News Briefs for the Week Ending
05/20/2011
Copyright 2011, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1105
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
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Autonomy to Acquire Assets of Iron Mountain Digital Division for $380M
Autonomy announced plans to acquire certain assets from Iron Mountain Incorporated, an information management company. The assets will be purchased from the company’s digital division, and will include archiving,
eDiscovery, and online backup. Autonomy says the transaction will add more than six petabytes of data under management, and 6,000 customers. The purchase is expected to be completed for $380 million, subject to a final working capital adjustment.
Source: Vendor, 5/168/2011
AVOS Buys Real-Time BI Platform Tap11
AVOS – the company which recently purchased Delicious, and was create by YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen – has acquired Tap11, a real-time business intelligence
platform. Tap11 was known for creating Web analytics products capable of combining social publishing and analytics into a single dashboard. This was largely made possible by the acquired company’s Volume algorithm, which AVOS plans to leverage in efforts
to measure “the impact of content consumed and shared across the social ecosystem.” Tap11 CEO Adam Zbar will stay on with AVOS as head of engineering. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
SAIC Acquires T&D Assets of Patrick Energy Services
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) acquired the transmission and distribution (T&D) engineering capabilities of Patrick Energy Services (PES). The company plans to use the assets to enhance its own
energy and smart grid services portfolio, and to offer additional T&D services. SAIC says the new offerings will benefit customer including investor owned utilities, public power providers, and transmission operators. No financial terms for the transaction
were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
If T-Mobile USA Deal Does Not Close, AT&T Gives Up $6 Billion
Deutsche Telekom has confirmed a Reuters report that if AT&T‘s acquisition of T-Mobile USA fails to close,
AT&T will be forced to forfeit cash, spectrum, and roaming agreements worth a total of $6 billion USD. Deutsche Telekom is T-Mobile USA’s parent company. “$3 billion would flow directly in cash, but Deutsche Telekom would also receive spectrum and a
national roaming agreement,” a Deutsche Telekom spokesman told Reuters. “The company did not put a value on that, but according to analysts’ estimates the spectrum and roaming agreement would amount to $3 billion.”
Source: Reuters, 5/16/2011
Toshiba to Acquire Swiss Energy Management Firm
Toshiba Japan reported it will invest 186.3 billion JPY ($2.3 billion USD) to acquire the entire equity of Swiss energy management firm Landis+Gyr. The move
should extend the scope of Toshiba’s Smart Grid and Smart Community businesses.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Towerstream Closes Acquisition of One Velocity Assets
4G wireless services provider Towerstream said it has completed its acquisition of business assets from One Velocity, which comprise substantially all of One Velocity’s
customer contracts, network infrastructure, and related assets in the Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada markets. Towerstream offers high-speed wireless Internet access to businesses. It has network coverage in 11 markets including New York City, Boston, Los
Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, and the greater Providence, Rhode Island area where the company is based.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Yahoo to Acquire 5to1 Holding Corp, Expand Advertising Business
Yahoo announced it will acquire 5to1 Holding Corp, an online advertising alliance of major media publishers. The company says it will use the acquisition to expand its own advertising offerings, and as a method of
monetizing unsold advertising inventory. Yahoo expects the deal to close during the second quarter of the year, at which time 5to1 will become part of the company’s Ad Marketplaces group. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
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Cisco, City of Rio de Janerio Partner for IT Training
Cisco Brazil announced that the Rio city government launched an IT training program for residents, through the Department of Science and Technology. Rio de Janerio is offering telecommunications and technology courses
from the Cisco Networking Academy program at Casa Rio Digital, an initiative to promote computer use by the population in community centers located in impoverished neighborhoods. The project brings Rio de Janeiro neighborhoods into a network that serves
more than one million students in 165 countries (25,000 in Brazil alone). 500 Rio residents are expected to receive Cisco certification this year.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Cisco, Living PlanIT to Promote Smart+Connected in Portugal
Cisco Systems is working with Living PlanIT to develop new business models for city management, using network technology to advance sustainable urban living. The companies
are planning to make PlanIT Valley – near Paredes in northern Portugal – Europe’s largest, sustainable development by deploying Smart+Connected Communities technology. Cisco will deploy IT, communications design, and architecture, and will also explore
integrating the Living PlanIT technology platform with Cisco networking technology. In addition, Living PlanIT will collaborate with Cisco’s services organization to develop a design for applying Smart+Connected Communities technology in PlanIT Valley.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Dell Designated SAP-Certified Cloud Services Provider
Dell announced it was named a SAP-certified cloud services and hosting services provider, an extension of an agreement to make new cloud and in-memory computing products available. SAP
applications can now be deployed via Dell’s VIS Next Generation Datacenter Platform, while Dell’s PowerEdge R910 hardware platform is certified for running In-Memory Computing technology, to help increase the availability and speed of business
information.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
SAP Expands Relationship with Dell
SAP expanded its relationship with Dell. The new level of collaboration includes the availability of SAP applications on Dell’s VIS Next Generation Datacenter Platform. Additionally,
Dell’s PowerEdge R910 hardware platform is now certified to run SAP’s In-Memory Computing technology. The companies say these new offerings will allow customers to increase the availability and speed of business information.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
SAP and Microsoft Join to Offer Software Interoperability
SAP and Microsoft jointly announced plans to improve the level of integration between SAP software and Microsoft virtualization and cloud computing technologies. Plans revolve
around innovating on people-centric applications, while preventing any disruption to customers’ IT landscapes. Specifically, the companies plan to do this by making SAP software more easily consumable by Microsoft .NET developers, a move which they believe
will simplify the entire application development process. In addition to this collaboration, the two companies are also planning on releasing interoperable landscape management software.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
BIOMETRICS
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New Iris Technology Could Eliminate Need for Passwords
Hoyos, an identity management technology company, has introduced EyeLock, a device that uses iris recognition as a replacement for passwords to log into Web sites and applications that are password-protected. EyeLock
is a scanning device that connects via USB port to a PC, enabling the user to move the scanner in front of his or her eye to take a picture of the iris.
Source: Vendor, 5/12/2011
New Morpho Terminals Use Fingerprint and Finger Vein Technology
Morpho has rolled out the MorphoAccess VP Series, a range of physical access control terminals integrating multimodal technology combining finger vein and fingerprint biometrics. These terminals can be used for
either authentication or identification.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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EU Report Focuses on Risk Management in Relation to Infrastructure
ENISA, the European Union’s (European Union) cyber security agency, has published a new report on national risk management (NRM) preparedness. The publication provides key elements as a guideline for the governance of NRM in relation to a country’s critical
information infrastructure (CII) and presents a workflow to develop and implement NRM processes.
Source: ENISA, 5/19/2011
Red Cross Offers Free Disaster Preparedness Program
The American Red Cross has launched a new Web site devoted to disaster preparedness. The Ready Rating Web site offers a free membership program that provides an assessment of
how well organizations are equipped to handle a disaster and offers guidance on improving disaster preparedness.
Source: Vendor, 5/12/2011
SAP Launches SAP BusinessObjects EPM Solutions 10.0
SAP released version 10.0 of its SAP BusinessObjects EPM solutions. The company says this latest release
expands the software’s capabilities beyond the finance department to managers across the entire company. The new release also adds support for SAP In-Memory Computing technology, which SAIC says will provide more detailed and agile planning scenarios.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
CARRIER SERVICES
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AT&T Signs Five-Year Deal with Stanford for Wireless Services
AT&T announced a five-year agreement with Stanford University’s athletics department. The carrier will provide expanded wireless and broadband connectivity at nine Stanford
University Athletics venues where fans can use their wireless devices to check scores, access video, watch instant replays, post to social networking sites, and upload photos.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
DIRECTV Launches Field-Trial of Home Media Center Solution
DIRECTV launched a field trial designed to test its upcoming Home Media Center solution. The new product will give customers a “receiver-less solution” for many of the televisions in their homes, according to the
company. The new service is powered by the model HR34 RVU-enabled server, a recently-released technology which can create a pixel-accurate user interface across a variety of disparate media devices. The new solution will require subscribers to be RVU
certified clients, which includes existing C30 Home Media Clients, and RVU-compatible television owners. The first RVU-enabled products are expected to be available this June.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
KPN Admits Plans to Use Deep Packet Inspection to Monitor Data Charges
KPN has admitted that it will be using Deep Packet Inspection to monitor its newly separated data charges for VoIP, streaming video, and sending instant messages, Engadget reports.
The long-suspected news was confirmed by the company in a recent presentation to investors. While director of KPN Mobile Mark Fisher touted the company being the first to use the technology, Deep Packet Inspection has long been in the crosshairs of privacy
and net neutrality advocates. This is due to the data monitoring technology’s ability to report on what’s being sent over the network, and where it’s going. Some opponents of KPN’s plan say the policy will violate the Dutch Data Protection Act.
