oracle’s FAQ.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING
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Alcatel Releases new Workforce Management Software
Alcatel-Lucent released a new Genesys Workforce Optimization suite, software for managing customer service resources such as employee skills and front and back-office management. The Workforce Optimization
suite can look at employee performance across channels such as social media, SMS, and Web chat, and, according to Alcatel, can help create training plans and schedules.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
NEC to Provide Convenience Chain OXXO with POS Hardware
NEC Corporation of America reported it will supply OXXO – a Latin American convenience store chain with more than 8,000 stores – with its point of sale hardware platform.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
NetSuite Updates Software Company Edition
NetSuite launched the latest version of its NetSuite Software Company Edition. Features of this edition include automation and real-time visibility of renewals, billing, and contract management. The company says
the unification of these tasks into one piece of software will reduce errors, enhance close rates, and limit churn. NetSuite is marketing the updated software specifically to software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, which it says the product was tailored
for. NetSuite Software Company Edition is available now as a customizable set of add-ons for NetSuite’s core ERP suite. More information about the updated product is available from the company’s Renewal Management page.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
FINANCIAL
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AT&T Q4 Profit Down 60% on Accounting Change
AT&T reported a 60% drop in profits for the fourth quarter of 2010, primarily the result of a previously-disclosed change in its accounting practices. The company posted a fourth-quarter profit of $1.09 billion, or 18
cents a share, down from $2.73 billion, or 46 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding such items as the accounting charge and severance costs, earnings rose to 55 cents. Revenue for the quarter was up 2.1%, to $31.36 billion. AT&T’s wireless revenue
overall rose 9.9% to $15.18 billion, as the postpaid average revenue per user rose 2.2% to $62.88. AT&T said it saw a 27.4 percent growth in wireless data revenues, up $1.1 billion versus the year-earlier quarter The churnrate for the postpaid customer
base was 1.15%, while the combined rate fell to 1.32% from 1.42% a year ago. Wireline revenue fell 3.2% to $15.11 billion. The company’s U-Verse offering now has 246,000 TV subscribers; the carrier also said it has 210,000 net new high-speed Internet
customers.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Boeing Posts Declining Quarterly and Yearly Revenue, Jump in Profits
Boeing posted its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2010. The company’s quarterly revenue totaled $16.5 billion, an 8% drop from the $17.9 billion taken in during the same
period in 2009. Net income for the quarter also fell, dropping 8% to $1.1 billion, or $1.56 per share. This is after coming in at $1.26 billion, or $1.75 per share during Q4 2009. Year-end revenue also took a hit, falling 6% to $64.3 billion, down from
$68.28 billion in 2009. Despite this, net income for 2010 more than doubled to $3.3 billion, or $4.45 per share, versus the $1.3 billion, or $1.84 per share reported at the end of 2009. On these results, Boeing published its 2011 guidance, including a
projected revenue range of $68-71 billion, and earnings per share of $3.80-$4.00.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
BroadVision Experiences Significant Drops in Revenues, Profits
BroadVision reported that its revenues were $5.1 million for the 2010 fourth quarter, ended December 31st. This is down 29 percent from 2009 fourth quarter revenues of $7.2 million. In spite of the company
experiencing similar across-the-board drops, president and CEO Pehong Chen expressed optimism BroadVision would continue to expand its global ecosystem in 2011 and beyond, citing the signing of several new key customers and partners. Profits were about
$300,000, or $0.06 per share, down 40 percent compared to 2009 fourth quarter profits of $500,000, or $0.10 per share. For the full year, revenues were $21.8 million, down 30 percent from 2009 revenues of $31 million. Net losses were $2.9 million, or $0.65
per share, down 22 percent from 2009 profits of $3.7 million, or $0.85 per share.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Broadvision Reports Declining Revenue, Profits for Q4 and Full Year
Broadvision released its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2010. The company’s quarterly revenue totaled $5.1 million, down significantly from the $7.2 million it took in
during the same period last year. Net income for Q4 was $300,000, or $0.06 per share, also down from the last quarter of 2009, when Broadvision’s net income was $500,000 or $0.10 per share. Revenues for 2010 were $21.8 million, compared to the $30.9
million take in during 2009. Year-end net income took the worst hit, with the company suffering a loss of $2.8 million, or $0.65 per share. This is a precipitous drop from last year when it reported a net income of $3.7 million, or $0.85 per share. Despite
these declining numbers, Dr. Pehong Chen, President and CEO of BroadVision remained optimistic, saying that new agreements signed in the fourth quarter are expected to return the company to profitability.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
CA Posts Mixed Q3 Results, Raises Year-End Guidance
CA released its financial results for its third quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, ending December 31, 2010. The company’s revenue totaled $1.16 billion, up slightly from the $1.12 billion it posted during its previous
third quarter. Meanwhile operating income rose from $246 million to $260 million, and earnings per share fell from $0.49 to $0.39 during the same period. On these results the company updated its outlook for the full 2011 fiscal year. It now expects its
2011 revenue to total between $4.48 billion and $4.55 billion, with earnings per share from continuing operations to come in between $1.57 and $1.67.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
CenturyLink Board Declares Quarterly Dividend
CenturyLink announced that its board of directors voted to declare a quarterly cash dividend of $.725 per share, payable on February 25, 2011, to shareholders of record on February 18, 2011. CenturyLink,
headquartered in Monroe, Lousianna, is in the process of completing its acquisition of Qwest Communications.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Citrix Reports Gains Across the Board in Q4 and 2010 Financial Results
Citrix reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2010. During Q4 the company’s revenue totaled $529 million, up significantly from the $451 million it posted during the same quarter last
year. Net income for the quarter was $94.3 million, also up from the $88.1 million posted for the corresponding period in 2009. Earnings per share grew to match, reaching $0.49 after being reported as $0.47 in the same quarter of 2009. For 2010, the
company posted a revenue of $619 million, up from the $538 million reported for 2009. Net income rose steeply, year-over-year, reaching $277 million, versus the $191 million reported last year. This translated into a jump in earnings per share from $1.03
in 2009 to $1.46 in 2010. The company said this growth is due to increased market position in the desktop virtualization, Web collaboration, and app networking markets.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Broadband Growth Powers Ericsson’s Results
Ericsson reported an increase in fourth-quarter 2010 results, fueled by growing demand for mobile broadband, its takeover of Nortel operations, and an end to the industry components shortage. The network equipment
maker generated revenues of SEK 62.8 billion ($9.5 billion USD) in Q4, up 8 percent from a year earlier. Network sales rose 14 percent year-over-year to SEK 36.4 billion, driven by increased operator spending on mobile broadband in markets such as the US
and Japan, and 2G investment in China. Global services revenues were down 1 percent year-over-year to SEK 22.9 billion, impacted by exchange rate effects. Ericsson said the supply of components normalized during the quarter, but the company was still not
fully meeting the increased demand for certain mobile broadband products. Ericsson’s pre-tax operating profit rose to SEK 8.4 billion from 7.5 billion in the prior year.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Facebook Announces $1.5 Billion in Funding, $50 Billion Valuation
Facebook revealed that it has raised $1.5 billion in funding, and earned a valuation of $50 billion. The funding came in two parts: $500 million was raised from Goldman Sachs and its managed funds, while the
remaining $1 billion was garnered from Goldman’s offering of Facebook Class A common stock to its non-US Clients. Facebook says it decided to raise the funds after being approached by Goldman Sachs with an opportunity to privately offer shares of the
company. The social network further explains that it could have accepted as much as $1.5 billion from foreign investors, but chose to limit the shares sold to $1 billion instead. As a result of this news, Facebook expects to surpass 500 investors some time
in 2011, and will begin filing public financial reports no later than April 30, 2012.
