The Big Picture, from WhatIs.com

Monday, July 17, 2006

Free AOL content

Most consumers in the United States have received compact discs in the mail at some point offering hours upon hours of free AOL dial-up service. Millions subscribed to the service, getting premium access to AOL content and, frequently, software that was not entirely bug-free. Millions of others consigned the discs to the trash, or, somewhat entertainly, made them into coasters. Now, AOL has announced that access to all of their content, previously behind a subscriber wall, will be free to users that have Internet access of any kind, not just through AOL. Though AOL will continue to be an ISP for nearly 13 million people, this new strategy is squarely aimed at gathering in new Internet traffic for its advertisers.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Embedded analytics: The next wave in business intelligence?

Business intelligence software has many strategic benefits to offer organizations. However, it is often not used to its fullest potential. In his latest column, expert Wayne Eckerson reviews the benefits of embedded analytics and how they will take BI to the next level.

Read more...

CRM easier, sales harder, study shows

An annual sales performance study shows that the lengthened buying cycle has made selling more difficult, but CRM technology is becoming more user-friendly.

Read more...

Is telepresence mature enough to be Cisco’s next named top technology?

Cisco is continuing a pervasive campaign to stay the stalwart No.1 course, continuing its aggressive market strategy and pinning short-term hopes on "telepresence," a cutting-edge videoconferencing technology.

Read more...

Malware authors eyeing Web-based applications

The recent attacks against Yahoo and Google are only the beginning, experts say, as malware authors seek out vulnerable Web applications that are often hard to secure.

Read more...

Security Bytes: University data breaches leads to IT suspensions

In other news, Panda spots a fast-spreading worm; Gartner reports growth in the antivirus market; and IBM fixes a WebSphere flaw.

Read more...

Subpar signatures embolden call for antivirus SLAs

With antivirus signature quality becoming an increasingly troublesome problem for businesses, the industry says SLAs are needed to hold vendors accountable when things go wrong.

Read more...

Sun quits IBM-backed standards group, Aperi

Sun has withdrawn from IBM's storage management software initiative, Aperi, preferring to develop standards under the governance of the SNIA.

Read more...

Microsoft desktop manager improves update features

IT managers get some help keeping third-party applications updated and diagnosing possible configuration problems with the release of SMS 2003 R2. And, for minding the overall health of applications, there's the upcoming beta of System Center Operations Manager 2007.
Read more...

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

App security tools target Ajax vulnerabilities

SearchAppSecurity.com

App security tools target Ajax vulnerabilities
Security vendor Cenzic adds Ajax testing capability to its automated vulnerability assessment offerings, while Denim Group releases an open-source vulnerability scanner for Ajax Web applications.

SearchCIO.com

Data delight: A ‘set and forget’ solution for classifying data?
Following a time-honored principle in computer science, a storage startup has put intelligence into the physical device and introduced what one analyst says could be a game-changing event in how you manage data.

SearchDataCenter.com

Ubuntu open source OS available on Sun Sparc servers
Ubuntu will release a new version of its open source OS in June that, for the first time, will be available for servers and compatible with Sun's UltraSparc T1-based servers.

Data center consolidation drives server availability at Columbia
Columbia University's biophysics department recently consolidated five data centers to one with the help of Collective Technology.

HP boosts IBM middleware on HP-UX operating system
In an effort to grab more Unix users, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has announced that it will make its HP-UX operating system more compatible with the leading middleware products from IBM.

Mandriva Linux to include OS virtualization OpenVZ
Mandriva, publisher of the Linux operating system (OS) with the same name, today announced that OpenVZ virtualization software will be included in its latest corporate server package, Corporate Server 4.0.

SearchNetworking.com

Virtualization, Cisco chop one network into many
Philips Research Laboratories already had a pretty impressive network, but when the Netherlands-based firm had to partition it and give a host of other companies access, that’s when things got interesting.

SearchOracle.com

NextAction dumps Microsoft for Oracle and open source
NextAction Corp. says it’s now “protecting revenue” thanks to a decision to get off Microsoft in favor of Oracle on Suse Linux.

Spotlight on Oracle and open source
This special report focuses on the intersection of Oracle and the open source world, including new articles and analysis as well as content from our archives.

SearchSecurity.com

Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition vulnerable to flaw
The vendor is investigating reports of a “high-severity” flaw in its AntiVirus Corporate Edition product. Attackers could exploit it to launch malicious code.

