Cyber Software Patrol

Capgemini Group Acquires Software Architects and Expands US Operations

2007-02-08T02:15:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO & PARIS-(Business Wire)-February 8, 2007 - Capgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of Consulting, Technology and Outsourcing services, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of the U.S. company Software Architects Inc., provider of information technology consulting services, whose operations will be integrated into those of Sogeti USA. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of Software Architects' shareholders and anti-trust clearance. .

Read More

Target Software Boosts Microsoft's iSCSI Support

2007-02-06T02:17:00.000-08:00

Microsoft formally began supporting iSCSI more than two years ago when it included iSCSI initiator support in Windows Server 2003. However, Microsoft didn't release its own version for the other half of the equation, iSCSI target software, until July 2006, when Microsoft released the iSCSI target technology it acquired from String Bean Software in early 2006. The target software, called Microsoft iSCSI Software Target, is available as the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target Application Pack and only through OEMs selling Windows Storage Server and Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003. By adding the iSCSI Software Target Software Application Pack to either of the Microsoft storage server offerings, a user could provide an end-to-end Microsoft solution for deploying an iSCSI-based storage network.

Read More

California cops nab software pirate

2007-02-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

Police in Riverside County, California have arrested a 64 year-old man accused of selling more than $750,000 worth of pirated Microsoft and Adobe software. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said that it seized more than $280,000 worth of pirated software along with 15 computers and $13,000 in cash from the home of Gad Zamir. Zamir is accused of selling counterfeit copies of Microsoft Server SQL 2000 Enterprise and Adobe Photoshop CS2 over a six-year period at a profit of more than $750,000. Server SQL 2000 is a database management program, and Photoshop is a popular image-editing application. The Sheriff's department alleged that Zamir used several online auction sites to sell the pirated software. Copies of Server SQL 2000, which retails for $25,000, and Photoshop CS2, which retails for $500, were sold for $7,750 and $280 respectively.

Read More

IBM buys Softek and moving software

2007-01-31T02:14:00.000-08:00

IBM Corp has inked a deal to buy privately held Softek Storage Solutions Corp, with Softek's data migration software being very much the prize that IBM is chasing. Softek was spun out of Fujitsu Ltd in 2004, via a management buy-out. It claims over 800 customers among the very largest corporations on the planet. .

Read More

2007-01-30T04:45:00.000-08:00

Fonterra fixes cheese software

Fonterra says it has fixed the software problems that have disrupted supplies of Mainland, Galaxy and Kapiti cheeses to retailers across New Zealand. However, the company's director of international manufacturing, Max Parkin, says it may take a few weeks before a backlog of orders is cleared and supermarket shelves are fully restocked. The Independent Financial Review reported on Wednesday that notices apologising for empty shelves were posted in Foodtown supermarkets. Mr Parkin says the root of the problem was an upgrade to the information systems responsible for managing secondary processing in its cheese plants, when cheese is cut into blocks or shredded or sliced and then packaged. These are now being standardised on an SAP platform. "We have been updating our IT systems to bring them into line with the systems throughout the rest of Fonterra and we put in a new planning system.

Read More

Summit Software Upgrade Improves Connectivity and Roaming for ...

A new software release for wireless LAN radios from Summit Data Communications, Inc. improves wireless network connectivity, especially in environments that present significant connectivity challenges. Reliable connectivity is vital for business-critical mobile devices such as portable data terminals that are used in challenging radio environments such as retail stores, distribution centers, hospitals, factories, and ports. In addition to improved connectivity, the new Summit software release adds support for popular security protocols and several ease-of-use improvements. The software release is available for all popular versions of Windows CE: CE.NET 4.2 and 5.0, Pocket PC 2003, and Windows Mobile 5.0. A new software release for the 10G Family of IEEE 802.11g client adapters from Summit Data Communications (www.summitdatacom.com), Inc.

Read More

Storage management software gets predictive

MonoSphere Monday unveiled a version of its management software that lets administrators predict the use of storage resources and provision them as needed. Storage Horizon 3.0 introduces: -- Automated mapping of application host volumes with storage arrays to allow management by use, not just allocation -- Automated collection of data and reporting so administrators can know when to buy storage and how much to buy -- Generation of array-based capacity plans, including for plans for storage costs -- New reports and custom report capability, which can show capacity and cost issues -- Alerts of hot spots and overprovisioned areas, which allow monitoring and forecasting of storage requirements daily Release 2.0 of the software let companies monitor consumption of data from the volume manager on the host computer.

Read More

2007-01-29T04:43:00.000-08:00

OpenLogic Establishes European Presence With New UK Distributor

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenLogic, Inc., a leading provider of software, stacks and support that enable enterprises to easily deploy and manage customized open source environments, today announced a partnership with leading European open source distributor Interactive Ideas to further expand OpenLogic's worldwide market presence. Under the partnership, Interactive Ideas, the largest pure open source distributor in the UK, will manage distribution of OpenLogic Enterprise and OpenLogic Library Edition to enterprise customers in the UK. Interactive Ideas is an established leader in the UK open source market, where it is the leading distributor for Red Hat Software and a distributor for such companies as VMWare and Novell. The Interactive Ideas team will leverage their extensive distribution and sales experience as the primary distributor for OpenLogic Enterprise, OpenLogic's flagship open source integration and management software.

Read More

Use your Moodle: Naples High pilots a new software program

But when his sister called him and wanted to know why Janowski, the media specialist at Naples High School, had never told his nephew that there are things like interactive online communities, he was baffled. “I soon realized that we needed to do something to get our staff up to speed on the latest technology tool being used at the university level. Although we have the latest in ‘teaching' tools, we need to instruct our students in the latest ‘learning' tools," he said in an e-mail. Luckily, one teacher at Naples High School had been exposed to course management software and was excited about its possibilities. The idea of Moodle, Naples High School's piloted course management software, was introduced to the faculty by science teacher Amy Lawson, who learned about Moodle during the summer from a teacher in British Columbia.

Read More

Ascent Software to deliver software services to Dunstan Thomas

Ascent Software, a premier provider of near shore software development services in Malta, has signed a 12-month contract for the provision of offshore development services with Dunstan Thomas, a leading provider of technology solutions for the pensions, property management and investments markets based in Portsmouth, UK. Dunstan Thomas was founded in 1986 to provide software development and consulting resources. Early clients included IBM, Lotus and Racal. In the late 1980s the company delivered database consulting and training services and became a principal partner of Borland, delivering professional services across a broad spectrum of technologies. Clients of these services included Exxon, BP and Barclays Bank. By the mid 1990s Dunstan Thomas established a relationship with Microsoft and in 2004 became a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner delivering solutions with Microsoft technology.

Read More

China's CDC Mobile forms software agreement with Nokia

2007-01-29T02:14:00.000-08:00

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - China''s CDC Mobile, a provider of mobile value-added services and a business unit of CDC Corporation, has entered into a software agreement with Nokia. Under the agreement, CDC Mobile will allow Nokia to pre-install its proprietary software in selected Nokia mobile phones sold in China. CDC Mobile''s software application provides mobile subscribers with services including mobile games, ring tones, news and weather forecasts. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. joshua.lipes@xinhuafinance.com For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com : AFX news Copyright AFX Ltd. All rights reserved. .

Read More

2007-01-28T04:43:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's new Windows Experience Index hopes to simplify your ...

Microsoft is two days away from launching its long-awaited Windows Vista operating system. Windows Vista introduces a plethora of new features and enhancements that allows for greater security, a sleek new user interface and ease of use. As with all new operating systems, however, new hardware may be required to take advantage of all the new features. Microsoft has devised a new rating system that will hopefully simplify future hardware and software purchases as well as give users a basic idea of the capabilities of a PC – say hello to the Windows Experience Index. The new Windows Experience Index evaluates a systems performance right before the user sees the Windows desktop after a clean installation. It evaluates five subsystems and rates the system on a higher-is-better scale starting with 1.0.

Read More

Encryptomatic Customers can now Get Its Software Products Free ...

(PRLEAP.COM) Encryptomatic llc announced today that its customers can now acquire its software products at no direct cost. The company has implemented a unique payment method, called TrialPay, for all of its products including MessageLock email encryption, OutDisk FTP for Outlook, and MSGViewer email file viewer. When customers select TrialPay as a payment option, they are able to choose from a wide array of 3rd product trials or special offers. Upon completion of the trial, the user receives the chosen Encryptomatic product at no cost. Although business users continue to be our primary customers, TrialPay is a fun way for individuals to acquire a single copy of our products, said Darren Leno, President, Encryptomatic llc. Im impressed with the quality of the TrialPay offers, and I am very pleased with early customer acceptance of this payment method.

Read More

VMware Creates a Community-Supported Hardware and Software List

One of the limitations of the VMware ESX Server product that competitors always point the finger at is VMware's limited list of supported hardware and software. The competition claims that VMware's need for a hardware compatibility list (HCL) puts VMware at a disadvantage since the competitor products can be installed on top of most hardware without the need for special drivers. Of course, this "problem" hasn't taken the wind out of VMware's sails (or sales) yet! Customers of VMware have quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) complained about this limitation before, especially when it comes to non-production activities such as testing. As an example, consumers want to install and operate ESX Server on non-SCSI disks (such as using cheaper SATA drives) to make the server cheaper for development and testing scenarios.

Read More

2007-01-27T04:42:00.000-08:00

Software Thief Sentenced To 20 Months In Prison

(AP) SACRAMENTO A man who used more than 15 aliases and multiple false addresses to steal $500,000 worth of Microsoft software will be spending the next 20 months in a federal prison. Federal prosecutors say Darren McWaine activated more than 179 subscriptions of a Microsoft program that is used to create computer products that would work with Microsoft software. Each of those subscriptions sold for nearly $3,000 and had to be renewed annually for an additional fee of more than $2,000. McWaine would tweak activation codes, trying different combinations to see if they would work. If they did, he would download the software. He was ordered to pay restitution to Microsoft as part of his sentence. .

Read More

FTC Halts "Free Software CD" Internet Scam

A United States Magistrate has temporarily halted the marketing practices of a company that advertised "free software CDs" but allegedly billed consumers' credit cards for them without the consumers' authorization. The Federal Trade Commission asked the court to bar the deceptive advertising and order redress for tens of thousands of consumers who were wrongfully billed by Think All Publishing, L.L.C. According to the FTC, the scheme worked like this: The defendants' Web site offered consumers a free CD containing computer software if they agreed to pay a shipping and handling fee of $1.99 to $2.99. Consumers who signed up for the free CD were then offered three more free software CDs for no additional shipping or handling fees. The consumers provided their names and addresses and a credit or debit card number online.

Read More

How To Protect Yourself In A Software Acquisition

Software users should protect themselves if an important vendor gets caught up in an acquisition. Here are a few simple rules. Consider the possibility Gary Scholten, CIO at Principal Financial Group, considers the potential for acquisition during the due-diligence phase of choosing a software vendor, particularly if the company is in a fledgling area of technology. "Sometimes this leads us to say we're not going to take a chance on software in this space, where companies are being acquired and there's significant changes," Scholten says. Hold fast to agreed-upon prices When a company's software vendor is acquired, it should require the acquiring company to honor the terms and conditions of its original contract for at least a few years, including maintenance prices, says Gartner analyst Alexa Bona, who specializes in software licensing.

Read More

2007-01-26T04:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Opera Mini: One Year After Its Introduction, Opera ...

Oslo, Norway - 26 January 2007 -- This week Opera Software celebrates the one-year anniversary of Opera Mini. Within its first year, Opera Mini has changed the way millions of people access and view the Web on their mobile phone. Designed to work with almost any mobile phone, Opera Mini is available free from www.operamini.com ."This is a celebration for our users," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "Thanks to the more than 10 million people who use Opera Mini, we've changed the way users and mobile operators think about the mobile Web. Because of the tremendous grassroots support, Opera Mini is now a movement."Opera Mini lets you take the Web with you. Instead of limited WAP content, you are free to browse the Web the same way you would at home on your laptop or desktop computer.

Read More

Renesas Develops SoC Rendering Software for Car Navigation System ...

Renesas Technology Corp. has developed MAPGL Graphics Software Engine, rendering software for use in the SH7770 SoC targeting car navigation systems. It maximizes the hardware performance of the graphics engines incorporated in SH7770 to enable high-speed processing of various kinds of graphics application software. In addition, the company claims that this rendering software can shorten the development period of graphics application software down to about 1/3 compared to the case without using it. The graphics engine in SH7770 employs a display list type rendering architecture. (The display list refers to a set of rendering commands for lines, polygons, etc.) The CPU generates command lines for rendering to be stored in an external memory as a display list and, at a time of rendering, the graphics engine directly reads out the content of the display list so as to execute rendering processing.

Read More

State may face dilemma over tax issue

Wisconsin's 4th District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday in favor of Menasha Corp. in a complex tax decision that could entitle the firm to a refund of up to $500,000, including interest. The wider impact is the effect the decision could have on the state general fund, depleting the pot by a net of $350 million, according to a January 2006 analysis by the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau. "There are a number of companies in Wisconsin in a similar situation to us," said Kevin Head, vice president-tax for Menasha Corp. Andrew Nelson, an attorney for Menasha Corp., said similar pending cases could cost the state an additional $100 million. Nelson said the firm is owed $500,000 with interest. Although "off-the-shelf" computer software like Microsoft Office is subject to the state sales tax on tangible personal property, sales of custom computer software are exempt, the bureau said.

Read More

2007-01-25T04:40:00.000-08:00

Next-generation Voice Changer Software Features More

(PRLEAP.COM) January 25, 2007- Audio4Fun (a.k.a. Avnex Ltd.) has announced the release of its latest version of AV Voice Changer Software Diamond 5.0, with new features and enhancements. The latest version includes four major, new features. First, the Voice Mimicker module, uses similarity analysis, celebrity voice samples, and the ability to import anyones recorded voice, allows the user to learn how to mimic the voice of virtually anyone. By loading in a voice sample, the user can train their voice to sound like the sample by making adjustments to the pitch, timbre and velocity and saving the results. Many sets of celebrity voices are planned for the future. The second addition, Parody Maker, lets the user train their own voice to sound like anyones voice sample. The user can then create their own sound files based on any celebritys voice.

Read More

Software company fails to prove it wrote its own software

A dispute between two software houses remains unresolved after the Court of Appeal refused to rule that one company definitely did not copy the other's software. The ruling does not mean that copying did take place, though. In an unusual case centring on a software development outsourcing contract, a development company pulled out of an agreed mediation process in order to seek a court order which declared them innocent of copying the other company's technology. The court had to make its decision without analysing any of the software involved. .

Read More

Prague-made software aids African radio

Running an indie radio broadcast can be a juggling act bringing in news reports banked on a networked server, deciding what songs to spin, talking low and smooth on the mic and, if times are good, squeezing in a few ads. It's extra difficult when you're Citizen FM 103.7, coming to you live on a 250-watt broadcast from Kissy, on the eastern edge of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, a small, desperately poor country on the West African coast. Stability is returning after a civil war that killed tens of thousands from 1991 to 2002. But the country's democratic pulse, endangered by unstable neighbor states and cantankerous upcoming elections, is as irregular as the gas-powered generators that electrify much of Kissy. .

Read More

2007-01-24T04:40:00.000-08:00

Software claims to be most secure, most user-friendly system ever

One of the biggest-ever software rollouts begins in about a week with the official launch of Windows Vista. There are sure to be more than a few skeptics of the many productivity claims coming from the Windows camp, and even a few pockets of resistance of tight-fisted Windows XP users who are reluctant to invest $129 to $499 (recommended list prices) on one of the various editions of the new system set for release Jan. 30. However, Phil Sorgen, president of Microsoft Canada, says Vistas many benefits, including ease of operation, Internet safety features and effective parental controls, will make it an easy sell. "There has never been a more collaborative development cycle that Microsoft has participated in," the head of the software giants Canadian operations said Tuesday in Halifax as part of a promotional swing through Eastern Canada.

Read More

ASR leading HR software supplier demonstrates strong relationship ...

(PRLEAP.COM) The Chartered Institute for IT professionals, the British Computer Society (BCS) has been using ASRs HR software solution for over four years and is very happy with its choice of system. Established in 1957, BCS is the leading body for those working in IT. With a world-wide membership approaching 60,000 members in over 100 countries, BCS is the qualifying body for Chartered IT Professionals (CITP). Based in Swindon, Wiltshire, the BCS has grown by nearly 20% in the last year, employing around 220 employees, supported by an HR function of three. BCS has been using ASRs HR software solution for over four years and is very happy with its choice of system. BCSs Head of HR, Elaine Huntingdon was the key mover behind the introduction of a new HR software system Elaine has extensive experience of the worlds of business and technology.

Read More

GenevaLogic Debuts New Classroom Management Software Kits at 2007 ...

ORLANDO, Fla.-(Business Wire)-January 24, 2007 - Today at the 2007 Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC), GenevaLogic debuted the Vision(R) Class Kit, the Vision School Kit and the Vision School Kit Plus - which provide both individual classrooms and entire schools with essential classroom management tools for easy and effective teaching with computers. The foundation of all three kits is Vision6, the newest version of GenevaLogic's easy-to-use classroom management software that allows teachers to manage, control and optimize the use of technology to support instruction. "At GenevaLogic, we are committed to partnering with educators to develop innovative solutions that help them use technology to improve student learning," said Kirk Greiner, chief executive officer.

