News Briefs for the Week Ending
07/08/2011
Copyright 2011, Faulkner Information Services. All Rights Reserved.
Docid:00020009
Publication Date: 1107
Publication Type: NEWS
ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES
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AT&T Completes Acquisition of Cincinnati-area Cellular Partnerships
AT&T said it has completed the acquisition of Convergys‘ minority interests in the Cincinnati SMSA Limited Partnership and an associated cell tower holding company for
approximately $320 million USD. Its decision to purchase Convergys’ minority stake was driven by financial and operational considerations, the company said. Because AT&T acquired minority interests in partnerships it already controlled, regulatory
approvals for the transaction were not required.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
BMC Software Acquires Aeroprise, Releases New Mobility Product
BMC Software acquired Aeroprise, makers of the mobility portions of its BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite. The purpose of the solution, which will now be known as the BMC Mobility for IT Service Management, is to
support professionals, reduce IT costs, and improve customer service. The updated product is now compatible with iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, and Windows Mobile devices. BMC says the acquisition will also help it expand its overall position in the IT
managemant marketplace. No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Capgemini to Acquire 100% of Italian IT Firm, The AIVE Group
Capgemini acquired 100% of the AIVE Group, an Italian IT service provider. The company was purchased from 3 primary private equity funds (Emerald, Fidia, and Athena Private Equity) as well as AIVE’s own
management. Capgemini says the acquisition will allow it to strengthen its application portfolio and Software as a Services (SaaS) offerings in Italy. The transaction will be completed for a total purchase price of EUR 42.9 million, which will be financed
by Capgemini’s net cash. Italian anti-trust authorities have already given the deal conditional approval.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
eBay to Acquire Mobile Billing Company
eBay signed an agreement to acquire Zong, a provider of mobile billing technology. eBay plans to use the company’s technology, and its connections with more than 250 mobile carriers, to enhance its own PayPal payment service. Zong’s technology allows a customers to pay for an item or service by entering their mobile phone number. The account is then tracked back to the user’s carrier, which will include the charge on the
customer’s next bill. eBay plans to integrate a similar option into PayPal to expand the methods of payment available to users. The acquisition will cost eBay approximately $240 million when it closes during the third quarter of the year.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Infor and Golden Gate Capital Close Acquisition of Lawson Software
Infor in collaboration with Golden Gate Capital, completed its acquisition of Lawson Software. The purchase will be made for a total of $11.25 per share in cash, without interest, and less any applicable taxes.
Following the merger, Lawson has been combined with SoftBrands, an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital and Infor. The companies says the addition of Lawson will allow for sharing and integration of technology, as well as joint products, marketing, and
distribution agreements. The first products of this new joint venture are expected to be Lawson S3 and Infor FMS SunSystems Enterprise, two software titles to launch later this year.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
NTT Subsidiary Buys Cloud Company Dimension Data
NTT Communications‘ subsidiary Dimension Data has acquired OpSource, an enterprise cloud company. Financial terms of the
acquisition were not released. When the deal closes, OpSource will become part of Dimension Data’s new Data Cloud Solutions business unit. The new unit will report directly to Dimension Data’s CEO, Brett Dawson.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Sophos Acquires Astaro
Sophos completed the acquisition of Astaro, a network security vendor. The move, which was announced in May, will enable Sophos to integrate Astaro’s network security offerings with its own threat detection.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
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Fujitsu, Kagawa Researching Smartphones for Special Needs
Fujitsu and Kagawa University are conducting research to look into the potential for smartphones to provide lifestyle and educational support to children with special needs. Smartphones with Fujitsu-developed
software will be provided on loan to teachers, caretakers, and guardians between now and March 31, 2012, after which time a research team will analyze the software’s effectiveness based on observations of its use by children, as well as surveys and
interviews.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Infor Forms Partnership with Catalyst Business Solutions in EMEA
Infor announced a new partnership with Catalyst Business Solutions. The purpose of the collaboration is to allow Catalyst to market, implement, train, and provide professional services in support of Infor’s ERP LN,
ERP VISUAL, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Performance Management (PM) solutions in the EMEA region. Infor believes its new ally will aid it in expanding its market share in the region. The companies will focus on attracting new small and medium
sized organizations through Catalysts 9 offices throughout the EMEA region.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Lenovo and NEC Launch New Joint Venture Company
Lenovo and NEC launched their new NEC Lenovo Japan joint venture. It includes three companies – Lenovo NEC Holdings, NEC Personal Computers, and Lenovo Japan – and will have a
presence in both the commercial/government sector and in consumer sales, with approximately a 25 percent stake in Japan’s PC market. NEC has received $175 million USD, through an issue of Lenovo shares. It will be 51 percent Lenovo-owned and 49 percent
NEC-owned.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Microsoft Signs Patent Licensing Agreement for Android and Chrome Tech
Microsoft signed a fourth contract in its recent spate of patent licensing agreements, this time with Wistron Corp. Like the previous deals, this agreement gives Wistron broad coverage for its tablets, mobile
phones, e-readers, and other consumer electronics using Android-based technology. However, this time Microsoft has also included the Chrome platform. Given that both Chrome and Android are Google products, this contract
surpasses even its predecessors in oddity. As usual, the terms of this agreement were not disclosed, except for the fact that Microsoft will be collecting royalties as a result of its signing.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Microsoft Signs Third Patent Agreement for Android Technology
Microsoft signed a patent agreement with Onkyo, licensing its intellectual property for use on Android-based tablets. This is the third agreement of this type that Microsoft has signed in recent weeks. Like the
previous two, specific terms were not disclosed, other than the fact that Microsoft will be receiving some form of royalties as part of the agreement.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
NEC and Lenovo Launch New Joint PC Manufacturing Group in Japan
NEC and Lenovo announced the launch of a new joint company, NEC Lenovo Japan Group. According to the two participants the new organization will instantly be the largest PC
manufacturer in Japan, accounting for more than 25% of the countries total PC market. The group will include three separate companies: Lenovo NEC Holdings BV; NEC Personal Computers Ltd; and Lenovo Japan Ltd. As part of the transaction, NEC received a
total of $175 million in Lenovo shares from its new partner. NEC Lenovo Japan Group will be 51% owned by Lenovo and 49% owned by NEC. Roderick Lappin, President of Lenovo Japan will become executive chairman of the new organization, while Hideyo Takasu,
President and representative director of NEC Personal Computers, will serve as its President and CEO. The Lenovo and NEC brands will remain separate, and will be sold through their respective sales channels.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
NSN to Launch Wireless Smart Lab in Skolkovo, Russia
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is working Skolkovo – Russia’s Foundation for Development of the Center of Research and Commercialization of New Technologies – to establish a new Smart Lab, within its
Skolkovo Innovation hub, and to expand a research and development team focused on wireless technologies. The NSN Smart Lab will collaborate with Russian operators, handset manufacturers, and Internet and handset applications developers. It will also play a
role in NSN’s Russian University Cooperation program, for supporting development of public research and educational infrastructure. The groups will establish a Wireless Competence Center at the Lobachevskii Institute, University of Nizhni Novgorod. The