Source: Vendor, 1/21/2011
FairPoint Emerges from Bankruptcy Protection
FairPoint Communications announced it has successfully completed its restructuring and has emerged from Chapter 11 with significantly lower debt. As a result of the restructuring, FairPoint has reduced its
outstanding debt by about 64 percent, from approximately $2.8 billion (including interest rate swap liabilities and accrued interest) to approximately $1.0 billion. The company also has a $75 million revolving credit facility available for working capital
and general corporate purposes. The US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York confirmed the company’s plan of reorganization on January 13, 2011. The plan became effective on January 24, 2011. The Federal Communications Commission and the
Public Utilities Commissions in all required states in which the company provides voice, Interne, and data services have each provided their requisite approvals. Holders of shares of FairPoint’s old common stock will not receive or retain any distribution
under the plan. Old common stock, which until recently traded over-the-counter under the ticker FRCMQ, was cancelled and does not convert into new common stock. In a press release, FairPoint said it believes it is now well positioned for future growth in
northern New England.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
General Dynamics Posts Consistent Growth in Q4 and 2010 Financials
General Dynamics posted its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010 results. For the quarter, the company’s revenue totaled $8.6 billion, up almost 9% from the same period last year, when it reported $7.9
million. Net income followed suit, going from $614 million during the last quarter of 2009 to $729 million this quarter. Earnings per share showed the sharpest growth, hitting $1.94 after coming in at $1.59 during the same period in 2009. For 2011, the
company posted revenues of $32.5 billion, a 1.5% increase over 2009’s $31.9 billion. Net income grew more sharply, reaching $2.62 billion, or $6.88 per share, up from $2.3 billion, or $6.21 per share. On these results the company predicted 2011 earnings to
be in the range of $7.00 to $7.10 per share.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
IBM Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.65 Per Share
IBM‘s board of directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.65 per share of the company’s common stock. The amount will be payable on March 10, 2011 to all shareholders of record by the close of business on
February 10, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Intel Board Authorizes $10 Billion More in Stock Buyback
Chip giant Intel has added $10 billion to its stock-buyback program. The increase brings the total authorized by Intel’s board for buybacks to $14.2 billion, Intel said in a press release. The Santa Clara,
California-based company said on Jan. 13 that it ended 2010 with $21.5 billion in cash, 54 percent more than a year earlier. Intel reported rising fourth-quarter sales and profit this month, buoyed by demand for server chips used in data centers, which
provide computing services over the Web. After announcing the purchase of McAfee Inc. for $6.6 billion last year, Intel’s largest acquisition, investors want the company to use cash to boost their returns more directly, according to analysts quoted in a Bloomberg report.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
KPN Posts Flat Revenues, Dropping Profits in Q4, 2010 Financials
KPN posted its results for the final quarter and full year 2010. Quarterly revenues totaled EUR 3.3 billion, flat with the same period in 2009. Net profit for Q4 took a huge hit, dropping to EUR 475 million, or less
than half of the EUR 1.09 billion it reported during the same period in 2009. Earnings per share followed suit, dropping from EUR 0.67 to EUR 0.31. Revenue for the year showed a slight drop, coming in at EUR 13.3 billion, or slightly less than the EUR 13.5
billion reported for 2009. Net income fared better overall, but was still down at EUR 1.7 billion, compared to the EUR 2.1 billion reported for last year. Earnings per share were only slightly less affected, finishing 2010 at EUR 1.15, versus 2009’s total
of EUR 1.33 million. The company blamed this disappointing results on “economic headwinds and severe regulation. “
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
LG Mobile Handset Sales down 29% in Q3
LG posted consolidated fiscal Q3 2010 revenues of USD $11.3 billion a 2% decline from the same period last year. Net profit was USD 6.4 million in Q3. LG Home Entertainment Company shipped more flat panel TVs in the Q3 –
6.6 million units – than at any time in its history, a 37% increase from the same period the previous year. Home Entertainment revenues grew 14% USD from the year earlier due to improved LCD TV sales, especially in emerging markets. LG Mobile
Communications Company revenues decreased by 27% year-over-year as a result of a decline in handset shipments across developed markets. The company shipped 28.4 million handsets in the quarter, reflecting a 29% decline in sales year-over-year.