Read More

2007-01-23T04:42:00.000-08:00

Global giant acquires UQ's JKTech software

Global giant Mincom Limited acquired the software in a move to strengthen its mining and metallurgical capabilities and software solution offering to the global mining industry. JKTech Managing Director Dr Geoff Gault said the acquisition reflected the strong track record of JKTech and the JKMRC in developing world-leading systems to advance the product recovery of mining and mineral processing organisations. Mincom is a major player in the mining software technology field, Dr Gault said. Its desire to add JKTech's Production Accounting Software, JKMetAccount, to its suite of industry-acknowledged software is evidence that the products, in particular the software, being developed by the JKTech/JKMRC partnership are truly at the leading edge and provide economic benefit to the global minerals industry, he said.

Read More

Avionics alliance seeks to reduce software costs

WASHINGTON Two companies have joined forces to advance development of embedded avionics software while lowering development costs. Avista Inc. (Platteville, Wis.), an embedded software engineering services company, and Silver Software (Malmesbury, U.K.) announced an alliance on Tuesday (Jan. 23) they said will allow avionics companies to shift software development offshore while retaining U.S.-based project management. The alliance is targeting leading aircraft makers and avionics developers. Avionics software development differs from embedded software in that it must comply with government-mandated safety specifications (DO-178B certification). The partners said this has made it difficult for aircraft makers and avionics contractors to manage offshore avionics software development.

Read More

Health Net Selects Callidus Software TrueComp Manager and ...

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Callidus Software Inc. (NASDAQ: CALD) , the leader in Sales Performance Management (SPM) and Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM), today announced that Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT) , has selected the Callidus Software TrueComp(R) Manager and TrueInformation(R) software to manage incentive compensation programs for its Medicare Senior Products Division. Under the terms of the agreement, Health Net will be able to use Callidus' TrueComp Manager and TrueInformation modules for its agents and contracted producers in North America. In challenging economic times and faced with unprecedented competition, companies are pursuing new ways to drive revenue and optimize profitability. Incentive compensation is one of the untapped levers to bring these strategies to life.

Read More

MSC.Software Announces Key Executive Promotions

2007-01-23T02:19:00.000-08:00

SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MSC.Software Corporation (NASDAQ: MSCS), the leading global provider of enterprise simulation solutions including simulation software and services, today announced several promotions of Company executives. These promotions are designed to re-affirm the support for the Company's strategic direction and in light of recently announced consolidations, are designed to drive MSC.Software's multi-discipline and enterprise simulation strategy. Reza S. Sadeghi has been promoted to chief technology officer and senior vice president of product development, after 15 years with the Company in a variety of technical executive roles. He will continue to drive MSC.Software's core solver technology as the Company expands its multidiscipline offering.

Read More

2007-01-22T04:40:00.000-08:00

NASA Eyes Open Standard Software for Next-Generation James Webb ...

ARMONK, NY: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is using IBM software to develop the software and systems that will operate the James Webb Space Telescope. The Next Generation Telescope which will succeed the Hubble Space Telescope will look much closer to the beginning of time and hunt for the unobserved formation of the first galaxies. The Telescope, expected to be launched by 2013, will study galaxy, star and planet formation in the Universe. In order to study how the very first stars and galaxies formed in the early Universe, NASA will look 'back in time' and deep into space using light time to travel from the present to the past. To study the earliest star formation in the Universe, NASA will observe infrared light, using special instruments optimized to capture this part of the spectrum.

Read More

Integra Telecom Switches to IBM Software for Real-Time Service ...

(ASSODIGITALE) IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Integra Telecom, a Portland, Ore. integrated communications carrier of voice and data services, has selected IBM as its strategic service management software vendor. Integra Telecom will replace its existing HP OpenView technology with IBM Tivoli's Netcool software to increase network availability and performance, improve the quality of service and increase the speed of time to market of new services -- all while keeping costs down. Integra Telecom needed a centralized system to manage and integrate their networks with recently acquired Electric Lightwave, a recognized carrier service brand. Electric Lightwave was utilizing Tivoli Netcool. Integra Telecom is currently in the process of migrating from HP OpenView to IBM Netcool, as well as deploying the Netcool/OMNIbus and Netcool Precision for IP Networks products.

Read More

IBM To Launch Enterprise Social Networking Software Called 'Lotus ...

IBM will today announce the forthcoming release of its Lotus Connections, a set of blogging and social networking software built to improve intra-company productivity. Like a My Space designed for the corporate world, Lotus Connections will allow a company's employees to set up virtual worlds in which they can meet like-minded colleagues and trade ideas. According to IBM's VP for Social Software, Jeff Schick, The purpose of Lotus is to “unlock the latent expertise in an organization." I.B.M. will introduce the software at the annual Lotus Developers Conference being held in Orlando this year. IBM's software unit has been a true growth driver for the company recently with management reporting last week that software revenues increased 14% over the prior year period. Lotus Connections will likely pose a challenge to Microsoft Exchange.

Read More

2007-01-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

New Software Could Help People With Multiple Prescriptions

Multiple prescriptions can be confusing: knowing which pill is which, when to take what medication and what pills have special instructions. A Medical College of Georgia physical therapist and associate dean wants to reduce consumer confusion with software that creates a calendar-like printout every time a prescription is filled. "The idea came to me when a relative who was taking multiple medications for asthma came to stay with me," says Dr. W. Kent Guion, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Allied Health Sciences. "She was often confused about which pills she had to take in the morning and which pills she had to take at night. Many of her medications also looked the same and it was easy for her to get one confused with the other." Medication errors lead to an increase in doctor's visits and hospitalizations, which drive up health care costs.

Read More

BSA to undertake fresh educational campaign against software ...

Business Software Alliance (BSA), the international association established by the software industry to promote a safe and legal digital world, has initiated a fresh awareness and educational campaign jointly with regional authorities, stepping up its ongoing efforts to reduce software piracy in the Middle East by informing the public about the negative repercussions of using and trading in unlicensed software. The campaign involves holding a series of training programmes, seminars and conferences to influence consumer and businesses behaviour and to increase awareness about the advantages of using original software products, among various sections of society across the region. Move comes in line with BSAs goal of creating a secure and legal environment for the growth and development of the regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry.

Read More

Microsoft Case Lawyers Claim Violation

DES MOINES, Iowa - The plaintiffs in Iowa's class-action antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. claim they have uncovered information that indicates the software company is violating its 2002 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.The alleged misconduct surrounds Microsoft's duty to share software hooks known as application programming interfaces, or APIs, which let disparate programs work together. The Iowa plaintiffs' attorneys have alleged that Microsoft has not disclosed certain APIs to other software developers who want to make programs compatible with Microsoft software.Plaintiffs' attorney Roxanne Conlin asked the judge in the Iowa case, Scott Rosenberg, for permission to tell the Justice Department and the Iowa attorney general what her side knows. Rosenberg responded that she could provide the information if a court order or a subpoena is issued for it.The API issue also has landed Microsoft into trouble with the European Commission, which imposed a 3 million-euros-a-day fine last July for failure to provide proper software documentation.

Read More

Software lets concerned parents become MySpace invaders

2007-01-21T02:18:00.000-08:00

IT helped launch pop acts like Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen but now MySpace.com looks set to kowtow to government critics and set up a monitoring service of its users. The popular website will offer free parental notification software, allowing parents to find out what names, ages and locations their children are using to represent themselves. .

Read More

2007-01-20T04:40:00.000-08:00

MySpace Developing Parental Notification

The popular online hangout MySpace.com has been quietly developing software designed to give parents the bare-bones of what their kids are doing on the site. The tool, which will alert parents of the username, age and location a child lists on personal MySpace pages known as profiles, is designed to spark conversations about Internet safety. But it is also meant to give kids enough room to maneuver lest they flee to rival social-networking sites such as Facebook or Xanga. Unlike third-party monitoring software available for sale, the free MySpace tool won't let parents see their kids' password-protected profiles or any communications they have with friends. MySpace, which announced the initiative Wednesday after The Wall Street Journal reported on its existence, expects the software now known as "Zephyr" will be available this summer.

Read More

Parody Mixer - Most-wanted new feature of AV Voice Changer ...

(PRLEAP.COM) Nicosia, Cyprus - Considered as the key release of Audio4fun in the first quarter of 2007, AV Voice Changer Software Diamond 5.0 boasts some new features suggested by previous versions users. Among them, Parody Mixer is the most favorite feature voted by its earliest customers. http://www.audio4fun.com/voice-changer-software-features/parody-mixer.htm The demand of mimicking ones voice has been increased. We catch this trend since the latest survey at the end of the year 2006. Therefore, Parody Maker and Parody Mixer modules are very interesting and selected as hot NEW, cheerful shared Chris R.F., Audio4fun Customer Supports team leader. Because these are very new features and theres little software supporting this function, we have to work hard to support our earliest users in applying this to their job.

Read More

Symantec Rolls Out Disaster Recovery, Clustering Software

New features of Storage Foundation include Veritas Storage Foundation Basic for Windows, free software that runs on system configurations that don't exceed four volumes or two physical processors in a single system. Storage Foundation Basic for Windows includes dynamic multipathing for redundancy. The software is available for download at www.symantec.com/sfbasic.Storage Foundation for Windows will now also support the Storage Foundation Management Server, which gives a comprehensive view of the storage infrastructure. The Storage Foundation Management Server will now support Storage Foundation for Windows 4.x and 5.0, Veritas Volume Replicator Option and Storage Foundation for Windows Basic.A new set of configuration wizards are also included that make storage, cluster and replication setup as much as 50 percent faster, according to the company.

Read More

2007-01-19T04:41:00.000-08:00

Convio acquires GetActive Software

Convio, a provider of online constituent relationship management solutions for nonprofit organizations, has acquired GetActive Software Inc. Both companies are recognized as eCRM software and services vendors within the nonprofit sector. Convio, Austin, TX, plans to use the addition to provide Internet solutions aimed at helping nonprofit organizations build fundraising, marketing and advocacy campaigns. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. It is expected to close by the end of the first quarter. Convio aims to leverage GetActives advocacy, its content management platform and the companys services operation based in Washington. The combined company will serve more than 1,400 clients. Convio has helped its customers collectively raise more than $500 million since its beginning in 1999.

Read More

Vista software for sale or download online

Microsoft Corp. is going somewhere it's never gone before and will make its new Windows Vista operating system available for sale and download online. In the past, Windows was available only on packaged discs or pre-loaded compuer. A relatively low number of computer users are expected to get Vista by downloading it from the Internet. But the mere availability indicates Microsoft is looking into new distribution methods for the extremely profitable franchise at the core of its business. The download program was announced Wednesday. It will also include the Office 2007 line of software when both are released for consumers Jan. 30. Initially, the huge downloads will be available in North America only. Most consumers will get Vista already installed on new PCs bought after Jan.

Read More

MySpace, target of safety concerns, works on software to notify ...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The popular online hangout MySpace.com has been quietly developing software designed to give parents the bare-bones of what their kids are doing on the site.The tool, which will alert parents of the username, age and location a child lists on personal MySpace pages known as profiles, is designed to spark conversations about Internet safety. .

Read More

Convio acquires GetActive Software

2007-01-19T02:19:00.000-08:00

Convio, a provider of online constituent relationship management solutions for nonprofit organizations, has acquired GetActive Software Inc. Both companies are recognized as eCRM software and services vendors within the nonprofit sector. Convio, Austin, TX, plans to use the addition to provide Internet solutions aimed at helping nonprofit organizations build fundraising, marketing and advocacy campaigns. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. It is expected to close by the end of the first quarter. Convio aims to leverage GetActives advocacy, its content management platform and the companys services operation based in Washington. The combined company will serve more than 1,400 clients. Convio has helped its customers collectively raise more than $500 million since its beginning in 1999.

Read More

2007-01-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

SecureWorks Protects Data for Latitude Software, a Leading ...

Latitude Software has selected SecureWorks as their managed security services provider and will refer SecureWorks' services to the Latitude client base, which consists of more than 150 clients. With over 1,600 clients, SecureWorks has become the largest managed security services provider safeguarding more financial institutions than any other vendor. Latitude Software is a leading provider of quality software and services to the debt collection and recovery industry. Latitude Software's powerful collection system includes support for collection agencies, law firms, debt buyers and creditors. Companies working with the financial industry are being asked to provide evidence of strong security practices prior to integrating with the systems of any financial institution. As a result, collections agencies ranging in size from 5-person shops to 500-person shops, need to secure their networks as a pre-requisite to getting or retaining business.

Read More

Aussie health dept. seeks $10m patient and medicine software

The Industry Capability Network, a body that promotes import replacement by encouraging New Zealand and Australian companies to compete for major projects, wants to hear from local firms capable of supplying AUD$10 million worth of health related software. Director of ICN, Graeme Solloway, says the ICN has been advised that the Australian Department of Health is seeking vendors capable of supplying a new Electronic Patient Administration System and Pharmacy software systems in Tasmania. ICN is asking New Zealand companies to contact it as soon as possible to be included in discussions outlining the project. Solloway said there was very little other information available, other than the $10-million price tag, which indicated that only serious IT contenders should consider contacting the ICN.

Read More

Cooling is Key For HP Management Software

With system management topping many IT departments' priority lists these days, HP added to its arsenal of server and storage management software. The systems vendor unveiled HP Insight Control Environment, a management software suite targeted at its ProLiant ML pedestal and DL rack-mount servers, which run popular flavors of Windows, Linux and Novell operating systems. HP Insight Control Environment, which covered strictly HP ProLiant BL blade servers as Insight Control Datacenter Edition in its previous incarnation, remotely monitors and deploys computer resources. The software also manages power consumption and server performance and conducts vulnerability scans and applies patches. Insight Control Environment, which costs $549 per server for either ProLiant ML or ProLiant DL systems, includes Systems Insight Manager 5.1.

Read More

2007-01-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

HP continues to put software house in order

In the midst of a companywide restructuring effort, Hewlett-Packard Co. has taken the next step in an ongoing reorganization of its software operation. The vendor has established a new unit to bring together its business intelligence (BI) and information management expertise, which is currently spread out across the company. .

Read More

Hyland Software's OnBase Earns '2006 Top 20: Year-End Best in KLAS ...

CLEVELAND, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyland Software Inc., the developer of the OnBase enterprise content management (ECM) software suite, today announced that KLAS Enterprises, a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of information technology vendors in the healthcare field, named the company to the "2006 Top 20: Year-End Best in KLAS(TM) Awards". (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070110/CLW019LOGO ) The "Top 20" ranking is reserved for all products that fall into the 14 most rated market segments. This subset of products is defined as those having broad operational impact and includes the products most commonly rated by CIOs. This year's ranking involves 97 software products. OnBase, which includes core capabilities in document imaging, workflow and records management, has been ranked 8th in the "Top 20" up from 12th from the 2006 Mid-Year study and 13th from the 2005 Report Card.

Read More

Citizens Have to Make their Own Choice Which Software to Use

Metamorphosis and Free Software non-governmental organizations demand from the Government to enable the citizens to choose, if they want, to be trained in the use of free and open source software, for which there is great interest in the public. According to the two organizations, the FOSS alternatives, such as Open Office, in addition to providing the same services as the proprietary software used by the Government, offer other benefits, important in the current economic situation in the country. The benefits include the free distribution of software packages without expenditure to procure user licenses, reduction of the levels of piracy and criminalization of IT users. Another benefit is the elimination of the possibility to create dependence on a single supplier, as well as the fact that the software will be actually owned and not de facto rented.

Read More

Microsoft, HP, First Data offer small retailers POS software ...

2007-01-17T02:20:00.000-08:00

Aiming squarely at small retailers, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and First Data have launched a point-of-sale software-hardware package that includes payment processing, inventory management and sales tracking. Called the First Data POS Value Exchange, the joint product was unveiled at the National Retail Federation Annual Convention & Expo this week in New York. Microsoft also debuted Point of Sale 2.0 for small businesses and the Retail Management System 2.0 for midsize organizations. Both software packages fall under the software maker's Dynamics business applications brand. The PC-based POS Value Exchange includes First Data's payment-processing technology, which handles all forms of payment from credit, debit and gift cards to checks. Microsoft POS 2.0 provides inventory management and sales tracking.

Read More

2007-01-16T04:39:00.000-08:00

Legislators receive primer on software available to schools

Lawmakers last week got a taste of a number of different education software and computer programs that could potentially be used to help Utah schools catch up in technology. State education leaders are asking for $30 million to bring technology up to par. Lawmakers from both the Senate and House education subcommittees met Wednesday at Audio Enhancement in Bluffdale to hear presentations from half a dozen software vendors in an effort to get an idea of what programs were out there and available for schools. Rick Gaisford, education technology specialist for the State Office of Education, said currently Utah is ranked last in the nation when it comes to access to technology in the classroom. "We do have a lot of technology in schools but it is mostly in labs that means only about 30 minutes to an hour once a week," Gaisford said.

Read More

Software environment aids FPGA supercomputing

Mitrionics has announced its new Mitrion SDK (software developer's kit) XL that includes the Xilinx Integrated Software Environment (ISE) design suite. The Mitrion SDK XL includes Xilinx synthesis and place-and-route software that interoperates with the Mitrion Platform. This will provide FPGA supercomputing application developers with a complete one-stop vendor solution for developing and deploying their Mitrion-accelerated applications onto systems using Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGAs. The Mitrion SDK XL is available immediately from Mitrionics. 'The number of FPGA supercomputing application developers continues to grow in the areas of bioinformatics, government, and academic institutions', stated Anders Dellson, CEO of Mitrionics. 'Because FPGA supercomputing applications are developed by researchers and software developers instead of hardware engineers, interoperability that allows them to work seamlessly between the Mitrionics and Xilinx development platform and tools is important and will be a key factor in broadening industry adoption'.

Read More

Web-Based Contact Management Software Offers Powerful New Mobile ...

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 16, 2007 -- SalesNexus, a leading provider of web-based contact management software and solutions, has added a powerful new mobile tool to compliment its core product line. The new mobile tool, available only to current SalesNexus Premium Edition subscribers, is a web-based contact management software program that allows wireless synchronization of contacts and calendar to Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Palm PDAs and virtually any cell phone with an address book. .