news follows a January MoU between the two parties.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Telia Sonera Signs with France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom for M2M
Telia Sonera signed a cooperation agreement with France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to increase the quality of service and
interoperability of their respective machine-to-machine (M2M) communications networks. The document was signed by the latter two participants in February 2011, with Telia Sonera only recently having joined. The terms of the agreement included geographical
coverage for France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and the UK. The addition of Telia Sonera will now bring Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania into the contract as well. The companies say the agreement will enhance
continuous connection quality, network interoperability, and improve the process of trouble-shooting in the event of a technical breakdown.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
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KDDI Says Mobile Phone Service Restored
Japanese telecom KDDI reported that, as of June 30, it has restored full “au” mobile phone service in the areas ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Northeast Japan. KDDI provides mobile cellular services under the “au by KDDI” brand. Mobile phone services in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures
have been restored to the same level as before the earthquake, excluding limited areas of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, the company said. KDDI also said it is taking measures to strengthen facilities so as to better enable early area recovery in times of
major disasters
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
CARRIER SERVICES
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CenturyLink Completes New Mexico Broadband Investment Project
CenturyLink announced it has completed a $258 million capital investment project in New Mexico that it agreed to as part of the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission approving its acquisition of Qwest
Communications. CenturyLink closed the Qwest acquisition in April. The carrier said the New Mexico project – which included expanding its broadband network – was completed early and was $3 million above the amount required under terms of its deal with
regulators. CenturyLink also said its broadband service now reaches 85 percent of New Mexico residents – including 75% of customers in rural areas.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Cincinnati Bell Launches 4G Network, Ascend Smartphone
Regional carrier Cincinnati Bell has launched its 4G wireless network, which it says supports speeds “twice as fast” as national wireless companies. It also introduced the Huawei Ascend X 4G smartphone, which
runs under Android 2.2 and has a 1GHz processor. Cincinnati Bell’s 4G wireless network encompasses the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area; agreements with national wireless companies enable its customers to access 4G networks outside of Cincinnati.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
PCCW Announces Plans to Carry WarnerTV Linear Channel in Hong Kong
PCCW announced an agreement between its Now TV service and Warner Bros. International Branded Services which will see the WarnerTV linear channel added to its Hong Kong television lineup. The 24-hour general
entertainment network features TV series and movies from Warner Bros own holdings that are specifically geared towards Asian audiences, the company says. The channel is modeled after the company’s Warner Channel, which has been available for some time in
Latin America.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Rogers Launches LTE Network in Ottawa
Rogers Communications announced the commercial launch of Canada’s first Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, bringing the broadband wireless technology to the Ottawa region. Rogers also announced that network rollout
to Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal will occur this Fall, and that LTE-enabled smartphones from Samsung and HTC will be available later this year.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Telstra Launches New Status Page for Outages and Natural Disasters
Telstra launched a new Web site designed to inform its users of the status of its network during major outages and natural disasters. The site was conceived
following the Austral summer of 2010/11, which saw an unusually large number of natural disasters hit the region. The Web site allows users to enter a postal code to be presented with information on any outages or disaster-related difficulties the network
might be facing in that area. The status page is accessible from a desktop browser, or any mobile device with an HTTP-enabled browser.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Vodafone Launches New Self-Branded Channel for Android Market
Vodafone launched a new self-branded channel in the Android Market found on its devices. The channel will offer customers a frequently updated selection of app and services, as well as news, sports scores, weather,
and more. All products will originate from Vodafone’s global and local partnerships, and will be offered on a free or discounted basis. The new Vodafone channel is now live in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. Launches in Greece, Ireland,
and Portugal will follow shortly.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Windstream Deploys Ethernet Internet Service in New Markets
Windstream announced it is introducing Ethernet Internet service to 11 new markets: Akron, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Wichita, Kansas; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; northwest
Arkansas; Augusta, Georgia; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Mobile, Alabama. Delivering speeds up to 1 Gbps, Windstream’s Ethernet Internet service can be used in conjunction with its base of MPLS Networking Solutions, including VPN or Virtual LAN
services.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
CHIP TECHNOLOGY
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IBM Announces Breakthrough in Stable Multi-PCM Memory Storage
IBM announced a breakthrough that allows it to use phase change memory (PCM) to store multiple data bits per cell over extended periods of time. Previously, attempts at using PCM were met with difficulties such as
resistance level shifts and short-term drift in multi-PCM units. IBM said its has solved these issues by applying advanced modulation coding techniques to allow for the operation of multi-PCM units with "complete stability." According to the
company, this discovery could lead to cheaper, faster, and more durable memory for use in mobile devices and cloud storage. IBM said it plans to continue to study the new form of memory at its Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center, with hopes to
eventually apply the technology to consumer and enterprise-level electronics.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
CLOUD COMPUTING
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Oracle Launches Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.3, iPad App
Oracle announced the launch of its Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) 3.3 and an accompanying iPad application. VDI 3.3 includes an
enhanced administration portal, role-based access control, support for Oracle Linux, and performance enhancements. Oracle says the new platform also supports a simplified installation procedure. The accompanying iPad app allows users to access their
deployments on both VDI 3.3, as well as deployments on Oracle’s Sun Ray Software. The app supports a wide range of enterprise applications, including network-intensive applications, and full desktop browsers. The Oracle Virtual Desktop Client App for iPad
can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Zoho Releases Zoho Invoice to Zoho Books Migration Tool
Zoho announced the opening of its planned Zoho Invoice to Zoho Books migration. The transition program will allow users of the company’s invoicing solution to upgrade to its full-fledged accounting solution. Although
Zoho Books has been available for some time, the company said it was still receiving large quantities of requests to create a simple migration tool to transfer users’ data to the accounting
software. Zoho says, if the tool is a success, it will create migration tools for some of its other applications as well.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS & EQUIPMENT
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Alcatel-Lucent Deploying IP Network for China Telecom
Fierce Telecom reported that China Telecom is the latest service provider to begin transitioning its existing PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) wireline
network to Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem. On completion, the new system supplied by Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell will deliver multimedia services to subscribers in six provinces: Shanghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Xinjiang, and Sichuan.