Source: Engadget, 5/16/2011
T-Mobile USA Introduces New Unlimited Plan for Small Businesses
In conjunction with National Small Business Week 2011, T-Mobile USA announced it is offering a new “unlimited” plan, available now, targeting small businesses. The plan offers small businesses unlimited voice,
text, for $69.99 per month. Customers who sign up for a Small Business Plan on a two-year contract will receive a free BlackBerry Curve 9300.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Verizon Launches LTE Network in Nine Additional Metro Areas
Verizon Wireless has launched its 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless network in nine additional metropolitan areas, and expanded its broadband network in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, and
Philadelphia. Verizon’s LTE network is now available in Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama; greater Fairfield and New Haven, Connecticut; Gainesville, Pensacola, and Tallahassee, Florida; Fayetteville-Lumberton, North Carolina; and Bryan-College Station and
Temple-Killeen, Texas. The carrier’s LTE network is now live in 55 metro areas in the US. Verizon said it plans to launch LTE across its entire 3G coverage area by the end of 2013.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Verizon Wireless Expands 4G LTE Network in Philadelphia Region
Verizon Wireless announced an expansion to its 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) metro area. Beginning May 19, the expansion will improve coverage in New Jersey to the
northwestern sections of Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington Counties including the towns of Woodbury Heights, Blackwood, Runnemede, Voorhees, Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Mount Laurel, and Delran. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 4G LTE coverage will be expanded
to include the areas surrounding Newtown, Richboro and Buckingham. Consumers and businesses in Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia International Airport, and portions of South Jersey and Delaware, have had access to Verizon’s LTE network since last
December.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Virgin Mobile USA Adds $20 per Month Plan to Broadband2Go Portfolio
Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint’s prepaid brands, has added a $20 per month plan to its Broadband2Go portfolio. The new plan, an addition to the current $10 and $50 plans, provides 500MB of data with a
one-month expiration. It is targeted at the occasional user or traveler. The plan is available now through Virgin Mobile USA’s Web site and at retail locations.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
CHIP TECHNOLOGY
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Intel Shifts Primary Focus to Mobile Devices
Intel CEO Paul Otellini said that Intel is embarking on a big shift in focus, moving its “center” to target small mobile devices like ultraportable laptops, smartphones, and tablets, as well as devices such as smart
TVs. Otellini was speaking at the Intel investor meeting at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California. His remarks were reported by CNET.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
CLOUD COMPUTING
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BroadVision to Expand Dutch Social Intranet Project
BroadVision reported it will extend the scope of Gemeente Tilburg’s social Intranet project using the cloud-based BroadVision Clearvale, making it available to more than 2,000 employees. Emeente Tilburg is a
municipality in the Netherlands that manages the City of Tilburg and provides support for several surrounding towns and villages within the wider Brabant region. It will use the technology to improve communications between staff members to increase
interaction with citizens and encourage collaboration with the public, businesses, and government institutions. Clearvale was first deployed in May 2010 under a pilot program known as “T-Community.”
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Ericsson Deploys Cloud-Based IMS Service for Mindark
Ericsson deployed cloud-service based IMS voice technology for Mindark, a Swedish online gaming company , to allow users of its games to communicate using voice services. The Ericsson voice technology is based on
an IMS-in-a-Cloud service, called “Ericsson In-Game Communication.” The full gaming service launched on Monday.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Fujitsu Adds Technology to MS Hyper-V Cloud Program
Fujitsu Japan reported it has released new technology for the Microsoft Hyper-V Cloud Fast Tack program. The program was created to provide organizations launching a private cloud with server, storage, networking,
and management software technology to build private cloud environments based on Microsoft’s Hyper-V Cloud architecture.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Juniper Rolls Out Junosphere Classroom Cloud Service
Juniper Networks released the Junosphere Classroom, a cloud-based service for creating and operating virtual, Junos networks. Junosphere Classroom resources are hosted in a data center, and designed using Juniper
networking and security technologies, accessible to students using a secure Internet connection. It provides anytime-anywhere access to the Junosphere environment, to extend remote learning and home-based education services.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Microsoft Snags San Francisco Email Contract
TechDirt reported that Microsoft and the city of San Francisco have signed a contract that will bring cloud-based email services to some 23,000 municipal employees. The
transition to Microsoft Exchange Online will continue over the next year, and involve employees from about 60 departments and agencies. City executives on a May 18 conference call suggested that the initiative would cost $1.2 million per year, which
breaks down to $6 per month per user, TechDirt reported. San Francisco had apparently considered Lotus Notes and Google as possible email providers, but ultimately went with Microsoft because it provided interoperability with other software, including
Windows Azure applications and Office products such as Word and PowerPoint.
Source: TechDirt, 5/18/2011
NIST Seeks Comments on Cloud Computing Publication
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has requested public comments on its latest guide on cloud computing, NIST Cloud Computing Synopsis and Recommendations, identified as SP 800-146. The document explains what cloud computing is and provides information about the technology for organizations who are interested in moving their business into
the cloud. The NIST seeks comments from the public by June 13.
Source: NIST, 5/12/2011
Novell Unveils Operations Center 5.0
Novell unveiled Novell Operations Center 5.0. The latest edition of its business service management solution includes automated configuration
management, a federated content management database, community management capabilities, and Novell Cloud Manager with Amazon EC2 integration. Operating Center 5.0 is compatible with both public and private clouds, and is the first solution of its kind to
automatically synchronize with external data sources, according to Novell.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
SAP and AWS Team to Offer Cloud-Based SAP Solutions
SAP and Amazon Web Services (AWS) jointly announced the availability of several SAP products as on-demand Web services available on the AWS cloud. Available products include SAP
Rapid Deployment solutions and SAP BusinessObjects solutions. The new offerings have been tested and certified by SAP itself, and been found to meet with similar standards to those used for version hosted on servers and virtual platforms. More information
about the new products is available from AWS SAP Web services page.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
ZTE Unveils CoCloud Operating System as Part of Upcoming Line
ZTE unveiled its proprietary cloud-based operating system, CoCloud as part of its upcoming cloud offerings. The company plans to launch a complete framework of cloud computing solutions, with CoCloud at its core. The
solutions will cover industries such as telecoms, government, and various enterprises. ZTE says this is the first step in its previously-announced plan to derive as much as one third of its revenue from cloud computing products by next year. No official
release date has yet been set for any of ZTE cloud computing offerings.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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Alcatel Motive Providing ServiceView for High-Speed BT Svcs
Alcatel-Lucent company Motive reported its ServiceView Solution Suite was selected by UK telecommunications provider BT, to support its high-speed Internet, IPTV, and VoIP services. The deployment will deliver a
unified, triple-play customer care toolset for BT help-desk representatives. It will provide call center representatives with visibility and control of broadband services, with automated problem analysis and resolution for BT’s network.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Cable&Wireless Enhances Infrastructure Connection with SGX
Cable&Wireless expanded its Asia-Pacific financial markets network infrastructure to include a high-speed connection with the Singapore Exchange (SGX). C&W already operates Points of Presence (POPs) at the SGX, however
this expansion will increase its connection speeds, as well as providing a more secure connection for users of its Algorithmic trading network. A lower latency connection is desirably in Algorithmic trading, which can makes several transaction in the space
of less than a second.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Ciena to Upgrade SURFnet’s Network, Deploying 100Gbps on Int’l Links
Data networking company Ciena and SURFnet, the organization that runs the research and education network of the Netherlands, announced an agreement to enhance
SURFnet’s optical network, including support for full photonic flexibility and the deployment of 100 Gbps on international links connecting the Netherlands to research communities – like CERN in Switzerland.