Read More

2007-01-15T04:40:00.000-08:00

New Software Creates Animated Timelines with Multiple Applications

Imagine the ability to take a basic timeline and turn it into a sleek, animated presentation in a matter of minutes. That is the power of WesNelson's latest software release: TimeLinear. (PRWEB) January 15, 2007 -- TimeLinear is a new and dynamic software with a user-friendly interface which walks the most novice user through a timeline creation. TimeLinear stands apart in its ability to customize the timeline for presentation, both in color palates and use of images. Originally created for courtroom presentations, TimeLinear is found to have a wide spectrum of industry applications, including medical/dental treatment plan presentations, educational projects and tutorials, and genealogical graphing. Clearly, this software ranges from the professional realm to personal hobby use.

Read More

Software Notebook: What they're saying about iPhone

The unveiling of Apple's multipurpose iPhone was the talk of the tech world last week, not only for its advanced features and design but also for the dispute over its name. The device combines the functions of a mobile phone, an iPod media player and a wireless Internet communicator behind a touch-sensitive screen. A day after Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs took the wraps off iPhone, Cisco Systems sued for trademark infringement. .

Read More

Bulgaria's taxman suffers software error

The shortcoming will slow the real estate market in the whole country until the end of January because regional tax administrations are not ready to issue new property tax evaluations, Bulgarian-language daily Sega reported January 8. This year the base for taxation increased by 20 per cent compared with 2006. Computer programmes have to be brought up to date to do this. But the National Revenue Agency (NRA) is not yet ready with the software that should be installed in regional tax administrations. The software problem does not affect individuals tax evaluations, which are already being done, taking into account the 20 per cent increase, and are being issued without problems. We do not issue certificates for tax evaluations of companies in Sofia, we only attend to individuals, said Daniel Delev, chairman of Revenues and Local Tax Administrations regional department.

Read More

Digital Gaming Network Readies for Extreme Growth by Upgrading ...

2007-01-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

Digital Gaming Network's multi-player poker software offers full ring game and tournament play. The recent upgrades include the addition of new architecture and hardware components that are designed to maximize scalability and network capacity to significant levels. San Jose, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 15, 2007 -- --Digital Gaming Network (DGN) took a big leap forward toward securing a significant share of the online poker market this week, with the release of its updated and re-tooled software. On the heels of its acquisition of Gibraltar-based Poker software company Dobrosoft and several recent signings of established network partners, DGN has been quickly making a name for itself creating a solid footprint in the online gaming business. "You will see the network's volume grow significantly over the next eight weeks," states company spokesperson Nicole Sims.

Read More

2007-01-14T04:39:00.000-08:00

Reservation Records: Never A Glitch: Hotels keep booking software ...

Travellers want to know whether they have a hotel room waiting for them at the end of a long drive. They want to specify the size of the room, the smoking preference, the number of nights of their stay. A few people will want extra towels. Nearly every hotel, motel, and bed and breakfast uses computer programs to keep track of reservations, customer requests and other operations, and some turn to a Tulsa company that tailor-makes this software for a variety of properties. Megasys Hospitality Systems Inc. offers a suite of property management software tools called Portfolio HMS that's now used in 90 boutique hotels, gaming resorts and vacation properties across the country. Mark Jewart, vice president of operations, said the past year has brought dramatic change at the company.

Read More

Software Upgrades Once More

Importance of software upgrades is burned deep in the back of my mind probably since I was responsible for release management. Now I?m biased and I look at every upgrade of software I use wearing a hat of vendor deployment team. That brings rants mostly (Google Reader, Blogger, Adobe Reader are on the list; hey I'm really a kind of frustrated man or something), but it appears that there?s always a good time to remind about the risk of upgrades and importance of doing it well.Irritating the user definitely isn?t the highest punishment you can receive. NASA has just sent their 220-million worth Mars Global Surveyor to the space dump because of software bug invited by the upgrade (Szymon, thanks for the link). You can guess how the unlucky developer now feels like. I wouldn?t want to be in quality assurance or deployment team either.Remember about that when next time you?ll be trying to skip some steps or milestones during upgrade process.Source .

Read More

Web Awards Committee in coordination with Business Software ...

Following the resounding success of the first Pan Arab Web Awards held in 2006, Business Software Alliance (BSA), the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, and the Pan Arab Web Awards Committee have announced the third edition of the annual awards. The Pan Arab Web Awards 2007 will be open for participation from today till January 31, 2007. The Pan Arab Web Awards is a first-of-its-kind award dedicated to honor talented web developers and designers in the Arab World and to safeguard the integrity of their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The competition is open for all organizations and freelance web designers, web developers and web owners. Participants can register for the awards by simply logging on to www.panarabwebawards.org. The ceremony will have participants from Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kingdom of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Iraq and Palestine.

Read More

2007-01-13T04:47:00.000-08:00

Investing Systems: ''Software Makes Picking Winners in the Stock ...

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla.-(Business Wire)-January 13, 2007 - Investing Systems announced the results from Friday's scan of the market for the Stock Picker RT software. "Timing is a key component of what makes the software so successful," said, William McKinley, President of Investing Systems. "Our users appreciate the fact that they can get the picks in the pre-market on the day of the big gains." The momentum scan that powers the Stock Picker RT produces a short list of stocks to watch every trading day in the pre-market. The picks are based on growth and momentum as identified by technical and fundamental criteria. "It can be tough finding good trades in the market," McKinley said. "Our software generates a fresh list of stocks to watch each day in the pre-market and more come in as the market opens." Built in 2005, the Stock Picker RT is a lightweight Windows based application.

Read More

Why your software sucks

I do a weekly podcast with Phil Windley, Scott Lemon, and a guest. Two or three weeks ago we talked with David Platt, author of the book Why Software Sucks. David was engaging, funny, and insightful. It was one of my favorite podcasts yet. As we talked, I realized just how estranged from "the real world" many developers/companies are (as Mike Pastore writes). Most of us that live in the tech space forget completely that most people don't care about tech, much less know how to use it. They want technology to be an occasional complement to their busy lives, not the substance of their lives. That sounds obvious, but it's shocking how often we forget this when we are in the process of writing software. Here's a blurb from the Technometria site advertising the podcast:What is the most important thing to the average computer user? They want their machine to "just work".

Read More

Logitech LCD software has a bug

AFTER OUR TESTING of Logitech's posh speakers dubbed Z-10, we encountered an odd bug. When you pair Z-10 speakers with G15 keyboard, both LCD screens will not work, regardless of the selection you make in the LCD Manager. We learned that Logitech's engineering crew was in a rush to get the product out, and the developed software from the existing codebase, but did not made the separation point between the touch-screen speakers. So, LCD Manager detects both displays correctly and you can set the plugins to work, but nothing will happen, making this one rather simple correction to make. Even though the pairing between Z-10 and G15 seems unlikely, we know that the company has many more devices in store with the support for the very same LCD screen format that we have now seen on two different hardware offerings.µ .

Read More

Lombardi Software gets new money man

2007-01-13T02:16:00.000-08:00

Luttenbacher formerly served as president and CFO at Austin-based RealVue Simulation Technologies Inc. Prior to RealVue, Luttenbacher helped raise funding for Hire.com, where he also completed three acquisitions. As chief operating officer at Hire.com, he was responsible for the development and delivery of Hire.com's products. .

Read More

2007-01-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

Exalead Awarded US Patent; Software Used in Worldsat Set-top Box

Exalead, a provider of search software for business and the web, has been granted a patent for its unified search navigation and query refinement process that lets people "search by serendipity" by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Exalead's approach to search allows users to freely navigate among related categories and related terms in a transparent fashion. For every search query, Exalead returns a list of related categories and related terms so that users can broaden or refine a search by location, author, or format, or exclude irrelevant terms and topics. .

Read More

Centennial Software joins SecureIT Alliance

The Alliance is a web-enabled community that serves as a central point for its members to share security solutions and information. Centennial will work with the Alliance to increase customer awareness about security and its flagship products: DeviceWall and SecurityAdvisor. Matt Fisher, vice-president of Centennial, said: "Our ability to collaborate early in the development cycle helps to ensure that the community can benefit from the security solutions that come to market. "The SecureIT Alliance will help fuel security-related development and collaboration on Microsoft platforms, and help to ensure customer confidence about these products." SecureIT Alliance in SafeBoots .

Read More

2007-01-11T04:40:00.000-08:00

Software Exec Accused In Defrauding SEC

NEW YORK---The former chief executive officer and president of a software company has surrendered to authorities to answer securities fraud charges. David McQuillin, 48, of Sudbury, Mass., of Aspen Technology Inc. has been indicted in connection with a scheme to falsify the revenues that Aspen, a software company the stock of which is traded on the NASDAQ, reported to the investing public. Federal prosecutors allege that from January 2001 through September 2002, McQuillin was the co-chief operating officer of Aspen, which was in the business of developing and selling computer software to oil refineries and other process industries. During the time that McQuillan was co-COO of Aspen, he was in a competition, or so-called "bake-off", with his co-COO to become the next CEO of Aspen.

Read More

Bad software may have doomed Mars probe

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- NASA is investigating whether incorrect software commands may have doomed the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, which abruptly fell silent last year after a decade of meticulously mapping the Red Planet.The space agency said that theory is just one of several that may explain the probe's failure. NASA on Wednesday announced the formation of an internal review board to investigate why the Global Surveyor lost contact with controllers during a routine adjustment of its solar array.John McNamee, deputy director of solar system exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said a preliminary investigation points to incorrect software commands uploaded to the spacecraft in June.The software was aimed at improving the spacecraft's flight processors. Instead, bad commands may have overheated the battery and forced the spacecraft into safe mode, McNamee told scientists gathered Tuesday in Virginia to plan for future Mars missions.An account of McNamee's speech was posted on the NASA watchdog site www.nasawatch.com, and it was confirmed Wednesday by Doug McCuistion, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.Records show there was an incorrect loading of software, which could have resulted in a cooling radiator for a battery being pointed at the sun, McCuistion said."It may have overheated and lost the battery, which then would not allow us to have adequate power to operate the spacecraft," McCuistion told AP Radio.If the Global Surveyor's demise is traced to a technical error, the mistake raises questions about why engineers did not catch the problem before the software program was sent to the spacecraft.McCuistion said the space agency will wait for the completion of the investigation before declaring an official cause of failure.The Global Surveyor, which lost contact with Earth in November, was the oldest of six active spacecraft on or circling Mars.

Read More

JoWooD Productions Software AG / Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers

=------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement. =------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11.01.2007 Liezen, Austria January 11th 2007: JoWooD Productions Software AG (ATXPrime: JWD) announces the acquisition of the Canadian publisher Dreamcatcher Inc. The necessary authorisations have been granted by the antitrust authorities. The acquisition of Dreamcatcher Inc. is closed with reservation to the entry of the capital increase in the commercial register of the Austrian Republic in the course of this transaction. About JoWooD Productions Software AG Shares of the JoWooD Productions Software AG are traded at the Vienna stock exchange in the prime market segment.

Read More

SIIA Records Over $1 Million in Software Piracy Settlements in ...

2007-01-11T02:17:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital information industry, announced today that it received over $1 million in software piracy settlements in eleven cases in December 2006. In addition to paying the settlement amounts, the companies agreed to delete any unlicensed copies, purchase the necessary replacement software, adopt and implement software management policies and agree to future compliance audits. These settlements serve as a reminder to companies, large and small, to implement good software compliance practices to ensure the use of only fully licensed software. "The volume of settlements this past December shows that there are still many companies that do not have adequate software compliance practices in place and that many businesses need to be more vigilant about ensuring proper software use," said Keith Kupferschmid, SIIA's Vice President Intellectual Property Policy & Enforcement.

Read More

2007-01-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

Linden Lab Offers Source Code To Second Life Software

San Francisco, CA (AHN) - Linden Lab, the creator of the vastly popular virtual world, Second Life is releasing the code of its Viewer application to the open source software development community. Developers can now add their enhancements, modifications, and new features to the end-user software for Second Life. The software gives gamers the ability to control their in-world avatars, exchange interactions with each other, and buy and sell objects. Linden Lab said that it was the most important move it had made in the last seven years of its existence. "We feel we have a responsibility to improve and to grow Second Life as rapidly as possible," said Philip Rosedale, CEO and founder of Linden Lab in a statement on Linden Lab's website.

Read More

AMPLIFY Federal Credit Union Boosts Member Service with Hyland ...

CLEVELAND, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyland Software Inc., developer of the OnBase enterprise content management (ECM) software suite, announced that AMPLIFY Federal Credit Union, with almost $400 million in assets and 36,000 members, is deploying OnBase in all departments throughout the institution's four Austin, TX-area branches. AMPLIFY Federal Credit Union selected OnBase for its ability to automate business processes, improve member service and to manage records retention for compliance purposes. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070110/CLW019LOGO ) The implementation of OnBase is part of a larger transformation within the credit union, a process that included renaming the credit union from IBM Texas Employees Credit Union to AMPLIFY Federal Credit Union. Having completed a $1.2 million external makeover, executives at AMPLIFY Federal Credit Union felt it was also time to makeover the institution's internal processes.

Read More

Home News Sage Software and Palo Alto S ...

Sage Software announced an alliance with Palo Alto Software that will assist small businesses in kicking off 2007 with the right tools to help them be successful for years to come. Together, the products offered through this partnership cover the range of capabilities that new small businesses need to effectively manage their operations. Through the partnership between Sage Software and Palo Alto, businesses purchasing Palo Alto's Business Plan Pro 2007 or Marketing Plan Pro 2007 from Palo Alto Software can receive a discount on Peachtree by Sage Pro Accounting 2007 and ACT! by Sage 2007. In addition, small businesses that purchase Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting 2007 through selected retail stores and resellers through March are eligible to receive Business Plan Pro for free; or those who purchase Business Plan Pro are eligible for a free copy of Peachtree by Sage First Accounting 2007.

Read More

2007-01-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

Breakthrough new user interface for devices created using Web ...

Las Vegas, Nevada - January 8, 2007 -- Opera Software announced availability of the Opera WebUI (Web user interface) for the Opera 9 SDK for Devices. Opera continues its history of innovation by launching a Web browser user interface for devices that runs on the browser itself. Device OEMs and network operators can now radically reduce development costs and time-to-market by using the Opera WebUI for their device browser instead of the typical native user interface.Opera WebUI is a user interface for the Opera Web browser that is entirely created using standard Web technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and DOM. Since the navigation buttons, menus and window frame of the Opera WebUI for Devices are all Web technology based, they can be quickly customized, skinned or updated over the network.

Read More

Lawson Software falls to 2Q loss

Business software provider Lawson Software Inc. slid to a fiscal second-quarter loss, as higher revenue failed to offset acquisition-related costs and a higher tax rate. Late Monday, the company reported a loss of $3.5 million, or 2 cents per share, compared with a profit of $6.6 million, or 6 cents per share, in the previous year. The latest quarter includes multiple items associated with the company's Intentia purchase in April, and $10.4 million for amortization of acquired intangible assets, restructuring charges, amortization of purchased maintenance contracts and integration related costs and a $1.6 million stock-based compensation charge. Excluding items, Lawson would have posted earnings of $5.4 million, or 3 cents per share -- just shy of analysts' consensus estimate of 4 cents per share, according to a poll by Thomson Financial.

Read More

eBay's China Competitor Alibaba Launches Ecommerce Software

Alibaba Group has launched Alisoft, an online business-software provider serving small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in China. Alibaba named Oliver Wang General Manager of the new company and said Alisoft will also assume responsibility for Alibaba's instant messaging services. Alibaba competes with eBay and PayPal in China with its TaoBao online auction site and Alipay, its online-payment service. Alibaba also operates Alibaba.com, an online B2B marketplace for global and domestic China trade, and Yahoo China, a leading search engine and portal acquired from Yahoo Inc. in October 2005. Alisoft came out of a project founded in 2004 to create products tailored to SMEs engaged in ecommerce, and will initially target Alibaba's reported 18 million SME customers.

Read More

Computer Software Job Skills

2007-01-09T02:22:00.000-08:00

As the Internet has grown over the last decade, computer software firms big and small have developed into major players on the UK and European market. Computer software organisations can range from a few friends developing games in their home to a major firm that specializes in educational software for schools. With the software industry involving high financial stakes and heated competition, organisations are looking for IT professionals with the right job skills to help them gain a competitive edge. IT professionals who get involved in the computer software industry have to develop a number of important skills. Developers, programmers, and technicians need to be creative enough to develop software methods and material that are unique in the saturated software market. As well, IT professionals need to be technically proficient in programming software and computing equipment that are on the cutting edge.

Read More

2007-01-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

OpenVZ Virtualization Software Available for Sun UltraSPARC

The OpenVZ project (www.openvz.org) announced its open source virtualization software is available for servers using Sun's UltraSPARC T1 CoolThreads processor. The operating system-level server virtualization software technology helps increase server utilization rates."Now, users of servers powered by Sun's UltraSPARC T1 processor can benefit from our open source virtualization software," said Kir Kolyshkin, manager of the OpenVZ project. "We need to acknowledge Jonathan Kinney from the user community for requesting the port to UltraSPARC T1 and making available a Sun Fire server, which made it possible to get the work done.""We're already in production with OpenVZ and believe this project is very promising," said Jonathan Kinney, data systems specialist, Advantagecom Networks Inc. in Walla Walla, Washington.

