News Briefs for the Week Ending
06/24/2011
Copyright 2011, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1106
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
[return to top of this report]
BMC Software Acquires Portfolio of IMS Solutions from NEON Enterprise
BMC software acquired the entire portfolio of IMS (Information Management System) database products and its accompanying customers from NEON Enterprise Software. BMC says it made the acquisition to enhance its own IMS
database services. The systems will be used for tasks such as Web-based online transactions, banking transactions, and airline reservations. No financial terms for the transaction were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 6/17/2011
CSC Receives EU Nod for iSOFT Acquisition
CSC received approval from the European Commission to acquire iSOFT, a provider of healthcare IT solutions. This clears the transaction of all regulatory hurdles, with only shareholder approval and the final consent of
the court in Australia remaining. CSC says that, when the transaction has been completed, it will combine iSOFT’s assets with its own healthcare integration and services portfolio.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
eBay Completes Acquisition of GSI for $2.4 billion
eBay completed its acquisition of GSI Commerce, a provider of e-commerce and interactive marketing services. Under the terms of the merger agreement eBay acquired all outstanding shares of the company for $29.25 per
share, or a total of approximately $2.4 billion. This does not include the previously announced $0.33 per share settlement amount to be paid to all GSI stock holders. Following the acquisition, GSI will continue to operate independently with Chris
Saridakis as its newly appointed president. Additionally, eBay divested 100 percent of GSI’s licensed sports merchandise business and 70 percent of ShopRunner and Rue La La to a new holding company, which will be led by GSI founder Michael Rubin.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Google Acquires SageTV
Google has acquired SageTV, creators of software and technology designed to let consumers control a media center PC from multiple devices. The news comes from SageTV’s corporate
Web site. The acquired company notes that it has nothing to announce in the way of future plans yet but the most likely scenario would seem to be SageTV’s technology becoming part of an upcoming iteration of the Google TV platform. No financial terms
for the transaction were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
McKesson Signs Agreement to Acquire Portico Systems
McKesson signed a definitive agreement to acquire Portico Systems, a provider of reimbursement solutions for healthcare provide networks. McKesson said it will combine the assets of the acquired company with its
own claims auditing and decision management tools, as well as the connectivity solutions from RelayHealth. Portico systems are used by 33 payer and provider networks, which service about 42 million customers. McKesson expects the transaction to reach
completion within 45 days, subject to regulatory approval and certain closing conditions. No financial terms were disclosed. McKesson provides distribution and technology solutions for the healthcare industry.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Oracle to Acquire FatWire Software
Oracle signed an agreement to acquire FatWire Software, a provider of Web experience management solutions. Oracle says it will use the acquired company’s assets to increase its own ability to build unified customer
experiences spanning multiple channels. The company says its improved solutions will drive customer retention through improved online engagement. The transaction is expected to close mid-year 2011. No financial terms were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
[return to top of this report]
Accenture Finalizes Agreement to Support Future Symbian Development
Accenture finalized its agreement with Nokia to handle software development and support activities for the Symbian operating system. Under terms of the contract, Accenture will
provide Symbia-based software development and support services through 2016. The plan includes the transfer of approximately 2,800 employees in China, Finland, India, the UK, and the US to Accenture. The agreement is expected to go into effect in October
2011.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Alcatel Extends Russian Joint Venture with New LTE Lab
Alcatel-Lucent and State Corporation Russian Technologies announced they expanded their Alcatel-Lucent RT joint venture, to develop and manufacture customized LTE components for the Russian market. The
companies will set up a research and development center in St. Petersburg, operated by Alcatel RT and fully integrated with Alcatel’s wireless operations. Affiliate company Alcatel-Lucent RT Equipment will manufacture the telecommunications products
developed by the facility.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Avaya, Cassidian to Develop Technology to Boost 911 Services
Avaya entered an agreement with Cassidian Communications – an EADS North America company that develops public safety communications technology – to develop new
National Emergency Number Association i3 (NENA i3), standards-based technology for addressing data requirements in an emergency call center deployment. It will be fully NENA i3-compliant, with voice and data fully integrated to improve emergency 911
services.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Avaya Lending Aura UC to 911 Communications Project
Avaya announced its Aura Unified Communications architecture and applications will support the development of a national, Next-Generation 9-1-1 communications system, a project being led by Texas A&M University. The
system should securely handle emergency calls, while supporting capabilities beyond voice, such as SMS, video, real-time text, and data. Avaya is collaborating on the project under a $90 million USD, national Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
federal grant.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Bloomberg: Sprint, LightSquared Finalize Network-Sharing Deal
Sprint Nextel has reportedly reached a 15-year network-sharing deal with LightSquared worth about $20 billion, according to a Bloomberg report. The report claims Sprint and LightSquared will build LightSquared’s nationwide network, and Sprint will be a wholesale user of LightSquared. “LightSquared and Sprint will jointly develop, deploy and
operate LightSquared’s 4G LTE network,” wrote Philip Falcone to Harbinger Capital Partners investors in a letter obtained by Bloomberg. “Sprint will become a significant customer of LightSquared’s 4G LTE network.” Falcone is the billionaire investor behind
Harbinger Capital Partners, which is funding LightSquared’s efforts. Representatives from Sprint and Harbinger declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.
Source: Bloomberg, 6/20/2011
Sybase to Form Joint Venture with China Comservice
Sybase announced plans to launch a new joint venture with China Communications Services Corporation Limited. The combine company will offer data management and analytics products, mobile device management, mobile
applications, mobile commerce, and mobile Internet value-added services. The companies say the joint venture will focus primarily on servicing telecom operators, enterprises, and government agencies. The pair say the first joint products will launch later
this year, pending the approval of the Chinese government.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
ZTE Signs MOU with Sistema on Future Joint Development Plans
ZTE signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sistema outlining the companies future plans for cooperation. The agreement states the goal of the alliance as the joint development of “the latest innovative
technologies in Russia and other CIS countries”. The companies plan to open new facilities in Russia (Zelenograd) and China (Hangzhou and Shenzhen) for this purpose. They also plan to make investments in the joint ventures in the form of cash, intellectual
property, and other production facilities.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
ZTE Signs Five-Year Strategic Global Framework Agreement with Axiata
ZTE signed a five-year strategic global framework agreement with Axiata Group Berhad, an Asian telecommunications company. The agreement will serve as a global framework for the purchase of telecom products and
services between the two organizations. The companies say their agreement will provide time and cost savings, as well as being mutually beneficial by structuring their interaction in geographical areas where both entities operate.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
BIOMETRICS
[return to top of this report]
New Biometric Sensor Now Available from AuthenTec
AuthenTec introduced AES2665, a new fingerprint sensor module that is being integrated into notebook PCs. This sensor features AuthenTec’s proprietary live layer fingerprint imaging technology and pattern-based
matching algorithms.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Morpho Biometric Technology to Secure New Zealand Airports
Morpho will deliver additional SmartGate equipment to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports in New Zealand. SmartGate, which carries out biometric identification of eligible ePassport holders, will be used
in response to the expected increase in air traffic during the Rugby World Cup 2011.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
[return to top of this report]
HP Vertica Updates Analytics Business Intelligence Platform
Hewlett-Packard (HP) company Vertica announced a new version of its Vertica Analytics Platform – Vertica 5.0 – for managing business intelligence and analytic workloads. Vertica Analytics provides a software development
kit for analyzing data at up to a petabyte of data, in real time. It also offers features for cloud enablement, elasticity, and cluster cloning. Vertica 5.0 is available immediately for download, directly from Vertica, and will soon be available on the HP
Vertica Analytics System.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Transocean Says BP Deserves Sole Blame for Gulf Oil Spill
Saying that “as operator of the Macondo well, BP directed all aspects of its development,” the owner of the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 has posted a report making its case in great detail that the blame for the worst oil spill
in US history should be shouldered primarily by the British petroleum company. Transocean has posted its full report concerning the
incident online.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Verizon Introduces New Risk Management Service
Verizon is offering a new risk management service, called Incident Analytics Service (IAS). The service is designed to enable customers to describe, track, analyze, and benchmark data breach incident metrics through
a Web application that provides access to data from Verizon’s incident analysis research. Sources for the Verizon research include anonymous and aggregated data from all IAS participants; Verizon’s annual “Data Breach Investigations Report;” and information shared through the Verizon Enterprise Risk and Incident Sharing application.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
CARRIER SERVICES
[return to top of this report]
Alaska Communications to Deploy LTE Network
Alaska Communications, the dominant wireless provider in Alaska, said it will spend about $20 million to deploy LTE service in the state, making it the first operator to offer LTE in Alaska. The
company, which has about 116,000 subscribers (out of a total population of 710,000), said it will deploy LTE in a phased manner throughout its footprint. More details about the rollout are promised in the coming months. Alaska Communications is in the
final stages of vendor selection for the core elements of the network.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Bell Canada to Flip the Switch on 4G in Saskatchewan Next Week
Bell Canada announced plans to offer its 4G wireless network to customers in the Saskatchewan region beginning next week. The coverage will include more than 98% of Saskatchewan’s rural and urban populations, and will
offer maximum download speeds of 21Mbps, with typical speeds of 7 to 14 Mbps. As part of this expansion Bell Canada is opening two new retail outlets at Midtown Plaza in Saskatoon and the Southland Shopping Centre in Regina. The new 4G service will also be
available from authorized Bell dealers, and The Source locations.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