Source: Firece Telecom, 7/5/2011
Cisco to Extend Networking for City of Jacksonville
Cisco Systems signed an agreement with the city of Jacksonville, Florida, to develop networking capabilities to allow it to better support services, community assets, and information to create more of a connected
community, under Cisco’s Smart+Connected Communities initiative. Over the next 6-12 months, Cisco will pilot an Internet-based, connected community model to improve public safety and better deliver services to citizens.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
USAT Taps Encore for Rugged Routers
Data com equipment company Encore Networks announced that communications services company USAT has selected Encore’s IP+Legacy BANDIT line of VPN
“ruggedized” routers, which are designed for the public utilities market. USAT selected BANDIT to provide for the migration of serial SCADA functions over legacy networks to secure, encrypted, wireless IP networks. USAT is a privately-held company
headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Encore is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Hibernia Atlantic Extends Access to BATS Exchanges
Submarine cable network operator Hibernia Atlantic said its Global Financial Network (GFN) now provides access to the BATS Exchanges in the US and BATS Europe, operated by BATS Global Markets. BATS stands for Better Alternative Trading System. It is the third-largest stock exchange in the world by volume. Hibernia’s GFN can now provide traders from around the world the ability to
connect into the BATS markets from anywhere on the GFN network. Hibernia is also offering “Hibernia Secure,” a single interface to a secure, dedicated platform.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Juniper Provides Routers for iiNet Australian Backbone
Juniper Networks provided iiNet – an Australian DSL Internet services provider – with the routing technology to upgrade its backbone, and start a two-month trial of Juniper 100G interface cards, a first in the
Asia-Pacific market. iiNet delivers broadband, telephony, and IPTV services across its fixed network.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Nokia Siemens to Provide GPON for Bulgaria’s EVO
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is supplying GB passive optical network (GPON) technology to upgrade EVO’s bandwidth to accommodate new high-quality data services in Bulgaria. NSN will deploy customer
premise equipment for the service provider, giving EVO subscribers the option to connect Internet, IPTV, and legacy telephone services, simultaneously. It will also supply the optical line termination unit to consolidate traffic and services – such as
installation and maintenance – to EVO’s Fiber-to-the-Home infrastructure.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
ZTE Unveils “World’s First” LTE Micro Base Station
ZTE unveiled what it is calling the world’s first LTE micro base station. The new unit, dubbed the ZXSDR BS8920, is the world’s smallest commercially available LTE base station according to the company. The station
includes a 150Mbps capacity, 2X10W transmit power, and 2T4R modulation. ZTE also says the unit significantly lowers total cost of ownership thanks to its reduced hardware, power consumption, and deployment costs. The company hopes the new solution will
catch on with the urban and indoor hotspot markets.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
CONFERENCING
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Cisco to Provide Collaboration, Networking for Bloodhound
Cisco Systems announced it will provide video collaboration and networking technology for the development team at Bloodhound SSC, the project developing a supersonic car expected to break the land speed record. The
deployment includes the technology needed to launch Bloodhound’s Web TV channel, BHTV, and connectivity between its technical center and borderless office.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
CONSULTING & MANAGED SERVICES
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BT Signs National Connectivity Contract with Brazilian Post Office
BT signed a contract to provide nationwide connectivity to ECT- Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Tel‚grafos, the state-owned Brazilian Post Office and Telegraph Company. Under the terms of the agreement, BT will connect
more than 7000 sites across the country, including corporate, regional, and local branches. BT services will include a fully managed WAN solution, satellite links, and connections to its global MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) network. The agreement
has a 5-year duration and a total value of GBP 133.45 million.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
CA Launches New Role-Based Certification Program
CA launched a new role-based certification program, an extension of its existing accreditation program. The purpose of the program is to measure skill in “managing, administering, installing, configuring and implementing
select CA solutions by customers, partners and individuals.” The new certificate levels include Certified Administrator, which certifies competency in product and solution administration, basic configuration and security best practices, reporting, and
troubleshooting; Certified Business Analyst, which focuses on competency in practice application management, resource and scheduling management, and related user-level troubleshooting; and Certified Professional, which denotes competence in application
infrastructure, typical use cases, and optimization for administrators, business analysts, and end-users. More information is available at CA’s Exams page.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Ericsson to Manage Vodafone Italy Field Operations
Ericsson was selected to manage Vodafone Italy’s field operations for fixed, mobile access, and transmission networks, as well as fixed core network nodes. Ericsson will take over operations, and continue services
activities while maintaining its current network capacity. As part of the five-year contact, 300 Vodafone staff members were transferred to Ericsson. Ericsson already conducts managed services operations for Vodafone in other key markets such as in
Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
HP Extends Additional Support Services to BMW
HP Technology Services announced a five-year extension of its global agreement with the BMW Group, to
provide support services for the HP technology used by the German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and engines.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
CYBERCRIME
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Two More Energy Department Labs Fall Victim to Cyber Attacks
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL), based in Richland, WA, and Thomas Jefferson National Lab in Newport News,
VA have gone offline as a result of cyber attacks that hit both locations last week. A spokesman for PNNL said that no classified information had been breached, although the lab’s Web site, email, and Internet capabilities were not accessible. A similar
cyber assault on the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee occurred last April. In that case, an ORNL employee opened an email message that contained a malicious link and clicked on it, launching the
cyber attack.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
McAfee Research Points to North Korea in US, South Korea Cyber Attacks
In a report entitled “Ten Days of Rain,” McAfee reveals that cyber attacks on the US in 2009 and South Korea
this past March may have been a test run by North Korea’s military. Both DDoS attacks were destructive, according to the report but the March 2011 attack was more sophisticated because various encryption algorithms were used to change the code and attack
components in an effort to slow down the analysis.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Hackers Breach Fox News Twitter Account
The Twitter account for FoxNews.com was hacked on July 4, sending out several false tweets that President Obama had been assassinated. While the White House did not comment on the fake messages, the US Secret Service
has begun an investigation, according to the Associated Press.
Source: AP, 7/6/2011
DATA BREACHES
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Morgan Stanley Investors Learn of Data Breach
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has notified 34,000 investment clients that their sensitive information including names, addresses, account numbers, and some Social Security numbers have been breached.
The data was stored on two CDs that were password-protected but not encrypted and were mailed to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The disks containing the investor information have since gone missing. Credit.com obtained letters sent by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney notifying affected clients on June 24 of the possibility of a breach, 16 days after the state of New York warned the investment giant the data was lost.
Source: Credit.com, 7/6/2011
DBMS
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CA Receives Common Criteria Assurance Level 4+ on 2 Products
CA announced that two of its products, CA ACF2 r14 SP1 for z/OS and CA Top Secret r14 SP1 for z/OS, have received
Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ from the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme (CCEVS). The certification proves that the product has performed satisfactorily in testing related to
its functionality, development environment, documentation and product testing practices. The evaluations were handled by Booz Allen Hamilton‘s Common Criteria Testing Laboratory (CCTL).