Source: Vendor, 10/28/2010
Lockheed Posts Modest Gains in Q4 and 2010 Financial Results
Lockheed Martin posted its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2010. For the quarter, the company posted a revenue of $12.8 billion, up slightly form the $12.2 billion
reported for the last quarter of 2009. Net earnings in Q4 were $983 million, compared to the $827 million earned during the same quarter in 2009. Earnings per share grew over the same period from $2.17 in the last quarter of 2009 to $2.73 this quarter.
Lockheed’s year-end revenues were $45.8 billion, up from the $43.9 billion reported for last year. 2010 net income was $2.92 billion, down somewhat from the $3.0 billion earned in 2009. Despite this, earnings per share rose from $7.78 to $7.94 over the
same period thanks to an adjustment of $0.76 from discontinued operations related to the divestiture of its Enterprise Integration Group (EIG) business.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
McKesson Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.18 Per Share
McKesson declared a quarterly dividend of $0.18 per share of the company’s common stock. This amount will be payable on April 1, 2011 to all shareholders of record on March 1, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Motorola Mobility Q4 Revenue Up 21 Percent
Newly-separated from Motorola, Motorola Mobility reported net revenues of $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, up 21 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009. Earnings in the fourth quarter of 2010
were $80 million, or $0.27 per share, compared to a loss of $204 million, or $0.69 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2009. For the full year, 2010 net revenues were $11.5 billion, up 4 percent compared to 2009. For the full year, the loss was reduced to
$0.29 per share from a loss of $4.56 per share in 2009.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Motorola Solutions Reports Increased Revenue for Q4
Motorola Solutions posted a 13 percent increase in quarterly revenue as demand for its wireless equipment rose in the fourth quarter, 2010. Motorola Solutions’ revenue rose to $2.246 billion from
$1.983 billion a year earlier – had it been a separate company then. Government sales rose 9 percent to $1.5 billion and enterprise sales were up 23 percent to $772 million. It posted $279 million in operating earnings, compared with $250 million a year
earlier. The company’s profit was 14 cents per share, prior to the spinoff of its handset and set-top business (Motorola Mobility) in January. The company said it could not provide a net income for Motorola Solutions alone.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
NEC Posts Losses; Cites Lag in IT Services Sales
NEC Japan posted net losses of 13.5 billion JPY ($163 million USD) – an 80 percent drop – for its 2010 fiscal third quarter, ended December 31, 2010, as lower IT services sales and the spinoff of its semiconductor
business to Renesas hit the company’s bottom line. Losses were 7.5 billion for the 2009 fiscal third quarter. Revenues were 720.7 billion, down nearly 13 percent from 2009 fiscal third quarter revenues.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Nielsen Prices IPO at $23.00 Per Share
Nielsen priced its initial public offering (IPO) of 71,428,572 shares at $23.00 per share. The company plans to begin trading these shares on the New York Stock Exchange on January 26, 2011. They will be traded
under the stock symbol “NLSN”. Nielsen expects to receive approximately $1.56 billion in proceeds from the IPO, and $240 million from an accompanying bond offer, which can be converted into shares in February 2013.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Nokia Profits Down in Fourth Quarter
Nokia reported reported a net profit of 745 million euros ($1.02 billion USD) for the fourth quarter of 2010, down from the 948 million euros ($1.29 billion) net profit it reported during the same quarter of 2009.
Nokia reported net sales of 12.7 EUR billion ($17.3 billion) in Q4 2010, a up 6 percent year-over-year and up 23 percent over Q3 2010. “Nokia faces some significant challenges in our competitiveness and our execution. In short, the industry changed, and
now it’s time for Nokia to change faster,” Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO, said.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Polycom Revenue, Profit Up for Fourth Quarter, Full Year 2010
Unified communications and conferencing vendor Polycom reported its earnings for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010. Consolidated net revenues were a record $340 million USD, compared to $268 million for the
fourth quarter of 2009. GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) net income for the fourth quarter of 2010 as $33 million, or 37 cents per diluted share, compared to $13 million, or 15 cents per diluted share, for the same period in 2009. For the
year ended Dec. 31, 2010, Polycom’s net revenues were $1.2 billion, compared to $967 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2009. GAAP net income for the year was $68 million, or 78 cents per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $50 million, or 58
cents per diluted share, for the same period last year. Polycom officials said 2011 promises to be a year of “significant revenue growth,” and “expanding operating margins.”
