InfoWorld.com articles from January 2006

InfoWorld.com archives from January 2006

In Brief: Workstream Recruitment 6.0 ships; Also in Brief: Savvis announces Security Utility; Infragistics ships NetAdvantage for Visual Studio 2005; China's 99Bill to offer payment service for blogs; Philips separates semiconductor unit; Nvidia to acquire Taiwan's ULi; MCI gets $593 million services contract with ABN Amro.
January 3, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Workstream announced that Workstream Recruitment 6.0 is now available as part of the Workstream TalentCenter suite or as a stand-alone product to help companies automate and manage their recruiting process. ...

Java, .Net get boosts; Multiple themes cited for Java upgrade; Microsoft backs Python language.
January 4, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Java and .Net application development are being advanced through an upgrade to Java and an implementation of the Python programming language for .Net. On the Java side of the aisle, an Early Draft Review of Java...

In Brief: LogicLibrary integrates Logidex with OptimalJ; Also in Brief: CheckFree acquires phone billing business; Workstream Recruitment 6.0 ships; Savvis announces Security Utility; Infragistics ships NetAdvantage for Visual Studio 2005; China's 99Bill to offer payment service for blogs; Philips separates semiconductor unit.
January 4, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff LogicLibrary introduced an add-in that tightens integration between Logidex and Compuware's OptimalJ. The OptimalJ team development suite automates and accelerates J2EE development using the Object Management...

In Brief: RealNetworks teams with HP, Cox to promote Rhapsody; Also in Brief: Conexant to invest $250 million in India; LogicLibrary integrates Logidex with OptimalJ; CheckFree acquires phone billing business; Workstream Recruitment 6.0 ships; Savvis announces Security Utility; Infragistics ships NetAdvantage for Visual Studio 2005.
January 5, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff RealNetworks has struck a deal with Cox Communications to provide Cox high-speed Internet subscribers with access to Rhapsody's music, streaming radio, and other media content services. The company also is working...

ENTERPRISE WINDOWS: Restock your IT toolbox for 2006; Useful new Windows utilities and password crackers will make this the year of recovery.
January 5, 2006... Byline: Oliver Rist I've discovered my dream job: CIO of Pebble Beach Resorts. I spent all last week there with the mostly glam fam, and it's definitely the place for me. Even Honolulu didn't relax me that much. (Then again, I'm working...

In Brief: Motorola joins Google for search, Kodak for pictures; Also in Brief: RealNetworks teams with HP, Cox to promote Rhapsody; Conexant to invest $250 million in India; LogicLibrary integrates Logidex with OptimalJ; CheckFree acquires phone billing business; Workstream Recruitment 6.0 ships; Savvis announces Security Utility.
January 6, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Google and Motorola have joined forces to make it easier for users to search for information from their mobile phones. Motorola will put a Google icon on some handset models that will enable users to connect...

Alachisoft polishes tool for .Net object-to-relational mapping; TierDeveloper 5.1 slashes development time by 50 percent, company claims.
January 6, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Alachisoft is shipping an upgrade to its.Net developer tool that the company says offers a nearly 50 percent reduction in application development times. TierDeveloper 5.1 is an object-to-relational mapping and...

In Brief: Cyber-Ark safeguards passwords; Also in Brief: Hu named chairman of UMC; ScriptLogic's Installer Design Studio simplifies app installation; Motorola joins Google for search, Kodak for pictures; RealNetworks teams with HP, Cox to promote Rhapsody; Conexant to invest $250 million in India; LogicLibrary integrates Logidex with OptimalJ.
January 9, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Cyber-Ark Software announced that the Enterprise Password Vault solution for securing administrative passwords now supports the management of application-to-application passwords known as service account passwords....

Online SaaS directory launched; Two new sites from ThinkStrategies will list SaaS and managed service providers.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Climbing on the SaaS bandwagon, ThinkStrategies, a consulting company focused on helping the enterprise transition to SaaS, today launched the first online directory of SaaS providers. According to Jeff Kaplan,...

Mercury buys Systinet in SOA governance play; $105 million deal adds registry, other products to Mercury fold.
January 9, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Mercury Interactive expects to become an SOA governance juggernaut through its acquisition Monday of Systinet, a provider of governance and lifecycle management offerings for SOA. The $105 million, cash-based deal is...