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Fujitsu to Roll out Updated Symfoware DB Management
Fujitsu is preparing to release Symfoware Server Lite Edition v10, database management software that uses Fujitsu “smart” technology for easier deployment. This includes smart recovery technology, for automatically
troubleshooting to determine the cause of issues when they occur. The database system uses 1WAY servers. It was developed for the Japanese SMB. A processor license costs 600,000 JPY ($7,400 USD); a client license costs 18,000 JPY.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Sybase Launches Sybase IQ 15.3
Sybase launched Sybase IQ 15.3, the company’s latest product to use Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) technology. New features in this release include Sybase IQ PlexQ, a grid based MPP framework optimized for
multi-core systems; Distributed Query Processing, which allows users to execute individual queries across multiple machines; a built-in Web services API and Ruby-on-Rails language driver; a Multimedia API to integrate libraries of images, audio, video,
and other multimedia content; and a Web-based administration and monitoring interface. Sybase IQ 15.3 is available now.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
E-READERS & E-BOOKS
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South Korea Textbooks to Be All Digital by 2015
Singapore’s The Straits Times reported that South Korea plans to eliminate printed textbooks by 2015. South Korea’s Education Ministry has announced a 2.2 trillion won (US$2.4 billion) plan to digitalize all
textbooks by 2015. The textbook plan will be implemented in primary schools by 2014, and expanded to secondary and high schools the following year, according to the report. During the transition period, both printed and digital texts will be used. As part
of the Smart Education project, the government will build a cloud computing network, which will allow students to access the digital textbooks and store their homework through an Internet connection. The Education Ministry also plans to hold nationwide
academic tests online.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Adobe Launches “Switcher Program” to Attract New Video Editing Clients
Adobe introduced a new “Switcher Program” designed to persuade users of competing video editing software to trade it in for Adobe’s solutions. The program includes a 50% discount on AdobeCreative Suite CS5.5
Production Premium or Premiere Pro CS5.5 for customers who trade in a copy of Apple Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer. Some Adobe suite and point product customers will also qualify for the discounted prices. Adobe has set up a Web page with full details and eligibility requirements for the program.
Source: Vendor, 7/1/2011
SAP Releases SAP Sales OnDemand Solution
SAP announced the general availability of its new Sales OnDemand solution. Features include built-in social collaboration; real-time information
updates relevant to current opportunities and active accounts; mobile support for the BlackBerry, iPhone, and iPad platforms; and integration with the SAP Business Suite. The new solution is priced at $40 to $80 per user per month, and is available now in
Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
FINANCIAL
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Hawaiin Telecom Stock Begins Trading on NASDAQ
Hawaiian Telcom, which emerged from bankruptcy protection last year, announced that its common stock
began trading July 6 on NASDAQ under the symbol HCOM. The telecom’s President and CEO Eric K. Yeaman said “joining a prestigious exchange like NASDAQ, with some of the most respected technology companies in the world, is a strong validation of our progress
to date and serves as recognition of our financial stability.”
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
HTC Profits, Revenue Surge on Smartphone Demand
Taiwan-based mobile handset and tablet maker HTC announced its unaudited second quarter results. For the quarter ended June 30th, HTC’s profits soared to NT$17.52 billion (US$607.26 million) from NT$8.64 billion a year
earlier. Its second-quarter revenue more than doubled to NT$124.40 billion from NT$60.96 billion in the same period a year ago. HTC’s strong results were powered by consumers increasingly moving from mobile feature phones to smartphones.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
LightSquared Secures Additional Funding
LightSquared announced it has secured additional funding. The company – which proposes to roll out a new hybrid LTE/satellite broadband network next year that will offer wholesale services to other carriers,
and which is currently the focus of controversy over its network interfering with GPS signals – said it has raised $265 million from both existing and new investors, and that it plans to use the funds for general corporate purposes. Over the last 12
months, LightSquared has raised more than $2.3 billion.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Zynga to File $1 Billion IPO
Zynga announced plans for an initial public offering, The Wall Street Journal reported. The social gaming designers derive more than 94% of their entire revenue from the sale of
virtual goods in their Facebook games, such as Farmville and Cityville. This percentage was revealed when the company released its financials for the last four years since its founding. Also revealed was the fact that Zynga took in a total of $597 million
last year, with a net profit of $91 million. When compared to the $121 million in revenue and $53 million net loss suffered in 2009, the company’s growth is impressive. Zynga claims its plans to offer approximately $1 billion in stock for its IPO. However,
this number is just a placeholder with some estimations ranging as high as $2 billion. Predictions for the valuation of the company resulting from its IPO have range as high as $20 billion, the Journal said.
Source: WSJ, 7/7/2011
INDUSTRY GROUPS
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New Global Alliance Promotes Cybersecurity
The International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA) was established this week in London to focus on the fight against cybercrime. ICSPA is a nonprofit, business-led organization that will coordinate a global
and collaborative approach to deal with cybercriminal activity. McAfee and Trend Micro are among the founding members of ICSPA, and Europol is the group’s law enforcement partner.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
INTERNET
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AOL Launches Huffington Post UK
AOL launched Huffington Post UK, a localized British version of the company’s recently acquired news outlet. AOL says the site includes the same mix of original reporting,
aggregation, and user comments as its US counterpart. The site has also signed up a stable of celebrity bloggers to contribute news and opinion pieces, including Tony Blair, Ricky Gervais, and Tracey Ullman.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
LAPTOPS
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Acer Introduces New High-Definition Laptop Models
Acer International introduced new Gateway ID and NV series laptops, each with a 14-15-inch, high-definition display. They cost $529.99-$699.99 USD.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
LEGAL
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Apple Denied Injunction Against Amazon for Use of Appstore Title
Apple was denied its injunction against Amazon for the user of the title “Appstore” for its Android App marketplace, Reuters reported. The
judge in the case did not dismiss the complaint entirely, refusing to agree with Amazon’s assertion that the term “app store” is completely generic. However she did find that Apple has not provided adequate evidence to prove “a likelihood of confusion,”
between Amazon’s Appstore and its own, which was at the heart of its original complaint. The trial to decide the case is set for October 12, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Microsoft Admits it Would Provide User Data to Gov Under Patriot Act
PCWorld reported that Microsoft set off a fierce debate in the European Parliament after revealing that it would likely comply with any Patriot Act-based requests for
information stored on its cloud servers, even if the data originated in Europe. Microsoft further revealed that it would be compelled to conceal such a provision of customer data under the terms of the Patriot Act itself. It is actually the second
admission that has the Parliament up in arms, since it conflicts with the European Directive, a law which requires customers to be informed when a company provides their data to someone. A decision on how the EU will handle this conflict is expected to be
handed down shortly by EU Commissioner Viviane Reding, who is responsible for data protection.
Source: PCWorld, 7/5/2011
M2M
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Sprint Partners with Enterprise on M2M Fleet Manager
Sprint announced a new partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management to offer companies Mobile Resource Manager, a machine-to-machine (M2M) vehicle fleet
management solution. Mobile Resource Manager is Web-based and supports vehicle tracking and reporting, wireless job dispatching and time tracking, and built-in navigation.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
MALWARE WATCH
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Cisco: Today’s Cybercrime Is More Targeted
A new report from Cisco reveals that cybercriminals have made a fundamental shift in strategy, abandoning traditional mass spam attacks in favor of targeted
attacks.The report details how returns from mass email-based attacks declined by more than 50% from $1.1 billion USD in June 2010 to $500 million in June 2011. Mass spam volumes plummeted from 300 billion daily spam messages to just 40 billion between June
2010 and June 2011.The report also found that spearphishing attacks have increased threefold, while scams and malicious attacks have increased fourfold.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
June’s Malware Gives Rise to New Backdoor, More Drive-by Attacks
Kaspersky Lab released malware activity and statistics for the month of June, findings that documented the
domination of drive-by attacks like redirectors, script downloaders, and exploits. The report from Kaspersky also noted that a new malicious backdoor made its appearance in June – Backdoor.OSX.Olyx is designed to provide attackers with remote control of
victim machines.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Kaspersky Spots New Malware
Kaspersky Lab recently discovered a new piece of malware known as “Cidox.” This new malicious file infects the load area code of the boot partition on the hard drive. The master file Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Cidox has
two driver rootkits (Rootkit.Win32/Win64.Cidox).