BT Expands Etherflow Services in Germany
BT announced an expansion of its BT Etherflow broadband networking service in Germany. The changes include the ability to access the company’s Ethernet-based WAN service in the country’s main business centers. Various
bandwidths are available, ranging from 2Mbps to 1Gbps. This brings the number of points of presence available in Germany to 11. BT says it plans to launch similar expansions in other countries before the end of the year.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
CenturyLink Reselling Verizon Wireless Services
CenturyLink, which has completed its acquisition of Qwest, is now offering its residential and small business customers the full lineup of Verizon Wireless products
and services. CenturyLink said its customers can purchase Verizon Wireless service with CenturyLink’s High-Speed Internet, unlimited local and long distance, and television services. In the future, customers will be able to bundle their Verizon and
CenturyLink services and receive one monthly bill, the carrier said.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Charter Communications Launches Long-Haul Ethernet Service
Charter Communications launched its new long-haul Ethernet service, the latest offering of its Charter Business Optical Ethernet service. The purpose of the new product is to extend the reach of the company’s
Ethernet offering beyond its current metro coverage areas. The long-haul service allows customers to connect multiple business locations, regardless of relative distance. The service uses the company’s Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, and is
capable of speeds reaching 300 Gbps.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Hughes Unveils 5 New Satellite Internet Service Plans for SMBs
Hughes unveiled a new series of business-grade satellite Internet service plans for small to medium-sized businesses. The new HughesNet Business Internet service offerings consist of 5 plans with download speeds up
to 5Mbps, ubiquitous coverage for the entire continental US, and reliability guarantees. Pricing begins at $100 per month for a 1Mbps plan, and goes up to $349.99 for the 5Mbps option. The company is also offering four optional maintenance plans for an
additional fee. These range from support during business hours, to 24/7 same-day, onsite support. More information about the new offering is available from the company’s business customer page.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Hughes Launches Connect & Express for Government Plans
Hughes launched Connect & Express for Government, a new line of Internet service plans designed specifically for government agencies and offices in remote locations. Plans range from $59.99 per month for a 1Mbps
connection, to $349.99 per month for a 5Mbps connection. According to Hughes, the Connect Service plans are tailored for use in small offices with 1 to 2 users or teleworkers, while the Express Service plans are intended for medium to large-sized offices
with multiple workers. All plans include commercial grade equipment, installation, and 24/7 US-based technical support via the Hughes Customer Gateway. More information is available from Hughes government products
page.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Swisscom Announces New Data Roaming Plans, Expands Limit Warnings
Swisscom announced several changes to its international roaming plans and limits. First, the company is launching two new data plans: a 50MB plan and a 200MB plan. These can be used for 24 hours, or 30 days,
respectively. Post-paid customers are already able to set SMS limit warnings when their data usage is approaching its cap. However, the company now plans to extend the same option to its pre-paid customers, beginning the in Fall of 2010. More information
about setting up cost limits and Swisscom’s new plans are available from its Web site.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Telus Eliminates ETFs, Charges Balance of Device Credit Instead
Telus announced the elimination of its early termination fees as part of a new phone upgrade program. Now, when any subscriber wishes to upgrade to a new handset, he or she can pay the remaining balance of the purchase
price of his or her current device, which will be displayed on each month’s bill. The balance will be the remaining portion of the device credit the subscriber received as part of the carrier subsidy at the time of purchase. In the case of a customer
choosing to leave Telus, the same balance-based fee applies, but an additional $50 charge is also levied. The new device ownership plan is open to customer who have signed a new contract since November 21, 2010.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
CHIP TECHNOLOGY
[return to top of this report]
AMD Announced New Fusion A-Series Chips
AMD announced its new Fusion A-Series chips for mainstream consumer notebooks as well as desktops. AMD’s Fusion technology puts all of a PC’s computational power on one piece of silicon – what AMD calls an APU or
accelerated processing unit. Chips will be offered with both two and four processor cores, AMD said.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
AT&T, Option Release Connection Kit
AT&T and Option Wireless Technology announced a new AT&T Connection Kit for emerging device developers, the first featuring a 4G module. The new connection kit uses Option’s LGA
module GTM601and will help fast-track the certification cycle for device developers seeking to introduce new 4G connected devices, AT&T said. The LGA module is optimized for integration in small consumer electronics devices or broadband M2M
applications.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
CLOUD COMPUTING
[return to top of this report]
AWS Announces Availability of EC2 Enterprise Linux 5 and 6 Instances
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that customer can now purchase supported instances of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and 6 in its Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) service. The new instances are available on an
on-demand, pay-as-you-go basis. Amazon says the service will offer customer the choice between several versions of Linux, and will be supported via Amazon Web Services Premium Support with back line support from Red Hat. The new offering will be available
across all regions, availability zones, and instance types. More information is available from Amazon’s Red Hat Enterprise Linux detail page.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Fujitsu Debuts Engineering Cloud Environment for Manufacturers
Fujitsu announced its “Engineering Cloud” concept, a manufacturing environment offered in the form of cloud-based services from Fujitsu’s datacenters. Fujitsu said the Engineering Cloud will support the
manufacturing sector with a combination of Fujitsu’s own engineering-support software – CAD and analytic software, as well as parts-database software – supplemented with a suite of new services to support the manufacturing process that will be rolled out
beginning in October 2011. Fujitsu also announced the immediate availability of its ISO 26262 Assessment Service, which offers training, consulting, and assessments to help the auto industry with ISO 26262 certification, an international standard for
embedded electronics and software in automobiles.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
IBM Announces New Disaster Recovery Cloud Service
IBM announced a new cloud service offering data recovery following a disaster. IBM’s new SmartCloud Resilience services will allow customers to recover their most critical data in minutes, rather than days, the
company said. The recovery function is handled by a pair of features: IBM SmartCloud Virtualized Server Recovery, which is designed to increase the reliability of and efficiency of data recovery to speed recovery times; and IBM SmartCloud Archive, a
compliance assurance solution designed to provide indexing, search, and retrieval of archived data. SmartCloud Resilience will be available beginning July 19 in some markets. More information is available at the IBM SmartCloud Portfolio Web site.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Lockheed Martin Finds 50% of Gov Decision Makers Considering Cloud
Lockheed Martin released the findings of its study on government adoption of cloud-based technologies. According to its research, 50% of government decision makers are considering adopting cloud systems in
the near future. This number has increase from only 12% the year before, despite lingering security concerns. This is doubly surprising when one takes into account the fact that more than two thirds of all respondents cited security as their number one
worry when speaking on cloud computing. The primary reasons holding non-adopters back were questions about dependability, availability, and the ability to continue using existing applications.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Microsoft Unveils Revamped Windows SkyDrive with HTML5 Support
Microsoft unveiled its updated Windows SkyDrive service with HTML5 support. New features include a revamped, animated photo album, greatly reduced wait times when accessing a new folder, a new unified document
view, full screen document viewing, and upcoming support for the Windows Phone platform. Windows SkyDrive is a free service offered by Microsoft.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
NEC Releases Univerge Sphericall Product as a VMware Appliance
NEC announced the general availability of its UNIVERGE Sphericall product as a VMware software-based virtual appliance. The new offering is designed to let organizations implement a communication-as-a service delivery
model as part of their private, or hybrid cloud infrastructures. NEC says the benefits of its new solution include the ability to pool infrastructure resources, elasticity to meet increased capacity needs, and more effective disaster recovery controls.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
[return to top of this report]
Alcatel to Provide Infrastructure for Provider SaskTel
Alcatel-Lucent was named the primary infrastructure provider for SaskTel, a full-service communications provider in Saskatchewan, Canada, to help it implement its recently announced Fiber to the Premises
Program. This program includes a GPON Fiber to the Premises deployment, to extend SaskTel’s broadband capacity as it looks to address the growing need for advanced services. The converged network will include Alcatel-Lucent next-generation wireline, IP,
and optical products.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Alcatel, Broadcom Create Femtocell Reference Design
Alcatel-Lucent and Broadcom created a Femtocell gateway reference design that combines Femtocell access and residential gateway capabilities into a single device. The
design – which combines Broadcom chipsets and hardware with Alcatel small cells technology – allows the capabilities of small cells to be built straight into DSL, cable, or fiber-fed home gateways to extend wireless and wireline voice, video, and data
services, even to wireless “blind spots.”
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Comcast CEO Shows Off 1Gbps Broadband Connection
Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts showed the first 1Gbps connection over a live broadband network serving customers by downloading all 23 episodes of Season 5 of “30 Rock” – close to nine hours of content –
in about 90 seconds, Comcast said. The occasion was a presentation at the NCTA (National Cable & Telecommunications Association) conference held last week in Chicago. A video of Roberts’ presentation is posted on
Comcast’s corporate blog.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Comcast Taps Ciena, Cisco, Juniper for Metro Ethernet Equipment
Comcast announced that it using networking equipment from Ciena, Cisco, and Juniper Networks to power its
Metro Ethernet service. Comcast will use a mix of equipment including Juniper’s T Series core routers, MX Series universal edge routers, and EX Series Ethernet switches; Cisco’s ASR 9000 router and IOS XR modular software OS; and Ciena’s LE-311v Carrier
Ethernet switching platform. Comcast is targeting its Metro Ethernet service at mid-sized businesses, complementing its Docsis-based offering for business customers with few than 20 employees. Comcast has deployed Metro Ethernet in 20 major US markets,
including Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, and is expected to roll out the service in most of its markets by the end of 2011. Comcast Metro Ethernet services are delivered using the company’s 147,000 mile fiber-based IP network.