Security Blog Log: Uncle Sam slammed over data theft
This week, infosec pros said the feds aren't doing enough after the Veterans Affairs data breach that left 26.5 million veterans exposed to identity fraud.

SearchStorage.com

Data classification is end users' job
Without a proper data classification scheme, ILM is putting the cart before the horse, and some shops are pushing the job of classifying files down to users.

SearchVoIP.com

News Nuggets: IP PBXs, VoIP test, free Internet calling for enterprise users and video apps
Hosted VoIP provider Signate upgrades enterprise IP PBX solution; VoIP testing vendor starts partner program; Gizmo SIPphone keeps global users in touch; and LiteScape brings apps to video phones.

SearchWinIT.com

Windows Server pack punches up processing power
Microsoft's Scalable Processing Pack, released at WinHEC last week, offloads some server processing onto an adapter. It's one way to get more power out of Windows Server 2003.

R2: New features improve critical functions
This is the first in a two-part series by contributor Laura Hunter on the inner workings of Windows Server 2003 R2.

Friday, May 26, 2006

SAP CRM sweetens Wrigley's trade promotion

SearchCRM.com

SAP CRM sweetens Wrigley's trade promotion
An image overhaul, coupled with trade promotion management tools from SAP, has boosted the Wrigley Company to the top of the confectionery market.

SearchStorage.com

Caringo breaks out CAS Mark II
Is it a new tango, a salutation at a worldwide wrestling contest, a weird Australian animal or yet another fixed-content storage company?

SearchNetworking.com

Raceway’s secure wireless network is living life in the fast lane
Laguna Seca raceway unwired the outdoors when it extended its wireless network outside, where it would handle the network needs of thousands of racers, TV crews, and fans in a secure, reliable environment.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

VoIP adoption changing how contact centers do business

SearchEnterpriseVoice.com

VoIP adoption changing how contact centers do business
VoIP vendor Interactive Intelligence polled 105 companies and found that VoIP is making a huge impact on call/contact centers.

SearchCRM.com

Tutorials: Sony’s new marketing secret
Sony is building customer community and brand loyalty, and boosting sales, with the help of online tutorials.

SearchDataCenter.com

Gartner, IDC: Sun revenue rebounds after two year skid
Market share reports released yesterday by research firms Gartner and IDC show Sun turning its numbers around while much of the server market remains flat.

Carnegie Mellon University opens new Data Center Observatory
Carnegie Mellon University opened a showcase data center at its main Pittsburgh campus. Dubbed the Data Center Observatory, the facility serves as an operational data center and research lab studying energy consumption.

IBM updates Tivoli CMDB
IBM today unveiled a change management database suite for Tivoli. The software is designed to automate processes across software, hardware, storage and network environments that span separate departments within a company.

SearchSAP.com

TiVo turns to SAP, BearingPoint after outsourcing disaster
When its manufacturing and shipping operations outsourcer gave TiVo a 48-hour termination notice, the company found itself scrambling to revamp its processes.

SearchSecurity.com

Okopipi leaps in where Blue Security left off
The new user group is building an open source P2P application that sends spammers automated "unsubscribe" messages. Some call it feasible, but others believe counterattack strategies are doomed to fail.

Security Bytes: Dirty cyber deeds in Tinseltown?
The Motion Picture Association of America is accused of hiring a black-hat hacker. Meanwhile: Cisco and HP fix flaws and blood donors’ information is compromised.

SearchStorage.com

IBM adds global replication to SVC
The latest version of IBM's SAN Volume Controller storage virtualization software supports global replication -- lowering the cost of disaster recovery.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Wireless security, easy-to-use VPNs, and global application acceleration make headlines

SearchNetworking.com

Wireless security, easy-to-use VPNs, and global application acceleration top the news
Network Chemistry launches index to highlight threats in the wireless space, while F5 upgrades FirePass with-user friendly enhancements. Meanwhile, Verizon Business is backing global application acceleration with aggressive SLAs.

SearchCIO.com

Rural hospital meets state regulations through VPN
Being out in the middle of nowhere doesn’t get you off the hook when it comes to complying with state regulations. Learn how one rural Illinois hospital is trying to give patients 24/7 pharmacy access through a VPN.