Read More

The Trouble with Software

When you drive a new car off the lot, you can assume it won't need repairs for a long time (unless you crash it). But when you install a Microsoft program on your computer, you assume that your next step will be to download security patches and bug fixes. A July 2002 feature in these pages asked why software is so bad and wondered whether programmers shouldn't be held to the same quality standards as other workers equally critical to our industrial civilization, such as mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers. That unresolved question has inspired one of software's leading lights to propose a radical answer. As Scott Rosenberg reports in this issue (see "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Meta"), Charles Simonyi, Microsoft's chief architect during its formative years, has started a company dedicated to developing an entirely new approach to writing code.

Read More

Hitachi Introduces New Software Technology for DVR Products

Hitachi has developed new software technology targeted toward digital video recording applications, including set-top boxes, that utilize hard disk drives. Hitachi's AVSM software technology is designed to seamlessly manage the mix of high-definition video streaming and best-effort file operations, such as electronic program guides or background IPTV downloads present in STB applications. Through "smart" hard drive management, AVSM technology helps reduce duty cycle by up to 60 percent and eliminates disk fragmentation, ultimately helping to extend the life of the hard drive and the host STB system. Today's consumers increasingly use their digital cable and satellite set-top boxes to record high-definition programs and stream digital media from the Internet, and they want that content available throughout the house.

Read More

2007-01-07T04:41:00.000-08:00

'Emotion software' spots distracted students

LONDON: Tutoring software that knows when students' are losing interest in a lesson and can adjust to keep them on track is being tested by researchers in China and UK. The system keeps track of students' attention by measuring physical signs of emotion. It then varies the speed and content of a lesson based on an assessment of their level of interest. Ultimately, it could improve electronic tutoring, say the researchers, thus helping developing countries deliver education to remote areas that lack educational institutions. "In China, they are around 300 universities short of demand," says Vic Callaghan, a researcher from Essex University, who co-developed the system with Liping Shen from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and others. "They are interested in using e-learning to educate students over large distances." Shanghai Jiao Tong University already supplies video streams of lectures and presentation material via the internet, as well as software that lets students interact with a distant lecturer by voice or text through a computer.

Read More

Software hopes to curb student drinking

Students at some MetroWest high schools are getting an up-close look at the real effects of alcohol and drugs with a new Web-based course. Winter season athletes at Ashland and Weston high schools are assessing their attitudes, behavior and knowledge about substances with the online AlcoholEdu program. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association gave grants to six schools, including Salem, Lawrence, Longmeadow and Reading, to pay for the software. School officials said they like that students feel comfortable using the technology. Also, a teen boy and a teen girl narrate the program. "The kids will listen to someone who's talking in their own language," Ashland High Athletic Director Phil Moresi said, "as opposed to grandfather Moresi giving them a lecture about alcohol and drugs." Approximately 16 high schools around the state, including Framingham, Natick and Uxbridge high schools, already use AlcoholEdu.

Read More

Hitachi develops AVSM software to make DVR hard drives "smarter"

It's one thing when the most taxing task your DVR will ever face is the furious fast-forwarding necessary to get the next scene in your favorite recorded drama, but if you've got over 100 hours of HD VOD to churn through while recording tonight's game and sifting through next week's programming list, having a more intelligent hard drive just might help out. In an effort to reduce DVR hard drive fragmentation, lengthen the life of set-top boxes, improve the quality of service / speed to the end user, and give your average DVR the ability to "manage up to 14 HDTV (19.3Mbps) streams from a single 3.5-inch HDD," Hitachi has developed AVSM technology to help your DVR's HDD think things through before going through the motions. The background software differentiates between "streaming applications and best-effort, non-real-time applications" such as electronic program guides, IPTV downloads, and photo browsing in order to manage the line of tasks more efficiently.

Read More

Software hopes to curb student drinking

2007-01-07T02:22:00.000-08:00

Students at some MetroWest high schools are getting an up-close look at the real effects of alcohol and drugs with a new Web-based course. Winter season athletes at Ashland and Weston high schools are assessing their attitudes, behavior and knowledge about substances with the online AlcoholEdu program. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association gave grants to six schools, including Salem, Lawrence, Longmeadow and Reading, to pay for the software. School officials said they like that students feel comfortable using the technology. Also, a teen boy and a teen girl narrate the program. "The kids will listen to someone who's talking in their own language," Ashland High Athletic Director Phil Moresi said, "as opposed to grandfather Moresi giving them a lecture about alcohol and drugs." Approximately 16 high schools around the state, including Framingham, Natick and Uxbridge high schools, already use AlcoholEdu.

Read More

2007-01-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

Salesforce.com to Participate in 2007 Citigroup Software Investor ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) , the market and technology leader in on-demand business services, today announced that the company will be participating in the Citigroup Software Investor Field Trip scheduled for Thursday, January 11, 2007. Jim Steele, President of Worldwide Sales and Distribution, and David Havlek, VP of Investor Relations, are scheduled to host the event for salesforce.com at the company's global headquarters in San Francisco, CA. The planned 60-minute event is scheduled for 1:30 PM (PST) / 4:30PM (EST). The event will be webcast, and can be accessed at http://www.salesforce.com/investor. An archived recording of the webcast will also be available at http://www.salesforce.com/investor. About salesforce.com Salesforce.com is the market and technology leader in on-demand business services.

Read More

SumTotal Offers New Talent Management Software

SumTotal 7.5 offers a variety of e-commerce capabilities for managing the transactions tied to selling, buying, delivering and tracking training. It also comes with new capabilities for distributing and administering global learning in multiple languages. The solution also features an array of reporting tools for analysing, among other things, what people learn. Commenting on SumTotal 7.5, Dave Crussell, chief operating officer, SumTotal, said, "We developed SumTotal 7.5 to give our clients a way to extend the management of training and talent beyond the walls of their organisations. We believe there is a significant business opportunity to help our 1,500 customers -- and many new clients -- extend training to a wider ecosystem of constituents. With the e-commerce capabilities in SumTotal 7.5, employers can sell either a single seat for a training class or an entire learning and development program for tens of thousands of learners.

Read More

Collanos Software Launches Free Team Collaboration Solution

(PRLEAP.COM) Today Collanos Software launched Collanos Workplace 1.0, the first GA version of its p2p flagship teamwork collaboration application. Zurich, San Francisco, January 6, 2006 — Today Collanos Software announced the release of Collanos Workplace 1.0 (http://www.collanos.com/m1/en/products/overview) for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Its p2p collaboration client software addresses the collaboration and teamwork needs of small teams. Users can create workspaces, share documents, start discussions, and assign tasks to team members. Workplace 1.0 is our basic software offering which we will always provide to internet users for free. Collanos Software becomes the first vendor to provide a free p2p cross-platform collaboration solution that goes beyond free email and instant messaging solutions.

Read More

2007-01-05T04:41:00.000-08:00

Hitachi develops streaming media software technology

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has developed new software technology targeted towards digital video recording (DVR) applications, including set-top boxes (STB), that utilise hard disk drives. Hitachi's AVSM software technology is reportedly designed to manage the mix of high-definition video streaming and file operations, such as electronic program guides or background IPTV downloads present in STB applications. Hitachi claims that AVSM technology helps reduce duty cycle by up to 60 per cent and eliminates disk fragmentation through 'smart' hard drive management. The technology gives the STB system the ability to distinguish between streaming applications (movies, streaming media) and best-effort, non-real-time applications (electronic program guide, IPTV download, photo viewing).

Read More

Sneaking The Question Of Software Patents Into The Supreme Court

While there are lots of problems with the entire patent system, the question of software patents is particularly important to those in the tech industry. Many feel that, even if the overall system itself is fine, software patents should not be allowed. For many years, of course, everyone assumed that software patents were not allowed. However, with a skewed and out of context reading of a Supreme Court ruling on patent scope, the Federal Circuit court opened the floodgates by a series of rulings that didn't change the law -- but just alerted the world to the fact that it believed software patents were perfectly legitimate. Thus, began the landrush in the US (for a good history on the topic, by the way, we highly recommend Innovation and Its Discontents). However, the Supreme Court itself never really weighed in on the topic, which potentially leaves it as an open question as to whether or not software patents really are patentable.

Read More

Report: Most consumers don't trust their security software

A poll of Internet users shows that majority are "not confident" that their security software is protecting them, antivirus vendor Trend Micro reported Tuesday. Fifty-one percent of the 1,500 French, German, Japanese, British and American consumers surveyed in the fall of 2006 said they had doubts about their security software. Trend Micro pinned part of the problem on vendors who fail to communicate to users such information as where the threat originates and how well the system is protected. "As a security vendor, it's our job to stay one step ahead of the malware and threats to ensure our customers' protection," said Lane Bess, general manager of Trend Micro's consumer group, in a statement. "It's also our job to regularly communicate with our customers regarding their level of security, in a way that is meaningful to them, so that they know how secure they are." Most Americans polled by Trend Micro said they thought the Internet was "very safe" (51 percent), but that number slumped to just 32 percent when asked if they thought the Web would be less or more safe in six months.

Read More

(Or, how to prevent the Dark Ages of computing through free software)

2007-01-05T02:21:00.000-08:00

In a few years time, it will be impossible to study the history of home computers since everything at the time was proprietary; both in terms of the physical hardware, and all the software that ran upon it since most of it is encumbered by software “protection" to prevent copying. To compound the problem, the hardware is dying (literally) and (being proprietary) can't be rebuilt in any equivalent manner. In some cases the software is physically disintegrating too since, in the case of many 8-bit micros from the 1980's, the storage medium was cassette tape; a temperamental mechanism at the time, let alone now. It's not that no computer innovation took place in the 1980's, just that none of it will be recorded. What follows is a ten-point plan outlining the primary issues of digital archaeology, the methods necessary to preserve the legacy, and how free software can lead this endeavour.

Read More

2007-01-04T04:43:00.000-08:00

Iwedia & Ocean Blue Software MHEG-5 V1.06 Solution Certified By UK DTG

Iwedia and Ocean Blue Software, have announced the certification by the UK Digital Television Group (DTG) of their MHEG-5 V1.06 solution. The solution is the result of the integration of Iwedia's Comedia DVB middleware and Ocean Blue Software's Voyager MHEG-5 and DSM-CC software. Targeted at set-top boxes and integrated digital television manufacturers, the solution is available in conjunction with a wide range of chipsets. From September 1st 2006, all digital television receivers in the UK must conform to the new MHEG-5 V1.06 specification designed by DTG. MHEG-5 is a standard for the display and delivery of interactive TV services. Thanks to an extended test suite, V1.06 enhances the interoperability between applications and receivers. Patrick Desproges, CEO, Iwedia, says, "We've been very successful in deploying our DVB middleware embedded in digital TV receivers across continental Europe.

Read More

Macrovision Buys Consumer Electronics Software Maker Mediabolic

Macrovision has acquired Mediabolic for $43.5 million in cash, adding to Macrovision's portfolio of software that enables consumer electronic devices to find and access online video. Macrovision, based Santa Clara, Calif., said Wednesday the acquisition was completed Jan. 1. Mediabolic is a privately held company based in San Mateo, Calif. Macrovision's portfolio includes the popular InstallShield tool used by developers to deploy applications on Windows and copyright-protection technology that prevents copying DVDs. Mediabolic's software is used by hardware manufacturers to build electronic devices, such as televisions, set-top boxes, and digital video recorders, that can discover, store, and play back Internet-based content. "Mediabolic's software is a strong fit with our road map to help content owners transition from the world of physical media to the digital world on the strength of our technology and partner ecosystem," Fred Amoroso, chief executive of Macrovision, said in a joint statement with Mediabolic.

Read More

Epicor|CRS Moves Up the Ranks on the 2006 RIS Software LeaderBoard

IRVINE, Calif. and NEWBURGH, N.Y., Dec. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Epicor|CRS, the Retail Solutions Division of Epicor Software Corporation (Nasdaq: EPIC - News) -- a leading provider of enterprise business software solutions to the midmarket and Global 1000 -- today announced it has moved up to number six on the recently released 2006 RIS Software LeaderBoard published by RIS News, a leading publication focused on retail technology. The LeaderBoard, in its sixth year, assesses software vendors serving the retail industry in a head-to-head comparison based on retail executive evaluations to name the "best of the best" in retail software. Over 190 retailers participated in this year's LeaderBoard survey, evaluating 60 software vendors. Epicor|CRS ranked among the top ten vendors in the category for overall performance, one of the few categories in the LeaderBoard survey that can stand on its own.

Read More

2007-01-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

Solving software glitch first job for new Porter assessor

Assessors throughout Porter County faced a computer software glitch that slowed down the work day, but Scott, a Democrat, said the problem should be fixed today. Assessors are already behind schedule because of a new assessment formula that assesses houses at fair market value. Delays could slow tax bills and force schools and municipalities to borrow money. Many workers in township offices had little to do Tuesday because the software didn't work. Scott said the problem surfaced because of state regulations on computer software certification. Each year, the county pays for 12 months of software use, but officials were hesitant to rehire the vendor for a full year unless it was certified by the state, Scott said. As a result, a safety lock kicked in that limited work in the computer program on Tuesday.

Read More

Telelogic Giving Away Software Modeling Tool

Telelogic, one of the few surviving high end suppliers of commercial software development tools, is offering its new modeling tool, Telelogic Modeler, for free. It's the first time the firm has given away a piece of its product line. Doing so will boost the adoption of an industry standard, the recently released Unified Modeling Language 2.1, which Telelogic Modeler supports, says Scott McKorkle, director of product marketing. UML allows engineers and system designers to build a model of a software application using a set of standard symbols and syntax. The software giveaway will also boost the potential market for follow-on tools from Telelogic priced at $1,200 to $1,500 per seat, such as Telelogic Rhapsody, which automatically generate codes from models and manages the development and test process, or Telelogic Tau, which provides analysis of complex systems and is used for code development.

Read More

Developers are killing software

2007-01-03T02:24:00.000-08:00

PROGRAMMERS are writing bad code because they do not think like users, according to the author of a new book "Why Software Sucks ... And What You Can Do About It." Consultant David Platt says that software developers tend to write code for themselves. But the problem is that they are a different species of humanity from users. He said that developers like control, while users want something that's easy to operate. Apparently software developers are more likely to buy a car with a manual transmissions when most Americans like automatic gearboxes. In an interview with Reuters, Platt said that one of his pet peeves is when a text-editing program like Microsoft Word asks users if they want to save their work before they close their document. A better question would be would you like to throw away everything you've just done, he thinks.

Read More

2007-01-02T04:42:00.000-08:00

TCS recruits science grads, trains them in software engineering

The company has recently launched a new recruitment programme, in which it has recruited 500 science graduates from across 125 colleges, who would be provided 7-months extensive training in software engineering. The initiative taken by the company is on pilot basis. However, the company has plans to recruit further 2000 science graduates in June 2007. In the first batch of 500 students, 60% of the candidates hail from non-metro cities and more than two-third are females. The seven-month intensive programme will include courses in the principles of software development and IT develops an understanding of core technologies. Apart from this, there would be formal lectures, projects, assignments, quizzes and interactive sessions also. The candidates would also be given lesson in soft-skills, communication, teamwork and leadership skills as well as in work-life balance activities like musical appreciation.

Read More

Kappix Announces the Release of DRoster 3.0 Employee Scheduling ...

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Batyam, IL, Israel, 01/01/2007 - The improved DRoster Employee Scheduling is a milestone for Kappix and its users: the new scheduling program integrates users' most frequently requested features. The Kappix Team's ongoing campaign urging users to send feedback finally pays off. .

Read More

TourSolver Version 4 fleet management software

Magellan Ingenierie has launched TourSolver Version 4 fleet management software. The latest version offers increased capabilities and quicker processing to reduce logistical costs and operate more efficiently overall. This route-optimization software is easy to deploy, according to the supplier, and has expanded functionality for industries with complicated routing problems. Version 4 includes a new, activity-focused approach suited to maintenance, service and after-sales service staff. New enhancements for transport and logistics professionals include Delivery Pick-Up for managing delivery and collection activities as part of the same route; and Multiple Depot Management, making it possible to distinguish between a company's address, the sites of its various warehouses and the home addresses of the drivers.

Read More

2007-01-01T04:41:00.000-08:00

Next Ford Option: Microsoft Software?

Rumor has it that one of the many things that'll be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January will be a partnership between the Ford Motor Company and Microsoft to put a Microsoft operating system, known as Sync, into new Fords an option. The software will supposedly provide for hands-free phone calls as well as enable e-mail, music downloads, and other data-related activities. As I read about this, two things popped into my head: Point one. Back in the late 1990s, Microsoft launched a car electronics platform called AutoPC, based on Windows CE, with much fanfare; it did turn into a commercial product from Clarion, but seemingly went absolutely nowhere. (At the time, I attended a demo at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond--the main thing I remember is the synthesized voice it used, which sounded like an angry porpoise.) Which is not to say that Sync is doomed to join AutoPC in the dustbin of Microsoft-product history.

Read More

FSM Newsletter 1st of January 2007

Seasons greetings, readers... welcome to our New Year's edition of the Free Software Magazine newsletter! Happy New Year, and Happy Reading! General announcements We haven't had many developments during the last three weeks due to our own festivities—and we put off the release of this newsletter because who needs extra distractions around this time of year? However, we have a very important announcement to make—a huge thank you to all our readers, contributors, supporters and sponsors for making Free Software Magazine the massive success that it has been. Our progress over the last year puts us firmly in top place as THE magazine about free software and it is all down to you. And if you thought last year was good, wait until you see what we have in store for you this year—we have a lot planned! Latest content Because we have had so much content over the last three weeks, we are only including a selection of articles.