In Brief: Nokia, Kyocera end patent dispute; Also in Brief: Cyber-Ark safeguards passwords; Hu named chairman of UMC; ScriptLogic's Installer Design Studio simplifies app installation; Motorola joins Google for search, Kodak for pictures; RealNetworks teams with HP, Cox to promote Rhapsody; Conexant to invest $250 million in India.
January 10, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Finland's Nokia and Japan's Kyocera have ended a series of patent disputes related to cell phones with the signing of a patent cross-licensing agreement. The agreement covers essential patents and some...

Oracle, Sun chiefs take the stage together; Ellison, McNealy stress common ground, mix in jokes, potshots.
January 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Redwood Shores, Calif. -- If there was one key message at a public summit meeting of sorts between the chief executives of Sun Microsystems and Oracle on Tuesday, it was that the companies have been and will continue to...

In Brief: GeoTrust buys German smart card company; Also in Brief: Fujitsu plans $1 billion chip plant in Japan; Nokia, Kyocera end patent dispute; Cyber-Ark safeguards passwords; Hu named chairman of UMC; ScriptLogic's Installer Design Studio simplifies app installation; Motorola joins Google for search, Kodak for pictures.(Company Profile)
January 11, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Internet certificate authority GeoTrust has acquired TC TrustCenter a smart card vendor based in Hamburg, Germany. The acquisition is aimed at strengthening GeoTrust's portfolio of enterprise identity verification...

Oracle offers SOA deployment suite; Fusion middleware is packaged with common install.
January 11, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Seeking to offer one-stop shopping for SOA, Oracle is packaging several of its existing Fusion middleware products together as the Oracle SOA Suite. Products will be integrated and have both a common install and...

In Brief: Mainsoft extends Windows solutions to Linux/eServer; Also in Brief: GeoTrust buys German smart card company; Fujitsu plans $1 billion chip plant in Japan; Nokia, Kyocera end patent dispute; Cyber-Ark safeguards passwords; Hu named chairman of UMC; ScriptLogic's Installer Design Studio simplifies app installation.
January 12, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Mainsoft has teamed with IBM to enable Windows Web and server applications to run on Linux across IBM's eServer line of platforms. Mainsoft makes it easier for .Net software vendors that have developed products for...

NetSuite unveils integration program; Applications host garners more than 30 partners for NetFlex Applications Program.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Tom Sullivan NetSuite on Thursday detailed a new effort to let third parties tap its data model as a platform on which to build applications distributed as SaaS (software as a service). The NetFlex Applications Program lets...

Google grows the Mini; New version of SMB-focused search appliance can index up to 300,000 documents.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Cathleen Moore In celebration of its one-year anniversary, the Google Mini search appliance is getting a teensy bit bigger. Google is expected to announce Thursday two new versions of the Mini that double and triple the capacity of...

Sun's McNealy: Don't restrict foreign technologists; Sun CEO defends immigrants, outsourcing at event with company founders.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Sun CEO and Chairman Scott McNealy on Wednesday evening condemned efforts to restrict foreign technologists from coming to Silicon Valley, arguing that the practice only deprives companies of...

Foundry Networks introduces ServerIronGT 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches; 2U and 5U form factors, SSL acceleration modules emphasize expansion capabilities.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Stephanie McLoughlin With a nod toward increasing network infrastructure flexibility, Foundry Networks on Thursday introduced two 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches aimed at speeding up application traffic, along with a new set of SSL...

STORAGE INSIDER: Connecting the capacity dots; Announcements from Seagate, Western Digital contain clues to the future of hard drives.
January 12, 2006... Byline: Mario Apicella I considered going to this year's CES show, and finally decided not to. "You should go there, but just once," is the somewhat ominous advice I got from a friend. Maybe next year. It's not that I don't want to...

In Brief: Microsoft opens advertising technology lab in Beijing; Also in Brief: Mainsoft extends Windows solutions to Linux/eServer; GeoTrust buys German smart card company; Fujitsu plans $1 billion chip plant in Japan; Nokia, Kyocera end patent dispute; Cyber-Ark safeguards passwords; Hu named chairman of UMC.
January 13, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Microsoft on Friday announced the establishment of a research and development lab in Beijing for Internet advertising-related technologies. The Microsoft adCenter Incubation Lab (adLab) is a joint effort between two...