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Qualcomm Posts Record Q4 Results
Qualcomm posted record revenues for the quarter ending December 26, 2010, up 25 percent to $3.35 billion, yielding a net income of $1.17, which was a 39 percent increase. “We are very pleased to report record
revenues, earnings per share, and MSM chipset shipments this quarter driven by increased demand for smartphones and data-centric devices across an expanding number of regions and price points,” said Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Qwest Board Okays Quarterly Dividend
Qwest Communications announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share. The quarterly dividend is payable on Feb. 25, 2011, to all stockholders of record at the close of business
on Feb. 18, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Raytheon Posts Increased Sales, Decreased Profits in Q4, 2010 Results
Raytheon announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2010. The company’s net sales in Q4 totaled $6.88 billion, a slight increase from the $6.67 billion reported during
the same quarter in 2009. On a more negative note, net income was down, year-over-year, dropping from $504 million, or $1.32 per share, to $459 million, or $1.26 per share. For the year, net sales totaled $25.1 billion, up from the $24.8 billion reported
for 2009. Net income dropped here as well, ending up at $1.8 billion, or $4.94 per share, versus the $1.9 billion or $4.96 per share earned during 2009.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
SAP Posts Record Software Sales, Mixed Profits in Q4, 2010 Financials
SAP released its financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ending December 31, 2010. For the quarter, the company posted a revenue of EUR 4 billion, up 27% from the same period last year, which saw it take in
EUR 3.1 billion. This was largely due to the company having the single best quarter of software sales in its history. On a more negative note, net profits fell 36% during the same period, going from EUR 682 million to EUR 437 million. Earnings per share
dropped 35%, coming in at EUR 0.37 this quarter after being reported at EUR 0.57 during the corresponding quarter in 2009. For the year, revenues grew 17%, reaching EUR 12.4 billion, after finishing 2009 at EUR 10.6 billion. Net profits grew a more modest
4%, going from EUR 1.7 billion in 2009, to EUR 1.53 billion in 2010.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Siemens Profits Increase Slightly in First Quarter
Siemens announced that its profits rose 17 percent to 1.79 billion EUR ($21 million USD) for the 2011 fiscal first quarter, ended December 31, 2010, due in part to growing demand from emerging economies. Earnings
per share were 1.95 EUR. For the 2010 fiscal first quarter, profits were 1.48 billion EUR, with 1.68 EUR per share. Revenues were 19.5 billion EUR, compared to 2010 fiscal first quarter revenues of 17.35 billion EUR.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Software AG Posts Impressive Profit Growth on IDS Scheer Merger
Software AG Announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year, 2010. The quarter saw the company post a revenue of EUR 326.7 million, up 12% from the EUR 292.1 million posted a year ago. Net
income saw an impressive year-over-year growth of 35%, jumping from EUR 48.1 million during the last quarter of 2009, to EUR 64.7 million this quarter. This resulted in earnings per share going from EUR 1.65 to EUR 2.28. For the year, the company took in
total revenues of EUR 1.1 billion, a 32% jump from 2009’s EUR 847 million. Net income also spiked 25%, reaching EUR 175.6 million, or EUR 6.18 per share, after coming in at EUR 140.8 million or EUR 4.92 per share during 2009. These numbers benefitted
significantly from the company’s recent merger with IDS Scheer, according to Karl-Heinz Streibich, CEO of Software AG.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Symantec Posts Third Quarter Financials
Symantec reported that for the fiscal third quarter of 2011revenue was $1.6 billion USD, up 4% from the same quarter one year ago. Net income for the fiscal third quarter was $132 million, and diluted earnings per
share were $0.17. For the quarter, Symantec’s Consumer segment represented 31 percent of total revenue while the Security and Compliance segment accounted for 26 percent of total revenue.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Symantec’s Board OKs Share Repurchase Program
The board of directors for Symantec have approved a $1 billion USD share repurchase program. The program is effective immediately.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Verizon Revenue Down for Q4; Mobile Data Revenues Soar
Growth in Verizon Wireless, FiOS ,and strategic enterprise services highlighted fourth-quarter and year-end 2010 financial results reported by Verizon Communications.
Verizon Wireless added 955,000 mobile subscribers in the fourth quarter to push its total to 94.1 million – retaining the top spot for US wireless carriers. Verizon Communications reported fourth quarter 2010 revenues of $26.4 billion USD, down 2.6 percent
from $27.1 billion a year earlier, but its Verizon Wireless unit posted a 7.7 percent service revenues increase over Q4 2009, with mobile data revenues surging 25.5 percent year-over-year. Verizon’s adjusted earnings per share were 54 cents for the fourth
quarter. On an annual basis, Verizon reported 90 cents in 2010 earnings per share, compared with $1.72 (adjusted earnings) in 2009. The company reported 2010 total operating revenues of $106.6 billion. Excluding results from assets that have been
divested, 2010 revenues were $104.4 billion. In a press release, Verizon’s CEO said its “strong results” were driven by “solid execution across all our businesses.”
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
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CSC Signs $100 Million Extension to EPA Contract
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) received an extension to its contract with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue providing mission support services for its Water Security Division. CSC provides
scientific, engineering, emergency management, risk assessment, and training to the agency. The new deal has an 8-month base period, four annual options, and a total value of more than $100 million if all options are exercised.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Dell’s Perot Government Systems Named FBI Provider
Perot Systems Government Services – a wholly owned Dell subsidiary – was named a new prime service and solutions provider for the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
The designation allows Dell Services to compete with 45 other firms in providing a range of IT supply and support services for the FBI, at a ceiling value of $30 billion USD over the next eight years.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
US Army Awards $15.8 Million Contract to FLIR
FLIR has been awarded a delivery order totaling $15.8 million USD for its Star SAFIRE II stabilized multi-sensor systems to support the US Army MEDEVAC program. The units delivered
under this order will be employed on the Army MEDEVAC UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
GRANTS
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Intel to Invest $100 Million into University Research
Intel announced plans to invest $100 million directly into US university research over the next 5 years “to drive innovations in computing and communications.” The company will open Intel Science and Technology
Centers across several universities this year.The centers will focus on projects in technology areas that align with the company’s research agenda, including visual computing, mobility, security, and embedded solutions. Intel said in a press release that the new funding model is expected to result in US researchers receiving up to five times more
funding from Intel Labs they did under the firm’s previous approach. Intel Labs also announced that Stanford University will be the hub for the first center, which will focus on improving visual computing. Researchers
at Stanford will collaborate with a community of researchers from seven other universities.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Qwest Awards Technology Grants to New Mexico Educations Groups
Qwest Communications has awarded grants totaling $75,000 to two organizations in New Mexico. Innovate+Educate was awarded $25,000 and will partner with members of the New Mexico STEM Network to improve the use of
technology in effective teaching. The second recipient of a Qwest grant, Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation, will provide $50,000 to teachers and others who are “using technology in innovative ways to transform teaching and learning,” with a focus on
expanding access via virtual resources.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Sprint Providing Service, Dell Notebooks to Teach for America
Sprint announced announced that it is providing Sprint 4G service and 4G-enabled notebooks from Dell to 31 classrooms across the US as part of its ongoing program of support for
projects that help young people. In total, 31 teachers affiliated with the Teach For America non-profit organization will receive up to a year of unlimited free Sprint service, including access to the Sprint
4G network; Dell Inspiron 11z Notebooks with access to the Sprint 3G/4G network; and Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspots by Sierra Wireless, which connect up to five additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Sprint 3G/4G network. Sprint said the selected Teach
For America classes will also receive unlimited free access to the Sprint 3G network, allowing additional connectivity if they use their Inspiron Notebooks or Overdrives in Sprint 3G areas.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
