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Archive for April, 2004

0423

IBM Acquires the Business Continuity Services unit of Schlumberger

Phil Yanov Imported

IBM, moving to further strengthen its already world-leading portfolio of information technology services, today signed an agreement with Schlumberger (SLB:NYSE) to acquire its Business Continuity Services unit, which has operations in Europe and the U.S.


Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The strategic acquisition will increase IBM capabilities in helping clients ensure business continuity and providing IT infrastructure and data recovery services in case of unplanned events or outages.


SBCS offers business continuity services to many major financial institutions, government bodies and international corporations and has more than 40 modern recovery sites worldwide, among them the largest business recovery site in Europe. Under the acquisition, IBM will add more than 10,000 recovery seats configured as financial trading rooms, call centers and workplaces.


With approaching deadlines for forthcoming government regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley in the U.S. and Basel II in Europe, business continuity and recovery services have increasingly become more of a priority for businesses.


“Schlumberger Business Continuity Services will complement and expand IBM’s global business continuity capabilities,” said Philippe Jarre, vice president, Business Continuity and Resiliency Services, IBM Europe, Middle East, Africa. “As companies’ business processes have grown increasingly dependent on IT, clients look for integrated business continuity solutions that cover the full range from data centers via applications to business processes. With more than 40 years of experience in the business continuity and disaster recovery industry, IBM offers a one-stop shop for business continuity and recovery services across most multi-vendor platforms.”


Schlumberger Business Continuity Services, headquartered in London, has long-term contracts with more than 750 clients around the world. IBM intends to combine Schlumberger Business Continuity Services’ sales organization and employees into one dedicated organization within IBM Global Services.


More than 260 SBCS employees are expected to transfer to IBM, the global leader in IT services revenue and marketshare.


Once completed, the combination of IBM and Schlumberger’s business continuity services will provide IBM’s clients with an enhanced service to enable them to better tackle key business issues such as compliance with new government data protection regulations required by Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II.


IBM Business Continuity and Recovery Services has 130 business continuity locations around the world and, with one phone call, clients can have their data automatically routed to one of the locations. They can even move their own employees into the centers temporarily.


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0423

ScanSource Offers HP/Microsoft Point Of Sale Solution

Phil Yanov Imported

ScanSource, Inc., (Nasdaq: SCSC), the leading international value-added distributor of specialty technology products, has partnered with HP and Microsoft(R) Business Solutions to provide a total retail point-of-sale (POS) solution that includes the HP rp5000 point-of-sale device and Microsoft Business Solutions Retail Management System.


Available exclusively through ScanSource, the hardware and software solution enables resellers’ end-user customers to upgrade their POS systems at a low cost and with some of the industry’s best-of-breed technology. The retail solution is available with a standard monitor or a touch screen, as well as with other ScanSource peripheral POS products. Through this relationship, HP, Microsoft and ScanSource are providing resellers with the tools they need to help their customers harness the power of desktop automation in the retail market, allowing them to significantly reduce their IT budgets and provide better service to their customers.


The overall pricing, features and services available through the combined solution help resellers to be more competitive, as they assist their end-user customers in choosing a reliable, user-friendly, easy-to-maintain solution. The feature-filled hardware and software solution is purpose-built for the retail environment, providing resellers with a flexible, proven POS offering.


“Providing a turnkey solution with the HP rp5000 and Microsoft Retail Management System, coupled with the value-added services and support that ScanSource offers, ensures resellers can provide their customers a simplified, cost-effective solution,” said Mike Baur, president and CEO, ScanSource, Inc. “We’re excited to offer this solution to the channel.”


The HP rp5000 is an open-standards based device designed to withstand the rigors of the retail environment with enhanced power and cooling capabilities and extensive connectivity for POS peripherals. The rp5000 combines the functionality of popular proprietary systems with the lower price and flexibility of PC-based POS systems. Microsoft Retail Management System provides retailers with a scaleable, customizable solution for managing inventory, sales information and reporting, improving efficiency and productivity. The solution also offers connectivity between back-office functions and the point-of-sale.