With the new rollout, Comcast is offering four distinct Ethernet services, including point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, multipoint-to-multipoint, and dedicated Internet access. Comcast is supporting the services with 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.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Huawei to Provide DWDM to Build TDC Optical Network
Huawei Technologies was selected by TDC to build a national and pan-European optical transport network, using Huawei Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, to allow it to better provide end users with services to
require higher bandwidth, including high-definition TV, video conferencing, and gaming. TDC’s pan-European network stretches through northern and western Europe, including cities such as Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris,
and London.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Huawei Introduces Cutting-Edge MS-OTN Prototype
Huawei Technologies unveiled its over-10T multiservice optical transport network (MS-OTN) prototype, a device that can be upgraded to manage capacity at over 20T. The prototype features ultra-large capacity, uniform
service switching, all-service access, and operates at 400G per slot.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Huawei, China Telecom Launch 100G System in China
Huawei Technologies and China Telecom announced the successful deployment of an end-to-end, 100G wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system, to establish an
ultra-broadband transportation link between metropolitan hubs in Nanjing and Wuxi, China. The 100G technology should satisfy the growing demand for large bandwidth, while also protecting live network investments and allowing networks to be upgraded without
affecting other services. Huawei also announced it deployed 100G services based on WDM, alongside the Netherlands’ KPN.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Juniper and IBM to Upgrade Hess Networking Services
Juniper Networks and IBM announced an agreement to provide energy company Hess with networking services to help streamline, automate, and secure its worldwide network environment as
it migrates to its new office tower in Houston, TX, US. It will incorporate IBM implementation and staging services, plus Juniper switching and security technology.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Juniper Named Networking Provider for OnLive
Juniper Networks announced it was named the exclusive networking provider for OnLive’s network infrastructure, and will also work with it to develop future remote, interactive, cloud-based services for mobile,
desktop, and presentation devices. It will provide the Junos Pulse client – for accessing applications whether on a PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablet, or OnLive-enabled TV or monitor – and OnLive video compression technology. OnLive’s network already uses
Juniper switches, routers, and gateways.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Juniper Demonstrates Dynamic IP Optical Architecture
Juniper Networks successfully demonstrated a dynamic IP optical multi-layer network architecture, with Telefonica’s R&D division. The architecture uses multi-rotocol label switching as a signal mechanism, to adapt
to new and changing traffic demands and patterns as they flow across the network.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Nokia Siemens Rolls Out Module to Increase 3G Data Capacity
Nokia Siemens Networks launched a high-power radio module for its Flexi Multiradio Base Station family. It has a higher output power to help extend GSM coverage and increase 3G data capacity at the edge
of cells. In mobile networks, the radio module is the part of a base station that amplifies each individual radio signal before broadcasting it from an antenna. It can be used for indoor, outdoor, distributed, mass pole, and six-sector installations, and
will be available for commercial deployment at the beginning of 2012.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Nokia Siemens to Provide M2M Services for Yutong Bus Co
Nokia Siemens Networks signed a contract to provide a machine-to-machine service platform, and develop telematics applications, for China’s Yutong Bus Company. The deployment is based on
Software-as-a-Service. Telematics applications can accommodate exclusive services such as emergency response, fleet management, and remote diagnostics.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Samsung to Provide Small Base Stations for KDDI’s LTE Network
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics has been chosen to provide next-generation communications equipment to KDDI, Japan’s number two mobile phone operator. KDDI plans to launch a
commercial service using long-term evolution (LTE) technology next year. Samsung already provides LTE equipment to wireless carriers in the US and the Middle East. It said it is working to offer commercial LTE services to eight mobile operators around the
world. KDDI said Samsung will provide small base stations, especially in cities. KDDI earlier selected NEC and Motorola Mobility to build the large stations for its LTE
network.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Swisscom Announces Launch of HSPA+ in Six Cities
Swisscom announced the launch of HSPA+ in six Swiss cities. The new data network will support download speeds of 42Mbps, and upload speeds of 5.6Mbps. The new speeds are already available in Berne and Zurich, with
Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, and Lugano all set to launch prior to the end of August 2011. To coincide with the launch of the HSPA+ network, Swisccom is offering the Huawei E372 USB stick, an HSPA+ compatible cellular modem. The E372 is available at Swisscom
retail outlets for CHF 1 with a subscription and CHF 249 without a contract.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
ZTE Signs With Nucleus Connect for BSS/OSS on Singapore Network
ZTE signed a contract with Nucleus Connect, the Operating Company (OpCo) of Singapore’s Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network to construct the BSS (Business Support System) and OSS (Operational Support
System) platforms for the project. The systems will support various aspects of the nationwide network’s operations, including business operations, billing, fault management, network management, and maintenance. No financial terms for the agreement were
disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
CONFERENCING
[return to top of this report]
Cisco UC, WebEx, TelePresence to be Available in Mexico
Cisco Systems announced an agreement for Telmex to offer its UC, WebEx, and TelePresence collaboration technologies, starting in Mexico on August 30th before eventually extending into Latin America. Telmex will
incorporate the Cisco technology into its Managed UC service and Communica Plus IP telephony system.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Cisco Quad to Become Available as Hosted Offering
Cisco Systems announced that its Quad enterprise collaboration platform will be available as a hosted deployment in the US and Canada, initially through Xerox’s ACS company, in Europe through Logicalis UK, and in
Australia via Alphawest, a subsidiary of Optus. Cisco also announced that Capgemini, a systems integration partner, will consult organizations pertaining to these deployments.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Google to Build Audio/Video Conferencing into Future Version of Chrome
Google is planning to build a voice and video chat function into a future iteration of its Chrome browser, according to CNet. The technology uses assets from the company’s
open-source WebRTC project, which was itself made possible by Google’s 2010 acquisition of Global IP Solutions (GIPS). This Skype competitor would allow users to connect over the Web, without the need for external
applications or plug-ins. Google also hopes the WebRTC protocol will become the Web standard for voice and video conferencing, CNet says. The WebRTC-based software is expected to arrive in Chrome soon.
Source: CNet, 6/22/2011
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
[return to top of this report]
Accenture Signs Contract to Integrate DRM System for Reliance
Accenture signed a contract to integrate a new digital rights management (DRM) system for Reliance Entertainment, an Indian media and entertainment company. The new solution will be installed at two of the
customer’s businesses, Reliance Entertainment and Reliance Home Video. Accenture will integrate a third-party rights management system with Reliance’s existing rights management solution. The goal of the installation is to begin deriving revenue from
content viewed on cinema, mobile handset, and tablet computer platforms. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
CRM
[return to top of this report]
BroadVision Previews Clearvale CRM Technology with SaaS
BroadVision introduced its new Clearvale solution for Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which extends traditional CRM by integrating all customer channels to improve communications. It offers
Software-as-a-Service capabilities to improve remote customer/employee collaboration.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Broadvision Announces General Availability of Social CRM Product
Broadvision announced the general availability of the Clearvale solution for Social Customer Relationship Management (Social CRM). The company says this new solution differs from traditional CRM products in that
it encourages engagement between customers, customer service, and other company employees. The new product comes in the form of a software-as-a-service solution, allowing it to be accessed from anywhere by any authorized employee. More information about
the new Social CRM product is available at the Clearvale product page.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Nokia Siemens Introduces New CEM 2.0 Software
Nokia Siemens Networks introduced its Customer Experience Management (CEM) 2.0 portfolio. The pre-integrated software can interpret millions of data points that can be extracted from a
telecommunications network or operators IT systems. This provides real-time insight and action, across the customer lifecycle and service provider operations, and provides real-time aggregation and correlation of subscriber, service, network, and device
data. It also announced it is deploying its Customer Care Automation software for Vipnet, a Croatian operator looking to provide service agents with rapid access to information to better resolve customer issues.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
CYBERCRIME
[return to top of this report]
LulzSec Continues to Cause Headaches
Lulz Security, the hacker group that has attacked Web sites for the CIA and Sony Pictures, posted 62,000 email addresses and Internet passwords via Twitter. Because computer users tend to use the same password on various Web sites and for multiple accounts, unscrupulous people have been able to snag the posted passwords and gain access to victims’ social networking
pages to post obscene pictures or make fraudulent purchases on sites like Amazon.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
Feds Bust International Cybercrime Ring
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, along with international law enforcement partners, indicted two individuals from Latvia and seized more than 40 computers, servers, and
bank accounts as part of Operation Trident Tribunal, an ongoing, coordinated effort targeting international cyber crime. The operation targeted international cybercrime rings that caused more than $74 million USD in total losses to more than one million
computer users through the sale of fraudulent computer security software known as “scareware.”
Source: FBI, 6/22/2011
DATA BREACHES
[return to top of this report]
DropBox Accidentally Leaves User Data Open to Prying Eyes
DropBox, an online storage service, inadvertently left clients open to a possible data exposure for a period of four hours when it unknowingly turned off passwords. The snafu, which was described in a company blog
post, occurred on June 19 when DropBox made a code change that interfered with its authentication mechanism. Once DropBox realized the mistake, it immediately patched the bug. During that four hour period, any
user could have logged into an account without the need for a password.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Another Certification Authority Suffers Breach
StartSSL, a free certificate authority, was attacked on June 15 and its network was breached. This breach did not result in the release of valid certificates, like the earlier cyber attack on Comodo. StartSSL has shut down its services and stopped issuing digital certificates until further notice.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
WordPress.org Resets Passwords after Hacker Attack
WordPress.org is forcing its users to reset their passwords after several plugins were compromised by hackers. In a blog post, the company said that
AddThis, WPtouch, and W3 Total Cache were the plugins compromised in the attacks. As a precautionary measure, WordPress.org is force-resetting all passwords on WordPress.org. This does not affect WordPress-powered blogs, but does affect WordPress.org
forums, trac, and code commits to plugins or themes. A COMMIT statement in SQL ends a transaction within a relational database management system and makes all changes visible to other users.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
DESKTOPS
[return to top of this report]
Toshiba to Roll Out All-in-One with HD Touchscreen
Toshiba‘s Digital Products Division will soon release a new DX1215 all-in-one PC model for streaming high-definition content. It has a 21.5-inch touchscreen – capable of supporting full 1080p HD content – and has a
1-TB hard drive. It also includes a wireless Bluetooth keyboard. US retailer Best Buy will sell the systems for $929.99, starting July 3rd.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE
[return to top of this report]
Accenture Unveils Foundation Platform for Oracle 2.0
Accenture unveiled the second iteration of its Accenture Foundation Platform for Oracle (AFPO), a software tool designed to accelerate the process of integrating and developing solutions on Oracle Fusion
Middleware. Accenture claims the software can cut development times by as much as 30%. Version 2.0 of the AFPO is compatible with Oracle SOA Suite 11g, Oracle Business Intelligence Suite 11g, and Oracle Identity Management Suite 11g. It is also capable of
integrating and supporting Oracle Database 11gR2, Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g, and Oracle Data Integrator 11g. AFPO is available now as an on-site or cloud-based solution.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
SAP Releases Version 8.81 of Business One Application
SAP released version 8.81 of its SAP Business One application. Improvements in this version include mobility, including mobile access to numerous actions in the software; Partner Enablement, which integrates the SAP
partner ecosystem in the building of applications; and a new integration framework, which allows the software to be interoperable with on demand services, cloud-based service, mobile devices, Web services, collaboration tools, and social networks. More
information is available at the SAP Business One Product page.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
E-READERS & E-BOOKS
[return to top of this report]
OverDrive Announces Plans to Become Platform Agnostic
OverDrive, the company commissioned by Amazon to make Kindle e-book lending for libraries possible, has made several major announcements on its future plans. First, the company plans to become platform-agnostic, eliminating the need for libraries to deal with multiple e-book file formats. OverDrive
also plans to launch a collection of DRM-free books for all libraries and e-reader owners. Overdrive said it will provide further details on how it plans to implement these features on its Digital Lirbrary
Blog.