T-Mobile USA Offers Support for Youth Groups
T-Mobile USA announced it will provide support for Wireless Digital Connectors, a technology and mentoring program for youth being held at the Downtown Seattle YMCA and at Horn of Africa Services, which serves
communities from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and neighboring countries who are living in the Greater Seattle, Washington area. In each location, groups of young people ages 14 to 21 will learn digital literacy skills in after-school
training programs. They will also have the opportunity to interact with T-Mobile employees who are volunteering their time.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Verizon Foundation Grant Tally for 2010: $67 Million
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, awarded nearly $67 million in 2010 to nonprofit organizations throughout the US. Verizon said the majority of
the funds went to organizations that support education, domestic violence prevention, and Internet safety. Since 2005, the Verizon Foundation has awarded more than $411 million to support nonprofit organizations.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
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Cisco Technology to Support Moses, Virtual Healthcare Systems
Cisco Systems agreed to provide its Data Center Business Advantage architecture for Moses Cone Health System – a nonprofit group with five hospitals and other outpatient and teaching services in Greensboro, NC, US –
and Marlton, NJ based nonprofit healthcare provider Virtua, presumably to help them improve patient care services and health system efficiency. Moses will also use Cisco’s Unified Computing System to support its electronic medical records.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
INTERNET
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Yahoo Continues with IPv6 Transition Despite Risk of Blocking 1M Users
Yahoo is going ahead with plans for its transition to the IPv6 protocol, despite the possibility of its locking out as many as 1 million users, Computerworld reports. The
blockage would be the result of what Yahoo refers to as “IPv6 brokenness.” This term refers to numerous issues with IPv6 and its incompatibility with the hardware and configurations found on many home networking devices. Users could be prevented from
accessing sites using both IPv6 and the current standard, IPv4, by factors such as misconfigured firewalls, old router firmware, and similar issues. The problem is expected to affect any site that plans on using both protocols at once in what is called ”
dual-stack mode.” Despite the seemingly large number of affected users, this problem is actually expected to threaten about 0.5% of Internet users worldwide.
Source: Computerworld, 1/19/2011
LAPTOPS & TABLETS
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Amazon Changes Name of Kindle Self-Publishing Platform
Amazon announced that it is changing the name of its Kindle self-publishing platform from its existing title of the Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to the new Kindle Direct Publishing. Other than opening up the
70% royalty option on e-books to Canada, the renamed program remains unchanged.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
HP Releases Information On Upcoming Topaz Tablet
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced some of the specifications for its large-form Palm tablet, due next month. The webOS powered “Topaz” slate has a 9.7-inch, scratch resistant display and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It
also has a front facing camera for video chatting, and – according to HP – has a battery that delivers eight hours per charge. HP will initially launch a Wi-Fi only version, with 3G and 4G versions to follow. In addition, preliminary details were released
concerning HP’s Touchstone technology, which will be available for Topaz. It includes features for charging and image/file sharing, multimedia streaming, wireless printing, integrated cloud services, and wireless gaming.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
LEGAL
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EU Opens Investigation into Telef¢nica and Portugal Telecom Policies
The European Commission opened an investigation into the policies of Telefonica and
Portugal Telecom which state that neither company will compete with the other in its home market. The concern is that this policy violates the commission’s rules banning restrictive business practices. The investigation will also take Telefonica’s
acquisition of Brazilian carrier Vivo into consideration, but only as it may have affected this policy change.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Huawei Sues Motorola over Intellectual Property Sharing
Huawei Technologies confirmed it has petitioned the US District Court in Illinois to prevent Motorola from – as it says – illegally transferring Huawei intellectual property to
Nokia Siemens. Huawei took this action as Nokia Siemens seeks to complete a $1.2 billion USD acquisition of Motorola’s wireless network business. Huawei and Motorola have been partners in the radio access network and core network businesses since 2000,
when Motorola began reselling Huawei wireless network products under the Motorola name. According to Huawei, Motorola was provided with products and confidential intellectual property by a Huawei team of more than 10,000 engineers.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
MALWARE WATCH
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New Report Highlights the Lessons of Conficker Malware
The Conficker Working Group, a coalition of security researchers working to irradiate the Conficker malware, published a report called “Lessons Learned” about the self-replicating worm that has hit millions of computers since its first appearance in
2008. The group believes it has been most successful in deflecting Conficker from gaining control of the botnet, but said that millions of computers remain infected with the worm.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Mega-D Botnet, WikiLeaks Behind December Spam: Kaspersky
Kaspersky Lab released its December spam report and the analysis has found that India remains the top source country for spam
with Russia taking second place. According to the report, spammers normally use the December holidays as the backdrop for malware, but last month the WikiLeaks name figured heavily into spam messages. Also, the Mega-D botnet, Kaspersky notes, was behind
approximately 30-35% of global spam in December.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
McAfee Spots Bank of China Phishing Scam
McAfee has reported that a wave of SMS phishing attacks are targeting online Bank of China users. Users received a message that is designed to look like it was send by Bank of China as a reminder to their customers,
but the message contains an URL that directs the users to a phishing site.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Verizon’s ICSA Labs Certifies ESET Antivirus for Mac OS X
ICSA Labs has certified ESET NOD32 Antivirus Business Edition for use with the Mac OS X operating system. This is the first anti-malware product to receive Mac certification from
ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon Business. ESET specializes in proactive threat detection. It has global headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, with distribution headquarters for the Americas located
in San Diego, California.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
MOBILE PLATFORMS
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IBM launches Workforce Mobility Product
IBM has launched the Virtual Desktop for Smart Business, a workforce mobility offering that provides access to personal desktops from mobile devices including tablets, netbooks, and laptops. It supports Windows or Linux
environments. The Virtual Desktop for Smart Business, which includes Verde software from Virtual Bridges, can be deployed on a customer’s own infrastructure, or through an IBM business partner “private cloud” hosted environment. The service is offered as a
pre-integrated, ready-to-run software package priced at USD $150 per user, per year for a one-year contract. The new solution is available in North America, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Poland. IBM plans to
make the offering available in China, India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand at the end of Q1.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Qualcomm Launches CSA Safety Performance Service
Wireless technology company Qualcomm announced the commercial availability of its CSA Safety Performance Service. The new service integrates data from the federal CSA Safety Measurement System and correlates it with Qualcomm services data, including Hours of Service violations, Critical Event Reporting, and Performance Monitoring to provide an analysis of driver
and fleet-specific data. The service helps identify drivers who are most vulnerable to unsafe driving and CSA violations, allowing fleet and safety managers to monitor and improve driver performance. The Basic service is available now; the Deluxe service
will be available in the next several weeks.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
OPERATING SYSTEMS
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Debian Releases GNU/Linux 5.0 (“Lenny”) Update
The Debian project announced its eighth update to the Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 (“Lenny”) operating system. The update includes security fixes for problems in the previous stable release, as well as adjustments for a
small number of serious problems. This release does not constitute a new version, and should be applied to existing or future installations via an up-to-date Debian mirror.