Read More

The Old World of Software vs the New (Hegel lives)

I'm still plowing through Richardson's biography of William James, and came across a comment on Hegel that really struck me. Hegel, in a gross oversimplification, believed that history is a series of conflicts, directed by the Geist (spirit) inentrixably toward freedom - thesis, antithesis, synthesis. All conflicts lead toward a positive end of global freedom. As Hegel wrote, "The history of the world [Zeitgeist] is none other than the progress of the consciousness of freedom." Very nice. What's not to like? Much, if you're William James. The problem with seeing all conflict as mere disagreements that lead us ever onward toward freedom is that, unfortunately, it's not true. Some conflicts are real conflicts, with significant consequences depending on which way they go.

Read More

The Old World of Software vs the New (Hegel lives)

2007-01-01T02:19:00.000-08:00

I'm still plowing through Richardson's biography of William James, and came across a comment on Hegel that really struck me. Hegel, in a gross oversimplification, believed that history is a series of conflicts, directed by the Geist (spirit) inentrixably toward freedom - thesis, antithesis, synthesis. All conflicts lead toward a positive end of global freedom. As Hegel wrote, "The history of the world [Zeitgeist] is none other than the progress of the consciousness of freedom." Very nice. What's not to like? Much, if you're William James. The problem with seeing all conflict as mere disagreements that lead us ever onward toward freedom is that, unfortunately, it's not true. Some conflicts are real conflicts, with significant consequences depending on which way they go.

Read More

2006-12-31T04:38:00.000-08:00

Software Best Practices Conference to be Held in Baltimore, MD ...

Baltimore, MD (FV Newswire) - CAI and the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute are hosting a one-day seminar in the Baltimore, MD area on May 24, 2007, that will show CIOs and senior IT practitioners how to leverage software best practices to dramatically improve the productivity and quality of their software development and maintenance organizations. The conference will include keynote presentations by David Garmus, former president of the International Function Point User's Group (IFPUG) and author of "Function Point Analysis," Tom Love, CEO of ShouldersCorp and author of "Object Lessons: Lessons Learned from Object Oriented Development," Tony Salvaggio, president of CAI and founder of the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute, Joe McMakin, former CIO of Air Products and Chemicals and winner of Gartner's CIO Choice Award for Excellence in IT, and Bob Lawhorn, CTO of CAI.

Read More

Charts: Latest Japanese Software & Hardware Sales

Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine. Details: To enable the details of this specific error message to be viewable on remote machines, please create a tag within a "web.config" configuration file located in the root directory of the current web application. This tag should then have its "mode" attribute set to "Off". .

Read More

2006-12-30T04:45:00.000-08:00

Sync: Ford to launch cars loaded with Microsoft developed software

Ford Motor has announced that they would soon display a hands-free Bluetooth wireless system and in-vehicle operating system developed by Microsoft for their cars. This system would be available as an add-on on entire Ford brand lineup. Sources said that this system will integrate some of the features of a personal computer into a car's cockpit This new system is likely to be called Sync and it would allow hands-free cell phone communication and other wireless information transfers inside the car. Drivers would also be able to receive emails on the go. Ford added that this technology would be powered by Microsoft's automotive operating system. The software giant had been working on this project since last couple of years. Ford and Microsoft are likely to jointly announce the Sync initiative at the Detroit auto show and the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Read More

Small Biz Software on the World Stage

HighOrbit software helps Gemalto, a Netherlands-based maker of plastic identity and transactional cards, comply with Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance laws. The company uses it to control access to its computer system and for other applications. Free Direct Marketing ListsConsumer and business lists with targeted leads to help you grow your business. .

Read More

Garmin Training Center(TM) Software Now Available for Mac OS X

OLATHE, Kan., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) , today announced the Garmin Training Center software is now compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger." Garmin Training Center software is used with Garmin's Forerunner(R) and Edge(R) series fitness products. "This is a great day for Garmin and Mac customers because it is the first time a major GPS manufacturer has offered direct Mac support," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "With this new Mac compatible software, Mac owners will have our popular training tools at their fingertips." Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger" users will now be able to download information directly from their Forerunner or Edge fitness device to the Garmin Training Center software.

Read More

Investing Systems: Software Makes Picking Winners in the Stock ...

2006-12-30T02:18:00.000-08:00

AMELIA ISLAND, FL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- December 29, 2006 -- Investing Systems announced the results from Friday's scan of the market for the Stock Picker RT software. "The markets closed down across the board today," said William McKinley, President of Investing Systems. "Even with the weakness some of today's picks gained as much as 7% in just one trading session." The momentum scan that powers the Stock Picker RT produces a short list of stocks to watch every trading day as the market opens. The picks are based on growth and momentum as identified by technical and fundamental criteria. The software, which is delivered on CD-ROM, will scan the market with a single click or can be set to scan automatically at intervals throughout the trading day. Built in 2005, the Stock Picker RT is a lightweight, Windows-based application.

Read More

2006-12-29T04:41:00.000-08:00

Software cos here don't feel Taiwan tremors too hard

MUMBAI/BANGALORE: India's software and BPO industries recovered some of their connectivity to the US and Europe after undersea fibre optic providers offered an alternative to the Pacific route, which was disrupted due to a quake on Tuesday. The earthquake, off the Taiwan coast on Tuesday night, damaged undersea cables on the Pacific route that connects South Asian countries with the US. These cables are crucial in the global communication system as they carry voice, data and video. Several IT and BPO companies faced a disruption in operations. However, they did not experience a breakdown since they have roped in multiple bandwidth providers and built up a redundancy in operations for such an eventuality. TCS could not confirm that it faced any downtime for any of its operations.

Read More

Unit of software maker completes Ulead deal

Software provider Corel Corp. said yesterday its newly acquired InterVideo subsidiary has completed its takeover of Ulead Systems Inc. Corel completed its acquisition of InterVideo, a developer of high-definition-video software, on Dec. 12. InterVideo had previously taken a majority interest in Ulead and declared its intention to buy the rest of the company in July. .

Read More

Linux group wants software patents made null

An open source advocacy group has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a Microsoft Corp. case asking the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate all software patents. The New York-based Software Freedom Law Center's (SFLC) amicus brief was submitted earlier this month in Microsoft v. AT&T, which is scheduled for argument before the high court in February. In the case of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and AT&T (NYSE:T), the Supreme Court will decide whether U.S. patents can apply to software that is copied and distributed overseas. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit -- a patent court that has a history of allowing patents on software and business methods -- first decided in favor of AT&T, expanding the international reach of U.S. software patents.

Read More

2006-12-28T04:39:00.000-08:00

Software offers policy solution for SOA.

December 27, 2006 - TIBCO ActiveMatrix(TM) Policy Manager provides users ability to manage and enforce declarative policies across services hosted or mediated by the TIBCO ActiveMatrix platform in configuration-driven manner. Policy Management Console lets users define, administer, and monitor policies, while Policy Enforcement provides policy management infrastructure. Policy Execution component intercepts, analyzes, and processes message traffic of managed services in line with applied policies. .

Read More

NA-FC Library installs new software

The New Albany-Floyd County Public Library recently installed time- and print-management solutions to its public computers. Library Director Steve Day wants to make sure people know the improvements and changes made to the computers are designed to "be fair and give everyone a chance to use a computer." Besides a time limit and needing a library or guest card to log in to a computer, patrons will also have to have money on their account to print copies of pages from the Internet or e-mail. There are two coin-operated machines on the first and second floors which will allow people to add money to their accounts. Money can also be added at the front desk. "We had to start charging for copies just to keep up with costs," Day said. "We aren't trying to make any money here.

Read More

Intelligent Software Solutions To Better Understand Biological ...

Transinsight GmbH enters into a three year collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden in the area of knowledge-based image analysis. Founded in November 2005, Transinsight GmbH is a software company focused on the life sciences that provides products and solutions for knowledge-based technologies. Their flagship product, GoPubMed, a well established biomedical search engine, will be extended towards biomedical image search and knowledge-based image recognition. Especially particle tracking imagery produced by high throughput microscopy will be a focus in the upcoming years. "The extraordinary scientific work performed at the MPI-CBG by Dr. Yannis Kalaidzidis in the area of particle tracking is an ideal start for collaboration.

Read More

Malicious software to be cleared

2006-12-28T02:20:00.000-08:00

In China, we've all been there: new windows advertising goods pop up ceaselessly from your screen, free software is still on your computer even if you tried to uninstall it, the firewall reminds your private information is being logged and transferred to other computers. These are very likely not viruses, but what is called "malicious software", or "malware", which has been haunting Chinese computer users for years. But this nuisance is set to be rooted out soon. A public pledge aimed at eliminating malware from the Chinese cyber-world was jointly initiated and publicized on Wednesday by China's Ministry of Information Industry, the Internet Society of China (ISC) and the Consumers' Rights and Interests Protection Bureau. "Malicious software" is defined by the ISC as software that installs and runs on a computer without a user's approval, or those that are very difficult to uninstall or collect the user's web-surfing records and send that information to other people for commercial or private use.

Read More

2006-12-27T04:41:00.000-08:00

HP puts faith in Software

Hewlett-Packard's decision to drop the OpenView and Mercury brand names is part of efforts to build the brand equity of HP Software, says a company official. During HP's Software Universe event earlier this month in Vienna, Austria, company officials confirmed plans to replace the Mercury and OpenView brands with the HP Software sticker. Steve McWhirter, vice president of HP Software in the Asia-Pacific region, told ZDNet Asia that the decision stemmed from customer surveys which revealed that while the product names are well-known, "no one really cares about the brand." For instance, he noted that survey respondents identified with OpenView's Network Node Manager much more than the OpenView brand. Similarly, the LoadRunner product name was better known than its Mercury label.

Read More

Kernel for Word Recovery Software

(openPR) - There are as many ways to recover the lost data as there are the reasons to lose it. If there are 10 ways to loose data then there are 12 methods to recover back the lost/deleted data. Here in this article we will discuss about the MS Word corruptions and the inbuilt recovery options, and third part utility that specializes in data recovery and provides solutions to get back your lost data. Generally, a word file gets corrupt due to unexpected system shutdown, power outage, software crashes, file corruption, virus attacks and due to many other endless reasons. The inbuilt recovery facility in word helps you to recover the minor corrupted files. MS Word allows you to create a backup copy of your work every time you save the file, which can be easily accessed in case if the .doc file gets corrupt or damaged.

Read More

Software's unfinished business for 2007

2006 in review 2006 was an important year for enterprise software and developer tools. The computing old guard trudged on with product updates, marketing hype, and the spinning of political schemes. New challengers, meanwhile, gained traction and credibility. We identify the big events and trends of 2006 that will reverberate for the next year, and look at how they will play out. Microsoft squeezes past Vista finish line. Now for the hard part With characteristic modesty, Microsoft launched its first desktop operating system in five years. "This is the biggest launch in our history," chief executive Steve Ballmer crowed as Microsoft kicked out Windows Vista with a new edition of Office, 2007 Office System, and the Exchange Server 2007. "These are frankly the most significant releases of these products [Vista and Office] we've ever done." Undoubtedly, this was Microsoft's single biggest event of 2007.

Read More

2006-12-26T04:47:00.000-08:00

CD duplicator to pay Microsoft for fake software

KARACHI: Microsoft, the world-wide software leader, on Friday announced a multi-million dollar settlement with its authorised CD duplicator in Thailand, following an investigation into the production and global distribution of 20,000 fake copies of the server software. Headquartered in France, with operations in Ireland and Thailand, the MPO Group's Thai subsidiary had manufactured the counterfeit copies of Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server products in July 2003, said a press statement issued here. As part of the settlement, MPO Group has accepted that it breached the disk replication agreements it had in place with Microsoft, after unlawfully duplicating Microsoft software's compact disks (CDs). MPO blamed the incident on a misunderstanding over licenses saying it had copied the discs for a third party claiming to be licensed by Microsoft to distribute the software.

Read More

New online Voice Comparator tutorial for AV Voice Changer Software ...

The new tutorial focuses on one of AV Voice Changer Softwares most outstanding feature in Voice Comparator. According to latest research, Voice Comparator is second to High Quality Voice Output only in terms of favor. Its a simple, easy-to-follow step-by-step guidance on how you can morph your voice to resemble the likes of the Britney Spears or Bruce Willis. AV Voice Changer Software Diamond is the only voice changer that allows user this luxury tool. Successful voice simulation presents opportunities for a lot of creative usages. Making prank calls to fool friends and producing parody songs are just two options. There have been quite a few inquiries about Voice Comparator from our official and trial users, says Chris Martin, head of Customer Service.

Read More

Software company automates business processes

HighOrbit Corp. wants to turn seat-of-the-pants management of everyday office tasks into standard computerized processes that can be tracked from end to end. HighOrbit, based out of Kevin LaFata's Oakville home, makes software that automates the flow of work through a business, from the time a customer calls in an order until the product is shipped. It also can be used in hiring, tracking customer service calls, in accounting and purchasing or in sales and marketing. LaFata, 36, had worked for several companies in St. Louis, writing software to automate business processes. So many projects used similar programming that he decided to develop a program that buyers could customize to fit almost any process. That was in the 1990s. Unfortunately, the market wasn't quite ready for his idea.

Read More

Expansion of software firms, small BPOs stuck in SEZ logjam

2006-12-26T02:21:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI: As controversy continues to court special economic zones (SEZs), the expansion plans of many small and medium software and BPO firms are being hit. Many of them have already postponed their plans to invest in new locations till there is more clarity on the continuation of tax holidays for the existing Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) scheme under Section 10 A and 10 B of the Income-Tax Act. In addition to being prohibitively expensive, the potential freeze over new IT parks in cities is likely to make it unfeasible for small companies to shift there. “The industry is already facing a manpower crunch. Small firms can't expect to attract talent if we go to these remote locations," said Hanuman Tripathi, managing director of Infrasoft Technologies, a banking software firm with two STPI units near the Santacruz Electronics Exports Processing Zone SEZ in Mumbai.

Read More

2006-12-25T04:43:00.000-08:00

Israeli Software Roundup: Silicom, Ness, Blue Phoenix

Shlomo Greenberg submits: IDC, the leading research and forecasting group, believes the WAN optimization market (products that streamline information flow by regulating and prioritizing traffic from the router through the network to the end customer) is expanding rapidly. The current leader in this field is a small company in Cupertino called Packeteer Inc. (PKTR). Packeteer has annual sales of $136 million and profit of $13 million. It currently controls 36% of the global market, with Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) in distant second with 6% and Nortel Networks (NT) in third with less than 5%. Another player now trying to get a foothold in this arena is Kfar Saba-based Silicom Ltd. (SILC), which I have followed from time immemorial and which emerged from the darkness thanks to the phenomenal talent of its management team.

Read More

Microsoft PhotoStory - The Best Windows Software You’re Not Using

That may not always be the best approach as people (your audience) often lose interest in photo slideshows when they get long or boring. Today, we will share an amazing but not-so-popular software called Microsoft Photostory that will help you create very appealing videos from your still photos enhanced with background music, picture effects, transitions and even movements. And yes, the software is "absolutely" free for all genuine Windows XP customers. Microsoft Photostory has a simple interface that even your mom won't have trouble understanding it. The workflow is easy again - select your favorite digital images and import them inside Photostory. You can also fix minor defects like red-eye, image contrast and the color level. If there's an interesting tale to share behind some photograph (like why people are laughing in the picture), just hit the record button and narrate the event in your own voice or add a plain text caption that will appear as a title over the photograph while the video is playing.

Read More

Alpena, Michigan joins subscription program

Bentley Systems has announced that the City of Alpena, Michigan, has joined Bentley's Municipal License Subscription (MLS) program. This community of 11,000 on Lake Huron's Thunder Bay will use its new MLS to help it implement road, water, sewer, and other infrastructure projects, as well as to build a 21st century GIS. Bentley's MLS offers municipalities all the software they need to design and manage all their infrastructure for a fixed annual fee based on population. The breakthrough program enables them to improve productivity and reduce administrative costs by outfitting their entire mapping and engineering organisations with fully integrated software for GIS and engineering workflows. This leads to improved services and more efficient government. Said Steve Shultz, assistant city engineer for Alpena, 'Our engineering department has long used MicroStation, GEOPAK, MicroStation GeoGraphics, Bentley Water, Bentley Wastewater, and WaterCAD to design and manage the city's infrastructure with EarthTech, our sewer and water management contractor.

Read More

2006-12-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

Developer of Signal Theft Software Settles with DIRECTV and NDS ...

A Chicago man, who was accused of developing and distributing software designed to steal DIRECTV(R) programming, has agreed to a $1 million settlement of a lawsuit filed against him in federal court by DIRECTV, Inc., and NDS Americas, Inc., the creator of security features used to protect DIRECTV's broadcasts from unauthorized interception. .

Read More

BEST OF ECT NEWS Linux Hackers Bash GPLv3

The Linux coders acknowledge that DRM technology, used by media and distribution companies to control content, may sometimes inhibit fair use or compatibility, calling it "deeply disturbing." However, they also argue that the FSF goes too far in trying to control other software that interacts with GPLv3-licensed software. Discover Linux software solutions for your business. .

Read More

Boise company updates software

Kevin Benedict's company is hoping to encourage more companies to unlock the power of their mobile computing devices.Benedict, the CEO of the Boise-based software firm MobileDataforce, introduced the newest version of its PointSync software this month. PointSync allows users to develop custom software applications on mobile computing devices, PDAs, Smart Phones, tablet PCs. and laptop computers.Benedict said the goal of the latest version of PointSync Mobility Platform 4.0 software is to fully integrate a company's computing operations at its office with the mobile devices its employees are using in the field."Over the last 25 years companies have spent billions to automate manufacturing, offices and warehouse, but they still send many of their employees into the field with a paper form and a clipboard," Benedict said.Part of the reason is that many companies don't understand the capabilities of their mobile computing equipment, Benedict said.The purpose of the PointSync software is to help companies develop the custom program they need to allow workers in the field to do work on their portable devices that can then easily communicate with the system back at the office.MobileDataforce's software gives a user the tools to build a software program that can be loaded on a portable device.