Source: Vendor, 6/15/2011
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
[return to top of this report]
Adobe Launches New Digital Enterprise Platform for CEM
Adobe launched its new Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform for Customer Experience Management (CEM). The goal of the new solution is to provide enterprise customers with a method of creating multi-channel digital interactions. Specific features of the new platform include
integrated content reviews; Web experience management functionality; customer communications, including personalized and interactive correspondence; social brand engagement through the creation of online communities; and a unified workspace for all
customer facing agents.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Apple Unveils New Version of Final Cut Editing Software
Apple announced Final Cut Pro X, a new version of its video editing software built on a modern, 64-bit architecture. It offers features for editing on a more flexible, trackless canvas, categorizing content by shot
type, media, and people, and background rendering. It is available from the Mac App Store for $299.99 USD. Final Cut Pro X also includes tools for audio editing and color correction, and works with
companion apps such as Motion 5, for motion graphics, and Compressor 4, for media encoding, each available from the App Store for $49.99.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
FINANCIAL
[return to top of this report]
Adobe Reports Increased Revenue, Profits in Q2 2011 Financials
Adobe released its financial results for the second quarter of its 2011 fiscal year. The company’s revenue totaled $1.02 billion, up from the $943 million reported for the same period in 2010. Net income was $229.4
million, or $0.46 per share, compared to $148.6 million or $0.28 per share, reported a year ago. On these results the company predicted third quarter revenues of between $1 billion and $1.05 billion, and reaffirmed its prediction of 10% year-over-year
revenue growth for fiscal 2011.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Citrix Announces Investment in Core Mobile Networks Inc
Citrix announced a new investment in More Mobile Networks Inc. This is the third funding project undertaken by its financial capital fund, the Citrix
Startup Accelerator. The company’s latest investment hopes to create products to “mobilize the cloud”. Its early projects will focus on bringing solutions capable of this to the Apple iPhone and Android-based smartphone platforms.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Lenovo CEO Yuanquing Increases Stake in Company
Last week, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanquing notified the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that he has acquired approximately 797 million shares in the company from Legend Holdings, increasing his personal stake in the company to
eight percent of issued and outstanding shares. Legend will retain a 34.82 percent share.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Micro Focus Reports Increased Revenue, Profits; Negative on Outlook
Micro Focus reported its financial results for the fiscal year 2011. The company’s revenue was $436.1 million, up 0.8% over the $432.6 million reported a year ago. Operating profits were $120.5 million, up from
$105.4 million for 2010. Profit before tax increased 16.5% to $114.5 million, after coming in at $98.3 million at the end of 2010. This led to earnings per share of $0.47, compared to the $0.38 reported last year. Despite the seeming success of the year,
Micro Focus is referring to 2011 as a “lost year for the Group,” citing a lack of growth in licensing revenue as the main reason. Due to this, the company noted that it expects entertain acquisition offers during FY 2012.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Nokia Siemens Acquires a Stake in IC Developer ClariPhy
Nokia Siemens Networks invested in ClariPhy, a US semiconductor developer that provides integrated circuits (ICs) to boost network efficiency and capacity. The undisclosed investment will support
ClariPhy’s development of integrated, single-chip complementary metal oxide semiconductor ICs for high-performance optical networks.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Red Hat Announces Positive Results for Q1 2012
Red Hat announced its results for the first quarter of its 2012 fiscal year. Revenue was up 27%, year-over-year to reach $264.7 million. This growth was primarily derived from a 26% jump in subscription revenue,
which ended the quarter at $225 million. Net income was $32.5 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to the $24.1 million, or $0.12 per diluted share reported for the same period in 2010. Charlie Peters, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Red Hat pointed to the release of new products such as OpenShift, and CloudForms as the driving force behind the company’s success this quarter.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
RIM Quarterly Earnings Down
Canada-headquartered Research in Motion (RIM) reported that for the quarter ended May 28 (its first fiscal quarter), net income was $695 million, or $1.33 per share, compared to net income of $769 million, or $1.38 per
share, for the same period the previous year. Revenue grew by 16% to $4.9 billion. RIM, which makes the BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook tablet, and whose market share has been hammered by fierce competition from Apple and Android-based devices, said it
plans to focus on “taking out redundancies” in the current quarter, including cutting jobs. Prior to its earnings release, the company announced that Don Morrison, its chief operating officer, was going on medical leave.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
[return to top of this report]
General Dynamics Receives Task Order for USAF NASIC Support
General Dynamics received a task order from the US Air Force’s (USAF) National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) to provide “airborne advanced geospatial intelligence (AGI) battlespace awareness
support”. Under the terms of the contract, General Dynamics will offer hyper-spectral and multi-spectral imagery production and analysis, data processing and analysis, analytic support, publishing and distribution, and training. This agreement was signed
under the Advanced Technical Exploitation Program (ATEP) contract received by Accenture in 2009. No financial terms for this agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Harris Corp Receives New Order for Encryption Devices, Support Service
Harris Corp received a new order to provide encryption devices and support services to the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below-Blue Force Tracking system (FBCB2-BFT). These entities within the US military
provide commanders with situational awareness and battle command capabilities. Harris will be providing its KGV-72 for the contract. The device has been certified by the National Security Agency, and meets with military specifications. This order brings
Harris’ total earnings for encryption devices, software, maintenance, and other customer support to more than $100 million.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
IBM Signs Contract to Provide Joint Border Management System for NZ
IBM signed a contract with the government of New Zealand to provide a new joint border management system (JBMS). The goal of the new system it to improve the quality of border processing tasks for travelers and traders,
as well as making border agencies more efficient in general. The system will be deployed in stages, the first of which will be called the Trade Single Window (TSW), and will earn IBM $75 million. This stage will enable exporters, importers and other
traders to complete border compliance requirements online, through a single point of electronic contact. Plans for the JBMS also include a second stage, which is expected to be completed within 4 years.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
SAIC Receives $61 Million Follow-On Contract from USAMRMC
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) received a follow-on contract from the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) to provide scientific and other support services for its
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Specifically, SAIC will be providing scientific and funding cycle support for all programs included in the CDMRP. The agreement has a two-year base period, three one-year options, and a total
value of more than $61 million if all options are exercised.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Telos to Modernize Air Force Information Transport System
Systems integrator Telos has been awarded a $ 3.6 million task order by the US Air Force’s Electronic Systems Center Cyber Integration Division at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. The company will modernize the Air Force
Information Transport System Increment 2 Aruba Operating Systems and Juniper Authentication System at 57 bases around the world. The contact covers hardware, software, and services.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Telstra Signs Definitive Agreement for National Broadband Network
Telstra signed a definitive agreement with NBN Co and the Commonwealth on its participation in the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN). The agreement remains subject to several obstacles, including
shareholder approval, and regulatory compliance checks. Key components of the contract are Telstra’s assent to gradually disconnect the its HFC cable network (excluding the pay TV portion); the decision to provide NBN Co with large-scale access to
infrastructure; an increase in government funding for the Universal Service Obligation (USO) payments included in the NBN plan; and key product feature and price commitments relating to NBN Co’s basic voice and data offering. More details on Telstra’s NBN
agreement are available from its press page.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
[return to top of this report]
Oracle Launches Oracle Health Sciences Trial Center
Oracle launched its new Oracle Health Sciences Trial Center, a software product designed to provide real-time
information from multiple trials, sites, and systems with direct access to relevant trial technologies. Oracle claims the aggregation of multiple trials into a single user interface will decrease costs, and reduce errors by eliminating the need to switch
between files, applications, and systems. Oracle Health Sciences Trial Center will ship as part of Oracle Health Sciences InForm GTM.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Oracle Releases Oracle Argus Safety On Demand
Oracle released its new Oracle Argus Safety On Demand global adverse events management and regulatory reporting solution. The adverse events management
system is designed to help life sciences companies with regulatory compliance, product stewardship, and safety and risk management. Oracle says this ability will allow organizations to accelerate deployment, improve scalability, reduce IT resource
requirements, and regulate IT spending patterns. Oracle Argus Safety On Demand is available now as part of the Oracle Health Sciences Cloud.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
INDUSTRY GROUPS
[return to top of this report]
Red Hat Adds 65 More Members to Open Virtualization Alliance
Red Hat announced the addition of 65 new members to its Open Virtualization Alliance. The consortium, which is committed to fostering the adoption of open virtualization technologies, has grown almost ten-fold since
its foundation in May. According to Red Hat, this latest membership growth has added participants from a wide spectrum of hardware, software, services, and cloud computing businesses. On the strength of its growth, the Open Virtualization Alliance now
plans to move forward with several initiatives, including the promotion of an industry-standard ecosystem, the production of educational resources, and supporting the growth of Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) technology. A full list of the new member is
available within Red Hat’s press release.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Swisscom Joins Global e-Sustainability Initiative
Swisscom joined the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). The company says this move will allow it to put more emphasis on sustainability in the information communication technology (ICT) sector, and to
campaign, on an international basis, for “ecological and socially responsible management of resources”. Swisscom says it hopes to use its new membership to help promote the development of industry-wide methods and standards.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
INTERNET
[return to top of this report]
Maryland Breaks Ground on New Broadband Network
Fierce Telecom reported that Maryland has broken ground on its new middle mile network, beginning with a portion that will serve the central part of the state. The One Maryland Broadband Network will bring fiber connectivity to every county in Maryland by 2013 and was funded with a $115 million federal stimulus grant and $43 million in state and local
money. The first portion of the network will provide services to “community anchor” institutions, including schools, hospitals and public safety departments, while the second portion will provide wholesale connectivity to other broadband providers that
deliver services to businesses and residences.