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
PandaLabs Outlines Top Security Incidents in Q2
PandaLabs published its Quarterly Report for Q2, analyzing the IT security events and incidents from April through June 2011, which shows
that 42 new strains of malware were created every minute. In the past quarter, Trojans accounted for most of the new threats, comprising nearly 70% of all new malware created, followed by viruses (16%) and worms (11.6 %). In the ranking of the top 20
countries with the most infections, China, Thailand, and Taiwan occupied the top three spots while Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway were the least infected countries. The top security incidents throughout the quarter were those caused by the hacker groups
LulzSec and Anonymous; corporate breaches like those affecting RSA and Lockheed Martin; and the continuous attacks on Sony.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
SonicWALL Spots New Malicious Email Campaigns
SonicWALL researchers issued a warning regarding two malicious email campaigns that are currently circulating and mimic notices from credit card companies or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The emails both contain a downloader Trojan that infects computers and installs malware.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
MOBILE APPS
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Bing Releases Updated iPad App with New “Lasso” Search.
Bing released an updated Bing for iPad mobile app. The primary feature of the updated application is a new search method called “Lasso”. This feature allows a user browsing the Web in the app to circle a word, which
will then instantly be entered into a Bing search of the Web. The search engine says this significantly reduces the number of steps involved in searching for a phrase found somewhere on the Internet. The new app also includes an improved movie section,
with support for multiple showtimes, days, and theaters. Bing for iPad is available as a free download from the Apple App Store.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Google Releases Google Maps 5.7 for Android
Google released version 5.7 of its Google Maps app for Android. The primary new feature in the updated app is Transit Navigation. The feature includes public transit navigation for more than 400 cities around the
world. The feature also provides English route maps for foreign transit systems, alerts when a user has reached his or her stop, and automatic routing based on GPS location. Other updated features include a revamped direction interface, improved predictive
search suggestions, and a photo viewer for photos found on Google Place pages. Google Maps 5.7 is available now from the Android Market for devices running Android 2.1 or later.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
LG Announces Launch of 3D Gaming on Optimus 3D Smartphone
LG announced its first entry into the 3D mobile gaming market to coincide with the launch of its LG Optimus 3D smartphone. A total of 17 3D games designed by Gameloft will be available for the device at launch. The
glasses-free 3D smartphone will come pre-installed with 3 games: Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, N.O.V.A, and Let’s Golf! 2. The remaining 14 titles will be available from an exclusive app store pre-installed on the Optimus 3D. The Android-based handset will also
support software capable of converting 2D games, movies, and pictures into 3D. This utility is expected to be available some time in the third quarter of the year. LG says it also plans to expand the number of 3D games available in the coming months.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Skype Releases Updated Skype for Android App
Skype has released an updated version of its Skype for Android app, Skype for Android 2.0. With the new version, users will be able to make and receive free video calls from their Android phone. Skype for Android with
video works over Wi-Fi or 3G data connections and can be downloaded for free from the Android Market or from Skype.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Sprint Releases Mobile App Bundle for Real Estate Agents
Sprint has released the Real Estate Pro ID Pack, a customized bundle of widgets, applications, wallpapers, ringtones, and other content designed for real estate agents. The Real Estate Pro ID Pack is also the first
Sprint ID developed for enterprise use, the carrier said. The Real Estate Pro ID pack includes multiple lead generation and sales applications; communications tools; and expense control services. The Real Estate Pro ID pack is now available on four Android
smartphones when activated on a Sprint “Everything Data” plan: LG Optimus S; Sanyo Zio; Samsung Transform; and Samsung Epic 4G. The bundle is also available for the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
StubHub Releases Mobile App for Windows Phone
eBay subsidiary StubHub released a new application for the Windows Phone mobile platform. The phone allows shoppers to purchase tickets to any of the entertainment events listed on StubHub, and allows sellers to manage
their ticket sales from anywhere. The app also supports searching for tickets by time and location, viewing maps of upcoming events, and tagging favorite sports teams or bands to be informed when tickets for an upcoming event go up for sale. The StubHub
application is available now as a free download from the Windows Marketplace.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Zoho Launches Mobile CRM App for iPhone, CRM Web App
Zoho launched two new mobile products for its Zoho CRM product line: the Zoho CRM Mobile Edition and support for mobile web browsers in Zoho CRM. Zoho CRM Mobile Edition is an app designed for the Apple iPhone which
gives users access to their leads, accounts, contacts, potentials, and activities. The app will automatically download and update the users’ info, so that it stays synchronized with the desktop version of Zoho CRM. Additionally, any changes made via the
app will be mirrored in the desktop version, even if the device is not connected to the Internet when the changes are made. The new support for mobile browsers comes in the form of a Web app. It is compatible with iPhone, Android, and Opera mobile
browsers.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
OPERATING SYSTEMS
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Microsoft Releases Windows Embedded POSReady 7
Microsoft announced the general availability of Windows Embedded POSReady 7, its operating system for point of
sale terminals. The new version includes enhanced transaction processing, a Windows 7-based interface, and support for Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011, a recently-launched management solution designed to help companies handle multiple devices running
POSReady 7. The new version also includes support for multigesture touch interfaces, on touchscreen devices.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
PERIPHERALS
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HP Releases New LaserJet Printer Model
Hewlett-Packard released its LaserJet Pro 100 color multi-function laser printer for SMBs. The printer supports both Ethernet and wireless connectivity, and costs $349 USD.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
PERSONNEL AND ORGANIZATION
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AmerisourceBergen Announces Collis’ Entrance into CEO Role
AmerisourceBergen announced that Steven H. Collis has officially taken over as President and Chief Executive Officer of the AmerisourceBergen Corporation. As previously announced, he succeeded R. David
Yost, who retired from the position and left the company’s board of directors. Prior to this appointment, Collis served as President and Chief Operating Officer for AmerisourceBergen.
Source: Vendor, 7/1/2011
BT Opens New Delhi Technology Showcase, Plans 60 New Positions
BT held the opening of its New Delhi Technology showcase as part of its expansion plans in the Asia-Pacific region. The facility itself is aimed at offering enhanced service delivery capabilities to customer in the
vicinity. The company’s plans also includes the creation of 60 new positions in the region. These new employees will work in the sales enablement, delivery, and implementation of services fields.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Cable&Wireless Appoints David Lowden as Non-Executive Director
Cable&Wireless appointed David Lowden as an additional Non-executive Director, effective July 21, 2011. Lowden will serve on the Audit, Remuneration, and Nomination Committees for C&W. The company also expects him to
take over as Chair of the Audit Committee soon. David Lowden currently serves as Chairman of Rice2 Limited, a design and international sourcing company.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Taiwanese Telecom to Set Up New Subsidiary on Mainland China
Telecompaper reported that Taiwanese operator Chunghwa Telecom is setting up a new subsidiary on mainland China. The subsidiary will take the form of a
joint venture through an overseas holding company, with Chunghwa Telecom investing up to half the venture’s capital. The unit will focus on IT and communications services; further details were not released, Telecompaper said.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Deutsche Telekom Appoints Two New Management Board Members
Deutsche Telekom‘s Supervisory Board announced the appointment of two new members to the company’s Board of Management. First, Claudia Nemat will take over the Europe Board department effective October 2011. She will be
joined by Marion Schick, who will take the lead of the Human Resources Board department next year. Claudia Nemat joins Deutsche Telekom from McKinsey, where she served as head of the Technology sector for the regions of Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
Marion Schick comes to the company from her previous role as Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs in Baden-Worttemberg.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Global Crossing UK Wins Government Okay as Supplier
Global Crossing announced that its subsidiary, Global Crossing (UK) has been named one of three suppliers for the UK’s Government Procurement Service, Managed Telecommunications Convergence Framework (MTCF).