In Brief: Free Standards Group opens Linux lab in China; Also in Brief: SideStep names former Yahoo exec as CEO; Microsoft opens advertising technology lab in Beijing; Mainsoft extends Windows solutions to Linux/eServer; GeoTrust buys German smart card company; Fujitsu plans $1 billion chip plant in Japan; Nokia, Kyocera end patent dispute.
January 17, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff The Free Standards Group, a non-profit group that promotes standards for open-source software, last week opened a lab in Beijing to certify that Linux distributions and applications developed in China meet the Linux...

In Brief: Buyout of IT services firm ACS falls through; Also in Brief: Free Standards Group opens Linux lab in China; SideStep names former Yahoo exec as CEO; Microsoft opens advertising technology lab in Beijing; Mainsoft extends Windows solutions to Linux/eServer; GeoTrust buys German smart card company; Fujitsu plans $1 billion chip plant in Japan.
January 18, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff IT services outsourcing company Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) said a sale of the company is no longer being considered. ACS had been in discussions with a group of private equity investors that made an...

Microsoft to offer production-ready Vista technologies; Microsoft releases 'Go-Live' versions of Web services, workflow software.
January 18, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Setting the stage for its planned Windows Vista desktop OS, Microsoft on Wednesday will release production-ready versions of Web services and workflow technologies slated for inclusion in Vista. The vendor will offer...

IEEE 802.11n spec set for first draft vote; Wi-Fi products at 100Mbps throughput should be shipping by midyear.
January 18, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz After much wrangling between opposing interests among the members of the IEEE, a first draft for the Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11n specification will be voted on by the membership later this week. The compromise draft,...

Collaborative development package adds wikis; VA Software upgrades SourceForge Enterprise Edition.
January 18, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill VA Software has added wiki support to its SourceForge Enterprise Edition development environment for distributed developer teams. The company with SourceForge Enterprise Edition 4.3 is offering standardized wikis and...

In Brief: NTT, Telefonica connect international data networks; Also in Brief: Cisco appoints new CMO, head of commercial business; Buyout of IT services firm ACS falls through; Free Standards Group opens Linux lab in China; SideStep names former Yahoo exec as CEO; Microsoft opens advertising technology lab in Beijing; Mainsoft extends Windows solutions to Linux/eServer.
January 19, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff NTT Communications and Telefonica International Wholesale Services have connected their networks in order to offer a more global service to customers. Both companies sell data network access to other operators,...

Oracle offers Fusion road map; Fusion will create an SOA-based enterprise application suite.
January 19, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Oracle President Charles Phillips on Wednesday led off a two-and-a-half hour deep dive into the technology behind Fusion, hoping to put to rest continuing confusion over its project. Phillips' talk -- to an...

STORAGE INSIDER: Portable storage devices: The curse of convenience; Securing storage from internal threats is a rising challenge for storage admins.
January 19, 2006... Byline: Mario Apicella Have you been following the story about cell phone records being sold on the Internet? The Chicago Sun-Times published an interesting article on this not long ago, but this outrageous practice has been going on for...

AccuRev gives software configuration system global focus; Version 4.0 of product is readied; company also working on Eclipse project.
January 20, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill AccuRev this week is shipping upgrades to its SCM (software configuration management) system and related products, featuring the ability to link to third-party issue-tracking systems. With a focus on global,...

First Mobile WiMax chip sets ready to ship; Beceem Communications claims 30Mbps peak performance.
January 20, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Wireless chip maker Beceem Communications this week became one of the first manufacturers to ship a mobile WiMax digital base band and integrated radio chip set -- MS120 -- for handheld devices. The chip set is...

In Brief: India's Karvy gets into healthcare BPO; Also in Brief: China Mobile added 42 million users in 2005; NTT, Telefonica connect international data networks; Cisco appoints new CMO, head of commercial business; Buyout of IT services firm ACS falls through; Free Standards Group opens Linux lab in China; SideStep names former Yahoo exec as CEO.
January 23, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) company Karvy Global Services announced its diversification into providing services to the healthcare industry. Revenue from services to the healthcare industry is...

Eclipse focuses on reports in new business intelligence tool; PHP also is emphasized.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Seeking to offer an industry standard for report development, the open source Eclipse Foundation on Monday is releasing Version 2.0 of its Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) project. Version 2.0 focuses...

SpikeSource's Polese cites open source complexities; CEO also comments on Java, outsourcing.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Kim Polese, CEO of open source services provider SpikeSource since 2004, is perhaps one of the better known IT executives. Prior to joining SpikeSource, she became one of the industry's first female chief executives as...