Source: Fierce Telecom, 6/22/2011
AOL’s MapQuest Opens Multi-Tiered Business Listing Service
AOL subsidiary MapQuest launched its new MapQuest Local Business Center, a cost-free platform designed to let businesses control their own content and exposure on the mapping
site. The new service comes in free and paid tiers. The free “claim your listing tier” includes the ability to enter basic business info such as address, phone numbers, payment options, and hours of operation; provide a description of up to 600 characters;
upload photos; add Web site URLs; and include parking information. The paid tiers include in-line ad placement on MapQuest search listings for $99 per year, and a service which distributes the business’ listing to 8 additional sites for $399 per year.
MapQuest says it also plans to add features such as video capabilities, image captions, and additional marketing products and services later in the summer.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
comScore Launches Device Essential Multi-Device Measurement Service
comScore launched Device Essentials, a new service designed to report on customer traffic from a wide range of devices, including computers, mobile phones,
tablets, music players, e-readers, gaming devices, and other Web-enabled devices. Device Essential is based on the company’s Unified Digital Measurement technology, and includes metrics such as the share of non-computer device traffic, share of smartphone
versus feature phone usage, carrier share, operating system share, mobile HTML vs. standard HTML traffic, and many other factors. Device Essentials is available now.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Google Reveals Plans for New Gaming Platform in Job Posting
Google has revealed plans to expand its online gaming offerings via a job posting. The
listing provides very few details on the specifics other than a name for the new business: Games at Google. Another section of the posting, which lists the decision making areas of the position, also seems to suggest that a social aspect will be included.
This could place Games at Google in direct competition with Facebook as a social gaming destination.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Hitwise Teams with Adobe on New Web Measurement Offering
Hitwise expanded its relationship with Adobe through an initiative to share two-way dashboard views of the data captured by Experian Hitwise and that of Adobe SiteCatalyst. The
companies say the joint offering will allow customers to study internal site trends as well as customer behavior on competing Web sites. The combined solution supports internal and external site metrics; campaign and channel analytics; and can provide
upstream, downstream, and custom traffic sets. No release date for the joint product was announced.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
ICANN Approves Historic Change to Internet’s Domain Name System
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has formally approved a plan to usher in one of the biggest changes ever to the Internet’s Domain Name System. ICANN’s board approved the change during a
special meeting, approving a plan to dramatically increase the number of Internet domain name endings – called generic top-level domains (gTLDs) – from the current 22, which includes such familiar domains as .com, .org and .net. The decision to proceed
with the gTLD program follows many years of discussion, debate, and deliberation within and between the Internet community, business groups, and governments. The Applicant Guidebook, a rulebook explaining how to apply for a new gTLD, went through seven significant revisions to incorporate more than 1,000 comments from interested parties. ICANN
will soon begin a global campaign to publicize the changes. Applications for new gTLDs will be accepted from January 12, 2012 to April 12, 2012.
Source: ICANN, 6/20/2011
ICANN Appoints Thomas Spiller as VP of Europe
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) appointed Thomas Spiller to the newly created position of Vice President, Europe. In his new role, Spiller will be responsible for furthering ICANN’s
objectives in Europe, as well as managing the organization’s Brussels office. Prior to this appointment, Spiller worked as the head of global policy strategy at SAS.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Mozilla Releases Firefox 5 on New Rapid Release Schedule
Mozilla fulfilled its promise to speed up the release schedule of its Web browser with the launch of Firefox 5. The organization says the latest version of Firefox includes more than 1,000 improvements, such as
support for Do Not Track functionality on multiple platforms, a new add-on SDK for PC versions, and support for CSS animations. Users can upgrade to the latest version of the browser by clicking “check for updates” in the software’s “About Firefox” menu,
or by visiting Firefox.com. Android users can download Firefox 5 at the Android Marketplace.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
LAPTOPS & TABLETS
[return to top of this report]
Amazon May Launch its Tablet as Early As August
Amazon may launch its long-awaited tablet device as early as August, DigiTimes reported. According to DigiTimes’ sources, several Taiwan-based component makers,
the tablet will see a domestic launch in August, with a full global roll-out to follow later in the year. The component makers put the initial production run at about 4 million units, with 700,000 to 800,000 units shipped per month. The alleged
manufacturer of the tablet itself, Quanta Computer, says the device will use E Ink’s Fringe Field Switching LCD technology in its display. Unlike Amazon’s Kindle, this technology allows for full color and full motion content to be displayed.
Source: DigiTimes, 6/22/2011
Huawei Introduces New 7-inch MediaPad
Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei unveiled a new 7-inch tablet called the MediaPad. It is powered by Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and runs on Android 3.2. The device is 10.5 mm (.4 inches) thick and
weighs 390 grams (13.7 ounces). It comes with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with HD video recording capabilities. MediaPad supports HSPA+ and Wi-Fi 802.11n. Huawei previously launched its 7-inch tablet Ideos S7
and its updated version S7 slim. The MediaPad is expected to hit the market in the coming months.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Samsung Announces Docking Accessories for Galaxy Tab
Samsung Telecommunications America announced a new lineup of accessories for its Android-powered Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet., including new docking, charging, and convertibility options. Galaxy Tab has a 10-inch,
high-definition touchscreen display.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Sprint Launches Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Sprint has begun selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi version through direct sales channels, including Sprint Stores and on the Web for $499.99. The tablet device boasts a
10.1-inch HD touchscreen and is just 0.34-inches thick. It comes with Android 3.1 Honeycomb and access to the Android Market.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
LEGAL
[return to top of this report]
Dolby Suing RIM Over Audio Compression Technology
Dolby International, a division of Dolby Laboratories, is suing Research in Motion (RIM) makers of BlackBerry smartphones, according to The New York Times. The lawsuit,
filed in the US and Germany, alleges that RIM’s BlackBerry smartphonse and PlayBook tablet both infringe on Dolby’s digital audio compression technology, without a license. The technology allows high-quality audio files to be kept in a reduced amount of
storage space. Dolby is seeking financial damages and an injunction against the sale of the aforementioned RIM products. RIM had not responded to the filing as of the time of writing.
Source: NYT, 6/15/2011
Google to Be Target of Upcoming FTC Probe
The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is about to be the target of a wide-ranging, formal investigation from the US Federal
Trade Commission on whether it has abused its dominant position on the Web. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the Journal reported that formal demands are about to be handed down from the FTC’s five-member panel of commissioners for
information on the search giant’s business practices. Other companies that do business with Google are expected to be subpoenaed at a later date. The European Commission is also investigating whether Google is abusing its dominance in the online
ad marketplace.
Source: WSJ, 6/23/2011
M2M
[return to top of this report]
AT&T to Wirelessly Connect Health Monitoring Product
AT&T and Zephyr Technology announced an agreement under which AT&T will provide integrated wireless access to the next generation of the Zephyr BioHarness, which is designed
to measure critical vital signs, including ECG, heart rate, breathing rate, and skin temperature, and then contextualize the information with the individual’s physical activity using an accelerometer. The data is then viewed through the Zephyr portal or
pushed to electronic health records and applications. Applications for the technology include remote monitoring of athletes by cardiologists or giving medics on-demand visibility into the condition of military personnel.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Hydro-Quebec Taps Rogers for Smart Meter M2M Application
Rogers Communications announced that it has been chosen to enable the provision of machine to machine (M2M) wireless connectivity across the province of Quebec to Hydro-Quebec. Rogers will connect the electric utility’s central system with up to 600 Smart Meter collectors, which aggregate data relayed from the province’s 3.8-million Smart Meters. Rogers was awarded
a six year contract after a competitive bidding process.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
MALWARE WATCH
[return to top of this report]
Kaspersky Spots New Worm Targeting Brazilian Facebook Users
Kaspersky Lab is warning Facebook users in Brazil to be aware of a new instant message worm that is stealing passwords and login details. The worm then uses the infected
profile to spread malicious links among Portuguese speakers.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
SonicWALL Warns of FakeAV Software in Circulation
SonicWALL reported that a Trojan disguised as a fake Microsoft removal tool is making its rounds in the wild and duping unsuspecting users into purchasing it. Fakesysdef.BDF
is a fake antivirus progam that actually forces the user to buy the malicious software. The system is rendered unusable until the software is paid for or removed.