Read More

2006-12-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

Innovative Valleys software developers make the move to Cardiff ...

Abercynon based web and software development company Comgem, has been recognised by the @Wales team for its potential, and will be the next innovative and high growth digital media company to be supported under the @Wales high growth incubation programme. Although a new company, Comgem already has a reputation for developing and implementing highly cost effective and results driven web and software solutions. Danielle Attard, Comgem's Business Development Manager stated "@Wales' support has created a firm foundation for the company to launch a series of exciting web based applications, specifically targeted at the SME market". Comgem, who will be moving into the Cardiff Bay @Wales offices in January, will be launching a series of innovative and easy to use web based applications to coincide with the move.

Read More

Investing Systems: Best-Selling Technical Trading Software Now ...

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla., Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Investing Systems announced today the release of the latest version of the Stock Signal Pro software for short-term swing traders. "The Stock Signal Pro software has been our best-selling technical trading system for the last two years," said William McKinley, President of Investing Systems. "This holiday season we are offering the system on our buy one, give one free promotion to allow people to share this great system with a trading buddy." The Stock Signal Pro software issues precision entry and exit points based strictly on technical analysis. The latest release now features: "We designed the Stock Signal Pro as a tool for investors to sift through all the financial data and make the process of finding high probability trades as simple as possible," McKinley said.

Read More

Software 'agents' clone themselves

It has the classic elements of a good spy story: secret agents that infiltrate a network and clone themselves to do the work of many. But this story has a happy ending. The agents in question are mobile, self-contained pieces of software that can take over sensors in a wireless network and direct them to accomplish specific tasks. The technology could help fight fires, monitor environmental conditions, or even help blind people navigate buildings. "Our software is the first to allow this flexible sharing of a sensor network infrastructure," says Professor Gruia-Catalin Roman, chair of the department of computer science and engineering at Washington University in St Louis. Most existing wireless sensor networks are built with small devices called motes.

Read More

2006-12-17T04:41:00.000-08:00

PDATOPSOFT Holiday Extravaganza - Customers Offered 30 Percent ...

(PRLEAP.COM) East Greenwich, Rhode Island, USA - December, 16. To celebrate the Holiday Season, PDATopSoft.com, one of the leading resellers of software for Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry and Symbian devices, is offering 30% Discount on dozens of titles. From December, 15 till January, 6, PDATopSoft gives away 30% OF(F) the regular price, every week new discounted titles will be added to the list of PalmOne, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry and iPod software. About PDATopSoft.com Established in 2002, the company develops and maintains an Internet marketplace for mobile software. PDATopSoft.com offers PDA users access to downloadable handheld software applications for their PalmOne, Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile Phone, BlackBerry, Symbian and iPod devices. Headquarters are located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, USA.

Read More

Java Software on Vista

People have been wondering lately: How does Java software work on Windows Vista? The short answer is: Java software works great on Vista. In fact, the entire Sun engineering team working on Java Platform Standard Edition has been tuned into Vista and making Java software work on it since it was named after a breed of cattle. Between regular calls with Microsoft, interaction with their engineers when problems or questions arose, bugs being submitted and fixed on both sides, and regular testing and engineering during Vista's development, we have been building a rock-solid release of the Java platform for Vista. Why are people wondering at all? Older versions of Java software do have problems on Vista. But that should come as no surprise to software developers; expecting pre-Vista releases of Java software to work automatically is like expecting that your favorite XBox game, Bloody Mess X, doesn't work on XBox360.

Read More

E-glitch

A few weeks before the general election, and six years after the biggest election meltdown in U.S. history, which played out here in the capital, a recent chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission told CNN news anchor Lou Dobbs that Americans' lack of faith in electoral machinery is fully justified. The lack of a paper trail to verify what happens when certain electronic voting machines are used sets off the most alarms. But the short history of new technology is alarming in itself, what with voting machines that lose votes, fail to register votes, count votes twice, award votes to the wrong candidate and simply crash and wipe out votes. .

Read More

Investing Systems: Best-Selling Stock Picking Software of 2006 ...

2006-12-17T02:19:00.000-08:00

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Investing Systems announced the results from Friday's scan of the market for the Stock Picker RT software. "Timing is a key component of what makes the software so successful," said, William McKinley, President of Investing Systems. "Some of today's picks gained as much as 5-9% in just one trading session." The momentum scan that powers the Stock Picker RT produces a short list of stocks to watch every trading day as the market opens. The picks are based on growth and momentum as identified by technical and fundamental criteria. The software, which is delivered on CD-ROM will scan the market with a single click or can be set to scan automatically at intervals throughout the trading day. Built in 2005, the Stock Picker RT is a lightweight Windows based application.

Read More

2006-12-15T04:42:00.000-08:00

Stocks Evenly Poised; Economic Data In Focus - RTTNews Daily ...

Chordiant Software (CHRD | charts | news | PowerRating) is expected to see some weakness after the unearthing of improprieties in its stock option granting practices. The company said it will restate its historical financial statements to correct the errors. Semtech (SMTC | charts | news | PowerRating) may lose some ground after it reported third quarter revenues of $63.7 million compared to Wall Street's mean estimate of $64.1 million. The company did not release full results due to an ongoing investigation of its stock option grants. The company also said it expects to restate financial results for fiscal years 2002 through 2006. Looking forward, the company expects fourth quarter sales to decline by 6%-8%. Finisar (FNSR | charts | news | PowerRating), which also released partial results, reported 25% revenue growth to $108.2 million, shy of the consensus estimate of $110 million.

Read More

Advent Software Announces the Release of Moxy(R) Version 5.2

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advent Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADVS) , the leading provider of software and services to the investment management industry, today announced the release of Moxy(R) Version 5.2, the latest upgrade to Advent's trade order management system, with new advanced features based on enhancements to the Financial Information eXchange (FIX) protocol that enables electronic order routing and trade execution. Moxy(R) Version 5.2 enables asset managers with active trading to execute a larger number of trades from more traders and allows for the handling of large block orders easily without sacrificing efficiency. Advanced algorithms that comprise FIX have been integrated into the design of Moxy(R) Version 5.2 in order to allow for the execution of high order volumes in a timely manner.

Read More

Indicative Software Optimizes Delivery of IT-Driven Services at ...

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Indicative Software today announced that three U.S. companies and a regional government in Spain have chosen Indicative's service-level management software to optimize their IT environments for smooth delivery of business-critical IT-driven services. Columbia Insurance Group (Columbia, MO), Great American Insurance Company (GAIC; Cincinnati, OH), and Saber Corp. (Portland, OR) each now use Indicative as a strategic means of managing their complex IT environments for service delivery optimization. Indicative's service-level approach, which models services and maps them to underlying infrastructure health, allows them to proactively avert any impact from glitches or issues within associated infrastructure elements. In Spain, Indicative channel partner GFI Informatica worked with the regional government of Andalucia to include Indicative as part of a complex but innovative civilian employment service registration project.

Read More

Microsoft Launches Robot Building Software

2006-12-15T02:19:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Corp. has just released it's first commercial toolkit for building robotics software. The Robotics Studio includes programming tools intended to make it easier to write robotic applications. This is a runtime environment that allows the program to be used and reused on different types of hardware. Microsoft's Robotic Stutio is a windows-based drag-and-drop development tool using a 3D environment that simulates the robotics applications in a physics-based virtual environment. The software communicates with a variety of hardware running fundamental software routines, instead of the developer having to code the instructions from scratch. The 3-D engine is the PhysX engine that was licensed from AGEIA Technologies. Microsoft lined up about thirty partners to support its efforts, and is compatible with Lego Group's Mindstorm robot kit and iRobot Corp.'s Roomba interface.

Read More

2006-12-14T04:38:00.000-08:00

MS Launches Build-Your-Own Robot Software

Microsoft has released the commercial version of its software for robots, hoping to shape the market much as it did for PC software a few decades ago.Its Robotics Studio includes programming tools intended to make it easier to write robot applications, and a runtime environment that allows them to be used and reused on different types of hardware.The software is free for hobbyists and academic use; companies that want to use it commercially must buy a license, which starts at $399. It's designed for programming all types of robots, according to Microsoft, from toys all the way up to industrial equipment.Microsoft sees the robot market as being in a similar state as the PC market in the late 1970s. The hardware for building robots, including processors and storage, has become relatively cheap, but the industry lacks accessible programming tools and a common software platform that allows applications to be reused.Windows helped solve this for PCs, providing a common platform and tools on which the industry could focus its efforts.

Read More

UGS Recognized as the Leading Provider of Product Lifecycle ...

PLANO, Texas, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- UGS Corp., a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announced that for the third year in a row, leading PLM industry analyst firm CIMdata, Inc. has recognized UGS as the leading provider of collaborative Product Definition management (cPDm) software for the High Tech and Electronics (HTE) industry. The ranking, based on 2005 revenues generated by software and related sales to companies in the HTE industry, is included in CIMdata's PLM Market Analysis 2006 Report, Module 2. This annual report provides an in-depth look at the cPDm portion of the PLM market by geographic regions and industry segmentation. "High Tech and Electronics companies have been major adopters of cPDm technology and methods," said Ken Amann, CIMdata's director of research.

Read More

IBM partners Yahoo to offer free enterprise search software

Mumbai: Information technology giant International Business Machines (IBM) and internet search major Yahoo! have come together to offer free enterprise search software. The two companies plan to announce the launch of IBM OmniFind Yahoo Edition, entry-level search software for corporate Linux and Windows servers. Yahoo!.com will make available the software at no cost. The new search software will cater to companies looking to add basic search functionality to intranets and websites. IBM OmniFind Yahoo! Edition has been designed to install in five minutes, in three clicks or less. IBM hopes users of its free software would like to add more sophisticated tools that can deliver additional revenue. Yahoo! also plans to increase awareness of its services among businesspeople.

Read More

2006-12-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

Software NZ highlights poor project planning

Chip Dawson of Software NZ says there is reason to be nervous about New Zealand's "total resource of development expertise", although the industry should not underrate itself. "We do have a number of world-class software companies," he says. Government agencies should investigate in more detail than they do what is available locally before dashing off to an overseas supplier, he says. Any unmanageable glut of work owes at least something to poor planning by government agencies, he says. "They've not considered in advance how big some of these problems are" and put strategies in place for piecemeal or collaborative development. "They could manage expenditure and prepare a lot better, looking at the ability for us [the software industry] to manage." Instead, he says, there is still a weakness for visiting "fork-lift upgrades" on the local industry.

Read More

US firm to help Africa make computer software

Paris, France, 12/13 - America`s Genesis Futuristic Technologies plans to help African countries make software, the company`s managing director, Jacques Bonjawo, said in an interview with PANA in Paris Tuesday. "Genesis Futuristic Technologies is an American company, with its main activities based in India. We intend to use our experience and Indian expertise to help Africa make its own software," Bonjawo, a Cameroon-born computer engineer and former senior manager at Microsoft, explained. He revealed that Indian engineers would go to Africa to help train Africans get a real autonomy in making and developing computer software. "The challenge for us is to help Africa break its dependency on software manufacturers. We don`t want to make them (Africans) software consumers but rather to produce the software they need," he said, underlining some similarities between India and Africa.

Read More

Microsoft, HP to join forces on enterprise software

2006-12-13T02:23:00.000-08:00

Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft are expected to announce a new partnership in enterprise software at a press conference on Wednesday. The deal is to be unveiled by Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, and Ann Livermore, an executive vice president at HP, at an afternoon event. The companies put out a media alert on Tuesday saying that the pair would announce "an enterprise agreement between the companies." A Microsoft representative declined to offer more details, though the deal is expected to cover services, as John McCain, general manager for HP Services, is among those expected to speak at the event. HP and Microsoft have historically had close ties. In the consumer arena, HP was among the early partners for Microsoft's Media Center PC effort and has also joined forces with the software giant on many other emerging technologies.

Read More

2006-12-12T04:40:00.000-08:00

Harbor Funds Chooses ACE Software for AML and Anti-Terror

ACE Software Solutions, a developer of fully integrated Straight Through Processing (STP), and Anti Money Laundering (AML) solution provider for payments and transaction processing solutions for the financial sector, today announced Harbor Funds Distributors, Inc., (Harbor), the distributor of Harbor Funds, has purchased and will soon implement ACE Software Solutions' AML Toolkit, combining AML Guard and OFAC Guard to comply with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism regulations. Ohio-based Harbor chose ACE Software Solutions from a range of 10 vendors offering various levels and types of compliance products. "We were looking for a solution that would work well in a fund management and broker/dealer environment," said Harbor Funds VP Constance Souders. "Most of the solutions we encountered were for banks with multiple locations.

Read More

Panda Software offers users eight new free IT Security bulletins

Panda Software offers users eight new digital newsletters in order to provide all types of users with the latest IT security news and alerts. The launch of these new bulletins responds to the growing need of users for up-to-the-minute information about Internet threats, thereby helping to achieve the highest possible levels of protection for IT systems. The new newsletters are: - Spyware Warnings. All the latest news about spyware with information about new examples, practical advice, etc. to help protect users privacy. - IdentitySecure Warnings. Bank fraud and identity theft are two of the biggest threats to users. Every week, this bulletin will report on new phishing attacks, banker Trojans, spoof job offers or any other threat to users confidential data.

Read More

Borland Arms Global Software Expert with Application Lifecycle ...

Borland Software Corporation (NASDAQ:BORL), the global leader for Software Delivery Optimization (SDO), announced today that Quest Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSFT) is relying on Borland's Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) products to increase the predictability and efficiency of its software delivery processes. In all teams that have implemented StarTeam®, Quest has seen increases in code reuse, developer productivity, and meeting schedule deadlines. Providing software that makes other software work better is the essence of Quest's business, a global company that specializes in improving the performance of applications, databases and Windows® infrastructure. As a software expert with engineers in over 16 different time zones, it is critical that the development processes behind the over 130 products that Quest markets is as efficient, predictable and effective as possible.

Read More

2006-12-11T04:41:00.000-08:00

Patni Computer partners with Sage Software

Sage Software India announced the appointment of Patni Computer Systems Ltd as Business Partner for positioning and implementing Sage CRM SalesLogix solutions in India. With more than 300,000 users at over 7,300 companies, SalesLogix is the CRM leader for mid market companies and enterprises worldwide. SalesLogix delivers easy-to-use and integrated sales, marketing, customer service and support automation solutions that can be tailored to an organizations unique customer acquisition, retention and development processes. Sage Software India Managing Director, Mr. Thomas Abraham stated that SalesLogix has over 45 customers in India across a number of verticals. With the Patni Computer Systems partnership, we hope to bring in world-class consulting expertise in the CRM space to Indian customers. Sage Software India is targeting Manufacturing, Insurance and Financial Services companies in India with this partnership in the initial stages while leveraging our new SalesLogix v7 features that include interactive sales dashboards, an integrated service and support client, enhanced marketing capabilities, full-featured mobile support and productivity enhancements for users, administrators and developers.

Read More

IBM Announced Rational Software Delivery Platform 7.0

IBM announced IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform 7.0 desktop products to help global development teams better design, deploy and manage the delivery of software and systems architectures with an emphasis on lifecycle quality.The offerings help customers take advantage of reliable architectural design to deliver software and services with greater efficiency -- especially in geographically diverse and decentralized environments often found in service-oriented architectures (SOA).As customers adopt SOA to transform their businesses, they are challenged with mapping their enterprise architectures and business processes to IT services architectures and automating and coordinating various interrelated services. In addition, more and more systems teams, like those developing aircraft systems or electronics products, need to interact with the IT systems, manage co-development complexity and meet new compliance regulations.

Read More

Strong demand sustains worldwide growth for storage software ...

The worldwide storage software market experienced its 12th consecutive quarter of on-year growth in the third quarter of 2006 with revenues of US$2.5 billion, representing a 10.7% on-year growth, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC noted that storage replication, one of the largest storage software markets, once again proved to be a major factor driving the sector's growth. "The market for storage software has performed very well over the past three years with the replication and archiving segments providing a lot of momentum," said Rhoda Phillips, research manager for storage software at IDC. "IDC expects this trend to continue as companies focus on data retention requirements and business continuity needs, as well as storage consolidation and migration issues." Storage replication demonstrated an on-year growth of 22.5% in the third quarter of 2006.

Read More

2006-12-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

onOne digital photo frame software

“By incorporating all of our Digital Frame Collections into one convenient and very affordable package, our goal is to help photographers expand their creative horizons while spending more time behind the camera." Included in the new Pro Digital Frame Bundle is the recently introduced Jack Davis Digital Frame Collection, the Jim DiVitale Digital Frame Collection, Vincent Versace Digital Frame Collection, Helene Glassman Digital Frame Collection, and Rick Sammon Digital Frame Collection as well as the popular Instant Film Digital Frame Collection. Photoshop plugin - PhotoFrame Pro 3 Each individual collection includes customized signature frames and edge effects designed personally by these professional photographers. onOne Software's family of Signature Digital Frame Collections provide photo enthusiasts and graphic designers alike with even more easy-to-use digital frame options for adding the perfect finishing touch to digital images.

Read More

Online Casino Offers New Software Version

A leading online casino and poker room has recently released version 2.0 of its online casino software platform. This new platform will provide a brand new interface and enhanced homepage for its online casinos patrons. More detailed information regarding bonuses, accounts, and campaigns will allow online casino players to keep track of their prizes and bonuses.But the change is actually an overhaul. It carries implications that relate to the industry at large, more of which we are surely to see in the coming year and beyond. The online casino is changing in graphics and looks as well as in its service , with an emphasis on keeping the download of the online casino software limited and not exceedingly large."We are a highly interactive and open network in constant communication with our large player and affiliate community.