The upgrade project is based on Ciena’s ActivFlex 6500 Packet-Optical Platform equipped with WaveLogic coherent optical processors and ActivSpan Common Photonic Layer, and will create a high-capacity network with ROADM (reconfigurable optical add-drop
multiplexer) functionality.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Ciena, Telamon to Bring Broadband, 4G Services to Navajo Nation
Networking company Ciena announced it has partnered with systems integrator Telamon to bring high-speed broadband access and 4G wireless services to the Navajo Nation in
the US. The new network will include 550 miles of new aerial fiber-optic cable and 59 new or modified microwave towers to connect the Navajo Nation across a 27,000 square mile service area in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo Nation
is largest Indian reservation in the United States. It is using federal stimulus funds from the NTIA‘s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to fund the new network
build.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Cisco Deploying WAN Optimization for United Bank of India
Cisco Systems is deploying WAN optimization technology for the United Bank of India, across 1,632 branches. The technology will allow the bank to provide banking services to rural and agricultural economies, and to
India’s SMB enterprise sector. It includes Wide Area Application Services devices, WAN optimization, and application accelerators for the data center and disaster recovery sites. It will be deployed by Wipro.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Cisco to Upgrade Communications Platform for Argentina Ministry
Cisco Systems was selected by the Argentine Ministry of Labor and Social Security to upgrade its communications platform and create a call center for workers. Cisco will focus on improving its data infrastructure,
which provides security and quality of service to all active components of the network. Cisco will also provide Unified Communications technology and update more than 1,800 endpoints. Dating back to January 2009, the Ministry has modernized its
communications processes by integrating data, voice, messaging, video, and fax on an IP network, and has migrated a central analog telephone system to an IP-based system.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Comcast Launches Metro Ethernet Services for Mid-Sized Businesses
Comcast launched its Metro Ethernet services, which are targeted at mid-sized businesses with 20 to 500 employees. The new service provides access to Comcast’s fiber optic network. Comcast’s new service offers
bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gbps that can be remotely scaled in increments of 1 Mbps, 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1 Gbps, and offered with three different classes of service. Metro Ethernet is available now in more than twenty major US. markets, with
expansion into new markets planned in the months ahead, Comcast said.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Fujitsu Unveils New GB Access Router
Fujitsu Japan released the Si-R 6200, a GB access router that delivers 650M-bps VPN throughput. The IP access router was created for building corporate network systems.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Global Crossing Debuts New Security Solutions
IP solutions provider Global Crossing – acquired by Level 3 in April – announced Global Crossing Security Solutions, which it described as an enhanced portfolio of
security capabilities. The new security suite includes a firewall, intrusion prevention service, Web content filtering, and antivirus and anti-spam capabilities, with reporting and analysis via Global Crossing’s uCommand customer portal. The company is
using a new Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform, which generates the reports and posts them to the customer portal. The SIEM platform resides in the company’s Security Operations Center located in Phoenix, Arizona.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Huawei to Provide Technology for M1 LTE Network
Huawei Technologies signed a five-year, $280 million USD contract to provide turnkey LTE technology for mobile, broadband, and fixed communications services provider M1’s commercial LTE network in Singapore. The
network is designed to carry large amounts of data traffic at downlink speeds of 300M bps, It supports videoconferencing, high-definition content transmission, and high-speed video downloads. The deployment includes macro and distributed base stations, and
Evolved Packet Core technology. The LTE network should be available, island-wide, in the first quarter of 2012.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
NEC Tapped to Provide Femtocells to Zain Kuwait
NEC received a contract from Zain Kuwait, a Middle-Eastern telecommunications company, to provide its Femtocell solution to enhance the indoor mobile experience of the company’s enterprise and consumer customers. NEC’s
Femtocell product is a small, portable cellular base-station that bears a strong resemblance to for factor of a wireless router. The device uses a wired broadband connection to transfer cellular data to and from the company’s network. NEC will be providing
both the Femtocell units, and the technology necessary to connect them to Zain’s infrastructure. The service is expected to launch some time this year. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Nokia Siemens to Roll Out LTE Network for LG U+
Nokia Siemens Networks was selected to roll out the LTE network for LG U+, a South Korean operator that plans to improve subscriber data speeds and mobile broadband access. It is providing its single
radio access network (RAN), including base stations, and the NetAct management system. Nokia Siemens will also provide network implementation services. The news follows last week’s Ericsson announcement it signed a commercial contract to build a LTE
commercial services network, via the LG-Ericsson local entity.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
ZTE Wins CDMA EV-DO Rev.B Phase 2 commercial contract from SSTL
ZTE received a CDMA EV-DO Rev.B Phase 2 commercial contract from Indian telecom company, Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL). The company services more than 11 million customer across India under the brand name MTS.
The upgraded network is expected to reach speeds as high as 4.9 Mbps in single frequency carrier mode and 14.7 Mbps in three frequency carriers bundles. The updated network is expected to launch this year, beginning with its rollout in Rajasthan.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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Clearwire Outsourcing Network Operations to Ericsson
Broadband provider Clearwire has chosen Ericsson to take over management of its high-speed wireless network to help it cut costs, the service provider said. The seven-year
agreement is similar to one between Ericsson and Sprint Nextel, which is a majority owner of Clearwire. Under the deal, Clearwire said it will transfer 700 of its 3,600 employees to Ericsson by mid-2011. The managed
services partnership will transfer the day-to-day management of Clearwire’s 4G network to Ericsson and allow Clearwire to realize operational efficiencies and reduce operating costs, the company said. Financial terms of the agreement were not released.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Ericsson to Manage, Develop Telenor Field Services
Ericsson signed a three-year managed services contract with Telenor Sweden, which provides data and telecommunications services in Sweden. It will manage and develop Telenor field services, including field
maintenance and implementation services, across complete fixed and mobile networks. 44 Telenor employees will join Ericsson’s Swedish services organization on July 1st. Ericsson already provides Telenor with IMS, transmission networks, and service
platforms.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
HP Unveils Trusted Advisor Consulting Service
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced a new consulting service – Trusted Advisor – for helping clients establish an aligned data center and IT strategy by considering all aspects of business operations, IT infrastructure and
facilities, and technology. It was designed to work as a client partner throughout all phases of a data center program by taking a programmatic approach to maintain the data center facility lifecycle. It includes analysis, recommendations for the business
case approval process, planning, design and build, commissioning, and migration services.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
HP to Provide Network Management for Colombian Firm
HP Enterprise Services is deploying network management technology for UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones – a Colombian communications services provider – to allow it to offer improved service quality for business and
residential customers. HP will implement an operations support system for its fixed-line voice, VoIP, high-speed Internet, cable TV, entertainment, and business services.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Red Hat Integrates SAP Solution Manager into Tech Support
Red Hat announced that it will integrate the SAP Solution Manager application management solution with its own Red Hat Global Support Services support ticketing system in an effort to enhance the customer experience
for users of Red Hat and SAP products. The company says the SAP Solution Manager will be used to facilitate technical support for systems in the areas of solution deployment, operation, and continuous improvement. More
information about this offering and Red Hat’s relationship with SAP are available from Red Hat’s SAP Solutions page.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
CRM
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Nokia to Provide Software for Zain Kuwait CRM Upgrade
Nokia Siemens Networks reported it will deploy network monitoring, reporting, and analytics software for Zain Kuwait, to improve its customer experience management. Zain will use two new platforms –
Serve atOnce Traffica and Serve atOnce Intelligence – to better focus on mobile network quality, customer care services, and marketing.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
DATA BREACHES
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Virus Targets MA Unemployment Office, Causes Data Breach
The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOWLD) in Massachusetts was hit with virus that caused a data breach, affecting up to 1,500 workstations in the
Departments of Unemployment Assistance and Career Services. The virus, which began its attack on April 19, also targeted computers in the One Stop Career Centers. The EOWLD worked with Symantec to wipe out the virus,
but discovered on May 16 that it had caused a data breach, possibly stealing such sensitive data as Social Security numbers, email addresses, and employer identification numbers.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Sony Denies PSN Hit Again by Hackers
After hackers targeted Sony in a massive data breach last month, the vendor has denied reports that its PlayStation Network (PSN) was hit by another attack this week, saying in a blog post that it had temporarily taken the PSN and Qriocity music streaming service Web pages offline for password resets. However, Sony did admit in the same post
that “there was an URL exploit that we have subsequently fixed.”
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Hacker Claims to Have Hit NASA Site
Sophos reported that a NASA site has allegedly been attacked by TinKode, a hacker known for targeting high-profile Web sites in an effort to expose security flaws. TinKode, who is suspected of living in Romania,
claims to have attacked the site for the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and has posted details about the hack online. Other sites that have fallen victim to TinKode in the past include the Royal Navy and MySQL.com.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
DBMS
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SAP Taps Sybase to Add New Relational Database to ERP Product
SAP and its subsidiary Sybase announced plans to launch a new version of the SAP ERP (enterprise resource planning) application that runs on Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE),
the company’s proprietary relational database management system (DBMS). The duo say this will simplify the solution, as well as improving its efficiency. SAP plans to incorporate Sybase ASE into numerous other products in the near future. More information
about the updated SAP ERP software can be found at the its product page.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
SAS Launches Industry Taxonomy Rules Starter Kits
SAS announced the launch of SAS Industry Taxonomy Rules starter kits. These pre-built kits are designed to reduce a customer’s initial text analytics time to a few weeks. The company says this will allow customers to
begin leveraging the unstructured data included in physical documents that would otherwise be going to waste. The starter kits are available in 30 languages for industries such as banking, financial services, retail, health, and life sciences. More
information is available at SAS’ Text Analytics page.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
DESKTOPS
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Fujitsu Releases Desktops, Laptops with Wireless TV Streaming
Fujitsu Japan released 16 new Japanese models of FMV series consumer PCs. These include new LIFEBOOK laptops with a hybrid motion design for switching between touch and keyboard input, and ESPRIMO all-in-one desktops
with 20-inch LCD monitors for streaming multimedia, including TV content. The systems also feature F-LINK, technology for wirelessly transferring images and videos from a smartphone to PC, a motion-sensor Webcam, and wireless TV functionality.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
HP Unveils New Consumer Desktop PC Options
Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced new Pavilion consumer desktop PCs with sliding front panels for hiding the ports and drives, and – in select models – a valet tray with USB ports for charging electronic devices. The
systems include new p7 series computers with extra hard drive space for storing multimedia, Slimline s5 systems that feature extra processing power despite being smaller in size, and HPE h9 series PCs with up to three internal hard drives, HP also unveiled
a new micro-thin LED backlit monitor. HP also upgraded its t5740e thin client, which features Intel processing and the Windows Embedded Standard 7 OS.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
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Oracle Submits Tow New JSRs to Java Community Process
Oracle submitted its first two Java Specification Requests (JSRs) in an effort to revitalize the Java Community Process (JCP). The company hopes its two submissions will come to define the subsequent iteration of the
JCP, JCP.next. According to Oracle, the JSRs will help broaden transparency of Java technology development, improve procedures, increase agility, and encourage new community participation. The suggested changes to the JCP will now be submitted to JCP
Executive Committee for approval.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
SAP Launches New NetWeaver Gateway Technology
SAP launched its new NetWeaver Gateway technology an open, standards-based framework designed to bring its business software to new users, developers, and environments. The company says the Gateway does this by allowing
customers to use any programming language, on any tool or device, as well as giving them the ability to develop new applications on the platform of their choosing, all while having built in connectivity to SAP applications. SAP says this will maintain the
security and integrity of a company’s systems by allowing it to add new applications while not upsetting its IT landscape. No release date has been set for SAP NetWeaver Gateway.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
E-READERS & E-BOOKS
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Amazon Now Selling More Kindle Books Than All Physical Books Combined
Amazon announced that it is now selling more Kindle e-books than both paperback and hardback books combined. The Kindle e-reader, introduced in 2007, has steadily grown in popularity to account for an
increasingly larger part of Amazon’s bookselling operation. According to Amazon’s current statistics, 105 e-book titles are sold for every 100 paper book titles sold. On a related note, Amazon said its recently-released "Kindle with Special
Offers," a lower-priced device partially supported by embedded advertising, has already become its best-selling Kindle model.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Adobe Launches Adobe Tag Manager for Audience Data
Adobe launched Adobe Tag Manager, a new add-on for the Adobe Online Marketing Suite, powered by Omniture. The new software is designed to manage captured tags-small pieces of HTML or JavaScript that store anonymous
audience data. Adobe says the software serves as a tag container, aggregating data collected from such diverse sources as analytics providers, site and content optimization vendors, ad servers, ad networks, affiliate networks, and audience measurement
firms. Adobe Tag Manager will also integrate with Adobe SiteCatalyst out of the box, allowing users of both software titles to maintain their existing SiteCatalyst page tag. Tag Manager is expected to be available some time in June, with more details on
its capabilities to be released before then.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Cisco Introduces UCS Data Warehous for Microsoft Users
Cisco Systems announced new data warehouse software for the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS). It was designed for customers running Microsoft enterprise software on the UCS, and supports SQL Server for data
warehousing and online transaction processing.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
NCR Releases APTRA Cash Connect 6.0
NCR announced the release of NCR APTRA Cash Connect 6.0, a new software title
designed to let financial institution employees use, monitor, and integrate multi-vendor teller automation units (TAUs). The company says the software supports all major TAUs in use today. Enhancements to this edition of the software include a Microsoft
SQL Server Express database capable of consolidating branch-wide data; new branch-wide reporting capabilities for all TAU activity, and a new Java-based teller interface. NCR says the new software can cut down on transaction times by as much as 30
seconds.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Oracle Releases Communications IP Service Activator 7.0
Oracle announced the general availability of Oracle Communications IP Service Activator Release 7.0. The software is designed to help customers create, launch, and fulfill differentiated, converged business services.
