InfoWorld.com articles from May 2006

InfoWorld.com archives from May 2006

Borland to shed 300 staff; The reductions will mostly take place overseas as part of a shift to higher-priority markets.
May 3, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Borland Software is cutting staff by approximately 300 as part of an internal restructuring, the company said on Wednesday. Borland will reduce its workforce, now at about 1,400, by 20 percent to align company...

Spam vigilante spat knocks out blog services; Six Apart suffered a sophisticated denial of service attack on Tuesday, causing service outages at LiveJournal and TypePad.
May 4, 2006... Byline: Paul F. Roberts A dispute between a mysterious Russian spammer and an Israeli antispam firm spilled over to the rest of the Internet on Wednesday, when denial of service attacks aimed at the Israeli firm's Web site knocked out...

Java to get Linux boost; Sun, others talk up new enterprise version of programming language.
May 4, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Menlo Park, Calif. - Java development is expected to get a boost on Linux at the JavaOne conference in two weeks, with partnerships anticipated for including the Java Runtime Environment with Linux distributions, Sun...

VOIP fees set to rise with regulation on the horizon; As the FCC considers taxing VoIP service, providers will pass fees on to business and consumers.
May 5, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz With the deadline for voice over IP (VoIP) carriers to comply with the FCC Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act [CALEA] less than a year away, VoIP vendors are beginning to roll out their wire tap...

JBoss to join key Web services standards groups; JBoss seeks greater visibility, the opportunity to contribute to the specification process and to ensure its software conforms to standards.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Seeking standards compliance, open source middleware vendor JBoss on Monday will announce its participation in OASIS, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Web Services Interoperability Organizaton (WS-I). The...

Software testing tool cuts out scripting; Aberro says its new AberroTest tool reduces product development times for Windows and Web applications and is easy to use.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Aberro on Monday is rolling out an upgrade to its AberroTest tool, which automates the testing of Windows and Web applications without requiring scripting. AberroTest 1.5 is a functional test automation tool that...

Microsoft to bolster CRM with new European partner; Neocase will help strengthen Microsoft's customer service component with domain expertise and broader feature set.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz In an effort to bolster its place in the SMB market for CRM applications, Microsoft will partner with Neocase Software, an ISV with 14 years of experience in customer service solutions. For its part, Neocase, a...

AJAX initiative adds backers; SAP, Adobe among 13 new participants.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill OpenAjax, which features a group of vendors collaborating to expand use of the AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) Web-scripting language, is adding some heavy hitters on Tuesday. Chief among the 13 new...

Botmaster gets five years in prison; Sentence for 20-year-old is longest ever for distributing computer viruses.
May 9, 2006... Byline: Paul Roberts Jeanson James Ancheta, who used a network of zombie computers to rake in tens of thousands of dollars and buy himself a BMW, was sentenced to almost five years in federal prison on Monday. Ancheta, of Downey,...

Webroot uncovers thousands of stolen identities; FBI investigates as banking Trojan runs wild, claiming victims in 125 countries.
May 9, 2006... Byline: Paul Roberts Spyware researchers at Webroot Software. have uncovered a stash of tens of thousands of stolen identities from 125 countries that they believe were collected by a new variant of a Trojan horse program the company is...

Web services addressing specification is approved; W3C signs off on technology for addressing objects.
May 9, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C ) on Wednesday announced approval of the WS-Addressing (Web Services Addressing) 1.0 specification as a formal W3C recommendation, giving it the organization's final level of...

Eclipse effort eyes server-side apps; Plug-and-play functionality sought.
May 9, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Server-side application deployment may get a boost from a project newly proposed to the open source Eclipse Foundation. The Rich Server Platform - User Interface Framework (RSP-UI) effort within Eclipse seeks to provide...

Adobe aims to ease AJAX programming; The company will offer a free pre-release version of Spry , an AJAX framework geared toward Web designers.
May 10, 2006... Adobe Systems on Thursday will debut technology intended to make AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) programming easier for Web designers. The company will offer a free pre-release version of an AJAX framework called Spry. The Spry...

Gosling: Java source code already available; The current model for Java is close to an open source model, the technology’s father said.
May 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Anyone looking for Sun Microsystems to relinquish control of Java to the open source community or to join the Eclipse Foundation is likely to be disappointed, based on Java guru James Gosling's perspectives on these...

Oracle to boost AJAX, Java; Oracle will submit its AJAX render kit, and announce a reference implementation of the Java Persistence Architecture at next week’s JavaOne conference.
May 11, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Oracle will make software contributions intended to boost AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and Java programming at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco next week. The company will also announce intentions to...

Sun’s jMaki does mix-and-match AJAX widgets; The company unveiled the technology and two Web portals at the AJAX Experience conference on Thursday.
May 11, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Sun Microsystems unveiled technology for mixing and matching JavaScript widgets from different AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) frameworks at the AJAX Experience conference in San Francisco on Thursday Called...