Source: Vendor, 1/22/2011
Dell Joins Novell’s SUSE Appliance Program
Novell announced that Dell has joined the SUSE Appliance Program with the purpose of building, deploying, and maintaining a selection of Dell-branded software appliances. The terms of the agreement allow Dell to
offer both software and hardware appliances that are powered by SUSE Enterprise Linux. Dell intends to build these appliances using Novell’s appliance-creation and lifecycle management tools. No terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
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Accenture Fills Three Leadership Positions
Accenture announced a trio of leadership appointments. The company named Sander van ‘t Noordende as group chief executive of its Management Consulting growth platform, he will replace Mark Foster, who is retiring.
Noordende’s previous position, group chief executive of Accenture’s Resources operating group, will subsequently be filled by Jean-Marc Ollagnier. Lastly, Shawn Collinson has been given the position of senior managing director-Growth & Strategy. He will
replace Karl-Heinz Floether, who is also retiring.
Source: Vendor, 1/20/2011
Accenture Names Avinash Vashistha as Country Manager, India
Accenture appointed Avinash Vashistha as its new country managing director for India, and co-chairman of India, along with Harsh Manglik. Vashistha comes to Accenture from Tholons, a global strategic advisory firm
that he helped to found. Manglik, who plans to retire later in the year, has agreed to stay on as co-chair in the meantime to ensure a smooth transition.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
AOL Hires Michael Manos as SVP of Technology Operations
AOL hired Michael Manos as its new Senior Vice President of Technology Operations. His duties will include the support of advances in operations and data center technologies for AOL. Manos comes to the company with more
than 17 years of experience in Data Center management, most recently serving as a vice president at Nokia.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Boeing Names Three New Business Development Leaders
Boeing appointed three Business Development leaders to new positions within its Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business. Tom Bell will become vice president of Strategic Development for BDS. His
responsibilities will include leading the business strategy of his segment, and growing its core business. Bell will be replacing Bill Bonadio, who will move on to the position of vice president of Business Development for Network and Space Systems
(N&SS). He will be responsible for the strategy, sales, and customer relations for the N&SS portfolio. Lastly, Jack Kohler has been named vice president of Business Development for Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA). His duties will include all strategy,
sales, and customer relations for the BMA portfolio.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Cisco Names New CMO, Worldwide Government Affairs
Cisco Systems appointed Blair Christie as Chief Marketing Officer, Worldwide Government Affairs, effective immediately. Christie formerly served as SvP, Global Corporate Communications. She replaces the departing
Susan Bostrom.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Deloitte Announces Pair or Leadership Appointments
Deloitte appointed a pair of new members to its leadership team. First, Bob Contri has been appointed leader of the company’s banking and securities sector practice in the United States, as well as a vice chairman.
He will be replacing Jim Reichbach, who will continue to lead Deloitte’s financial services industry group and a number of strategic initiatives. Additionally, Mitchell L. Glassman has been named as a director for Deloitte Consulting. Glassman comes to the
company from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), where he served as Director of the Division of Resolutions and Receiverships.
Source: Vendor, 1/21/2011
Juniper Appoints Former Microsoft Exec as SVP
Juniper Networks designated Emilio Umeoka – Microsoft’s former president in the Asia Pacific region with more than 25 years experience in the IT industry – as SVP, Worldwide Partners. He will focus on global channel
strategy and partner initiatives.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
LG Electronics Announces Major Restructuring
South Korea-based conglomerate LG Electronics announced major restructuring moves designed to facilitate future growth, the company said. LG’s Business Innovation
Office will be established and overseen directly by Vice Chairman Bon-joon Koo. The Global Marketing Division has been renamed as Global Marketing Office to promote the LG Brand and strengthen subsidiaries’ sales capability. To give more emphasis to
individual products, the Business Solutions Company will be dissolved, with the monitor and solution business units transferring to Home Entertainment. The Home Entertainment Company’s digital storage business unit, Mobile Communications Company’s PC
business uni,t and Business Solution Company’s car business unit will become independent units and report directly to the Vice Chairman.To strengthen its existing business and develop new capabilities, the Home Appliance Company will elevate its component
business with the establishment of a compressor and motor business unit. A separate healthcare business team and a separate commercial water business team will be created. The Air Conditioning Company will take on the new name of Air Conditioning and
Energy Solution Company.