Source: Vendor, 6/17/2011
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
[return to top of this report]
Alcatel Appoints New Exec to Head Wireless Promoting
Alcatel-Lucent named Parker Moss as its new VP, Wireless Marketing, a position in which he will be responsible for promoting wireless products. Moss is a former Head of Strategy for the international GSM
Association.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
AT&T Names New Labs President and CEO
AT&T announced the appointment of Krish Prabhu as president and CEO of AT&T Labs. Prabhu replaces retiring president and CEO Keith Cambron, who has led AT&T Labs since 2005. Prabhu, who will be based in Dallas, began
his telecom career in 1980 at the former AT&T Bell Laboratories. He has served in several telecoms executive positions, including as chief executive officer of Alcatel USA and Tellabs. Prabhu holds a Master of Science degree in physics from the Indian
Institute of Technology, Bombay and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Deloitte Announces Two New Hires for Sustainability Services Group
Deloitte announced a pair of new hires. First, Daniel Aronson will be joining the company’s sustainability services group. Aronson comes to the company from IBM, where he served as global offering leader for
sustainability strategy and led corporate social responsibility consulting for IBM’s strategy and transformation practice. Jacob Madsen will also be joining the sustainability services group. Madsen formerly served as the manager of supply chain
sustainability, life cycle assessment, and carbon footprinting practice of Environmental Resource Management’s (ERM) North American sustainability and climate change team.
Source: Vendor, 6/14/2011
DISH Network Hires Joseph P. Clayton as President and CEO
DISH Network announced the appointment of Joseph P. Clayton as the company’s new president and chief executive officer, as well as the newest member of its board of directors. He will be replacing Charles W.
Ergen, who will remain with the company has Chairman. Prior to accepting this position, Clayton served as chairman of Sirius Satellite Radio.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
KPN Appoints Eric Hageman CEO of KPN Belgium
KPN announced the appointment of Eric Hageman as the new CEO of KPN Belgium. He will be replacing Libor Voncina, who departed the company to explore new opportunities. In the new position, Hageman will report to KPN
Mobile International CEO Thorsten Dirks, and will retain his responsibilities for the position of CEO Rest of World, which includes KPN Spain, KPN France, and Ortel Mobile. Hageman joined KPN in 2005, prior to which he worked as a private financier at
Deutsche Bank.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Micro Focus Appoints Joe Moyer as Director of DoD Efforts
Micro Focus announced the appointment of Joe Moyer to Director of Department of Defense (DoD) Efforts for its Federal Solutions Team. Moyer’s responsibilities will include expanding the size and purpose of the DoD
team, as well as assuring a level of customer service for the company’s DoD clients. Prior to this new appointment, Moyer served as Director of Systems Integrator and Channel Sales for Micro Focus North America.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
Nokia Names New Head for Location & Commerce
Nokia named Michael Halbherr as EVP, to spearhead the company’s revised mission in mobile and location-based services. He will report directly to CEO Stephen Elop upon taking office July 1st. Halbherr will lead the
new Location & Commerce business, which integrates NAVTEQ and Nokia’s social location services operations. Halbherr has been with Nokia since 2006, most recently leading the product unit in Nokia’s Services business.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Northrop Grumman Appoints Janine Nyre as President of RFCIS
Northrop Grumman appointed Janine Nyre as the new president of Radio Frequency Combat and Information Systems (RFCIS) in the Land and Self Protection Systems Division. In the new position, Nyre will take charge of
a team responsible for the digital electronic warfare systems used for aircraft survival in combat situations. Nyre is a 28 year veteran of the industry, with experience in various electro-optical/infrared and radio frequency programs gained since joining
Northrop Grumman in 1983.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
SAIC Hires Former Rear Admiral as US Navy Strategic Account Exec
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced the appointment of Robert D. Reilly, Jr as its new US Navy Strategic Account Executive. In the new role, Reilly will lead the company’s Navy Account
Management Team in its efforts to expand SAIC’s Navy contracts, and improve its service on existing agreements. Robert D. Reilly is a retired Navy Rear Admiral with more than 34 years of experience in the armed forces.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
Eight Skype Executives Depart Following Microsoft Acquisition
Skype has confirmed to PCWorld that eight of the Internet telephony company’s executives have left the company following Microsoft’s $8.5 billion buyout in May. “Skype, like any
other pragmatic organization, constantly assesses its team structure to deliver its users the best products,” the company said in a written statement. “As part of a recent internal shift Skype has made some management changes.” According to PCWorld, the
executives who have left include David Gurle, vice president and general manager for Skype for Business; Don Albert, vice president and general manager for the Americas and Advertising; Doug Bewsher, chief marketing officer; Christopher Dean, head of
consumer market business development; Russ Shaw, vice president and general manager; and Anne Gillespie, head of human resources. Two executives who joined Skype following its acquisition earlier this year of video-sharing utility Qik have also left. They
are Qik founder Ramu Sunkara and senior vice president Allyson Campa. The US Federal Trade Commission last week approved Microsoft’s deal to buy Skype. Microsoft expects to obtain all necessary regulatory clearances
by the end of year.
Source: PC World, 6/20/2011
Toshiba to Merge Semiconductor, Storage Products Units
Toshiba Japan plans to realign its storage products business in a unified organization, by merging its Semiconductor and Storage Products companies as “Semiconductor & Storage Products,” effective July 1st.
Toshiba’s Semiconductor business includes NAND Flash memory and SSDs for consumer applications, while Storage covers hard drives and SSDs for enterprise applications. Semiconductor & Storage Products will include Toshiba’s Memory, Storage Products, and
Strategic Planning divisions.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Vodafone Opens Renewable Energy Research Center in South Africa
Vodafone subsidiary Vodacom announced plans to open a new environmentally conscious facility in Midrand, South Africa. The new location will serve as a research center for the purpose of developing renewable energy
technologies to run Vodafone’s global network. The facility will examine factors such as energy usage, the potential of battery storage, and ways to reduce the running and deployment cost of base station sites. The company says this information could also
help it deploy base stations in remote areas of developing nations, which may not have access to a power grid. The innovation center is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
PUBLIC SAFETY
[return to top of this report]
NENA Board Approves i3 Standards for Next Generation 9-1-1 Services
The US National Emergency Number Association (NENA) announced that its Executive Board has approved an end-state architectural vision for Next Generation 9-1-1
services in the United States, which the NENA board hailed as “one of the most significant milestones on the road to deployment of Next Generation 9-1-1 systems nation-wide.” The Board has also approved a number of directives for additional Technical
Development review. The document, commonly known as the i3 standard lays out a detailed architecture for key elements of NG9-1-1 systems. It explains how networks and devices will eventually work together to enable voice, text, picture, and data exchange
between citizens and first responders.
Source: NENA, 6/20/2011
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
[return to top of this report]
Report: US Building Cyber War Games Network
Reuters reported that the US government is building its own “scale model” of the Internet to carry out cyber war games. Several organizations, including the defense company Lockheed Martin, are working on prototypes of the “virtual firing range,” according to the report. The new system would allow researchers to simulate attacks by foreign powers and from hackers based inside the US.
Reuters reported more than $500 million has been allocated by the US Department of Defense to develop cyber technologies. The scale model Internet project – dubbed The National Cyber Range – is being overseen by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).
Source: Reuters, 6/22/2011
First Federal CIO Leaving White House Post for Harvard
The US government’s first chief information officer is leaving his post. Vivek Kundra served as US CIO in the Obama White House for two-and-a-half years, presiding
over a transition to cloud-based services at federal agencies and the loosening of restrictions on devices that can be used by federal employees. Kundra will be leaving for Harvard University in mid-August to serve as a joint fellow at the Kennedy School
and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. A replacement for Kundra has not yet been named.
Source: White House, 6/20/2011
DHS Addressing Critical Infrastructure Security
After reviewing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) framework for securing critical infrastructure and key resources, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that DHS is taking action to address overlapping security activities by clarifying roles and responsibilities with other regulatory agencies. The GAO also said DHS is making progress in
addressing gaps in infrastructure security.
Source: GAO, 5/19/2011
DHS Launches Risk Management Strategy for DNS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rolled out a risk management strategy for
the Domain Name Resolution Services naming system. The strategy, which is designed to help networks rebound after a cyber attack, provides approaches to mitigate risks.
Source: DHS, 6/21/2011
FCC Fines Four Telephone Companies for “Cramming”
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a total of $11.7 million in penalties against four companies that appear to have unlawfully billed tens of thousands of consumers for unauthorized charges a
practice known as “cramming.” The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued Notices of Apparent Liability last week to four companies for allegedly charging thousands of consumers for long distance service that they had not ordered. The companies targeted in the FCC
notices are: Main Street Telephone ($4,200,000); VoiceNet Telephone, LLC ($3,000,000); Cheap2Digital Telephone, LLC ($3,000,000); and Norristown Telephone, LLC ($1,500,000). The unlawful billing appears to have continued for months. According to the FCC
Enforcement Bureau, only one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of consumers in two of the cases reviewed actually used the additional services for which they were being charged. All of the firms appear to be managed by or associated with a company called Adept
Results, which has offices in Washington, Missouri and in Pennsylvania. “Cramming” occurs when a company places charges on a consumer’s phone bill without authorization. These “mystery fees” typically range from $1.99 to as much as $19.99 per month. They
are often buried in multi-page phone bills and have misleading labels that make it difficult for a consumer to detect them. In addition to levying fines on the four companies, the FCC released an Enforcement Advisory on cramming.
Source: FCC, 6/20/2011
GAO Says Strengthened Biological/Chemical Risk Assessments Needed
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was called upon to review how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS)
coordinate on the development of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents risk assessments. In its analysis, the GAO suggested that the DHS establish milestones to ensure
interagency agreement on written procedures for development of DHS’s CBRN risk assessments. The GAO also recommended that HHS develop written procedures for obtaining interagency input into its modeling reports.
Source: GAO, 6/21/2011
Sea-based Threats Need More Assessment: GAO
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed the Department of Defense’s (DOD) role in maritime domain awareness, the identification of sea-based threats and providing ship
commanders with the necessary information to make security decisions. After conducting interviews, visiting maritime facilities, and reviewing documents, the GAO suggested that the DOD develop a
strategy for maritime domain awareness and perform risk-based analysis.