JavaScript evolution to follow Python, creator says; Eich reflects on JavaScript's beginnings and its future during keynote presentation at the AJAX Experience conference.
May 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill As it evolves, JavaScript will take its cues from the Python language, Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript, said at The AJAX Experience conference on Friday afternoon. JavaScript is a lynchpin of the popular AJAX...

Researcher: Apple Patch falls short; Independent researcher Tom Ferris said there were still holes in Safari, QuickTime, and iTunes that he reported to Apple but were not patched in the latest release.
May 12, 2006... Byline: Paul F. Roberts Apple Computer released its third major patch this year for the OS X operating system on Thursday, fixing 31 software vulnerabilities in a range of products that could be used by remote attackers to compromise Mac...

Tools wrap: Borland, Telelogic debut upgrades; Application testing, enterprise architecture offerings set.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill In separate announcements, Borland Software and Telelogic on Monday are unveiling upgrades to application testing, and enterprise architecture and modeling tools. Borland is releasing an Eclipse-friendly upgrade to...

Motorola seeks mobile unity at JavaOne; Motorola and Eclipse will unveil open source initiatives at the conference this week to broaden Java’s mobile and software ecosystem.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Motorola and Eclipse will use the JavaOne conference in San Francisco this week to unveil open source initiatives in mobile development and modeling, respectively. Citing fragmentation in the JavaME (Java Platform,...

Sun: NetBeans adding JBoss, AMD; Open source Java issues also talked up at event.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill San Francisco -- NetBeans is picking up JBoss and Advanced Micro Devices as members of the NetBeans community this week, according to an official at Sun Microsystems, which leads NetBeans. Speaking at the NetBeans...

JavaOne: BEA showing PHP on Java app server; EJB 3 technology also to be showcased; Sybase touts Eclipse-based dev tool.
May 16, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill BEA Systems at JavaOne will expand beyond its traditional, bread-and-butter Java base, demonstrating PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) running on the WebLogic Server application server "We're moving to languages in...

IBM to adopt ODF for Lotus Notes; Version in fall will embed ODF-enabled version of OpenOffice.
May 16, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz IBM chose the Deutsche Notes User Group conference in Germany this week to make a significant announcement about its adoption of the ODF (OpenDocument Format) in the next version of Lotus Notes. The first beta,...

Sun lays out Java road maps; Project Semplice, one dot on the map, will enable Visual Basic developers to use Java.
May 16, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Sun Microsystems executives revealed at the JavaOne conference on Tuesday future Java technologies being pondered, including Project Semplice, which will enable Visual Basic developers to use Java. Also discussed...

Make way for SOA 2.0; Oracle, Gartner talk up the next-generation version of SOA.
May 17, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill With the industry still buzzing about SOA in general, Oracle and others are now talking about SOA 2.0. Oracle officials talked up this next-generation version of SOA at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco on...

BEA dispels misconceptions about middleware; Company also teams up with Interface21 to back the Spring framework.
May 18, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill SAN FRANCISCO -- BEA Systems executives at the JavaOne conference sought to dispel what they described as marketplace misconceptions, including the notions that Java is being displaced, that middleware is obsolete, and...

Sun makes partial Eclipse move; IBM details Jazz team collaboration project at JavaOne.
May 18, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill San Francisco -- Sun Microsystems, which still maintains it will not join the open source Eclipse Foundation, is nevertheless helping the organization out with one particular project. The company has committed code...

E-mail attacks target unpatched Word hole; Antivirus companies issue warning about sophisticated phishing attacks.
May 19, 2006... Byline: Paul Roberts Antivirus companies and the SANS Internet Storm Center (ISC) issued a warning Friday about sophisticated e-mail attacks that are using a previously unknown hole in Microsoft Word to infiltrate corporate networks. ...

Sun's McNealy urges developers to change the world; Former CEO, now chairman, calls on developers to bridge the worldwide digital divide through Java, Web services, thin clients.
May 19, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill San Francisco - Sun Microsystems Chairman Scott McNealy, who had been the company's CEO for 22 years until last month, issued a call to developers Friday to make a difference in bridging the worldwide digital divide. ...

Remote control tech support in a box; NetworkStreaming is releasing SupportDesk 9, a clientless remote control appliance.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz NetworkStreaming the only company that offers an appliance-based remote control support software, will release SupportDesk 9 this week. One of five solution providers that allow clientless remote control,...

Network Chemistry launches wired wireless watcher; RFprotect Scanner gives network administrators control over scanning, threat prioritization and alerts.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Network Chemistry, a mobile security vendor, will unveil this week one of the first solutions targeted at companies enforcing an on-campus no-wireless policy. RFprotect Scanner will give network administrators...