Included in this updated release are support for IPv6, out-of-the-box IP and Ethernet provisioning support for multiple vendors, an extensible Cartridge Software Development Kit, and interoperability with the latest version of Oracle’s other products. More
information about Oracle Communications IP Service Activator 7.0 is available from its products page.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
SAP Launches Innovations 2010 Enhancement Packs for Business Suite
SAP announced the general availability of its Innovations 2010 Enhancement Packages. The software updates add new capabilities to the company’s Business Suite customers.
More than 300 new business functions are bundled in the upgrades, including master data governance, shared services framework, product structure synchronization, linear asset management, and convergent charging. The Innovations 2010 packages are available
for all component software included in the SAP Business Suite 7 line.
Source: Vendor, 5/15/2011
ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING
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Dell Completes First Phase ERP Deployment for TreeHouse
Dell Services completed the Phase One implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) deployment for TreeHouse Foods. The deployment – which began in February – was
to help align operations, creating a platform to improve organizational efficiency, better support acquisitions, and maintain targets for IT spending. TreeHouse is a mid-market food manufacturer and distributor .
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
FINANCIAL
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Agilent Sales Jump 32% on Life Sciences Growth
Agilent Technologies posted sales of $1.68 billion USD for the 2011 fiscal second quarter, ended April 30th, as sales of mass spectrometry and LC platforms grew 20 percent and Life Sciences revenues grew by $130
million, year to year. Revenues were up 32 percent from 2010 fiscal second quarter revenues of $1.27 billion. Profits were $200 million, or $0.56 per share, up from 2010 fiscal second quarter profits of $108 million, or $0.31 per share.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
blinkX Posts Doubled Revenues, $7.63 Million Net Income
blinkX posted its financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. The company’s revenues totaled $66.1 million, essentially doubling the $33.7 million reported for 2010. Net income for the year was $7.63
million, a huge improvement over the loss of $8.5 million the company suffered in 2010. This resulted in earnings per share of $2.39, again, a massive rise from the $2.94 loss suffered during the prior year. The company said its success this quarter was
due to a combination of traffic increases and the growth of its AdHoc advertising platform.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
CA Reports Solid Year, Impressive Profits in 4th Quarter
CA Technologies reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011. For the quarter, the company saw a 4% increase in revenue, year over year, taking in $1.13 billion, up from $1.07 billion. Net
income took a major jump, reaching $187 million, or $0.37 per share, up from $100 million, or $0.19 per share. For the year, CA reported revenues of $4.42 billion, a 5% increase over 2010’s $4.23 billion. Net income rose to $823 million, up from $759
million for 2010, an 8% increase. This drove earnings per share to $1.92, up from the $1.71 reported last year. On these results the company predicted its 2012 financials, including total revenues between $4.8 billion and $4.9 billion, and earnings per
share of $2.12 to $2.19.
Source: Vendor, 5/12/2011
CA Board Declares $0.05 Dividend
CA Technologies’ Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share. This amount will be payable on June 16, 2011 to all shareholders of record on May 23, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 5/12/2011
Dell Posts Record Earnings on Enterprise Solutions Strength
Dell announced profits of $945 million USD, or a record $0.49 per share, for its 2012 fiscal first quarter ended April 29, 2011. This was a 177 percent year-over-year jump, which Dell attributed to the strength of
its commercial enterprise business. The strong first quarter performance also reflects Dell’s improved profitability in end-user computing, particularly in client desktops and laptops. For the 2011 fiscal first quarter, profits were $341 million, or
$0.17 per share. Revenues were $15 billion, up one percent from 2011 fiscal first quarter sales of $14.9 billion.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Gilat Satellite Networks Revenue Up 40 Percent
Gilat Satellite Networks reported that its revenues for the first quarter of 2011 were US$80.0 million, compared to $57.1 million in the first quarter of 2010, up 40 percent. Net income for the first quarter of 2011
was $0.4 million or $0.01 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $0.6 million or $0.02 per diluted share in the comparable period in 2010. Amiram Levinberg, Gilat’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board said the results validated the
company’s strategy of increasing research and development while improving profitability.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Hughes Reports 9% Increase in Revenue, Return to Net Profits
Hughes reported its first quarter financial results for the 2011 fiscal year. The company’s revenues totaled $264 million, a 9% increase over the first quarter of 2010. Net income was $838,000, a significant
improvement from the $6.1 million loss suffered during the same quarter in 2010. This resulted in earnings per share of $0.04, up from a loss per share of $0.29, over the same period. The bright spot of the quarter was Hughes’ consumer business, which saw
a 15% growth in revenues, and 77,000 gross customer adds.
Source: Vendor, 5/15/2011
Korea Telecom Registers Healthy Earnings Growth in First Quarter
KT (Korea Telecom) reported that its consolidated sales for Q1 2011 amounted to KRW 5.3037 trillion (US$4.8 billion), up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis, due mainly to an increase in wireless income and product sales,
deriving from an increase in the number of smart phone subscribers, KT said. The South Korean telecom’s consolidated operating profit was KRW 726.3 billion, up 61.7% year-over-year, and its consolidated net profit came to KRW 555.2 billion, up 84.7%
year-over-year. As of the end of March 2011, KT’s smart phone subscribers exceeded 3.83 million people. KT sells the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S2, Atrix, Optimus Black, and Nexus S.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Nortel Reports First Quarter Financials
Bankrupt Nortel Networks, which has sold substantially all of its businesses, reported that first quarter 2011 revenues from continuing operations were $20 million, compared to $362 million for the first quarter of
2010, reflecting a reduction of 94.5 percent as a result of the company’s divestiture of its various businesses, and the deconsolidation of its US subsidiaries. Nortel’s gross margin declined to negative 10 percent of revenues in the first quarter of 2011
compared to 26.8 percent for the first quarter of 2010. Its cash balance as of March 31, 2011 was $775 million compared to a cash balance of $807 million as of December 31, 2010. Restricted cash as of March 31, 2011 was $3.2 billion, primarily related to
the firm’s business divestiture proceeds. Nortel has received court approvals for a “stalking horse” asset sale agreement with Ranger, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Google, for the sale of all of its remaining patents and patent applications for a cash
purchase price of US$900 million. The court orders also established bidding procedures for an auction that allows other qualified bidders to submit higher or otherwise better offers. Any competing qualified bids would then be expected to proceed to an
auction, currently scheduled for June 20, 2011. Following completion of the bidding process, the sale will require final approval of the US and Canadian courts.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Telefonica Posts Revenue Growth, Flat Profits for Q1
Telefonica posted its financial results for the first quarter of the 2011 fiscal year. The company’s revenue totaled EUR 15.4 billion, up 10.8% from the EUR 13.9 billion reported for the same quarter last year.
Net income fell very slightly, dropping to EUR 1.62 billion, or EUR 0.36 per share, down from EUR 1.65 billion, or EUR 0.36 per share. The company saw a 6.1% increase in customers over the year, reaching a total of 285.6 million subscribers. The largest
gains could be seen in the company’s Wholesale ADSL division, which grew by 41%, while the largest losses were suffered by Telefonica’s Shared ULL unbundled loop service.