In Brief: AMD turns to market to raise $500 million; Also in Brief: India's Karvy gets into healthcare BPO; China Mobile added 42 million users in 2005; NTT, Telefonica connect international data networks; Cisco appoints new CMO, head of commercial business; Buyout of IT services firm ACS falls through; Free Standards Group opens Linux lab in China.
January 24, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) said Monday it plans to raise $500 million through the issue of common stock. The company plans to use $226 million to fund the redemption of corporate bonds. The balance...

Microsoft readies design tool previews; Expression technologies getting refreshed with features similar to Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw.
January 24, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Reaching out to graphical application designers, Microsoft on Tuesday is posting community technology previews (CTPs) of two tools from its Expression series. The company anticipates that its Expression line can...

In Brief: LG.Philips to strengthen small size LCD operations; Also in Brief: AMD turns to market to raise $500 million; India's Karvy gets into healthcare BPO; China Mobile added 42 million users in 2005; NTT, Telefonica connect international data networks; Cisco appoints new CMO, head of commercial business; Buyout of IT services firm ACS falls through.
January 25, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff LG.Philips LCD moved on Wednesday to strengthen its small and mid-size LCD (liquid crystal display) panel business with the creation of a new business division devoted to the product sector. The unit's creation...

Java developer tool backs AJAX; Sun Java Studio Creator 2 readied.
January 25, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript + XML) programming figures prominently in a free upgrade of the Sun Java Studio Creator developer tool being released by Sun Microsystems on Wednesday. Sun Java Studio Creator 2 is...

In Brief: Blue Titan receives SAP NetWeaver certification; Also in Brief: Dell opens enterprise support center in Malaysia; LG.Philips to strengthen small size LCD operations; AMD turns to market to raise $500 million; India's Karvy gets into healthcare BPO; China Mobile added 42 million users in 2005; NTT, Telefonica connect international data networks.
January 27, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Blue Titan Software's Blue Titan Network Director 3.5 has attained Powered by SAP NetWeaver certification, making it one of the first SOA infrastructure software solutions to achieve this certification. Blue...

SECURITY ADVISER: Vista's new security features; A recap of the security upgrades in the next version of Windows shows better malware, spyware, and access control features throughout.
January 27, 2006... Byline: Roger A. Grimes I’ve been using several versions of Microsoft’s Windows Vista for the last few months. Although any beta’s feature set is not locked into stone until the release-to-manufacturing date, here’s...

In Brief: db4o offers seamless synchronization of objects; Also in Brief: Blue Titan receives SAP NetWeaver certification; Dell opens enterprise support center in Malaysia; LG.Philips to strengthen small size LCD operations; AMD turns to market to raise $500 million; India's Karvy gets into healthcare BPO.
January 30, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff db4objects, creator of open source object databases for Java and .Net, announced it has launched the db4o Replication System (dRS), which enables users to build applications that synchronize objects between...

IBM tool aids development of specialized systems; UML support is featured in Rational offering.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill IBM on Monday is announcing a developer tool to build systems used in specialty fields such as defense, medicine, and telecommunications networks. The Eclipse-based Rational Systems Developer supports C, C++, and...

Microsoft's Team Foundation Server represents a shift to collaborative-centric focus; Planned Orcas release of Visual Studio toolset also is touted at conference.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft's upcoming Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server represents a shift from a developer-centric focus in building software to a collaborative one, a Microsoft official said Monday at the...

In Brief: Kodak, Sanyo to close OLED venture; Also in Brief: Compuware DevPartner SecurityChecker supports Visual Studio 2005; db4o offers seamless synchronization of objects; Blue Titan receives SAP NetWeaver certification; Dell opens enterprise support center in Malaysia; LG.Philips to strengthen small size LCD operations; AMD turns to market to raise $500 million.
January 31, 2006... Byline: InfoWorld staff Eastman Kodak and Sanyo Electric will close their OLED (organic light emitting diode) display manufacturing joint venture in Japan. SK Display was established in Japan in 2001 on the back of a joint research and...

Complexity stifles Web services; Too many standards, not enough end-user involvement, say speakers at industry event.
January 31, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Although deployments are occurring, a morass of complexity and a long, head-spinning list of proposed standards continues to hobble Web services technology, according to participants at an SDForum...