Read More

Software Updates for various iPods popping up

There are reports coming in that there are updates showing up in iTunes for both the 5th generation (video) iPod and the second generation iPod shuffle. The updates show up when you plug your iPod into the computer (or dock it) and iTunes recognizes the iPod. It's not totally clear exactly what these updates are fixing, but being clear about software updates has never been Apple's strong suit. Right now, Apple's updater is telling us: Bug fixes Amazing. The 2nd gen iPod shuffle is receiving update version 1.0.2 and the 5th gen iPod is receiving version 1.2.1. Update at your own risk—we've heard about what started happening to some people after Apple's last security update. I still haven't installed that thing. .

Read More

Linux phone stack gains predictive text input software

2006-12-09T02:22:00.000-08:00

Zi Corporation says its eZiText predictive text input software and Decuma handwriting recognition software are available pre-integrated with Trolltech mobile phone stacks, including Qtopia 2.x, 4.x, and "Jupiter." Zi's products were demonstrated on Trolltech's Greenphone at the ITU Telecom World show this week in Hong Kong. According to Zi, eZiText and Decuma help users draft and send text messages quickly. They can also be used to access a phone's advanced features. Decuma combines handwriting recognition software with word completion/text prediction (for alphabetic languages). It supports natural letter shapes, rather than requiring users to adapt to special shapes, and can be configured to predict full words in two languages at once. Decuma working simultaneously in German and English Additionally, Decuma allows users to create shortcuts, and adds "used words" to the prediction pool.

Read More

Google tests its online software in schools

2006-12-07T02:20:00.000-08:00

PALO ALTO, California: Google, a company synonymous with searching the Internet, hopes to define far more of the world's computing experiences with a helping hand from schoolchildren. For several months, Google has been giving away online word processing, spreadsheet and other programs that can perform tasks usually handled by desktop software. And to the dismay of some privacy experts, the programs automatically save everything in Google's vast data centers, so that the information can be retrieved on any computer that is connected to the Internet. As it tries to usher in a new era in computing, Google is promoting its software applications in classrooms, where children who have grown up with the Web are more likely to experiment with different technology. "It's the perfect place for them to target the next generation of computer users," said James McQuivey, a former analyst at Forrester Research who is now a professor at Boston University specializing in technology and communications.

Read More

2006-12-05T04:44:00.000-08:00

Take-Two Interactive Software Has Taken Out The Highs Of The Year

(RTTNews) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO | charts | news | PowerRating) on Monday said it has entered into a multi-title agreement with Double Fusion regarding the sale of in-game advertising opportunities in a selection of 2K and 2K Sports titles. As per the terms of the agreement, Double Fusion will be the exclusive North American and European representative for integrated advertising opportunities in select 2K titles debuting in 2007 and 2008. In addition, Double Fusion will serve as the exclusive representative and technology provider for dynamic in-game advertising across all PC and certain console platforms except for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft. Take-Two Interactive Software gained ground over the first few minutes of Monday's session and has climbed higher over the last 30 minutes.

Read More

Cantata Enhances Software-Based Media Server

Cantata Technology introduced a new version of its SnowShore IP Media Server, including support for video sharing -- a sophisticated feature allowing the media server to play a video clip along with its associated audio into calls ranging from a simple two party call to large multi-party conferences. Cantata said this new video sharing feature enables a wide range of applications such as in-call video sharing among mobile users, to corporate conferencing services allowing moderators to play video files during a conference which are viewable by all participants. Also with this release, H.264 and H.263v3 video codecs are supported, providing customers a choice of video encoding and compression standards depending on their particular video messaging and conferencing application needs.

Read More

AA launches new version of Navigator software for PDAs

The AA have announced a new version of their navigation software - AA Navigator 2007 - designed to run on Windows Mobile 2003 and Mobile 5 Pocket PCs and PDA type phones. The software features icon-based input, a choice of full or easy navigation functions, 2D and 3D maps, and a choice of male or female voices for spoken directions. Easy navigation allows the user to find any destination by entering the 7-digit postcode, point of interest, or town name. The UK/Republic of Ireland version costs £79.99, and for £20 more maps for the whole of Western Europe can be bought. North America will follow shortly. AA Navigator Related stories: Navman launches image navigation | Evesham's BM6300-TMC - smart sat nav | More Satellite Navigation systems...

Read More

2006-12-04T04:57:00.000-08:00

Health of trucking industry weighs heavily on software maker's ...

Rick Halbrooks is a collector and not just of the hundreds of golf balls adorning his office walls or knickknacks from around the world chronicling the career of a lifelong salesman. Halbrooks, vice president of sales and marketing for McLeod Software Corp., collects people: the qualified, energetic, competitive people needed to build a world-class sales team. Birmingham-based McLeod provides transportation management software for the trucking industry and is the largest provider of dispatch and accounting fleet management software in North America. "We serve a very narrow, vertical market of long-haul truckload carriers," said Halbrooks, who was recruited by longtime friend and colleague Tom McLeod, founder and president of the Birmingham software company, in April 2004.

Read More

NetApp Updates Exchange Software

December 4th, 2006: Catering for early adopters, Network Appliance has released updates to two pieces of software for email backup and recovery on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Now that Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007 have landed in the business community there will be a plethora of new and improved products coming off the conveyer over the next few months to support them. One of the first cabs off the rank from NetApp is SnapManager 4.0 and Single Mailbox Recovery 4.2. According to the company, Mailbox Recover 4.0 offers enterprise-class near-instantaneous backup and recovery for Exchange Server 2007. SnapManager 4.0 on the other hand, significantly reduces administrative costs backing up Exchange databases and supports both NetApp Fibre Channel and iSCSI-based IP SANs.

Read More

2006-12-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

Panchayati Raj Ministry prepares software to aid transfer of funds

NEW DELHI: The Union Panchayati Raj Ministry has prepared a software to maintain databases of bank accounts of all Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to facilitate the transfer of funds through banking channels, preferably electronically. Once the data is entered, money can be transferred directly to the 2,40,000 PRIs from the State's Consolidate Fund. Karnataka has already implemented this system, using the fast expanding electronic network of banks to transfer funds from the State treasury to individual panchayats. Here, the State Government sends 12th Finance Commission funds and its own untied statutory grant to all panchayats directly from the State Department of Panchayati Raj through banks without any intermediary. The arrangement involves six nationalised and 12 gramin banks, in which all 5,800 panchayats at all levels hold accounts.

Read More

Coding Horror: Today is "Support Your Favorite Small Software ...

Mac users love their machines; Windows users put up with their machines because they don't believe there's anything really better. I love the Mac user base because they tend to be people who are into trying out new software and recommending it to each other and giving the little guy a chance. Windows users have demonstrated, ipso facto, that they do not believe in the little guy. Wil's student talk from WWDC 2005 piles on even more criticism of stereotypical Windows users: Windows users like going with the market leader, the "safe" choice. Windows users don't want to spend more for quality, so they buy crapware knockoffs of your idea instead. Windows users never upgrade. Windows users are afraid to install new software due to the massive amount of craplets and malware saturating the market.

Read More

Software: Dodging the US slowdown

Stellar performances by the tech companies have contributed to the Sensex growth in the past year. However, the past week saw the BSE IT index take a hit as rumours of a US slowdown floated around the market. Indeed for most IT companies, this has been the scariest factor. Mention of a US economy slowdown sends shiver down IT managements. It was way back in late 2000 when the dot com slide started. The bubble burst and the US economy also slowed down. The subsequent phase was one which software professionals shudder to remember. It all started with benching, where some key members were kept on the bench or idle, for want of work. When orders were not forthcoming, personnel were systematically and clinically laid off. Strong players like Infosys, TCS and Wipro did not see escalation in billing and smaller players like Patni, Rolta and Mastek were talking of downward price revisions with key customers.

Read More

Panchayati Raj Ministry prepares software to aid transfer of funds

2006-12-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: The Union Panchayati Raj Ministry has prepared a software to maintain databases of bank accounts of all Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to facilitate the transfer of funds through banking channels, preferably electronically. Once the data is entered, money can be transferred directly to the 2,40,000 PRIs from the State's Consolidate Fund. Karnataka has already implemented this system, using the fast expanding electronic network of banks to transfer funds from the State treasury to individual panchayats. Here, the State Government sends 12th Finance Commission funds and its own untied statutory grant to all panchayats directly from the State Department of Panchayati Raj through banks without any intermediary. The arrangement involves six nationalised and 12 gramin banks, in which all 5,800 panchayats at all levels hold accounts.

Read More

2006-12-02T04:38:00.000-08:00

Ilium Software considers UMPC/Tablet PC owners in development of ...

There are a few very good choice for electronic wallet applications that you can install and use on your mobile devices, but my personal favorite has been Ilium Software's eWallet. The just announced the availability of eWallet 5.0 beta to the general public for further testing and evaluation. You'll see the news of this release all over the mobile enthusiast community today, but I also wanted to let you fellow UMPC and Tablet PC users know about a few things Marc passed along that shows they were thinking of us during the development. eWallet 5.0 supports screen rotation, screen resizing, and touch pack modifications (wider scroll bars and the like). The major new feature for users who tend to have a mobile computer that is used as a companion PC and a desktop PC is the new sync engine.

Read More

Software-Defined Radio Technology Promises Converged Wireless ...

Startup Kenet is working on military technology which, in civilian hands, could lead to wireless devices that can use hundreds or thousands of channels at very low power. By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek Dec 1, 2006 07:00 PM New, low-power signal processing technology being developed for the Navy may lead to multi-function wireless devices capable of communicating over a wide number of frequencies and protocols. In August, Kenet,, a Woburn, Mass.-based fabless semiconductor company spun out of MIT, received a $1.3 million dollar subcontract to develop an advanced 12-bit analog-to-digital signal converter (ADC) as part of defense contractor BAE Systems' work on software-defined radio for the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

Read More

Game cheats 'blocked' by new software

A software company has won patents for software designed to prevent cheating in online games. Korea-based AhnLab was granted a patent for 'a method of sensing modification of internal time by a computer program' this week, the latest of several anti-hacking patents it has registered. Popular multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft, Counterstrike, and Battlefield 2142 have all suffered at times from hackers who alter program data in an attempt to gain an advantage over competitors. This has become a particularly serious issue for games like Warcraft, where in-game cash can be exchanged for real world currency, allowing hackers to generate substantial incomes. A Chinese student who reportedly sold more than $1.3m worth of Warcraft in-game items was recently arrested in Japan, for example.

Read More

2006-12-01T04:40:00.000-08:00

Dell makes server software simple, simple, simple for slow admins

While rivals keep banging on about their inventions, acquisitions and flashy gear, Dell insists that it's keeping server management simple - so simple that even the simplest simpleton could simply administer a server in a simple fashion. Dell this week used the word simple or some variation on it five times in the first eight sentences of a statement outlining its latest server management moves. Focus groups have clearly led the company's marketing team to believe that administrators find server management too complex, and Dell has the rhetoric to cure what ails you. .

Read More

Cheetah Software's RAS Story: Happy Ever After

This reporter appreciates companies who, instead of grinding out press releases through the same dull mills -- "leading" companies announcing "solutions" which "utilize" this or that -- give their news advisories a modicum of readability, bearing in mind that they're directed ultimately to humans, not Google (News - Alert) search algorithms. To reward such behavior we'll give Cheetah Software a bit more play than we normally would in this space. .

Read More

Software firm attracts $1.5m

LANCASTER, Pa. - Lancaster-based Mission Research, the maker of GiftWorks Fundraising Software, announced Thursday it raised about $1.5 million in venture financing for future growth. Led by Charlie D. Crystle, Mission cofounder and chief executive, the company provides low-cost donor management software for many of the nations 1.8 million nonprofits. The funding comes at a time when Mission is about to add about seven employees at its headquarters at East Liberty and Plum streets, Crystle said Thursday. Mission, founded four years ago by Crystle, David Weaver and Chris Walker, has grown steadily to its current total of 20 employees. Crystle said company advisers, family members and friends joined an investment group led by Underdog Ventures of Island Pond, Vt., to make about $1.5 million for Missions growth.

Read More

2006-11-30T04:39:00.000-08:00

Portrait Software H1 loss widens as sales rise

LONDON (AFX) - Portrait Software PLC said its first half pretax loss widened but sales rose 25 pct, boosted by the Quadstone acquisition in December last year. However, CEO Nick Randall said: 'It continues to be difficult to forecast the exact timing of licence revenue but we remain confident that we are on the right path and on a growth track.' .

Read More

Symantec issues patch for backup-software flaw

Security specialist Symantec issued a critical update on Tuesday for its Veritas NetBackup 6.0 PureDisk Remote Office Edition, whose vulnerabilities could allow attackers to gain remote control over a user's system. Symantec issued the security update to address buffer overflow vulnerabilities found in the HTML-embedded scripting language PHP, which is used in its PureDisk software, according to Symantec's security advisory. Symantec encountered similar buffer overflow vulnerabilities with its NetBackup software earlier this year. The concerns surrounding that problem were compounded when a security organization publicly released computer code that could exploit the flaws. In this latest case with PureDisk, however, Symantec says it is not aware of any publicly available exploit code.

Read More

XT9 new mobile interface builds on T9 text input software

Tegic Communications has announced the availability of a new mobile interface, XT9, based on the existing T9 mobile text input system available on many mobile phones and other devices. XT9 Mobile Interface integrates the popular T9 text input software with handwriting recognition capabilities using a stylus. XT9 has additional features that make it simple to type words and phrases, as well as enjoying popular content and wireless services: * Next letter prediction: when entering letters by scrolling through an alphabet (up-and-down or side-to-side), XT9 predicts the user's next letter based on previous letters entered. * Error correction: For users of hard QWERTY keyboards, XT9 helps ensure a better messaging experience by compensating for users tapping incorrect keys on the keyboard.

Read More

2006-11-29T04:39:00.000-08:00

IBM To Acquire Wireless Software Provider

Vallent specializes in developing software that operators of wireless telecommunications networks can use to monitor network traffic, identify bottlenecks, and guard against service interruptions. By Paul McDougall InformationWeek Nov 28, 2006 02:00 PM IBM on Tuesday said it plans to acquire Vallent Corp., a Bellevue, Wash.,-based maker of network monitoring tools for wireless service providers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Vallent specializes in developing software that operators of wireless telecommunications networks can use to monitor network traffic, identify bottlenecks, and guard against service interruptions. Its customers include Cingular, Nextel, and China Mobile. IBM says it plans to add Vallent's products to its Tivoli Netcool line.

Read More

VA Software narrows 3Q loss

VA Software Corp., provider of online media and software, said Tuesday fiscal first-quarter loss narrowed with higher sales across all the company's business segments. For the three months ended Oct. 31, the company posted a loss of $336,000, or 1 cent per share, compared with a loss of $1.2 million, or 2 cents per share during the same period last year. Excluding stock options expenses and other items, the company posted a break-even quarter, a penny behind analysts' average estimate, according to Thomson Financial. Revenue grew 36 percent to $10.3 million, from $7.6 million in the year-ago quarter. That matched the Wall Street consensus. Online media sales rose 44 percent, to $3.7 million. E-commerce revenue amounted to $4.5 million, a 24 percent increase, and software sales of $2.1 million posted a 50 percent gain.

Read More

Slashdot, SourceForge, ThinkGeek carry VA Software

It's been a long time since I've bothered to look at VA Software's earnings. But with a ticker like "LNUX" I figured I'd get some color on the Linux market. Not quite. VA Software doesn't have much software any more. By revenue, it's a media and e-commerce outfit. Aside from $2.1 million in revenue largely from SourceForge Enterprise Edition, the bulk of VA Software's sales come from media. VA Media anyone? The company reported fiscal first quarter revenue of $10.3 million with $3.7 million being classified as "online media" and $4.46 million classified as "e-commerce." The company, which had a net loss of $336,000 for the quarter, owns the Slashdot and SourceForge sites among others along with ThinkGeek on the e-commerce side. In fact, the game for VA Software isn't software as much as it is selling ads and sponsorships on targeted Linux sites.

Read More

2006-11-28T04:41:00.000-08:00

WellPoint to acquire US software firm Bolo Systems for US$24 ...

CALGARY (CP) _ WellPoint Systems Inc. (TSXV:WPS) will acquire Bolo Systems, a private U.S. oil and gas software company, in a US$24 million cash and stock deal. The deal includes US$4 million in WellPoint common shares as well as an additional US$6 million in either cash or common shares if Bolo hits certain revenue and earnings targets for the two years after the deal closes. Once the share swap transaction is finalized, Bolo will hold about 15.6 per cent of WellPoint. We welcome the opportunity to expand our presence in the U.S. with a software solutions provider such as Bolo,'' stated WellPoint CEO Frank Stanford. This acquisition is key to our strategy of becoming a global supplier of energy software based on Microsoft's Dynamics AX platform.'' The deal is expected to close by Dec.

Read More

Cell Phone Owners Allowed to Break Software Locks

Thanks to a new copyright rule, cell phone owners can unlock the software on their phones. Cell phone owners will now have the ability to take their phone with them from wireless carrier to wireless carrier. Under new copyright rules approved by the Library of Congress Wednesday, cell phone owners will be allowed to break software locks on their handsets in order to use them with competing carriers. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington approved six exemptions, the most his Copyright Office has ever granted. Other copyright exemptions approved by the Library of Congress will let film professors copy snippets from DVDs for educational compilations and let blind people use special software to read copy-protected electronic books. The new rules will take effect Monday and expire in three years.