Source: Vendor, 5/13/2011
Telefonica Approves Dividend of EUR 1.60 per share
Telefonica earmarked a total of EUR 6.76 billion as remuneration to its shareholders. This total, 9% of the company’s market capitalization, will be used to distribute a dividend of EUR 1.60 per share. The
company also noted that it was on track to fulfill its goal of disbursing a dividend of EUR 1.75 per share in 2012.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
tw telecom Net Income, Revenue Up for First Quarter
tw telecom reported first quarter 2011 financial results. The company said its revenue for the quarter was $332.5 million USD compared to $311.2 million for the first quarter last year, representing a year over
year increase of $21.3 million, or 6.9%. Net income was $12.6 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $4.5 million for the same period last year. “We delivered strong comprehensive results reflecting ongoing momentum in the business,” said Mark
Peters, tw telecom’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “Revenue grew significantly, particularly in a quarter in which we’ve historically experienced seasonally lower growth.”
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Vodafone Posts Slight Gains, Strong Growth in AMEA Regions for 2011
Vodafone posted its financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. The company’s revenue totaled GBP 45.9 billion, a 3.2% rise from its total in 2010. The AMEA regions provided all of this growth, with
revenues rising 20%, year over year. Meanwhile, Vodafone’s European revenue was down 3.4% for the year. These totals resulted in an adjusted operating profit of GBP 11.8, a 3.1% increase, and earnings per share of 15.20p, a 7.5% decrease, year over year.
On these results the company approved a final dividend of 6.05p per share. Vodafone also posted its guidance for the 2012 fiscal year, including adjusted operating profits of GBP 11 billion to GBP 11.8 billion.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
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Alcatel Completes Fiji Data Center First Phase
Alcatel-Lucent reported that the government of Fiji unveiled its government data center, marking the completion of Phase One of its e-Government project. The data infrastructure will provide a secure
environment for helping government staff administer public services. The initial deployment links government offices, data centers, and remote government service hubs at community centers, providing VoIP telephony via Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise.
e-Government applications were also deployed for internal staff, citizens, and business sectors. The contract was secured by Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
CSC Receives Pair of Task Orders from US DoT
CSC received a pair of task orders from the US Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Both orders call on the company to provide IT support to the John A. Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center. The work focuses on software development and testing support for the Center’s highway safety and environmental initiatives, which support the Safety Management Systems and the Environmental and Energy Systems Centers of
Innovation. The agreements have a 52-month period of performance, with an estimated value of more than $48 million.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
General Dynamics Receives $95 Million CMS Task Order
General Dynamics received a task order to continue providing support to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The company’s tasks will focus on
providing software support for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS), as well as offering maintenance, developmental enhancements and special projects. The agreement has a total value of more than $95 million.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
SAIC Receives $340 Million Support Contract from NASA
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) received a contract from NASA to provide managerial and technical expertise in support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). Uder the terms of the
contract, SAIC will provide corporate and mission enterprise network services; component facility network services; infrastructure projects; contract management services; and other unique services. The agreement has a three-year base period, one two-year
option, and one three-year option. The base value of the contract is $340 million, with a maximum potential value of $1.3 billion.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
SAIC Receives Spot on $2.5 Billion FORSCOM Support Contract
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) received a follow-on contract from the Department of the Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command Center. The agreement calls on SAIC to support the US
Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) by providing planning, modeling, simulation and training services. Additional services will include support in the areas of operational planning, training, modeling and simulation, flight operations, mobilization plans and
execution, deployment operations, force protection and transformation. The agreement includes 35 contractors, has a one-year base period, four annual options, and a ceiling value of $2.5 billion for all awardees.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Telus Signs 5-Year Extension on Government IT Security Contract
Telus signed a 5-year extension with the Ontario Ministry of Government Services on its contract to provide, manage, and supply telecommunications, voice, and data services. The extension includes the continued
provision of IT security for the entire network of the Government of Ontario, as well as all necessary network components. The original agreement was signed in 2006. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/13/2011
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
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CSC’s CareVeillance Real-Time Clinical Solution Receives Certification
CSC‘s CareVeillance real-time clinical surveillance solution received certification as an inpatient Electronic Health Record (EHR) module for quality reporting by the Drummond Group. This clears the solution for
qualification under the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) criteria for Meaningful Use.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
INDUSTRY GROUPS
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New Alliance to Promote Open Virtualization
Hewlett-Packard (HP), BMC Software, IBM, Intel, Red Hat, SUSE, and Eucalyptus
Systems established the Open Virtualized Alliance, a consortium for promoting the adoption of open virtualization technologies such as the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM). The group will provide
education services, best practices, and technical advice for helping businesses better evaluate virtualization options. It will complement existing open-source communities managing the development of the KVM hypervisor and associated management
capabilities.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Sprint Approved As Ceres Network Member
Ceres, a coalition of public interest groups in the US that helps companies address sustainability challenges, has approved Sprint Nextel as a member of the Ceres Network.
Companies that join Ceres commit to continually improving their sustainability disclosure and performance. Only 80 companies have membership in the Ceres Network, and Sprint will be the first telecommunications company to join, Ceres said.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Vivisimo Joins CXPA as a Founding Corporate Member
Vivisimo announced that it has become a Founding Corporate Member of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), a global industry trade group which collaborates on improving customer experiences. The
group’s functions include research and education, establishing standards, offering networking and career opportunities, and promoting its included industries. More information about the CXPA can be found at its Web
site.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
INTERNET
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AOL Announces Participation in Upcoming World IPv6 Day
AOL announced that it will be participating in the upcoming World IPv6 Day, an event sponsored by the Internet Society (ISOC) to create a 24 hour test period during which numerous well-know Internet companies will switch
to the IPv6 protocol. AOL’s participation will include its homepage, search page, Mapquest, and its Engadget technology blog. More information about World IPv6 Day is available from ISOC’s Web site.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
comScore Receives 3-Year Contract from Czech Internet Agency
comScore received a three-year contract from the Czech Association for Internet Advertising (SPIR) to become the official source of record for Internet Audience Measurement for both online and mobile media. The
company says it expects to deliver the first data in early 2012 using its NetMonitor technology. The project will include socio-demographic profiles, measurement of online video viewing behavior, and insights into the mobile internet market. No financial
terms for the contract were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/13/2011
Google Expands Fast Network to Kansas City, Missouri
Google has expanded its ultra high-speed broadband network across the Missouri state line to include Kansas City, Missouri, having reached an agreement with utility companies in the state to install fiber along the
existing infrastructure. Google announced March 30th that Kansas City, Kansas had been selected as the site for its first ultra high-speed broadband Internet network. Nearly 1,100 US towns and cities had competed to be Google’s testbed for the fiber optic
network which will move data 100 times faster than what is available in the United States today.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Google’s Bloggers Service Goes Down for 20.5 Hours
Google suffered a major outage of its Blogger service this week. The downtime lasted a total of 20.5 hours, and prevented blog owners from publishing new content or
editing their blogs. The company said almost all posts or comments that were temporarily removed have been replaced, and that the service should be back to normal. The problem began when some of the Blogger’s data was corrupted during scheduled maintenance
work. This caused issues such as erroneous redirects, intermittent outages, and disappearing posts. The problems forced Google to put all Blogger sites in “read only mode." Google said all blogs should now be restored to their May 11 state, with
only the posts submitted after that still undergoing restoration.
Source: Vendor, 5/13/2011
ICANN Posts Draft of FY 2012 Operating Plan and Budget
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) released a draft of its FY 2012 Operating Plan and Budget
for community review. The document outlines the organization’s planned activities and required resources for the coming year, as well as its strategic objectives. ICANN says this draft reflects its continued goal of maintaining a $67 million per year
operating budget. Interested parties have until June 17 to comment on the document, after which it will be submitted to the ICANN Board for adoption.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Netflix Responsible for 29.7% of All Web Traffic During Peak Hours
Netflix has become the single largest traffic generator on the Internet, according to a report from the BBC. The statistics, provided by network monitoring firm Sandvine, put the company’s total downstream traffic at 29.7% of all Internet traffic during peak hours. That places it slightly above peer-to-peer traffic, and significantly higher than normal Web browsing. Although not
quite as high as it’s peak, the company’s streaming video accounted for 22% of downstream traffic, over average, over a 24-hour period. Sandvine predicts that streaming media will continue to grow rapidly, coming to account for 55-60% of all Web traffic by
the end of the year.
Source: BBC, 5/19/2011
Obama Administration Outlines International Strategy for Cyberspace
One week after laying out its proposal for a US cybersecurity policy that would require industry to better protect systems that run
critical infrastructure, the Obama administration has proposed creating international computer security standards – with penalties for
countries and organizations that fail to comply. The strategy calls for officials from the State Department, the Pentagon, the Justice Department, the Commerce Department, and the Department of Homeland Security to work with their counterparts around the
world to devise standards aimed at preventing theft of private information and ensuring Internet freedom. A fact sheet released by the
White House also said the United States would respond to attempted hacking “as we would to any other threat to our country.”