The MTCF’s goal is to facilitate the delivery of managed telephony and data network services and enable the public sector to benefit from access to a new portfolio of hosted IP telephony, unified communications, and video conferencing services. All
services delivered within the framework will either be Public Service Network-certified or provide transition to PSN-certified services, if required.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Huawei Launches Madrid Network Operations Center
Huawei Technologies opened its Network Operations Center in Madrid, Spain. The facility is dedicated to operating and managing telecommunications networks, and providing professional services to operators, both in
Spain and throughout Western Europe. It will serve as an international competency center, providing professional services for front-office operations (help desk, fault handling, and network surveillance), back-office operations (corrective and preventative
maintenance, and vendor support management), and operation support management (SLA management, security management, and IT platform management).
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Murdoch to Shut Down Publication after Hacking Scandal
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is shuttering News Of The World, the UK’s largest-circulation tabloid, in the wake of a growing scandal over how investigators it hired hacked into the phones of murder victims,
celebrities, politicians, and relatives of those killed and injured in the 2005 London bombings, as well as relatives of servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just a day before announcing on July 7th that the newspaper will be shut down after its
Sunday July 10th issue, Murdoch issued a press release calling the allegations of phone hacking and making payments to police “deplorable and unacceptable.” News Corp’s huge media empire includes Fox Broadcasting Company and The Wall Street Journal in the US. The New York Times reported the phone hacks were accomplished on phones
where security codes had not been changed from factory default settings, and possibly through impersonating legitimate phone owners to telecom support personnel. The Times also suggested Murdoch seems determined to try to limit damage from the scandal
by closing down News of the World and thereby removing a possible obstacle to News Corp’s proposed takeover of British Sky Broadcasting, known as BSkyB.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
SAP’s Supervisory Board Extends Tenure of Current Co-CEOs
SAP‘s supervisory board has voted to extend the tenures of Bill McDermott and Jim Hageman Snabe as Co-CEOs of SAP until June 30, 2017. Furthermore, the board voted to extend the tenure of executive board member Gerhard
Oswald through June 30, 2014. All three employees have already agreed to their respective contract extensions.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Toshiba to Open Two HDD Development Facilities
Toshiba is preparing to open two new hard disk drive (HDD) technology development centers on July 16th. The HDD Advanced Technology Center will accelerate development of higher-density technology, while the HDD
Manufacturing Technology Center will focus on developing enhanced manufacturing. Toshiba will share development work with TDK and Showa Denko, which manufacture magnetic heads and disk media.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
PUBLIC SAFETY
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IncidentOne Technology Used for Holiday Emergency Communications
SpectraRep announced that its IncidentOne technology was used to support video and file sharing among multiple emergency response agencies during the July 4th festivities in northern Virginia and on the National
Mall in Washington, DC. IncidentOne, a wireless emergency communications solution, delivered operational and crisis incident data to mobile emergency management command centers and police cruisers. The vendor said digital television was used to overcome
bandwidth challenges by using spectrum from WETA-TV to securely deliver data directly to emergency responders without competing with the increased Internet and cell phone activity caused by the public.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
TSA Publicizes “Implanted Bomb” Security Threat
The US Transportation Security Agency said air passengers flying from international locations to the US may experience enhanced screening over concerns terrorists might be concealing surgically-implanted explosives.
Jimmie C Oxley, a chemistry professor at the University of Rhode Island and explosives expert, told the BBC, however, that it would be difficult to carry out such an effort successfully. She said there were only so many
places to hide a bomb in the body, and a suicide bomber would have to recover enough from the surgery to travel and set off the device. A detonator would also have to be implanted along with the explosives. In a statement posted at its Web site, the TSA said enhanced security measures may include “interaction with passengers, in addition to the use of other screening methods such as
pat-downs and the use of enhanced tools and technologies.”
Source: TSA, 7/6/2011
UK to Test Government Readiness in Preparation for 2012 Games
The UK Home Office announced a program of exercises to test government agencies’ readiness for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The exercises will test various scenarios that could impact the
running of the Games such as long queues or crowds at venues, transport disruption, and a terrorist attack.
Source: UK Home Office, 7/5/2011
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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ITC Delays Ruling on Kodak Patent Suit
Eastman Kodak confirmed in a recent press release that the US
International Trade Commission has again extended its target date to issue a ruling on Kodak’s patent infringement claims against Apple and RIM. The new target date is August 30,
2011.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
US, Spain Agree to Share Technologies for Thwarting Threats
US Department of Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano, along with Spain’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, signed an agreement that enables the two nations to share best practices to prevent
and detect threats through science and technology. The US and Spain have committed to cooperate in scientific and technological fields that have a direct impact on national security.
Source: DHS, 6/30/2011
FCC Sets July 30 Deadline for Comments on New LightSquared Proposal
After an FCC-mandated technical working group confirmed earlier reports that LightSquared‘s proposed network would cause widespread GPS interference, and LightSquared’s new
proposal to move its network to a different spectrum in order to resolve interference issues, the federal agency has set a July 30, 2011 deadline for receiving comments on LightSquared’s new proposal. The FCC will also accept any alternative proposals to
enable GPS devices and L-band mobile broadband to co-exist. LightSquared last week submitted seven recommendations to address the problems identified by the working group. Among them, LightSquared said it is willing to operate at lower power than permitted
by its existing FCC authorization; agreed to a “standstill” in the terrestrial use of its Upper 10 MHz frequencies immediately adjacent to the GPS band; and agreed to begin terrestrial commercial operations only on the lower 10 MHz portion of its spectrum
and to coordinate and share the cost of underwriting a workable solution for the legacy “precision measurement devices” that may be at risk. Comments can be filed electronically online. Several groups, including
the Coalition to Save Our GP, have expressed doubts about LightSquared’s revised network plan.
Source: FCC, 7/5/2011
FCC Releases Annual Mobile Wireless Competition Report
The US Federal Communications Commission has released its 15th annual Mobile Wireless Competition Report. One finding: competition varies
significantly between rural and urban areas. Commissioner Michael J. Copps said: “the headline for this report will be that the FCC neither finds nor does not find effective competition. Dig deeper and, sure enough, we find ongoing trends of industry
consolidation.” He added that “it would be foolish and decidedly not in the public interest to ignore the facts this report reveals. If we want Americans to continue to enjoy innovation, affordability and improved mobile coverage, we must heed these facts
and continue to examine areas where the Commission can act to encourage mobile competition.”