Source: GAO, 6/20/2011
GAO Says Military to Provide Better Clarity for Cyberspace Ops
Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessed the roles that the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Cyber Command play in defining relationships and responsibilities for military services in regards to cyber warfare and computer network threats. The GAO reported that the DOD should set a
timeline for developing guidance regarding Cyber Command and its service components’ cyberspace operations.
Source: GAO, 5/20/2011
GAO Conducts Security Assessments at Airports
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently performed onsite assessments at selected airports with general aviation operations to determine what physical security measures they have in place to prevent
unauthorized access. The GAO identified potential vulnerabilities at most of the 10 general aviation airports that could allow unauthorized access to aircraft or airport facilities. The Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) has indicated that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will work closely with the aviation community to address these vulnerabilities.
Source: GAO, 5/20/2011
LightSquared Proposes Moving to Different Spectrum
In the face of an engineering advisory group’s report recommending that the Federal Communications Commission rescind approval for LightSquared‘s proposed network because it
would cripple GPS communications for emergency responders and commercial users, the broadband provider has proposed a new plan for the combination wireless/satellite 4 G network.
According to LightSquared, another 10MHz block of spectrum located further away from GPS frequencies “greatly reduces the risk of GPS interference.” LightSquared plans to move to the other frequency block now, rather than over the next few years – its
original plan. Critics are not happy with the proposal. “LightSquared’s supposed solution is nothing but a ‘Hail Mary’ move,” said Jim Kirkland, a founding member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which originally
raised awareness of the interference issue. Kirkland said the move to a different block of spectrum would still interfere with many critical GPS receivers. The FCC has not commented. A hearing on the GPS interference issue scheduled for this week has been
postponed.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
NIST Releases Asset Reporting Spec
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published Specification for the Asset Reporting Format 1.1, identified as NISTIR
7694. The Asset Reporting Format (ARF) is a data model for expressing the transport format of information about assets and the relationships between assets and reports.
Source: NIST, 6/21/2011
Pentagon to Receive Cyberwar Strategy
The Pentagon has received orders from the White House on the extent that military forces can use cyber tactics and attacks against America’s enemies, according to an AP report. The strategy is similar to those that use other weapons of war like missiles and nuclear bombs and demonstrates that “cyber” is the new warfare domain. The entire guideline is expected to be released by the
Pentagon in the coming weeks and will provide information on how the government can proceed in the event of a cyber attack.
Source: AP, 6/22/2011
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
[return to top of this report]
Microsoft Word Contains Critical Security Flaw
A flaw in Microsoft Word could be exploited to corrupt memory via a specially crafted document, resulting in the execution of arbitrary code. The vulnerability has been confirmed in version 10.6866.6870, but no
fix has been made available at this time.
Source: Secunia, 6/17/2011
Three Earlier Microsoft Bulletins Get Vendor Update
Microsoft updated several security bulletins, two from earlier this month. One bulletin, which has been deemed “important,” resolves
an issue in XML Editor and was updated to provide replacement information for Microsoft InfoPath 2007 and the Systems Management Server detection information for SQL Server. A second “critical” bulletin pertains to a flaw in Windows, and the update adds a link to a Knowledge Base Article 2536276 under Known Issues in the Executive Summary. Another bulletin, which is from April and considered “critical,” corrected bulletin replacement information for .NET Framework.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Microsoft Gives WebGL Thumbs Down for Security Concerns
Microsoft released a report detailing why it has chosen to refuse the usage of the WebGL protocol in any of its products. WebGL is a 3D graphics API for the Web which has already been adopted by Google and other industry players. According to Microsoft, WebGL would “have difficulty passing [its] Security Development Lifecycle requirements”. Microsoft’s reasons for this determination include the fact that it
believes WebGL exposes a system’s hardware functionality to the Web in a way that is “overly permissive”; the fact that browsers support security servicing responsibility lies with third parties; and possibility of denial of service (DoS) attacks using
attacker-supplied shaders and geometry to clog a system’s graphics processor. The full report is available at Microsoft’s Tech Net blog.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
Mozilla Fixes Thunderbird, Firefox
Mozilla released six advisories for reported flaws in Thunderbird and Firefox. Users should update to Firefox version 3.6.18 and Thunderbird version 3.1.11.
Source: Secunia, 6/21/2011
Sophos Issues Advisory, Fixes Issues with Products
Sophos released an advisory for its Anti-Virus and Endpoint Security and Control products. Users are instructed to read the advisory
and apply any necessary updates.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
[return to top of this report]
ADT’s Video Surveillance Is Cisco Certified
ADT has achieved Premier Certification and Video Surveillance Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) status from Cisco in Canada. To earn Premier Certification, ADT had to meet
specific standards for networking competency, service, support, and customer satisfaction set forth by Cisco.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
Avigilon Boosts Safety for Toronto Blue Jays Fans
Avigilon‘s HD Surveillance System has been deployed at Rogers Centre, a 50,000-seat capacity multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue and home to the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Canada. Nineteen Avigilon HD
16MP cameras cover the entire seating bowl while a mix of Avigilon HD 1MP, 2MP, 5MP, 11MP, and 16MP cameras monitor the building’s exterior.
Source: Vendor, 6/16/2011
Axis Communications Introduces Video Surveillance Tools
Axis Communications rolled out Design Tool 2 and Coverage Shapes, two offerings intended to help system designers with the planning and layout of video surveillance systems. Both tools are free of charge and can be
accessed at the Axis Web site.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
Dell SecureWorks to Resell Qualys Vulnerability Mgmt Services
Dell SecureWorks and Qualys announced an agreement to focus on delivering vulnerability management services, worldwide. SecureWorks will integrate, manage, and re-sell QualysGuard security and compliance
services for vulnerability management, Web application scanning, PCI compliance, and policy compliance services. The managed service provides operational support to configure technology, map assets, and schedule scans, and can review results. Customers of
SecureWorks’ current vulnerability management services will be migrated to the new VMS service.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
Comments Sought for New Commerce Department Cybersecurity Report
The Department of Commerce‘s Internet Policy Task Force is requesting comments on a report that proposes voluntary codes of conduct to strengthen the cybersecurity of companies that rely on the Internet to do
business, but are not part of the critical infrastructure sector. Cybersecurity, Innovations and the Internet Economy focuses on businesses that range from small and medium
enterprises and firms with online services, to social networking sites and Internet-only business, to cloud computing firms that are subject to cyber attacks.
Source: NIST, 6/21/2011
Russia Was Tops in Spam Production for May, Kaspersky Reports
Kaspersky Lab‘s May 2011 spam report noted that spam volume for the month increased by 2.1 percentage points and that a surge in the
number of messages was detected exploiting the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. According to the report, Russia is the world leader in terms of the quantity of malware found in emails detected by antivirus programs, while the US is in second place. The
most widespread malware distributed via email during the month of May was the Trojan-Spy program Trojan-Spy.HTML.Fraud.gen.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Kaspersky Report: Companies See Malware as Biggest Security Threat
According to a new report from Kaspersky Lab, the most common security threat to companies comes in the form of
viruses, spyware, and other malicious programs. More than 1,300 IT professionals in 11 countries were surveyed for “Global IT Security Risks,” and 31% of them said that malware attacks resulted in some form of data loss, with 10% of companies reporting the
loss of sensitive business data. The report found that only 70% of companies have implemented anti-malware protection fully across their businesses; 3% admitted having no protection at all.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
McAfee Adds New Mobile Security Offerings
Mobile Security and WaveSecure Tablet Edition are two new additions to the McAfee mobile device portfolio. McAfee Mobile Security software, available for both smartphones and tablets, combines three other security
products (WaveSecure, VirusScan Mobile and SiteAdvisor )to protect data and privacy in the event of loss or theft while deflecting viruses and spyware. The WaveSecure Tablet Edition offers Android users with WiFi the ability to find their missing device
with alarm and location tracking, prevent misuse with remote lock, and wipe and preserve personal data with remote backup.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
McAfee’s Security Management Gets a Facelift
McAfee added new features to its Security Management portfolio. These enhancements include automated and real-time reporting analytics, the ability to analyze the impact of potential risks, and the monitoring of key
security program operations.
Source: Vendor, 6/20/2011
McAfee Promotes Internet Safety for Kids with New Campaign
InternetSafety.com, a part of McAfee, announced a campaign to help parents discuss the dangers of the Internet with their children. It has developed the Internet Safety Gameplan, a family contract focused on using
the Internet safely.
Source: Vendor, 6/16//2011
Morpho’s Baggage Detection System Gets Nod from EU
Morpho Detection‘s medium speed CTX 5800 hold baggage explosives detection system (EDS) has been approved by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) as meeting European Union (European Union) Standard 3 requirements. The CTX 5800 is also certified by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Morpho’s Itemiser DX Gains Approval from 5 Global Agencies
Morpho Detection‘s Itemiser DX has been approved by five global regulatory agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Israeli Prime Minister’s
Office, the Italian Department of Transport, the UK Department for Transport, and the UK Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB). Itemiser DX is also available in a commercial version to help protect intermodal transportation modes, industrial
and high-risk government and commercial facilities and locations.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Liquid Explosives Detection System will be Ready for 2013 Deadline
Morpho Detection announced that its XDi X-ray diffraction-based (XRD) screening technology is under development for 2013 deployment in time to meet the European Union’s (European Union) requirement to detect liquid explosives, and their components, in passengers’ carry-on bags at the checkpoint. XDi is being developed at a Morpho facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Morpho’s CTX 5800 Technology to Deploy in Mauritius
China State Construction Engineering, the main contractor for Mauritius International Airport, has chosen Morpho Detection‘s CTX 5800 to be deployed with the airport’s new baggage handling system. Mauritius
Airport will use the CTX 5800 as an explosives detection application in its new baggage handling system and terminal building, currently under construction.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Study Highlights Widespread Workplace Use of Personal Devices
The 2011 Consumerized IT Security Survey from Proofpoint revealed that 84% of organizations are allowing employees to use “consumerized IT” such as iPads, iPhones, social media, and instant messaging to conduct business communications. However, in terms of
security, 73% of those polled said they are using a combination of policy and trust, 51% have implemented strategies that leverage policy, technology and trust, and 11% are relying on “employee good judgment” alone. Eighty-nine percent of organizations
that allow consumerized IT in the workplace say that the iPhone and iPad are the most-used mobile devices, while 49% said that Facebook is the most used social media platform.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
New Emergency Service Mobile App Available from Securitas
Securitas Security Services launched Securitas SOS, a mobile application that provides emergency services. Triggered by the user or automatically detected with a fall or impact, Securitas SOS deploys emergency
services to the user’s location and notifications are sent to a pre-set list of contacts.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Securitas Encourages Safe Travel with New Mobile App
Securitas Security Services has developed, in cooperation with two other companies, a mobile travel assistance application, Safe Trip, which is available from Apple‘s App Store
and the Android Market. Safe Trip is a travel guide that assists travelers by informing them about particular risks that may occur during their journey.