Source: White House, 5/16/2011
LAPTOPS & TABLETS
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RIM Recalls Some 1,000 PlayBook Tablets
Research In Motion (RIM) has issued a recall for between 900 and 1,000 PlayBook tablets which were shipped with a faulty version of the device’s operating system. RIM said only the 16GB WiFi models are experiencing the
error, and all of the malfunctioning devices were shipped to Staples stores. The company also said most of the defective units are still in the distribution channel.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
MALWARE WATCH
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Malicious Rootkit Targets 64-Bit Windows Systems
Kaspersky Lab has detected a new multi-purpose rootkit capable of posing a threat to both 32 and 64-bit Windows systems. The key feature of the 64-bit rootkit is that it does not try to bypass the PatchGuard
kernel protection system, but uses a special digital signature for software developers instead. The rootkit is distributed via a downloader, which also tries to install other malicious software.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Phishing Targeted PayPal the Most in April, Kaspersky Lab Reports
Spam in email traffic during the month of April averaged 80.8%, according to a new report from Kaspersky Lab. The study found
that PayPal was the organization most targeted in phishing attacks in April, with Facebook coming in as the second most popular site for spammers to exploit. In April, India and
Brazil remained the most popular sources of spam, accounting for 12.76% and 7.15% of the total volume of spam respectively. The topics of Easter and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton also were fodder for spam campaigns, as indicated by
Kaspersky’s report.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
New Malware Targeting Mac OS X
Researchers at Microsoft have seen a new variant of a rogue security software circulating online that targets the Mac OS X operating system. Rogue:MacOS_X/FakeMacdef, also known as MacDefender, tries to trick
users into thinking that they are infected with malware and then claims to remove the rogue application if they buy a product, which is actually the malicious software.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
SpyEye: Verizon Customers Targeted in Phishing Attack
Trusteer, an enterprise security vendor, reported that Verizon‘s online billing page was attacked by the SpyEye Trojan and targeted customers who attempted to make online
payments with their credit cards. The attack took place between May 7 and 13 and used an HTML injection technique to steal credit card data. According to Trusteer, the attack is hidden from the victim, because the malware injects an authentic-looking
replica Web page after the user logs in to Verizon’s billing system.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
MOBILE APPS
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Accenture Teams with SAP for New Mobility Solutions
Accenture announced plans to join with SAP to launch a new line of enterprise mobility solutions leveraging the Sybase Unwired Platform and Accenture Mobility Services. The
initial efforts of the joint venture will focus on solutions for three industries: oil and gas, utilities, and consumer products, with others to follow. The companies say the goal of the joint offerings will be to allow workers to integrate their
smartphones into the daily use of SAP applications, giving them to access business information and transactions from anywhere. No specific launch date for these new solutions has been set.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
CSC Launches Mobility Solutions Gallery Suite
CSC announced the launch of its new Mobility Solution Gallery, a suite of enterprise mobile applications. The included applications support RIM, Apple, Android, Motorola, and Honeywell platforms, and are designed to
handle tasks ranging from service management, to mobile analytics, and professional services. More information about these new software titles is available from CSC’s
Mobile Solutions page.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
eBay Launches eBay Motors App for iPhone
eBay announced the launch of the eBay Motors App for iPhone. The new app supports scanning a car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), entering the user’s cars into a garage, and searching for parts compatible with
those cars. The software also offers searches for cars, parts, and accessories by make, model, year, condition, price, and location. eBay Motors for iPhone is available now from the Apple App store.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
OPERATING SYSTEMS
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Red Hat Announces General Availability of Enterprise Linux 6.1
Red Hat announced the general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1, its first update since November 2010. Red Hat says the update includes performance enhancements to system reliability, scalability, and new
hardware support. Other upgrades include additional configuration options for advanced storage configurations, virtualization enhancements, new technologies for smoother enterprise deployments, support for automatic failover for virtual machines,
integrated developer’s tools, and improvements to network traffic processing. More information about the latest iteration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is available from its product page.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
PERIPHERALS
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HP Unveils Wi-Fi Mouse, Wireless Mice and Keyboards
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced the Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse, which connects to a system using Wi-Fi instead of a USB dongle, and has a nine-month battery life. It also rolled out new wireless keyboards and mice that use Link-5
technology, for connecting up to five PC accessories to one receiver.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
NCR Unveils New ATM With Remote Teller Video Conferencing
NCR announced its APTRA Interactive Teller solution, a new offering that will let customers video conference with a bank teller from a multi-function NCR SelfServ 32 ATM. The new unit will support traditional ATM
transactions, as well as the company’s new Interactive Teller Interface. NCR says this will allow banks to potentially offer 24 hour access to their tellers. The NCR SelfServ 32 with the APTRA solution is currently being trialed at several major financial
institutions around the country.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
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Amazon Opens Fifth Publishing Imprint, Thomas & Mercer
Amazon announced the launch of Thomas & Mercer, its fifth publishing imprint. The new publisher will focus on thrillers and mystery novels. The first four books from it are expected to be out in the fall of 2011. All
titles will be published in English, and will be available in Kindle, print, and audio formats. They will be sold through Amazon itself, as well as other national book retailers.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
CA Appoints Richard Berkert as New CFO, EVP
CA Technologies appointed Richard Berkert as its new Chief Financial Officer and executive vice president. He will succeed Nancy Cooper, who has announced her retirement from the company. Berkert is a 25-year veteran of
the industry, most recently serving as corporate controller at CA.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Cincinnati Bell, Union Reach Tentative Agreement
Cincinnati Bell and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and its locals 4400 and 4401 have reached a tentative agreement on a new 39-month labor contract. The
negotiated agreement, which extends through August 09, 2014, replaces the three-year agreement that expired May 7, 2011. A detailed summary of the new agreement will be sent to each employee and details will be posted on the CWA’s Web site. Ratification
is expected sometime in June, Cincinnati Bell said. The CWA represents approximately 1,000 Cincinnati Bell employees.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Citrix Appoints Two New Execs to Alliances Team
Citrix announced a pair of new executive appointments. Simon Hayes has joined the company as Vice President of Strategic Alliances, while Joe Keller has been appointed to the position of Vice President of Alliance
and Community Marketing. Hayes’ responsibilities will include global business development and technology partnerships related to the company’s cloud computing, networking and virtualization products. Keller will oversee the staff responsible for driving
marketing leverage across Citrix global strategic alliance partners, as well as managing the company’s stable of technology professionals. Before these appointment, Simon Hayes served as VP of the technology partner association at Cisco, while Joe Keller’s
most recent role was at Sun Microsystems, as VP of Platform and Community Marketing.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Deutsche Telekom to Rebrand Polska Telefonia Cyrfrowa as T-Mobile
Deutsche Telekom revealed that its subsidiary, Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC), will be rebranding itself with the T-Mobile global brand name. The Polish carrier’s transition will begin on June 5, and is expected to take
several months to complete. PTC plans to continue its usual operations while the rebranding is completed. The changes will affect all 1000 PTC retail locations, as well as all internal and external company ephemera and branding.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
DISH Network Names Joseph P. Clayton President and CEO
DISH Network named Joseph P. Clayton as its new president and chief executive officer, as well as a member of its Board of Directors, effective June 20, 2011. He will replace Charles W. Ergen, who will remain
with the company as chairman. Prior to this hiring, Clayton served as chairman of Sirius Satellite Radio.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Ericsson Names Head, Group Function Communications
Ericsson announced Helena Norrman as SVP and head for Group Function Communications, starting May 23, 2011. Norrman is currently VP, Communications Operations at Group Function Communications. She has more than 15
years experience in communications, and is a former executive with Swedish firm JKL, prior to joining Ericsson in 1998.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
IBM Opens New Branch Office in Dakar, Senegal
IBM announced the opening of a new branch office in Dakar, Senegal. The company says the new location will focus on delivering solutions and service to customers in Senegal, as well as the rest of West Africa. IBM has
already signed up a number of local customers in areas such as telecommunications, oil & gas, finance, and government. The new facility joins the company’s existing locations in West Africa, including its branch offices in Accra, Ghana, and Lagos,
Nigeria.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Nokia to Retire Ovi Brand Name
Nokia, which has been pushing its Ovi-branded services since 2007, announced Ovi – the name – is being retired. All the services will continue to operate but they will be rebranded as “Nokia Services” to consolidate
the company’s offerings under a single name: Nokia. The name change will start rolling out on new Nokia handsets to be released in July and August of this year.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Novell Appoints New Executive Teams, Moves Back to Utah
Novell announced the appointment of a new executive team, as well as a move back to its Utah headquarters. The goal of the changes, according to the company, is to refocus on its end-user computing products. The new
team includes Bob Flynn as General Manager and President; Dave Wilkes as Vice President, Engineering; Eric Varness as Vice President, Product Management and Marketing; Juan Carlos Cerutti as Vice President, North America Sales; and John Delk as Vice
President, Strategic Accounts, Partners & Alliances – North America. Going forward, the company says it intends to narrow revamp its product lines, with Open Enterprise Server, Novell GroupWise at the forefront.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Polycom Announces Four New Executive Appointments
Polycom announced a slate of new executive appointments designed to enhance its sales and marketing leadership and execution. Gary Tresta will join the company as vice president of the Global Cloud and Service
Provider Solutions Group; Michael Chetner will be promoted to vice president of Asia Pacific, not including China; and Paul Newell will take over as vice president of Asia Pacific Field Operations. Additionally, Kate Hutchison will join Polycom as the
company’s new chief marketing officer in June. Hutchinson is a 20-year veteran of the industry having worked for VMware, Citrix Systems, and BEA.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
TE Connectivity Announces New Chief Operating Officer
TE Connectivity – the former Tyco Electronics – announced it promoted Joe Donahue to the newly created role of EVP and COO. He will be responsible for global operations, spanning 50 countries, and have
oversight for emerging markets such as China, India, and South America, which account for nearly a quarter of company revenues. Donahue – who has been with the company for nearly 30 years – will continue to have responsibility for TE’s Transportation
Solutions segment.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Telus to Open $65 Million Tier III LEED Certified Facility in Rimouski
Telus announced plans to build a new $65 million Tier III Intelligent Internet Data Centre in Rimouski, Quebec. The new facility will be built to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold
Standards, and will serve as hub for the company’s IT management services to businesses in Quebec, Canada, and the rest of the world. Telus says the new location will also play an important role in the strategic shift to cloud computing and unified
communications products. Construction will begin within the next few weeks, with an opening planned for 2012.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Verizon Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant to Sight Savers America
The Verizon Foundation has awarded Sight Savers America a $100,000 grant to expand the use of wireless technology for the organization’s KidCheck Program, a K-12 school-based health initiative that provides
annual comprehensive health screenings for children in participating school systems. The grant builds on a successful pilot program last in four Alabama schools. The technology was developed by Auburn University. Verizon said the grant has the potential to
affect the lives of more than 16,000 Alabama students, particularly in rural areas of the state.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Yahoo Says Ownership of Alipay Transferred without its Knowledge
A regulatory filing from Yahoo revealed undisclosed changes in the ownership of Alipay, the subsidiary of Alibaba. According to the filing, the ownership of Alipay is now held by a company which is primarily owned by
Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba. This, according to Yahoo, was done without notifying the Board of Directors, shareholders, or Alibaba. The company also claims that, although it did not discover the transaction until March 2011, it actually took place in August
2010. Although Alibaba originally refuted the facts in Yahoo’s filing, the companies have since released a joint statement saying that they are working together to “resolve the
outstanding issues related to Alipay” as soon as possible.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
PUBLIC SAFETY
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GAO Says Better Practices Could Improve Seafood Safety
In an effort to promote the safety of imported seafood for human consumption, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed how well the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)
oversight program ensures seafood safety. Following its study, the GAO issued a report, detailing how the FDA should review practices that are used by other entities to better ensure the safety of
imported seafood.