Read More

ARC Research: Software market for lean, Six Sigma to nearly double

Earlier this month ARC Advisory Group released some compelling figures regarding IT for lean and continous improvement (CI). ARC tracked the market for CI systems, including total hardware, software and services revenues, at more than $200 million in 2005. ARC expects that figure to nearly double by the end of 2010. Driven in large part by strong competitive pressures and successes with CI solutions, the CI market will see a strong compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7 percent. As ARC Research Director Ralph Rio observes, globalization is exerting extraordinary pressure on manufacturers, causing most to adopt Continuous Improvement programs. The primary CI programs are Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma, plus both Total Quality Management (TQM) and Theory of Constraints (TOC).

Read More

2006-11-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

OpenOffice gets document sharing

The software, called Workplace, works with open-source suites StarOffice and OpenOffice.org and is one more step in providing an equivalent alternative to Microsoft's ubiquitous Office software. Its release comes as Microsoft is revving up its marketing machine around a new version of the Office suite. In an interview with the BBC this week, Microsoft's Chris Capossela admitted that one of its biggest challenges is "to fight that perception that old versions of software are good enough". OpenOffice.org and its commercial sibling StarOffice, sponsored by Sun, compete directly with Microsoft Office and can handle Office document formats, but have not included back-office tools such as SharePoint. O3Spaces is aiming to change that, saying it allows users to carry out most functions from within OpenOffice or StarOffice.

Read More

Yon Software's MeetingSense

Yon Software has announced its software solution that is changing the way that organizations manage the critical information and action items exchanged during in-person and distributed meetings. The MeetingSense enables organizations to automatically capture, distribute, archive, and manage critical information and action items exchanged during in-person and distributed meetings. Users can assign and track action items through completion, ensuring responsibilities are fulfilled on time. Promoting meeting preparation, execution, and control, software archives all contextually linked information into dashboard for total information lifecycle management. Company: Yon Software Product ID: 06LL095 .

Read More

Software sector puts out robust Q2 numbers

The second quarter of 2006-07 proved to be a blockbuster for the software service majors on the financial front. The key highlights that are apparent from the financials were. Practically, every frontline vendor clocked double-digit sequential growth in revenues, underlining the strong offshoring momentum. This revenue trend also translated into strong operating and profit before interest and tax (PBIT) growth for all software majors, with the exception of Satyam. Bolstered by this robust momentum, Infosys and TCS also recorded healthy expansion in operating profit margins. Contd on page 2...... .

Read More

Time for the Software Industry to Take Its Own Medicine

2006-11-27T02:22:00.000-08:00

At recent BEAWorld 2006 conferences, BEA described its strategy for delivering new and enhanced infrastructure products to meet customer expectations of timeliness and versatility. The architecture for executing on the strategy is called "microService Architecture" (mSA), and is an adaptation of the principles of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to meet the challenging requirements of performance-critical infrastructure products. .

Read More

2006-11-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

Check Apple online store for best deals

A: As PC and Mac owners clamor for more and ever more iPods, your question gets asked a lot. The short answer has to be something of a lame-sounding no-brainer: Buying any Apple product from the company's own online store (www.store.apple.com) is the safest because it's easier to make a return or get prompt help in case you happen to get a dud or maybe push the wrong button. As to finding bargains elsewhere, Apple continues with a hard-nosed policy to keep costs pretty much at the same level at noncompany stores that are licensed to sell the popular mobile music players, so it's difficult to find a dramatically better price. And there's also a bit of danger when shopping outside the closely guarded Apple orchard, because a lot of retailers with nice-sounding prices are able to sell out-of-date Apple products that are not the latest issued.

Read More

TECHNOLITES: Al V. Estalilia

Almost all Internet surfers and email users know that spyware in several of its forms can latently ruin your computer, illegally access your sensitive personal and financial information, and ultimately rip off your bank deposits. Since many Filipinos are just chat and social networking buffs and do not order things online, they have not become financially victimized. Some, however, have experienced having their computers slowly and secretly ruined by pernicious pop-up adware that are difficult to close. Just how serious is the threat of spyware and its many variants? Before TECHNOLITES reader Junathan Dinu (j1d28@yahoo.com) emailed me last month to inquire what are freeware, shareware, malware programs, and key stroke loggers, I knew of the existence of quite a number of spyware and their modifications, but I did not realize just how staggeringly large is the number at present and how widespread is the hidden destruction that they have already caused.

Read More

2006-11-26T01:24:00.000-08:00

Software glitch affects debit, credit transactions at stores ...

TORONTO (CP) - A software glitch at Moneris Solutions Corp. prevented some merchants across the country from completing credit and debit transactions for about 2 1/2 hours Friday until the problem was fixed. Brian Green, senior vice-president of marketing for Moneris, said the system went down about 4 p.m. Eastern time and was fixed by about 6:30 p.m. ET. The problem was traced to a software application. "We were able to isolate that software and essentially pull it out and thereby restore service fully," Green said. "This is a highly unusual incident. Our system has been running without incident for years." Moneris is Canada's largest processor of debit and credit card transactions. It processes over 2.3 billion payment transactions a year.

Read More

Software failure causes Tube closure

Widespread delays to the London Underground this week were caused by one of the Tube's infrastructure operators uploading new software. Metronet's software caused the Central Line to be closed in the rush hour on Monday and resulted in delays throughout this week, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. The software was installed on Metronet's Central Line signalling system over the weekend to take account of new timetables introduced on Monday. "For the Central Line, the loading of new computer software containing London Underground's revised timetabling information caused a total breakdown of the systems at the start of service," Metronet said in a statement. "Disruptions of this nature are unacceptable," it admitted. Metronet may be fined 1m for the failure, according to The Times.

Read More

2006-11-26T01:18:00.001-08:00

Leading Call Center Solution Provider TouchStar Software Announces ...

Aurora, CO (FV Newswire) - TouchStar Software, a leading provider of call center technology, today announces a Letter of Intent to purchase a competing solution provider, Sigmaworx. TouchStar Software now employs more than 150 worldwide, almost doubling from last year. TouchStar's growth benefits the call center industry by increasing the knowledge base and resources available for current and future clients looking to enhance their existing call centers. TouchStar will share its core value of customer service and client advocacy with the current clients of Sigmaworx and will offer expanded product features, support, and infrastructure for these customers. "TouchStar's goal in becoming the fastest growing telephony company in the world is based on organic growth and acquisitions.

Read More

CUSTOMIZATION: Spb Software House Releases Spb UniThemes 2.0

Spb Software House yesterday unveiled Spb UniThemes 2.0 – the improved technology for changing Pocket PC look-and-feel. Every UniTheme is a complete set of skins for all skinnable standard applications, like Calculator, Dialer and Windows Media Player as well as Spb's own Pocket PC applications, all designed in one style. With new 2.0 version Spb Software House proposes 6 new and updated UniThemes with smart installers and improved Windows Mobile 5 support. One of the biggest Pocket PC disadvantages is the different look and feel of standard programs like Calculator, Dialer or Windows Media Player. These programs are the most used standard utilities – but they have entirely different appearance in color and in the way the buttons are represented. It gives the users an uncertain feeling when using the device.

Read More

2006-11-26T01:18:00.000-08:00

Winning Lifelong Customers

Progressive companies emphasize commitment to customer service from the top down by establishing training standards and continuously monitoring customer satisfaction. Companies that fail to implement an effective customer service program actually do a disservice to their customers and unknowingly leave the back door open to their competitors. CRM White Paper: Configuration vs. CustomizationUnderstanding the difference between "configurable" and "customizable" CRM is critical to your selection process and could make or break your future CRM success. Find out why in "Architectural Flexibility," a new Pivotal white paper. .

Read More

Volvo recalls 360,000 vehicles to fix software

Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo unit said it is recalling about 360,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because faulty software in a speed-control component may cause the engines to suddenly lose power. The action includes eight 1999 through 2002 models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its Web site. Volvo already fixed the problem in 161,202 of the vehicles as of Nov. 14, Diana Lidgett, a Rockleigh, N.J.-based spokeswoman for the automaker, said Friday. Volvo will install upgraded software for an electronic throttle module, the U.S. agency said. Rae Tyson, a spokesman for the Washington-based NHTSA, didn't respond to a call seeking comment. The vehicles affected by the recall are the C70, C70 convertible and V70 from the 1999 to 2002 model years; 1999 and 2000 models of the S70 and V70XC; 1999 to 2001 models of the S80; the S60 from 2001 and 2002; and the 2001 XC70, NHTSA said.

Read More

McGuigan Simeon Wines Awards Scheduling Optimization Contract to ...

Adelaide, South Australia (FV Newswire) - SolveIT Software Pty Ltd, a premier provider of Profit Optimization software solutions for Global 1000 companies and government organizations, announced today that it has signed a contract with McGuigan Simeon Wines for the delivery of a software system that will optimize crush scheduling. Under the terms of the agreement, SolveIT Software will use its proprietary optimization platform to develop a crush scheduling system for McGuigan Simeon Wines. Based on a collection of adaptive Artificial Intelligence technologies, the software system will maximize equipment and labor utilization, while also taking into account complex business rules and unexpected changes. "The complexity of operational demands and customer supply chain across our entire business is vast.

Read More

2006-11-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

Followup: security company uses fabricated research to sell ...

A spokesman for the GSM Association was equally unforthcoming: "It is impossible to tell from the information provided whether the claims are theoretically or practically possible or not. The GSMA's Security Group will look into the claims as a matter of course." Orange said in a statement: "We take the security of our customers communications very seriously and are investigating the claims made by SecurStar regarding the capabilities of this Trojan Horse. Pending the outcome of this investigation, we are unable to comment on the validity of the specific claims Read more here. Please note: we mention this story because SecurStar company was making their dubious claims regarding Windows Mobile phones. If this issue would be about other platforms we wouldn't cover it.

Read More

Sharpen 'Word 2003' software skills Nov. 29 in Romney

Area residents who wish to upgrade beginner word processing skills can do so in Kim Stanley's 'Word 2003 Level 1' workshop for Eastern WV Community and Technical College's Continuing Education program. This two-session class will meet Wednesday evenings, November 29 and December 6, in Eastern's access center at the WV Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Romney.Learners who have already taken an introductory class in Word 2003, or who have an equivalent basic background in the software, can earn 0.6 continuing education units (CEUs), and will make swift progress as they sharpen their skills in these sessions.Space is limited. To register, and for more information about specific times and locations, call Cathy Reed 434-8000 or toll free: (877) 982-2322. .

Read More

Manufacturing Software for Increased Profitability

PRONTO-Xi is a powerful Enterprise Resource Planning system ideally suited to deliver immediate and lasting value to mid-market companies. PRONTO-Xi is comprehensive, with broad functionality that only decades of knowledge can deliver. Fully integrated across a number of business functions including Financials, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Service Management and Business Intelligence, PRONTO-Xi matches your unique needs. PRONTO-Xi Manufacturing provides the planning, execution and monitoring systems to streamline all processes involved in the transformation of raw materials and components into finished goods. It offers great flexibility, supporting a wide range of manufacturing industries, while maintaining ease of use, rapid implementation and up-to-date information to all manufacturing stakeholders.

Read More

Sony's PS3 suffers software problems

2006-11-15T00:35:00.000-08:00

Touted as being backward compatible with older models, it turns out the machine can't run about 200 PS and PS2 games. Sony's complaints department, which is probably the busiest part of Sony these days, has admitted that audio features do not work on some software titles when played on the PS3 and other games just do not work at all. A spokesSony said that the unit will fix the PS3 problems by offering online upgrades for system software. Analysts are saying that this is just one of those sorts of glitches you get after a major product launch. Microsoft got loads of complaints in 2002 that its Xbox was sandpapering CDs when it first launched. But Sony should have known better. When it released the PS2 in 2000 there were all sorts of compatibility problems with earlier software.

Read More

Russia to export $2 bln in software, IT services by year's end

2006-11-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

ST. PETERSBURG, November 13 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will export about $2 billion in software products and IT services in 2006, the Russian communications minister said Monday. "This year, Russia will export just under $2 billion worth of software products and services," Leonid Reiman said at a meeting with students of St. Petersburg State University. He said IT exports in 2005 were worth $1 billion, adding that by 2010 they should reach $12-14 billion, growing at an annual rate of 80-90%. Reiman said that while Russia is successfully competing with India and China, a major impediment to development is a shortage of IT specialists. He said 32,500 IT and telecommunications specialists graduated in 2005, whereas the country needs at least 70,000 a year.

Read More

HISD's new software irked other districts

2006-11-13T00:39:00.000-08:00

If HISD leaders needed advance warning their new $18.4 million software system might be problematic, they didn't have to look far. The Klein Independent School District introduced the Chancery student information system at some schools in 2003, and a year later, it considered dropping the product if it didn't improve. Pasadena ISD converted to Chancery in the summer of 2005, and Superintendent Kirk Lewis calls the process "one of the worst experiences we've ever gone though." HISD, which has about six times as many schools as Pasadena, launched Chancery in August. Employees say the system is working better report cards went out on time at all but two schools last week but the district has accumulated some $600,000 in overtime as teachers, nurses and clerks struggled to record students' grades, attendance and medical information.

Read More

Tally to launch world's first concurrent multi-lingual capable ...

2006-11-12T04:07:00.000-08:00

Regional software product leader Tally Solutions will be launching Tally 9, the powerful, concurrent, multi-lingual Business Accounting and Inventory Management software in the Middle East, to coincide with the region's biggest ICT event Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2006 in Dubai. .

Read More

Cuba: Software, Make It and Sell It

2006-11-12T03:49:00.000-08:00

Producing competitive software for the international market is the only way for poor countries to overcome dependence in information technology and communication, Cuban Science, Technology, and Environment Minister Fernando Gonzales asserted. During the third Convention of Innovation and Trends in Information Technology and Communications, a meeting that started Thursday in Havana, Gonzalez highlighted that only as creators of those resources and not as consumers of those developed countries produce, will we be able to reduce the digital gap. He said the information-technology divide among nations is relative to their economic achievements, and we should speak about computerization in terms of info-rich or info-poor States. The Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes, minister of Information Technology and Communications, attended the opening ceremony of the forum, which will last until Friday, and has the Cuban Information Technology and Telematic Service Company as main organizer.

Read More

MediaTek Buys Stake in China Software Developer

2006-11-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

MediaTek bought a major stake in a Chinese developer of mobile phone software, just weeks after buying most of its products and intellectual property. The Taiwanese chip designer paid US$1 million for a share of Beijing software developer Pollex Mobile Software as it expands its business to provide chips for ultra-low cost handsets. The company faces tough competition in the market from other chip developers, including Texas Instruments and Infineon Technologies. Users in areas where ultra-low cost handsets are popular, such as China and India, should benefit from the chip rivalry because chips are the most expensive part inside a mobile phone, and the competition should help reduce prices. MediaTek cited strong sales of mobile phone chips in China as one of the key reasons it posted strong earnings in the third quarter.

Read More

VMware Launches Marketplace For Virtual Software Appliances

2006-11-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

By Charles Babcock InformationWeek Nov 8, 2006 10:17 AM VMware said Tuesday it will launch a Virtual Appliance Marketplace to capitalize on the growing interest in downloading software as an application ready to run with its own optimized operating system. Software appliances in the past have included firewalls and other stand-alone applications that function best when an operating system has been configured to run with them. With virtual appliances, the two [application and OS] are packaged together in a single file that has been formatted to run in a virtual machine. "Server consolidation has driven virtualization so far," noted Diane Greene, president of VMware in a keynote address at the company's annual user conference in Los Angeles, but virtual appliances "represent a transformation in how we build and deliver software." VMware, with its VMware Server and ESX hypervisor virtualization software, is both the virtualization market leader and the virtual appliance leader, with software companies gravitating to VMware as the foundation for new appliances.

Read More

Shanghai's software industry develops fast

2006-11-09T04:52:00.000-08:00

The software industry in Shanghai, the economic hub of China, developed fast between 2000 and 2005 as income from the sector increased 860 percent during the period, officials said on Tuesday. The industry garnered an income of 30.3 billion yuan (3.79 billion U.S. dollars) and employed 120,000 people last year, representing an 860 percent and 500 percent increase respectively since 2000. It developed even faster this year with a 45.5 billion yuan (5.69 billion dollars) income in the first half of the year, according to officials organizing the Shanghai software outsourcing international summit that began on Wednesday. "Shanghai will focus on training and encourage innovation in the software industry, so as to further boost the development of the industry," said Zhou Bo, director of the Shanghai Foreign Economic and Trade Commission.

Read More

Software on defence land records launched

2006-11-09T04:24:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: Taking e-Governance a step further, the Directorate General of Defence Estates under the Ministry of Defence has started computerizing land records comprising vast tracts of land in the country measuring about seventeen lakh acres. The software "Raksha Bhoomi" was launched by Minister of State for Defence, M.M. Pallam Raju. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister complimented the efforts of the staff of NIC and DG, Defence Estates for their consistent efforts in digitizing of Defence land records, which is a highly specialized and complex task, keeping in view the vast land holdings that the Defence Organisations hold throughout the country. The minister directed the Defence Estate officials to make optimum use of the Raksha Bhoomi Software in order to protect the precious Defence land and prevent encroachments.

Read More

Cross-industry increase of CRM software use: IDC report

2006-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

The manufacturing, communications and media, and healthcare industries show the strongest growth in customer relationship management software over the next five years, with compound annual growth rates of 8.1 percent, 8.0 percent, and 7.2 percent, respectively. This was a key finding from a research study recently published by Framingham, MA-based market intelligence firm IDC. The report, Americas Customer Relationship Management Software 2005 Vendor Shares: Top 10 Vendors by Vertical Market, said CRM firms that have penetrated into these industries will have the greatest future growth potential in CRM software. The report also offered its analysis of the top 10 CRM vendors in eight vertical markets for the Americas: communications and media, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail/wholesale, utilities and other industries.

Read More