Nortel, Symantec team on app security; Symantec puts its IDS software on Nortel switches to help block exploits.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Paul F. Roberts Symantec plans to announce Monday a deal to put its intrusion prevention system (IPS) software on Nortel Network's application switching hardware. The Nortel Application Switch with Symantec Intelligent Network...

Microsoft: Word zero-day patch by June; The Word XP and Word 2003 hole is already being linked to targeted Internet attacks on government agencies in the U.S. and the E.U.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Paul F. Roberts Microsoft plans to patch a newly discovered hole in Microsoft Word in its next monthly patch update, and may release a rare "out of cycle" patch to address the hole, a company spokesman said. Microsoft's...

RightNow acquires Salesnet in SaaS CRM space; Salesnet will give RightNow domain expertise for complex sales environments.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz RightNow Technologies a SaaS (software as a service) provider of CRM software announced on Monday its intention to acquire privately held Salesnet, also a CRM company using the SaaS delivery model, for $9 million...

OpenAJAX forges ahead; Renaming, definition agreed upon; Zimbra issues challenge.
May 22, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Members of the OpenAjax initiative, formed in February to promote the AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) Web scripting technique, have generally agreed on a definition of AJAX that concurs with Wikipedia's...

In Brief: VitalStream acquires online ad technology.
May 23, 2006... Byline: Caroline Craig Audio and video streaming company VitalStream Holdings announced Monday that it has purchased Eonstreams, a privately held provider of Internet advertising insertion and streaming solutions. Eonstreams’...

HP set to unveil IT shared services offering; IT as internal service provider promises greater flexibility.
May 23, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Leveraging its intimate knowledge of enterprise infrastructure, Hewlett-Packard will announce on Wednesday, IT Shared Services Portfolio, a two-part offering that industry analysts say will raise the level of its...

MKS fits ALM package with portfolio management; Move will provide visibility into software development lifecycle.
May 24, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill MKS is adding application portfolio management to its ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) platform, with the planned release of MKS Integrity 2006. The package is being announced on Wednesday and ships in...

Salesforce.com launches AppExchange OEM Edition; Service is targeted at getting non-CRM on-demand providers to use its platform.
May 24, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Spreading its tentacles in ever more directions, Salesforce.com announced a new service dubbed AppExchange OEM Edition on Wednesday. The OEM version of the AppExchange service will allow non-CRM on-demand service...

IBM to highlight governance at Rational conference; Company exec also cites Big Blue's partnering efforts.
May 25, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Governance in software development will be a key focus at the IBM Rational Software Development Conference 2006 event in June, an IBM official said this week. IBM plans to hone in on the idea of governance and...

Wavion to launch MIMO-ready outdoor APs; Technology will increase range by three-fold.
May 25, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Despite a market already saturated with Wi-Fi technology, Wavion debuted this week and unveiled a metro-scale access point technology. Products are expected to follow before the end of the year. The products...

Xactly adds sales force compensation as AppExchange add-on; Some say AppExchange is a new way to stop application bloat?
May 26, 2006... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz Xactly, an on-demand, sales force compensation service provider, unveiled this week Xactly Incent, the company's third major release. According Chris Cabrera, founder and CEO, the Incent online application...

Power Toys for Visual Studio, IronRuby advance .Net; Microsoft beefs up support and diagnostics with Shared Source tools, and IronRuby focuses on .Net interoperability.
May 26, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill .Net is getting boosts with diagnostic tools and a version of the Ruby programming language for Microsoft's application development platform. As part of its Shared Source program, Microsoft has released "Power Toys...

Sun investigating object-aware CPUs; Maxwell research project is one of many in the labs at the company.
May 30, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Eyeing boosts in application performance, Sun Microsystems is researching how to improve handling of objects in multiprocessors with a project dubbed Maxwell. The company also has projects in its labs pertaining to...

Microsoft ALM platform extended to bridge gap; Company will announce Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals, a new addition to the Visual Studio 2005 Team System .
May 31, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Microsoft is expanding its ALM (application lifecycle management) platform on Wednesday with new tools aiming to bridge a disconnect between database developers and administrators. The company will announce Visual...

Mouse jitters give away fraudsters; Fair Issac studies user quirks to spot fraud.
May 31, 2006... Byline: Paul F. Roberts Online fraudsters might want to try some method acting classes before they attempt to log in to an online banking session using a stolen user name and password. New technology from Fair Isaac claims to be able to...

ERP for IT suggested for better visibility; Panelists cite businesses' shortcomings in assessing effectiveness of technology investments.
May 31, 2006... Byline: Paul Krill Does IT need its own customized ERP system? Citing issues enterprises have in assessing cost effectiveness of IT and in managing IT, panelists at the Dow Jones Enterprise Ventures 2006 conference on Wednesday debated...