Source: FCC, 7/7/2011
FEMA OKs Funds for Criminal Justice Building in New Orleans
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a $7.7 million recovery grant to the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office in New Orleans. The funds will be used in the construction of a new four-story,
comprehensive administration building. Hurricane Katrina damaged various buildings within the local jail system in 2005. The new administrative building consolidates various pre-storm facilities into one, including staff housing, a studio, internal
affairs, and a bail bonds information office.
Source: FEMA, 7/1/2011
SEARCH
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Microsoft Teams with Baidu for Localized Chinese Version of Bing
Microsoft signed an agreement with Chinese search engine Baidu that will see it providing English-language services to the company’s Chinese users. Baidu is by far the most popular search engine in China,
particularly since Google’s departure. It has always been primarily a Chinese-language presence on the Web, however, despite more than 10 million English searches being performed on its engines in any given day. The deal will result in Chinese users
being presented with an English version of Microsoft’s Bing search engine before the end of the year.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
Yahoo Updates BOSS V2 with New Features
Yahoo announced an update for its recently relaunched BOSS V2 service. New features include customizable daily usage controls, HTTPS
support, support for SQL type querying, increased functionality for the BOSS News Service, and improved user documentation. The company said it plans to continue expanding BOSS V2’s functionality, with the next planned feature to be a blog search
tool.
Source: Vendor, 7/1/2011
SECURITY FLAWS & FIXES
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Hackers Find Critical Flaw in Apple iOS; Post Code for All to See
A hacker Web site has posted code for a flaw in the Apple iOS operating system that could potentially enable criminals to hijack iPhones, iPads, and iPhone Touch devices through a process known as “jail breaking,” Reuters reported. The hacked code can be used to make modifications to the iOS system, enabling an attacker to hijack the affected device. An Apple spokeswoman said that the vendor is aware of the problem but did not
specify when a patch would be available.
Source: Reuters, 7/6/2011
Microsoft Releases Updates for Earlier Bulletin and Advisory
Microsoft made an informational change to a security bulletin from June 14 that has been deemed “important.” This bulletin pertains to
a vulnerability in the ancillary function driver. Microsoft also added an update to a security advisory from April announced the release of Office File Validation for Microsoft
Office. The Office File Validation add-in is now available through the vendor’s update service.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
Microsoft Updates Advisory on Malicious Digital Certificates
Microsoft updated an earlier advisory regarding the spoofing of fraudulent digital certificates.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
WordPress Issues Security Update
WordPress 3.1.4 has been released as a security update to mitigate earlier known risks. Users can read the codex for further information about the update.
Source: Vendor, 6/29/2011
SECURITY PRODUCTS & COMPANIES
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UK Report: Private Companies Refuse Audits, Suffer More Breaches
The UK’s International Commissioner’s Office (ICO), an independent group that promotes data privacy for individuals, published a paper this
week with sobering statistics that private companies reports more data security breaches than any other sector. Figures from the annual report show that of the 603 data security breaches reported to the ICO in 2010-2011, nearly a third of them occurred in
the private sector. Despite this, just 19% of businesses contacted by the ICO accepted the offer to undergo free data protection audits. In contrast, 71% of public sector organizations who were contacted voluntarily agreed to be audited.
Source: ICO, 7/6/2011
Kaspersky Report Points Out Corporate Vulnerabilities
Kaspersky Lab‘s Global Emergency Response Team (GERT) has highlighted the main IT security policy mistakes that can put an organization at risk. As documented in a new report, the worst mistake is to ignore network share access rights, which is responsible for 35% of security incidents. A network
that is missing just one critical patch is also at serious risk, resulting in 25% of issues reported, according to GERT’s research.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Microsoft Report Gives Rustock Botnet Update
Microsoft released a new Special Edition Security Intelligence Report entitled “Battling the Rustock Threat“, which provides key
details about the botnet that was dismantled back in March. Current data indicates that the Rustock bot network is now less than half the size it was prior to being taken offline, but infected machines still need to be cleaned to eliminate the virus. This
report gives an overview of the Win32/Rustock family of rootkit-enabled backdoor Trojans, its functionality and how it works, along with the direct impact of the takedown operation.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Integrated Technology from Scallop Imaging Boosts OnSSI Ocularis
On-Net Surveillance Systems and Scallop Imaging, a provider of high resolution, panoramic video cameras, have integrated Scallop’s D7-180 camera with OnSSI’s Ocularis video management system (VMS). OnSSI’s VMS
platform now lets users have seven megapixel resolution and a 180-degree field of view with the integration of the D7-180 camera.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
RSA Online Resources Help Banks Comply with New Security Regulations
RSA announced new programs and an online resource portal to help prepare US retail and commercial banks to comply with the new Supplemental
Guidance on Internet Banking Authentication that was released by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) in June. The RSA FFIEC Resource Center features information on the FFIEC’s guidance,
FAQs, opinion, podcasts and blogs from industry leaders and analysts. Later in July, RSA will announce FFIEC-specific application promotions along with an EMC Consulting security advisory service to help financial
institutions comply with the updated guidance regarding securing online financial applications and activities.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
UK Civil Servants Worry about IT Security Risks
A survey from Sophos has found that 68% of UK civil servants think that there is a greater security risk when government officers use personal laptops in the workplace, compared to using work laptops. Eighty percent
of respondents also stated that there is a security risk of government officers using personal smartphones in the workplace, while 47% believe that this risk is greater than using work smartphones for the same purposes.
Source: Vendor, 7/4/2011
New Symantec Privacy Offering Is Available from Allscripts
Symantec introduced the Allscripts Privacy & Security Risk Assessment. This new offering is available through Allscripts and automates the paper-based process of assessing a
medical practice’s privacy and security risks and is designed to help physicians qualify for federal incentives for electronic health record (EHR) adoption under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Symantec Debuts New Version of Endpoint Protection
Symantec rolled out Endpoint Protection 12, which uses cloud-based reputation technology to detect and block new threats. Endpoint Protection 12 also uses SONAR, a hybrid behavioral-reputation engine to monitor
running applications in an effort to thwart zero-day and highly targeted threats.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
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Microsoft to Close Hohm Utility Monitoring Service on May 31, 2012
Microsoft followed in Google‘s footsteps, announced the closure of its own utility monitoring service, Microsoft Hohm. The current date for the service’s closure is May 31,
2012. The company said that it is ending the service due to slow overall market adoption, and will instead focus its efforts on similar products more capable of sustaining long-term growth. Microsoft maintains a Hohm FAQ page where users can read more information about the service and its upcoming closure.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
SMARTPHONES
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Verizon Launches Motorola DROID 3 Smartphone
Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility launched the Android-powered DROID 3 by Motorola. The DROID 3 Android-based smartphone is available now via Verizon’s
online store and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores by July 14 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers that purchase a DROID 3 must also subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone
data package. New Verizon Wireless customers will have the option of smartphone plans starting at $30 for 2GB of data. Current Verizon Wireless smartphone customers who are upgrading their smartphone can keep their current data plan.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Facebook, Skype Launch Video Chat Service
Facebook announced a new video chat service, launched in collaboration with Skype. The service will integrate a user’s Facebook connections with Skype so that he or she can
start a video call with a contact on either service with a single click. Users will also be able to import their Skype contact lists into Facebook. The new service will be rolled out to all users globally within the next few weeks, and will initially
support 70 languages. Facebook also announced a new group chat feature that will allow for ad hoc chats between groups of friends, and a new layout that will put a separate bar of friends (both online and offline) on the side of browsers. Both are aimed at
increasing interaction between Facebook “friends.”