SearchCRM.com

Lincoln takes CRM on the road with SAP mobile
With a rollout of SAP for Mobile Sales and a tablet PC deployment, Lincoln Electric transformed its sales system and processes.

RightNow acquires Salesnet for SFA
Salesnet's sales force automation will combine with RightNow's service applications to provide one on-demand CRM product, executives said.

SearchDataCenter.com

Syska Hennessy proposes new data center performance metric
Syska Hennessy, a New York-based engineering, technology and consulting firm, has proposed a new data center performance metric that it says is more detailed than the Uptime Institute Inc.'s tier system.

Server power management tools highlighted in x86 roll outs from HP, IBM
Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM will both ship new x86 servers starting next month that feature new dual-core Intel Xeon chips, storage upgrades and power management tools.

Dell to offer AMD chips in multiprocessor servers
Dell Inc. says it will give data center managers the choice of having Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s (AMD) Opteron chips in its multiprocessor servers by the end of this year, a signal that the PC giant plans to push its server line harder into data centers.

SearchEnterpriseVoice.com

VoIP testing software works with Tivoli
VoIP testing and reporting software from Clarus now works with IBM Tivoli, giving an overall, end-to-end view of the network and VoIP system.

SearchOpenSource.com

OS middleware, Linux desktop high on HP's agenda
According to HP's Linux leader, middleware and the desktop adoption are the next frontiers for Linux. Find out why HP wants to have a stake in the emerging Linux desktop market.

SugarCRM CEO Roberts: On Microsoft and open source CRM
SugarCRM has taken on proprietary vendors with much success. Now CEO John Roberts believes the old guard systems are set to be surpassed permanently by open source.

SearchSAP.com

SAP to extend enterprise search to Google with Argo
SAP is readying the beta release of Argo, an extension of its enterprise search capabilities in NetWeaver to various search channels, including desktop widgets, browsers and mobile devices.

Podcast: TomorrowNow CEO responds to critics of SAP ties
In a broad ranging interview, Andrew Nelson, CEO of SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow, discusses his firm's strategy as it extends support to include Siebel customer sand recent criticism from members of the Quest International User's Group.

Sapphire attendees see potential in Duet, composite applications
Attendees of this year’s Sapphire user conference are generally pleased with the direction SAP executives are steering the company. Many customers see Duet and composite applications in their future.

SearchSecurity.com

Personal data on 26.5 million veterans stolen
The stolen information included names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth for the military veterans and some spouses.

Security Bytes: Skype dodges attackers
Meanwhile: A worm hijacks IE and spreads via Yahoo IM, Ohio University reorganizes IT department after data theft; and Symantec accuses Microsoft of misusing technology.

Novell patches eDirectory buffer overflow issue
Novell has addressed a flaw in the iMonitor component of its eDirectory LDAP directory service that could be exploited to cause a denial of service.

SearchStorage.com

Clustered storage wins mainstream fans
Isilon wins California's county of San Bernardino as a customer, a change of pace from its early adopters. Analysts say it's the first sign of clustered NAS entering the mainstream.

SearchWinIT.com

Microsoft defines Virtual Server strategy
Microsoft's roadmap adds some dates for its hypervisor and Virtual Machine Manager.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Zero-day threat targets Microsoft Word

SearchSecurity.com:

Zero-day threat targets Microsoft Word

Symantec says a targeted exploit uses Microsoft Word to open a backdoor in users' systems. It recommends blocking .doc files at the network perimeter. Microsoft is working on a fix.

ISC(2): 'Nothing has changed' on CISSP requirements
In response to concerns over CISSP coursework being taught in colleges, (ISC)2 board member Howard Schmidt says the certification is as stringent as ever.

Security Blog Log: Blue Security's demise evokes mixed emotions

There's no shortage of opinions on Blue Security's decision to fold after its antispam crusade put its customers at risk.

SearchNetworking.com:

Nortel, Symantec team up on secure application switch

Nortel Networks is releasing a new application switch with intrusion prevention from Symantec inside.

SearchStorage.com:

NetApp's midrange storage quality up for debate
Two companies in the healthcare business debate the merits of NetApp's midrange systems.

SearchWintIT.com:

WinHEC spotlight shines on OSes, virtualization

At Microsoft's Windows hardware show this week, look for news about the company's server virtualization plans and updates on Vista and Longhorn, its next-generation desktop and server.