The ordering process is also simplified in that the solution is pre-configured by ScanSource’s System Integration team, eliminating the need for on-site setup.


“We began offering the rp5000 through the ScanSource distribution channel to enable more solution providers to sell a product built specifically for the retail environment,” said Leigh Morrison, vice president, U.S. Retail Industry Sales and Solutions, HP Enterprise System Group. “ScanSource makes it easy for our partners to combine Microsoft RMS and HP technology into an industry-leading solution that addresses the key IT needs of today’s retailers.”


“Combining a quality POS hardware system with a feature-rich software package and a value-added distributor can only mean an improved value proposition for the solution provider and enhanced business efficiencies for the retail business customer,” said Jeff Young, general manager, emerging solutions, Microsoft Business Solutions. “We believe this hardware and software solution will enable resellers to be very competitive in the retail industry and provide tremendous value to customers.”


 


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0423

Texas Police Use IBM Digital Video

Phil Yanov Imported

IBM today announced that it will equip the cruiser fleet of the Tyler, Texas Police Department with a digital video system that can allow officers to capture video of traffic stops and criminal activity in progress. The system is expected to help serve as a powerful weapon in the fight against crime and it could save the department about $50,000 each year in labor, management and supply costs, according to the police department.


Tyler also plans to add wireless capability to the system, enabling the transmission of live video images from the cruisers to the police department in near real time, according to Police Chief Gary Swindle.


Digital video is thought to be more effective than traditional police car video systems, which are based on analog (videotape) technology. Because analog systems must be activated manually by the police officer, they often fail to capture images of crimes in progress. By contrast, IBM’s “in-car” digital video system continuously records images and sound onto a 40 or 60 gigabyte hard drive. When the officer turns on his overhead “pursuit” lights, the previous four minutes of video and audio are saved and recording continues until the officer turns off the system.


Installed in each of the department’s 60 cruisers, the IBM in car solution, using Coban Technologies’ Video Mobile Data Terminal (VMDT), will collect data via digital video cameras mounted in the cars as well as from audio microphones worn by the police officers. The data will be fed to ruggedized computer hard drives in the vehicles.


At the end of an officer’s shift, he or she will remove the hard drive, bring it into police headquarters, and upload any recorded images into a central data repository capable of storing 4.35 terabytes of data — the equivalent of nearly one million full-length novels.


IBM can also equip the system with wireless capability to permit near real-time transmission of video images and sound from the police cruisers to police headquarters, using wireless “hotspots.” Creating a vital visual link between patrol officers and precinct personnel, wireless transmission can help protect the safety of officers and citizens as well as assist in the coordination of police efforts.


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0423

MailWatch Names Top Ten Viruses For March

Phil Yanov Imported, New Hires and Promotions

Tobin_Titus: Tobin Titus has joined TiBA Solutions as a Sr. Developer/Analyst.  Titus is a recognized author of several books on the Microsoft .Net framework and has worked with Microsoft in developing training and testing curriculum for multiple professional certification tracks.  His past experience includes an assignment with Microsoft during the rollout of the new Framework including writing many Knowledge Base Articles and how-to guides.  Titus joins the TiBA team providing business solutions in emerging and existing technologies.<BR>“></P><br /> <P>Tobin Titus has joined TiBA Solutions as a Sr. Developer/Analyst.  Titus is a recognized author of several books on the Microsoft .Net framework and has worked with Microsoft in developing training and testing curriculum for multiple professional certification tracks.  His past experience includes an assignment with Microsoft during the rollout of the new Framework including writing many Knowledge Base Articles and how-to guides.  Titus joins the TiBA team providing business solutions in emerging and existing technologies.</P><br /> —–</p> </div> </div> <div class=