Source: Vendor, 11/30, 2010
NetSuite Hires Harry Lloyd as General Manager of Ecommerce Products
NetSuite appointed Henry Lloyd as the new General Manager of its Ecommerce Products business. The role includes responsibility for both product development and the generation of new business. Prior to this hiring,
Lloyd was CEO of Fluid Inc.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
Windstream Earns Cisco Silver Certification
Windstream, which provides communications services in 29 US states, announced it has achieved Silver Certification from data networking company Cisco. To earn Silver Certification, Windstream said it had to
meet rigorous standards for networking competency, service, support and customer satisfaction set forth by Cisco. Windstream offers businesses a full suite of Cisco’s data products, including routers, switches, and wireless access devices, as well as
security solutions.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
PUBLIC SAFETY
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Justice Department: Data Gaps Prove Critical in Criminal Cases
A Justice Department (DOJ) spokesman gave testimony this week, saying that ISPs need to keep more data on their customers in
an effort to aid in criminal investigations. Jason Weinstein, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Criminal Division also said that many Internet companies are not saving data, which could be crucial for such cases as child pornography,
terrorism, violent crime, and drug trafficking. Weinstein said, “There is no doubt among public safety officials that the gaps between providers’ retention policies and law enforcement agencies’ needs can be extremely harmful to the agencies’
investigations.”
Source: DOJ, 1/25/2011
FCC Looks to Advance Emergency Communications for First Responders
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an order and a notice of proposed rulemaking to support the build out of dedicated and secure mobile broadband networks that will enable public safety broadband
users to share data across departments and jurisdictions nationwide. These moves require all 700 MHz public safety mobile broadband networks to use a common air interface, specifically Long Term Evolution, to support roaming and interoperable
communications.
Source: FCC, 1/25/2011
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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FCC Releases Agenda for Workshop on Narrowbanding Deadline
The Federal Communications Commission‘s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has released the tentative agenda for a workshop on VHF/UHF narrowbanding to help licensees complete the transition to narrowband radio
communications by January 1, 2013. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, from 1 to 4:30 PM in the Commission Meeting Room. The FCC has set January 1, 2013 as the deadline for all VHF and UHF Public Safety and Industrial/Business land
mobile radio systems in the 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz bands to migrate from 25 kHz channel bandwidth to 12.5 kHz or narrower technology.
Source: FCC, 1/24/2011
SEARCH
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Google Responds to Uptick in Spam, Deploys Countermeasure
Google posted a response to the recent spate of news stories on the search engine’s declining usefulness due to
spam-filled results; that is, results that are really site promotions, malicious sites, and sites with information not really relevant to a user’s query. The company claims that, despite news reports to the contrary, the total current level of spam in
its results is less than half of what it was in 2006. Google admits, however, a noticeable uptick in "spam results" in recent months. Google said this is largely due to the expansion of its own search index, and the ever-evolving methods
individuals are using to push spam results further up in its search rankings. To combat this trend, the search giant has deployed a redesigned document-level classifier, which it says will make it harder for spammers to increase the ranking of a malicious
or useless site. The company also repeated its claim that the presence of Google ads on a given site "never factors into" that page’s ranking in a Google search.
Source: Vendor, 1/21/2011
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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Novell Fixes GroupWise Vulnerability
A variable parsing flaw, which may result in the execution of arbitrary code, was found in Novell GroupWise. Novell recommends updating to version 8.02 Hot Patch 2 or later and details the vulnerability in an advisory.
Source: Secunia, 1/26/2011
Opera Error Considered Highly Critical
Opera contains a highly critical integer truncation error when processing certain specially crafted HTML pages and can be exploited by tricking a user into visiting a malicious Web site. The vulnerability is reported
in versions 10.50 and 11.00. The vendor plans a fixed version for release in the near future.
Source: Secunia, 1/26/2011
Patches, Advisories Released for SAP Crystal Reports Server
SAP Crystal Reports Server has multiple critical flaws which could result in cross-site scripting, data manipulation, and the exposure of sensitive data. SAP has released three advisories, addressing these issues and
users should immediately apply the vendor patches.
Source: Secunia, 1/25/2011
Three Vulnerabilities Found in WordPress
A vulnerability has been discovered in the WordPress Recip.ly Plugin version 1.1.7. The only recommendation to mitigate risks is to edit the source code to prevent arbitrary file upload. Two flaws have also been found
in the Uploader plugin for WordPress.
Source: Secunia, 1/25/2011
SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
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Axis to Strengthen Patent Portfolio with Acquisition
Axis Communications announced plans to acquire the Internet Camera Portfolio business from Hoya. The acquisition consists of about 20 patents. The purchase price of the patents has not been disclosed. The acquired
patent portfolio includes patents regarding network communication and cameras which deliver images over networks using different network protocols.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
European Union Gives Nod to Intel in McAfee Purchase
European Union (European Union) regulators have given their approval to Intel to acquire McAfee in a $7.68 billion USD transaction. The
acquisition, which was announced in August, raised fair trade concerns for the EU, which voiced opposition to Intel embedding McAfee’s security software into its CPUs and chipsets. Intel has agreed to provide information about its chips to rival vendors,
paving the way for the EU’s approval.
Source: EU, 1/26/2011
Facebook Adds Security Features, but Users Must Opt-In
Facebook announced some new security features for the social networking site, which include remote logout and one-time passwords. Users must opt-in
to these features to secure their Facebook profiles.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Mozilla, Google Propose Ad Opt-Out Features for Users
In two separate moves this week, Google and Mozilla have proposed privacy tools that they say will enable users to have better control over ad companies’ tracking cookies
following the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) threat to take action against companies that track customers. Google has launched “Keep My Opt-Outs” for Chrome, so that users can opt-out permanently from tracking cookies.
Mozilla, meanwhile, has proposed “Do Not Track,” a header for Firefox that lets users tell third-parties that they want to opt out of ads.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
Kaspersky Rolls Out New Version of its Small Office Security Product
Kaspersky Lab has released the second version of Small Office Security, a product designed for the protection of small businesses. Kaspersky Small Office Security 2 now offers features such as backup capabilities,
a data encryption system, a password management module, and an administration center.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
OnSSI’s Ocularis Integrated with License Plate Recognition Technology
The Ocularis IP Video Management platform from OnSSI has been integrated with license plate recognition capabilities provided by INEX/Zamir. The INEX/Zamir system transforms the license plate image into data, which
can be used by Ocularis to call up real-time video based on the license plate number or to provide instant notification/alarms for vehicles of interest.