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Google Ends Twitter Integration as Part of Google+ Launch
Google suspended integrated real-time Twitter results as part of its plans to expand its own Google+ services. The move coincides with the expiration of the agreement Google held
with Twitter which let the real-time results appear on its search page. Google says that it will no longer have access to the real-time information, going forward. However, the company’s search engine will still be able to deliver any information from
Twitter that is publicly available to its Web crawlers. The change also affects Google’s Social Search product.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
Google to Delete All Private Profiles
In a recent blog post, Google announced that it will no longer let users maintain private profiles. The move, likely
initiated to coincide with the public launch of Google+, will require that all profiles be made public to all users on the Web. Google explained its reasoning by saying profiles should be used to "keep people connected and encourage
communication," purposes that cannot be fulfilled by private profiles. If users wish to maintain their profiles they must make them public, and provide at least their full name and gender. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Twitter Now Processing More than 200 Million Tweets Per Day
Twitter updated its daily Tweet statistics, revealing that an average of 200 million Tweets per day are now being posted on its site. The micro-blogging service compared this massive number to the relatively miniscule 2
million Tweets per day that were being sent in January 2009. The site also listed the top trending topics for the past year, including the Swine Flu outbreak, Fukushima, the Marriage of William & Kate, and the Libyan revolution.
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
STORAGE
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Oracle Details Plans for New Storage Solutions
Oracle outlined its strategy for new storage offerings optimized to run on its own systems at ten times the speed, and with one tenth of the storage capacity of competing solutions. The company says it will do this
by integrating automatic provisioning and management, delivering a comprehensive storage portfolio, and launching several new storage solutions. The new products will consist of Oracle Exadata Storage, a performance enhancer for OLTP, data warehousing, and
database consolidation; the Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) file I/O solution; Pillar Axiom storage, a Storage Area Network (SAN) Block I/O solution; and Oracle StorageTek Tape, a storage medium engineered specifically for
these Oracle systems. More information about all of these new solutions is available from Oracle’s storage products portfolio
Source: Vendor, 6/30/2011
STREAMING MEDIA
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Amazon Announces Plans for Cloud Drive Features
Amazon announced plans for three enhancements to its Amazon Cloud Player service. First, the service will be offering unlimited space to store music, for a limited time. The offer is valid for any user purchasing any Cloud Drive
subscription plan during the promotional period. Second, customer will now be able to store all MP3s purchased from Amazon itself on their Cloud Drive for free. This includes all previously owned tracks, as well as any tracks purchased in the future. These
songs will not count against the user’s storage size limits. Lastly, Amazon is launching a new Cloud Drive for Web designed specifically for the iPad. The tablet device joins Android phones, Android tablets, Macs, and PCs as officially supported
devices.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Cisco Launches On-Demand Video Distribution Products
Cisco Systems launched its Enterprise Content Delivery System (ECDS), video-distribution products for helping deliver live and on-demand video content. ECDS lets the user manage video loads on a WAN. It includes
hardware appliances and Wide Area Application Services virtual blade software. ECDS allows an organization to distribute live video content using streaming or multicasting, and on-demand video, via caching and pre-positioning. It also offers management
features for video setup, configuration, maintenance, and monitoring.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
WIRELESS
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AT&T Offering Wireless Modem at No Cost with 2-Year Agreement
AT&T said, starting July 17, its customers can receive the Huawei USBConnect Force 4G modem at no cost with a two-year wireless service agreement. The device connects a laptop to AT&T’s wireless broadband network.
Source: Vendor, 7/7/2011
Cisco Introduces Connected Stadium Wi-Fi Technology
Cisco Systems introduced new Connected Stadium Wi-Fi technology for helping sports and entertainment venues and service providers extend wireless bandwidth in high-density areas, as the use of smartphones and other
Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices continues to grow. Connected Stadium Wi-Fi provides high-capacity, blanket coverage on a converged, customizable network that allows thousands of users to access mobile applications and services, simultaneously.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
comScore Reports Android Still Rising, RIM Still Falling in May 2011
comScore reported its US mobile subscriber market share statistics for the month of May 2011. On the OEM list Samsung remained in first place, holding an unchanged 24.8% of the
market; LG was in second, gaining 0.2% to reach 21.1%; Motorola followed in third, dropping a full point to maintain 15.1%; Apple showed the largest
gain of the period, rising 1.2% to reach 8.7% market share; and RIM rounded out the top 5, dropping 0.5% to hold 8.1% of the market. On the Top Mobile Platforms list Google’s Android continued its rampant growth for
another month, expanding its lead by 5.1% to hold 38.1% of the market; Apple also showed strong growth in second, gaining 1.4% to hold 26.6% market share; RIM’s fall continued, with the company dropping another 4.2% to hold just 24.7% of the market; Microsoft also continued its losses, down 1.9% to 5.8% market share; and Palm lost 0.4% to hold onto 2.4% of the market.
Source: Vendor, 7/5/2011
SK Telecom Launches LTE Network
South Korea’s SK Telecom has officially launched Korea’s first commercial LTE (Long Term Evolution) mobile network. The company said it expects to attract 300,000 LTE subscribers this year, 6 million by 2013, and
10 million by 2015. SK Telecom plans to release nine different LTE devices this year including a data modem in July, smartphone in September, and tablet PC in October.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
Verizon Wireless Moves to Usage-Based Pricing for Data
Verizon Wireless confirmed it is moving to usage-based pricing for smartphone data effective July 7, eliminating its unlimited data plan. Verizon will offer three options: $30 for 2 GB per month, $50 for 5
GB, or $80 for 10 GB. There will be an overage charge of $10 per GB of data. Verizon will also charge $10 for 75 MB per month for feature phone users. Existing customers who upgrade on or after July 7 will be able to upgrade to another smartphone and keep
their unlimited smartphone data plan, the carrier said.
Source: Vendor, 7/6/2011
ZTE Launches Alltel AC30 Mobile Hotspot
ZTE launched its new Alltel AC30 mobile hotspot on the Alltel Wireless network. The device allows up to 5 Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect to Alltel’s 3G wireless network. Supported devices includes tablets, PCs, and
gaming consoles and handhelds. The AC30 will be sold exclusively through Alltel Wireless.
Source: Vendor, 7/1/2011
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