0409

MailWatch Names Top Ten Viruses For March

Phil Yanov Imported, Industry

MailWatch a Spam-blocking, virus-scanning and content-filtering service protecting corporate networks worldwide, today announced the total, and most frequently occurring virus threats it intercepted on behalf of its corporate customer base during March. The company also announced that it scanned more than 196 million messages in March for its customers, a 27% increase over February’s total. (See the winners)
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0409

MailWatch Names Top Ten Viruses For March

Phil Yanov Imported

PISCATAWAY, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 9, 2004–MailWatch (www.MailWatch.com), a leading Spam-blocking, virus-scanning and content-filtering service protecting corporate networks worldwide, today announced the total, and most frequently occurring virus threats it intercepted on behalf of its corporate customer base during March. The company also announced that it scanned more than 196 million messages in March for its customers, a 27% increase over February’s total.



In March, MailWatch intercepted a total of 6,817,511 virus instances from entering corporate networks, driven greatly by the Netsky virus and its variants. On March 31, 2004, MailWatch exceeded previous daily thresholds by scanning 8.24 million messages in a single 24 hour period. The top ten intercepted viruses for March 2004 were:


Virus Name                               Quantity Detected
W32/Netsky.d@MM                             1,799,498
W32/Netsky (ED)                             1,113,034
W32/Netsky.c@MM                               478,291
W32/Netsky.p@MM (ED)                          454,451
W32/Netsky.b@MM!zip                           450,520
W32/Netsky.p@MM                               363,038
W32/Netsky.b@MM                               360,637
W32/Netsky.c@MM!zip                           277,103
W32/Netsky.p@MM!zip (ED)                      206,019
W32/Mydoom.a@MM                               173,657



“March 2004 turned out to be a busy month for virus activity — the majority of which was driven by the Netsky virus,” said Bill Fallon, VP of Product Marketing at EasyLink. “MailWatch scanned 8.24 million messages in a single 24-hour period, exceeding its previous record of 6 million messages scanned in a single day this past December.” Fallon added, “It’s clear that dealing daily with the onslaught of Spam and virus attacks are now a part of the cost of being an Internet-connected business today. MailWatch helps businesses of all sizes dramatically reduce this cost.”


 


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0409

Symantec Announces Security for Handheld Devices with Support for Wireless Device Deployments

Phil Yanov Imported, Industry

Symantec has launched Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition. The new software is “fully device resident” and can be deployed and managed on Palm Powered smartphones and handhelds as well as Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs, without the need for synchronization with a desktop system. (Read their release)
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0409

Symantec Announces Security for Handheld Devices with Support for Wireless Device Deployments

Phil Yanov Imported

Symantec Corp has announced Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2 with support for wireless device deployments in enterprise environments. Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2 is fully device resident and can be deployed and managed on Palm Powered smartphones and handhelds as well as Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs, without the need for synchronization with a desktop system.


“Wireless deployments are of increasing importance to enterprise security as they are typically brought in through the backdoor of an enterprise,” said Lily De Los Rios, vice president, client and host security, Symantec. “The presence of a wireless connection elevates overall security concerns, as more connected devices present an inherently higher security risk to an enterprise organization. Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds 3.2 will help enterprises to better manage the risk wireless devices can pose to the security of an organization.”


“At Microsoft, we understand the importance of ensuring that Windows Mobile devices are as secure as they can be,” said Julie Wymetalek, manager of the MPAC program at Microsoft. “We are pleased to see the work being done by our industry partners, such as Symantec, to provide our mutual customers with security solutions for the Windows Mobile platform.”


As part of its commitment to secure mobile devices, Symantec is a member of the Microsoft Mobility Partner Advisory Council (MPAC). MPAC is a unique partner program developed by Microsoft Corp. to serve as a focused feedback mechanism for Microsoft Windows Mobile platform development, and provide leading companies with the tools and resources they need to bring the most innovative and successful mobility solutions to market.