Source: Vendor, 6/17/2011
Trend Micro Releases Beta Version of Titanium 2012
The public beta of Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012 has been released. Titanium 2012 includes security protection for social networking and cloud technology to deflect viruses, malware, and
botnets.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
UTC’s Flame, Gas Detection System Gains Certification
The Eagle Quantum Premier (EQP) Safety System from Det-Tronics has earned certification to NFPA 72: 2010. Det-Tronics is a business of UTC Fire & Security. The EQP System provides flame and gas detection,
alarm signaling, notification, extinguishing agent release, and deluge operation.
Source: Vendor, 6/14/2011
SERVERS
[return to top of this report]
Cisco Provides UCS Platform for GTS Cloud Services
Cisco Systems deployed its Unified Computing System as the new server platform to help GTS Central Europe provision cloud-based infrastructure services. The platform should provide processing, storage, network, and
other computing infrastructure resources, and will allow GTS to virtualize its data center architecture, scaling it as necessary. Services will be offered for GTS customers in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
HP Introduces Switches and Servers for SMBs
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced new SMB products, including Web-managed switches and ProLiant entry level servers, for supporting Web messaging, small databases, file and print services, small vertical and IT
infrastructure applications. HP also announced it added 40 training centers to its global HP Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs, a program for micro-enterprises and SMBs. Since 2007, HP has invested more than $20 million in the program.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
HP to Provide Servers for Energy, Astrophysics Research
Hewlett-Packard was selected to provide ProLiant servers to drive critical research and discovery for Eni of Italy and the University of Hamburg, Germany, to drive areas of research into energy and astrophysics.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
IBM Unveils New Analytics Appliance for Big Data Needs
IBM unveiled a new analytics appliance designed to let businesses analyze up to 10 petabytes of data in “a matter of seconds”. The so called IBM Netezza High Capacity Appliance was created to let customers uncover
patterns and trends from large data sets while meeting compliance mandates, IBM says. The Netezza appliance is based on IBM BladeCenter technology, and is capable of running 24 hours a day at a lower cost of ownership than competing products, according to
the company. More information about this new offering is available from the IBM Netezza Web site.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
[return to top of this report]
Verizon, Consert Smart Grid Pilot Project Declared A Success
Verizon Wireless and Consert, an intelligent load management technology company, announced early results from smart grid pilot projects with Texas-based Bluebonnet
Electric Cooperative and Pedernales Electric Cooperative, both of which are in partnership with the Lower Colorado River Authority. Consert’s Virtual Peak Plant Solution uses Verizon Wireless’ 3G and 4G LTE networks to provide real-time communication from
a consumer’s electric meter to the Consert data center. The product “proved to be effective in tests conducted during the state’s severe winter weather events in February and high daily temperatures in May,” Consert said.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
SMARTPHONES
[return to top of this report]
Mobile Data Usage Soars in US while Cost Drops
Mobile data consumed on smartphones is up an average of 89% in the US, due in large part to the average cost of data per megabyte falling by 46%, according to new research from the Nielsen Company. “Smartphone
owners – especially those with iPhones and Android devices – are consuming more data than ever before on a per-user basis,” wrote Don Kellogg, a senior manager for Nielsen’s telecom research and insights team, in a report on the group’s findings. “This has huge implications for carriers since the proportion of smartphone owners is also increasing dramatically.” Currently, about 37% of all cellphone subscribers
in the US are using smartphones, Kellogg said. Data usage for the top 10% of smartphone users has increased an average of 109%, while the top 1% has produced an average spike of 155%, over the same 12-month period, he said. The average smartphone user pays
about 8 cents per megabyte, down from 14 cents per megabyte a year earlier, Kellogg said.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Nokia Unveils N9 Smartphone; Restates Commitment to Symbian
Nokia revealed its latest smartphone: the Nokia N9, an all-screen device with three home views and a new touchscreen user interface. It comes with NFC technology for sharing and pairing to accessories. The Nokia N9 is
based on the vendor’s Qt framework. Nokia also introduced three new feature phones: the Nokia C2-02, Nokia C2-03 and Nokia C2-06. All three models offer a new Web and maps interface for Series 40 phone users, as well as the choice of a touch screen or a
keypad. Nokia also restated its commitment to the Symbian mobile OS. This July, Nokia will start shipping Nokia N8s, E7s, C7s, and C6-01s with the new Symbian Anna software update. By the end of August, existing owners of these devices can also download
Symbian Anna. Over the next 12 months, Nokia plans to bring up to 10 new Symbian-based smartphones to market. It has not yet announced specific devices coming out of its expanded alliance with Microsoft.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
Telecom New Zealand Announces Launch of HTC Wildfire S, Sensation
Telecom New Zealand announced the upcoming launch of the HTC Sensation and HTC Wildfire S. The Sensation features an ergonomically curved 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon
processor, 8MP camera with dual LED flash, 1080p video recording, and 1GB of internal storage. All of this is running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The phone will retail for NZ$1099. The more budget-minded Wildfire S features a 3.2 inch touch screen,
600MHz processor, 5MP camera, and also runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It will retail for NZ$599. Pre-orders for both devices are open now, with launches expected in early July.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
STREAMING MEDIA
[return to top of this report]
DISH Network Expands Online Videos with Turner Broadcasting Deal
DISH Network announced the addition of several new channels to its dishonline.com Web site. The content, made available by an agreement with Turner Broadcasting, includes
shows from Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and truTV. All content will be available on the site within 24 hours of airing on television. Customers will also be able to access videos from these three channels by visiting the channels’ own Web sites and logging
in using their DISH Network user info.
Source: Vendor, 6/18/2011
VOICE PROCESSING
[return to top of this report]
PAETEC Introduces Visual Messaging Service
Competitive local exchange carrier PAETEC has launched its new Visual Messaging service, which integrates enterprise voicemail systems with smartphone and tablet devices. The service transcribes voicemail to text,
and both the audio file and transcription of the message are presented visually on a user’s Android, Apple, or Blackberry device, eliminating the need to dial into voicemail systems. Users can then review, reply, or forward the transcribed voicemail
messages. PAETEC’s Visual Messaging software can be integrated directly with a firm’s existing enterprise voicemail system such as Cisco, Nortel, or Avaya, or be hosted by PAETEC in the cloud through its fault-tolerant data centers. PAETEC Visual Messaging
is the result of the 2011 acquisition of the Boston-based mobile applications provider, Iperia. PAETEC offers voice and data services to business-class customers in 86 of the top 100 metropolitan areas in the US.
Source: Vendor, 6/22/2011
VOIP
[return to top of this report]
Lightyear Launches Hosted VoIP Service
Lightyear Network Solutions announced that it has expanded its network services portfolio by launching a new Hosted VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) product. Lightyear’s Cloud-Based Voice Services is targeted
at small and medium-sized businesses, and offers integration from customers’ traditional PBX (Private Branch Exchange), Key, or other existing telephone systems to its cloud-based system.
Source: Vendor, 6/23/2011
WEB COMMERCE
[return to top of this report]
AOL Adds 5 More Members to IAB Portrait Digital Ad Users
AOL announced that its Pictela, a high-definition content distribution platform, formed a partnership with FOXNews.com, Meredith Corporation, Variety, The Wall Street Journal Digital
Network, and The Weather Channel’s weather.com to deploy IAB Portrait format ads across their digital networks. AOL says that, since the launch of the IAB Portrait ad format, it has seen a 236% increase in user engagement, with users spending an average
of 47 seconds with the IAB Portrait. This new list of companies joins Advertising.com and Hearst Magazines Digital Media in adopting the new format.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
WIRELESS
[return to top of this report]
Nokia Siemens to Provide Broadband for Australian Rails
Nokia Siemens Networks was commissioned by WESTbahn – a railway operator in Austria – to equip its luxury trains along the route between Salzburg and Vienna with always-on broadband and other online
services, by year’s end. The Wi-Fi technology will be used by passengers, as well as by the staff monitoring the cars and onboard equipment.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
Telstra Launches Ultimate Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
Telstra launched what it is calling the world’s fastest 3G hotspot, the Telstra Ultimate Mobile Wi-Fi. The battery-powered hotspot connects to the carrier’s Next G mobile broadband network, and shares the data with
up to 5 devices over Wi-Fi. Download speeds range from 1.1Mbps to 20Mbps, with the higher speeds only being accessible in Ultimate coverage areas such as Australia’s capital city CBDs and associated airports, certain metropolitan areas, and 100 regional
centres. Telstra business customers can purchase the device now, while private customers will have to wait until July 19. The Telstra Ultimate Mobile Wi-Fi is available on a range of plans starting at $0 upfront with a $49 per month subscription.
Source: Vendor, 6/21/2011
©2011 Faulkner Information Services
|