Source: GAO, 4/14/2011
NOAA: Above Average Atlantic Hurricane Season This Year
TechDirt reported that Microsoft and the city of San Francisco have signed a contract that will bring cloud-based email services to some 23,000 municipal employees. The
transition to Microsoft Exchange Online will continue over the next year, and involve employees from about 60 departments and agencies. City executives on a May 18 conference call suggested that the initiative would cost $1.2 million per year, which
breaks down to $6 per month per user, TechDirt reported. San Francisco had apparently considered Lotus Notes and Google as possible email providers, but ultimately went with Microsoft because it provided interoperability with other software, including
Windows Azure applications and Office products such as Word and PowerPoint.
Source: Vendor, 05/19/2011
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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US Extends Temporary Protected Status for Haitian Nationals
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Haitian beneficiaries, allowing eligible nationals from Haiti to remain in the US for an additional 18 months. The original
TPS for Haitians was initiated after the earthquakes in January 2010, and the extension will go into effect on July 23.
Source: DHS, 5/17/2011
US, New Zealand Collaborate on Securing Global Supply Chain
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signed a joint partnership with New Zealand on global supply chain security in an effort to both promote economic prosperity and strengthen the supply chain. Through Project
Global Shield, launched by DHS, the World Customs Organization, Interpol, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2010, New Zealand
joins over 60 participating nations that share information to ensure that chemicals entering their countries are being used in safe and legal ways.
Source: DHS, 5/17/2011
DHS Announces Guidance for Preparedness Grant Program
Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano announced the release of fiscal year 2011 grant guidance and application kits for 12 DHS grant programs totaling $2.1 billion USD. The funds will be used to assist
states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening the country’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
Source: DHS, 5/19/2011
FCC Kicks Off Initiatives Directed at Small Business, Cybersecurity
At a roundtable devoted to empowering and securing small businesses with technology, the Federal Communications Commission unveiled a new Web page devoted to being a resource for small businesses owners on issues
related to cybersecurity. On the new site, the agency posted a Cybersecurity Tip Sheet, which outlines ways small businesses can protect their companies and customers from cyber attack.
Source: FCC, 5/16/2011
GAO: Further Risks Need to be Addressed in DHS Travel Program
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluated the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) implementation of an electronic system for travel authorization (ESTA) to determine the
eligibility of nationals from other countries who travel to the US in an effort to target security risks. Although the DHS has implemented the system, the GAO made some recommendations, most notably
that the DHS must be more time efficient in completing reports on those countries who have possible security risks.
Source: DHS, 5/3/2011
SEARCH
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Bing Expands Facebook Integration with Personalized Searches
Bing announced a new level of integration with Facebook, geared toward helping users search based on the advice and preferences of their friends. The new offerings include
personalized search results based on friends’ “likes,” as well as the ability to browse search results, answers, and sites that were liked by the user’s friends. In addition to using the opinions of the user’s own social connections, Bing is also
introducing Collective IQ, a new feature which aggregates the “likes” of every public profile on the Web. All of the new features require the user to sign into Facebook through Bing. Users not wishing to share their own opinions and search results can
change their privacy settings in the Bing options menu.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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Adobe Recommends Upgrading Audition to Resolve Flaws
Adobe Audition contains several critical buffer overflow vulnerabilities, which has resulted in a vendor-issued advisory. Users are asked to
upgrade to Audition CS5.5 to mitigate risks.
Source: Secunia, 5/13/2011
Adobe Posts Advisory, Fixes for Flash Player
Eleven vulnerabilities have been reported in Adobe Flash Player. An advisory provides more information about the risks involved and it is
recommended that users apply all updates as soon as possible.
Source: Secunia, 5/13/2011
Amazon Web Services Said to Be Used in Sony PSN Attack
According to a Bloomberg report, Amazon Web Services (AWS) hardware was used in the attack that resulted in more than 3 weeks of downtime for Sony‘s PlayStation Network and the exposure of millions of users’ personal information. Citing “a person with knowledge of the matter,” Bloomberg said a rented Amazon EC2 (Elastic Cloud 2) server was the source of the
incursion, and that the server was legally rented by what Amazon thought was a legitimate company. The report feeds growing fears over the prevalence and ease of access to remote server farms. Amazon declined to comment on the report, and the FBI refused
to confirm whether AWS has received a subpoena or search warrant as part of its ongoing investigation.
Source: Bloomberg, 5/16/2011
German Researchers Discover Massive Android Loophole
German researchers have released findings that they say prove that 99% of Android devices are vulnerable to a security hole that enables third parties to see information from their Google Calendars and Contacts. In a paper published by researchers at the University of Ulm, a vulnerability was found which enables some
Android applications to transmit data in the clear, allowing an attacker to gain access to such information. The scientists studied the vulnerability and were able to create their own attacks on Google’s services in Android 2.3.3 and earlier.
Source: Vendor, 5/13/2011
Google Patches Chrome
Three critical flaws in Google Chrome have resulted in the release of an advisory and vendor patches. Google recommends updating to version 11.0.696.68
immediately.
Source: Secunia, 5/13/2011
Microsoft Reissues Security Bulletin Regarding Internet Explorer
Microsoft re-released security bulletin MS11-018, which was originally distributed on April 12, to re-offer the update for Internet Explorer 7 on supported editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. This
update represents a detection change only, but the original advisory was labeled as “critical.”
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Microsoft Updates PowerPoint Security Bulletin
A security bulletin from Microsoft that was originally released on May 10, has been updated to eliminate an erroneous note from the
affected software table pertaining to specific security updates. The bulletin, which is considered “important,” resolves vulnerabilities within PowerPoint.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Microsoft Reissues Security Bulletin Regarding Internet Explorer
Microsoft re-released security bulletin MS11-018, which was originally distributed on April 12, to re-offer the update for Internet Explorer 7 on supported editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. This
update represents a detection change only, but the original advisory was labeled as “critical.”
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Opera Vulnerability Requires Update
Opera contains a frameset handling memory corruption vulnerability that is considered critical. The vendor has posted two advisories on its Web site and recommends updating to version 11.11 as the flaw has been
reported in earlier versions.
Source: Secunia, 5/18/2011
Critical Flaw Reported in WordPress
WordPress 1.4.2 has a critical flaw that could be exploited to inject and execute arbitrary PHP code. No fix has been released yet.
Source: Secunia, 5/18/2011
SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
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Axis Debuts New Surveillance Cameras
Axis Communications introduced several new surveillance cameras: the indoor AXIS P3367-V Network Camera and the outdoor-ready AXIS P3367-VE model, designe for applications that require video surveillance coverage of a
large area or extremely high image detail in a limited area; and the AXIS Q6032 PTZ Dome Network Camera, which has an IP52-rated protection against dust and dripping water, and can be used in airports, train stations, shopping malls and conference centers.