“Palm OS is a leading mobile platform for the enterprise because of its built-in security features and broad range of third party security and manageability solutions,” said Michael Higashi, director of enterprise marketing, PalmSource, Inc. “As enterprises become more dependent on providing real-time access to data, we believe the need for secure wireless technologies and solutions, such as Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2, will become increasingly important.”


Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2 is an untethered, desktop-unassisted solution tailored to remote installation and management with Mobile Device Management solutions. Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2 offers the following new features:


– Installation over Mobile Device Management:


Administrators can push the installable files over their wireless management systems without requiring synchronization with a desktop for initial installation.


– Management over Mobile Device Management:


Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2 allows administrators to change and lock product settings remotely. A configuration file is created by the administrator and pushed to the device, carrying the configuration of settings they desire on their handheld devices.


– Updating over Mobile Device Management:


The system administrator can download the updated definition files to their Mobile Device Management system and push the updates to their mobile devices.


– Configurable WLU Support:


Wireless LiveUpdate can now be configured to retrieve definition updates from an internal server. Administrators who already use internal LiveUpdate servers for definition updates can configure their mobile devices to pull definition updates from the same location.


Pricing/Availability


Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds Corporate Edition 3.2 is available now as a license to enterprise customers. To obtain licensing information or to locate a reseller, visit http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com on the World Wide Web.


 


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0409

AssetPoint Launches PM Playbook

Phil Yanov Greenville, Imported

AssetPoint has announced a newly developed approach for addressing preventive maintenance (PM) programs.  Coined the PM Playbook™, the process provides a systematic approach to reviewing and analyzing the effectiveness of a company’s existing PM program.  Developed from numerous years of PM experience gained from a multitude of projects across a variety of industries worldwide, the PM Playbook includes a step-by-step, self-guided process with illustrations, charts and worksheets that explain how a PM program is setup, implemented and measured.  Process steps and analytical methods are used to determine the current then desired future state of a company’s PM program.  The playbook takes into account system configurations of AssetPoint’s maintenance software system, TabWare, or a company’s CMMS solution that are necessary to effectively manage a PM program.  The process includes selection of applicable metrics to measure progress and success of a company’s PM program.  (more)
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0409

AssetPoint Launches PM Playbook

Phil Yanov Imported

AssetPoint has announced a newly developed approach for addressing preventive maintenance (PM) programs.  Coined the PM Playbook™, the process provides a systematic approach to reviewing and analyzing the effectiveness of a company’s existing PM program.  Developed from numerous years of PM experience gained from a multitude of projects across a variety of industries worldwide, the PM Playbook includes a step-by-step, self-guided process with illustrations, charts and worksheets that explain how a PM program is setup, implemented and measured.  Process steps and analytical methods are used to determine the current then desired future state of a company’s PM program.  The playbook takes into account system configurations of AssetPoint’s maintenance software system, TabWare, or a company’s CMMS solution that are necessary to effectively manage a PM program.  The process includes selection of applicable metrics to measure progress and success of a company’s PM program. 


“The PM Playbook is our newest tool in the AssetPoint product solution suite designed to complement the maintenance management functionality in TabWare or other CMMS applications,” says Vince Carrozzi, executive vice president, AssetPoint.  “By using this playbook, companies will now have a strategic game plan as they initiate a preventive maintenance program.  Our EAM Specialist, Verl Davis, who has more than 30 years of maintenance experience, authored the PM Playbook and will be involved with client companies assisting them in executing their programs.”  


Since 1978, AssetPoint has been the pioneer in delivering integrated enterprise asset management (EAM) software and services that improve profitability and productivity for the process, manufacturing and facilities industries.  Our primary improvement tool, TabWare, is a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)/Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) application routinely accessed by more than 10,000 users to manage billions of dollars in critical plant and facility assets worldwide.  The scaleable software solution is delivered as an onsite option or as a fully secure, web-based solution.  For more information on AssetPoint and TabWare, visit www.AssetPoint.com.


 


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