Source: Vendor, 1/20/2011
Facebook Most Blocked Site in 2010, Says New Report
OpenDNS, a provider of Internet navigation and security services, released statistics regarding which Web sites were commonly blocked and which Web
site users were frequently given access to in 2010. The report found that Facebook was the most frequently blocked site, and the second most frequently whitelisted site. More than 14% of all users who block Web sites
on their networks choose to block Facebook. In addition, PayPal continues to be the most frequent target of phishing scams; it was targeted nine times more frequently than the next most frequent target, Facebook; 45% of
all phishing attempts made in 2010 were targeting PayPal.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
RSA Rolls Out Authentication System for SMBs
RSA debuted Authentication Manager Express, a risk-based and on-demand authentication system designed for organizations to provide up to 2,500 end users with secure access to data and business applications
through SSL Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and online portals. The system employs a risk engine engineered to provide behind-the-scenes protection of Web-based resources against unauthorized access.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Symantec Releases January MessageLabs Report
Symantec‘s January 2011 MessageLabs Intelligence Report revealed that the global ratio of spam in email traffic from new and previously-unknown "bad sources" was 78.6% (1 in 1.3 emails), a decrease of
3.1 percentage points since December. Other data from the report found that, in the US, 78.8% of email was spam, while the automotive sector was the most spammed industry with a spam rate of
82.8%.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
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Capgemini Signs 3-Year Smart Metering Deal with BC Hydro
Capgemini signed a three-year contract with BC Hydro to provide system integration and project management services to a new smart metering program launching in British Columbia. The project will replace more then
1.8 million meters with new smart meters, and is expected to improve service, reduce costs, and prevent electricity theft. The agreement was signed under Capgemini’s Smart Energy Services offerings, and is expected to earn the company EUR 48 million.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
SMARTPHONES
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T-Mobile USA to Offer Samsung Galaxy S 4G
T-Mobile USA announced that it plans to sell the Samsung Galaxy S 4G smartphone but did not provide a specific launch date or pricing. The Galaxy S 4G will be sold exclusively
in the US through T-Mobile USA. Powered by Android 2.2 (Froyo), the Galaxy S 4G is T-Mobile’s first smartphone capable of delivering theoretical peak download speeds of up to 21 Mbps, the carrier said. It also features a touchscreen display. T-Mobile USA
promised more information in the “coming weeks.”
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Pew Says 22% of US Adults Used Social Networks During Last Elections
The latest survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that more than 22% of online US adults used some form of social networking for purposes related to the most recent mid-term
elections. The most common social sites named by respondents were Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. The uses for social media included
11% of respondents learning who friends or family voted for, 9% learning about candidates, 7% friending a candidate, and 1% using Twitter to follow election results. Pew also noted that the use of social media is now distributed more evenly
among political parties than in 2008, with the Republican congressional candidates accounting for 45% of usage during the mid-term election period, versus Democratic candidates, which accounted for 41%. Interestingly, it was Tea Party supporters
that were most likely to "friend" a candidate or political group – by a wide margin.
Source: Vendor, 1/27/2011
STANDARDS
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ASIS Launches Standards Initiative for Private Security Providers
ASIS International has announced plans to develop two American national standards to support the recently signed International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. The standards will provide
auditable criteria with accompanying guidance for developing and implementing a management system to assure quality of services and demonstrate accountability to the code of conduct.
Source: ASIS, 1/21/2011
STORAGE
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NEC Announces Cutting Edge Grid Storage System
NEC Corporation of America announced its new HYDRAstor HS8-3000 grid storage platform, which it says has nodes that deliver 2.7T bph (250M bps) per accelerator node, and a throughput scalability of up to 148T bph.
According to NEC, its adaptive architecture allows the grid to evolve with new technologies, without having to start a new grid system, migrating data, or experiencing application downtime.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
STREAMING MEDIA
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Adobe Partners with Online Video Delivery Platform
Adobe formed an alliance with thePlatform, a white-label video management and publishing company. The goal of the duo is to create and market enhanced solutions for delivering online and mobile content on the Adobe
Flash Platform. This new solution will also incorporate secure video management and publishing services for media publishers, as well as thePlatform’s own mpx video management system. No specific date for the launch of this new video solution has been
announced.
Source: Vendor, 1/25/2011
Level 3 CDN Selected for WealthTV Streaming to Set-Top Boxes
Level 3 announced that it has been selected to provide content delivery network services to support live, 24/7 streaming of WealthTV’s lifestyle channel content over the Internet to Roku’s Web-enabled television
set-top boxes. Roku said earlier this month that it had sold more than one million boxes in the US and was offering 135 channels of streaming content as of December 2010. Terms of the contract with Level 3 were not released.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
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NEC Provides UC for Business for Crown Disposal
NEC Corporation of America implemented UC for Business for Crown Disposal Company – a waste transportation firm in Sun Valley, CA, US – to provide contact center performance and activity reports, and also offering
better visibility into its customer service and dispatch operations departments.
Source: Vendor, 1/24/2011
VOIP
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Google Adds Number Porting Service to Google Voice
Google launched a new service allowing Google Voice users to port their existing phone numbers onto a Google Voice account. The process for initializing the
service, which costs $20, works similarly to the process for switching mobile carriers, including the cancellation of the plan the number previously resided on, and the possibility of early termination fees. Google has set up a help center to answer question about the service, which is currently only available to existing Google Voice users. The company said it will be opening it up to new
users in the coming weeks.
Source: Vendor, 1/26/2011
Mozilla Blocks Skype Extension After 40,000 Crashes in One Week
Mozilla has blocked the Skype extension for its Firefox Web browser, CNet reported. The extension was the leading cause of browser crashes for
the current stable version of Firefox, accounting for more than 40,000 crashes during the week prior to it being blocked. The Skype extension is also being blamed for a significant slowdown in page load times. The extension is installed automatically
when a user installs Skype software, with many users unaware that it is being added to their copy of Firefox. In response, Skype has said that it apologizes for the issues, and is working with Mozilla to fix the problems. Mozilla says it will reinstate the
extension when the issues have been fixed to its satisfaction.
Source: CNet, 1/21/2011
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