Also new to the company’s product line are the AXIS Q1602/-E Network Cameras, designed for low-light conditions.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
CA’s CA Directory r12 SP3 Receives Common Criteria Level3+ Certificate
CA Technologies’ CA Directory r12 SP3 solution received Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 3+ from the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC). This certification provides assurance of the solution’s
level of security. The certificate is recognized by more than 26 national governments, including the US. In order to gain this certification a product must undergo testing in the areas of product functionality, development environment, documentation, and
product testing measures.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Debian Adds DNS Support to .Org and .Net Domains
Debian announced the addition of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) support to its Debian.org and Debian.net records. This will allow users with security aware DNS resolvers to retrieve IP addresses from the domain
name system. It will also allow for the discovery of any tampering with DNS replies. Debian suggests that customers use its unbound package as a resolver. A Wiki
page has been opened to explain the process of setting up DNS.
Source: Vendor, 5/13/2011
Google Uses TRUSTe Certification for Apps Marketplace
Google has introduced a data privacy certification program for its Apps Marketplace. The program is administered by TRUSTe for installable Marketplace apps and was created to help
designers make their data and privacy practices clear to customers who choose to download their apps.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
New Cyber Threats Emerging Fast, Warns Kaspersky
Kaspersky Lab issued a new report, which identified critical trends in cyber threats in the first quarter of 2011
including the growth of cybercrime on the Android platform and the prediction that the volume of mobile malware in 2011 will be at least double that of 2010. The report points out that new malware will be driven in part by the emergence of new methods of
infecting users’ computers. Kaspersky has also reported that the number of embedded malicious programs distributed via online app stores will keep increasing in the future due to two factors: the low cost of a developer’s account and the labor-intensive
process of checking newly published applications.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
ObjectVideo Signs Patent Licensing Agreement with Mirasys
ObjectVideo and Mirasys, a provider of open platform digital CCTV and video surveillance applications, have entered into a patent license agreement, enabling Mirasys to sell network video recorders (NVRs) that
include functionality covered by ObjectVideo patents, as well as certain video management software applications.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
Sophos Rolls Out New and Updated Security Products
Sophos announced the availability of several new and updated enterprise product lines including Mobile Control, which provides protection on various mobile platforms, including Apple iPhones and iPads, Google Android, and Windows Mobile devices; and SafeGuard Enterprise, an encryption and data loss prevention (DLP)
offering for desktops, laptops and removable media. In addition, both Sophos Endpoint Security and Data Protection have been updated with new protection features.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
New Sophos Report Discusses Data Security, Compliance Issues
Sophos has released a new report on data security that details the risks and costs associated with having
unprotected data on mobile devices and social media sites. The report also offers recommendations on keeping a company’s data safe, and compliant with data security regulations.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
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IBM Teams with India’s BEE for Smart Grid Planning Project
IBM announced a collaboration with The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in India to pave the way for the country’s first smart grid project. IBM’s first task will be to create a cost benefit analysis for possible smart
grid installations as part of India’s National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE). IBM plans to continue the project by creating a strategic assessment framework, as well as identifying alignments in policy and regulatory frameworks in all of
the available smart grid solutions. IBM will also be responsible for creating the smart grid business case and tools used to analyze the possible return on investment for this project, and other smart grid initiatives planned by ISGAN (the International
Smart Grid Action Network). No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
SMARTPHONES
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Boost Mobile Unveils 3 New Motorola Phones
One of Sprint‘s prepaid wireless brands, Boost Mobile, has added three new Motorola Mobility phones to its lineup: the Motorola
Clutch + i475, Motorola Theory, and Motorola i412. All three phones will be available with the Boost Mobile $50 “Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage” plan. For every six on-time payments under the Shrinkage Plan, a subscriber’s monthly cost shrinks by $5, to
a low of $35 a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text, Web, email, IM and calls to 411. The Clutch + i475 and i412 are the latest walkie-talkie phones to offer push-to-talk service operating on Sprint’s iDEN network. They will be available at the end of
this month. The candy bar form factor Clutch is a messaging-optimized device with a QWERTY keyboard. It will be available in early June.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Verizon, Motorola Debut Droid X2
Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility announced the second-generation Android-powered DROID – the DROID X2. The smartphone boasts a dual-core 1GHz processor,
virtual QWERTY keyboard, and a 4.3-inch scratch-resistant and anti-reflective display. It runs under Android 2.2, to be updated to Android 2.3 later this year. The latest version of the smartphone is available online now, and in Verizon Wireless retail
stores on May 26th, for $199.99, with a two-year contract and data plan.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Virgin Mobile USA Introduces LG200 for payLo Plan
Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint‘s no-contract prepaid wireless companies, announced it is offering the LG200 mobile phone as the newest handset for use with the
company’s payLo plan. The LG200 has a full QWERTY keyboard and camera. It supports Bluetooth and access to email and the Web. The phone is available now online and at some retail stores for $69.99. It will continue to roll out throughout the month of May,
with a Best Buy launch on May 22nd.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
Vodafone Launches Vodafone Smart, a Budget Android Smartphone
Vodafone announced the launch of the Vodafone Smart, a new Android-based smartphone. The budget-minded handset will be available in a wide range of colors, and will ship with the Android 2.2 operating system on
board. The phone will be run on the company’s selection of pay-as-you-go plans, and is expected to retail for EUR 90 when it launches in early summer. Germany, Italy and the UK will be among the first to sell the phone, with other countries to follow at a
later date.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Adobe Launches Global Beta for SocialAnalytics Solution
Adobe opened a global beta program for its SocialAnalytics solution, a new software title designed to add social network and online community monitoring to the Adobe Online Marketing Suite. The company says the new
software is capable of identifying activity relevant to a customer, and then measuring how that activity impacts business metrics, and brand perception. SocialAnalytics supports English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, with additional languages expected
soon.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
Twitter Tightens Permission Controls on Third-Party Apps
Twitter announced a change to the way users control the permissions given to third-party apps to interact with their accounts. First, any applications that access the user’s direct messages will now be required to
request specific permission for this access. Additionally, any apps that have no reason to access the user’s direct messages will have that ability revoked. This change should be implemented by mid-June. The second change is the addition of a more detailed
explanation screen when a new app is requesting permission. The screen will include more in-depth information about what the application is asking for, and what it will be able to do with the user’s account. A summary of a users applications, as well as
the permissions each of them hold can be found on the user’s personal applications page.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
STREAMING MEDIA
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blinkX Partners Adds Agence France-Presse Videos to Library
blinkX formed a partnership with Agence France-Presse (AFP), a global news agency. The alliance will allow blinkX users to find and watch AFP videos on the company’s video search engine. Topics will include politics,
sports, business, entertainment, health, science, and technology. blinkX says the news coverage will include up to 150 new videos per day, all in HD resolution. AFP reports in 7 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Arabic, and
Polish.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Opera Announces Deal with InOutTV for TV-Based Browser
Opera announced that InOutTV, a Spanish pay-TV operator, has chosen the Opera Browser to power its television platform. The browser will support HTML5, W3C widgets, OIPF and HbbTV protocols, and will run on the Opera
Devices Software Developer Kit . The technology will be used to delivery on-demand content from the television provider as well as from the Internet. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
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Avaya Unveils Updated IP Office with Support for NES
Avaya introduced its IP Office 7.0, an updated unified communications (UC) system that completes the integration of Nortel Enterprise Solutions (NES) IP and digital phones, which Avaya acquired in December 2009. The
integration will allow 14 million NES users to access IP Office collaboration, using a new data migration tool that lets partners transfer business data – including voicemails and phone extensions – to the new system. IP Office 7.0 also accommodates
devices for multimedia collaboration, including color touchscreen desktop and conference phones, as well as USB connectivity to a laptop, for temporary setups. Avaya also reported The Agency Group, a music artist booking agency, will implement IP Office
7.0 for its agents in Canada and the UK.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
WEB COMMERCE
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Amazon Adds Electronics to Trade-In Program
Amazon announced the launch of a new Electronics Trade-In Store. Part of the company’s existing trade-in program, the new offering gives customers a way to trade in old electronics in exchange for Amazon gift cards.
Accepted items include tablets, cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, GPS devices, and more. Trade-ins are started by visiting the Trade-In Store, where the customer enters the
items he or she will be sending in. Amazon will then dispatch a box to pack the items in, and will include a pre-paid shipping label to send it back to the company. The gift card balance will be deposited in the customer’s account upon the receipt and
inspection of the items.
Source: Vendor, 5/19/2011
eBay Creates New Search Preview Experience
eBay unveiled its new Search Preview Experience, a feature designed to summarize product listings without having to leave the search results page. The summaries include product previews, photos, and abridged product
details, as well as information about the seller, and quick access to bidding and Buy It Now options. Customers interested in trying out the new feature can opt into it at the eBay Garden page.
Source: Vendor, 5/17/2011
WIRELESS
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Clearwire, Comcast, Sprint Expand 4G Footprint in Bay Area
Clearwire, Comcast, and Sprint announced an expansion of the Clearwire 4G network footprint in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the
East Bay. Comcast and Sprint use Clearwire’s WiMax-based network for their 4G services. The regional Clearwire CLEAR, Comcast XFINITY Internet 2go, and Sprint 4G service area has added coverage for an additional 120,000 people.
Source: Vendor, 5/16/2011
Cox Expands Wireless Service Footprint
Cox Communications introduced its “Unbelievably Fair” mobile phone and high-speed Internet service across the state of Rhode Island and communities it serves in Connecticut, as well as Cleveland, Ohio. Cox is adding
wireless service to its bundle of video, Internet, and landline telephone services in these areas. Cox Wireless is also available in Hampton Roads, Virginia; Omaha, Nebraska; Orange County, California; and Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Source: Vendor, 5/18/2011
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