InfoWorld.com articles from September 2005

InfoWorld.com archives from September 2005

In Brief: Critical Path upgrades Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance; Also in Brief: IBM software aids business process management in SOAs; LANDesk Software updates LANDesk Management Suite; CDW introduces suite of ROI toolkits; HP offers entry-priced enterprise management solution; Nsite launches Process Builder feature for SOX compliance; Tenebril releases anti-spyware solution.
September 1, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Critical Path has released Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance Version 2.0, which adds SPF (Sender Policy Framework) authentication, new anti-spam capabilities, and new administrative controls. Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance...

STORAGE INSIDER: CDP jackpot; IBM Tivoli sprints ahead of other backup vendors with continuous data protection software for the masses.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Mario Apicella One of the questions I am asked most often is how I choose what to write about each week. Well, that question is rather difficult to answer, but let me try a metaphor: It's similar to playing a slot machine in Las...

Jabber to roll out IM appliance next week; JabberNow lets companies deploy secure IM in 15 minutes.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Cathleen Moore SMBs looking for an easy solution for instant messaging will get access next week to a new secure business-grade IM appliance from Jabber. On Tuesday, Jabber will ship its JabberNow appliance, which the company says...

SECURITY ADVISER: Basic security checks for a stand-down review; Fix your security on the cheap by going back to basics.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Roger A. Grimes I’m frequently called to implement advanced computer security infrastructures, things like PKI, network-access management, intrusion protection systems, honeypots, and intrusion detection systems. Although...

OPEN ENTERPRISE: Linus gets tough on Linux trademark; Vendors can now become official brand licensees, for a price.
September 5, 2005... Byline: Neil McAllister The GNU GPL (General Public License) means you're free to download the source code of the Linux kernel, modify it, recompile it, repackage it, and even make it part of your own products if you want to. There's just...

Borland upgrades IDE as open source alternatives loom; JBuilder features collaboration.
September 6, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Borland Software on Tuesday will announce an upgrade to its JBuilder IDE. But the future of the commercial IDE market is clouded, with Eclipse providing base technologies for free. Shipping in mid-September, Borland...

In Brief: Adomo introduces voice messaging for Microsoft Exchange; Also in Brief: Shavlik announces anti-spyware and patch management solution; Critical Path upgrades Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance; IBM software aids business process management in SOAs; LANDesk Software updates LANDesk Management Suite; CDW introduces suite of ROI toolkits; HP offers entry-priced enterprise management solution.
September 6, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Startup company Adomo has announced the availability of Adomo Voice Messaging for Exchange, an appliance that integrates voice messaging into Microsoft Exchange and Active Direcotory. The appliance supports multiple...

Microsoft sharpens mid-market apps focus; ERP offerings for companies with 50 to 1,000 employees.
September 6, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Eyeing the mid-market IT-user segment, with its estimated 1.4 million companies, Microsoft on Wednesday will introduce role-based ERP applications as well as a package of system-management tools to be bundled with an...

In Brief: Vodafone extends offer for mobile phone solar charger Also in Brief: Adomo introduces voice messaging for Microsoft Exchange; Shavlik announces anti-spyware and patch management solution; Critical Path upgrades Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance; IBM software aids business process management in SOAs; LANDesk Software updates LANDesk Management Suite; CDW introduces suite of ROI toolkits.
September 7, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Users of cellular devices, especially in sunny regions, should like this gadget: a solar charger to recharge batteries while working or playing outdoors. Vodafone Group, Europe's largest mobile phone company, is...

Gates talks up mid-market business apps; Stresses tight integration with Office, role-based interfaces.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill REDMOND, Wash. -- Citing a "huge commitment to business applications," Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates on Wednesday sketched out a mid-market strategy that emphasizes role-based user interfaces...

Macromedia makes streaming media push; Renamed product eliminates need for app server, reduces bandwidth requirements.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Macromedia will raise the stakes in streaming media software Thursday with a product that eliminates the need for a supplemental application server for tracking content. Best known for its pervasive Flash technology...

Microsoft readies small business accounting package; Links to Office are stressed.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Looking to accommodate the sales and marketing needs of small companies, Microsoft on Wednesday is announcing general availability of its Microsoft Small Business Accounting 2006 software as well as the Office Small...

In Brief: HP invests in business recovery centers; Also in Brief: Vodafone extends offer for mobile phone solar charger; Adomo introduces voice messaging for Microsoft Exchange; Shavlik announces anti-spyware and patch management solution; Critical Path upgrades Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance; IBM software aids business process management in SOAs; LANDesk Software updates LANDesk Management Suite.
September 8, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Hewlett-Packard has invested $100 million in business recovery centers over the last 12 months. The investment -- three quarters of it in Europe -- has enabled it to open four new business recovery centers, in...

IMlogic launches IM threat protection; RTTPS aims to predict and stop IM attacks before they penetrate the network.
September 8, 2005... Byline: Cathleen Moore The number of worm and virus attacks crashing into corporations through IM is skyrocketing. This unsettling trend is forcing enterprise IT managers to finally get serious about securing corporate networks against IM...

ENTERPRISE WINDOWS: September brings more goodies from Microsoft; Nifty new software toys aid file backup, patch management, and more.
September 8, 2005... Byline: Oliver Rist I’ve blown out my back, but I don’t much care. A ray of light has re-entered my life, and that ray is … football season. Pigskin has absolutely nothing to do with the three new Microsoft software toys...

STORAGE INSIDER: HP lays down the storage gauntlet; New data protection, ILM products extend the company portfolio with help from powerful software allies.
September 8, 2005... Byline: Mario Apicella Is it just me or has HP taken a more determined and assertive attitude lately? I've been overwhelmed by the number of new and different products the company has been putting on the market in the last few months --...

Good Technology to restructure distribution channel; Company plans to transition to indirect sales using carriers.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz In the process of restructuring its distribution channel as it moves from a direct to an indirect sales model, Good Technology acknowledged today that it laid off part of its sales force. Approximately 80...

Iona joins Eclipse, proposes SOA effort; Tools platform is proposed.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Melding the contemporary concepts of SOA and open source, Iona Technologies on Monday is announcing its participation in the Eclipse Foundation and will propose an Eclipse SOA Tools Platform project. The company is...

Mozilla offers workaround for Firefox flaw; Software patch posted.
September 9, 2005... The Mozilla Foundation has released a workaround for a critical buffer overflow vulnerability in the Firefox browser that was first made public early Friday. On Friday afternoon, Mozilla developers had posted a software patch and...

HP reschedules user show for Oct. in Orlando; Katrina leaves company no choice.
September 9, 2005... Hewlett-Packard (HP) plans to hold the HP Technology Forum 2005, originally scheduled to be held next week in New Orleans, in Orlando from Oct. 17 through Oct.20, the company announced late Friday. HP had little choice but to cancel the...

Microsoft scraps September security update; Company is mum on reason for change of plans.
September 9, 2005... Microsoft has decided not to go ahead with its monthly security update after encountering an unspecified quality issue with the software patch it had planned to release next Tuesday. This Thursday, Microsoft said it would be offering a...

SECURITY ADVISER: The buzz about fuzzers; When you've got to have secure code -- and everyone does -- fuzzers can help.
September 9, 2005... Byline: Roger A. Grimes Writing perfect secure code is hard. Daniel J. Bernstein has probably come the closest to it in practical, publicly released software. With his almost maniacal drive for security perfection, he has written...

Tibco readies rich Internet apps play; AJAX technology is upgraded.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Tibco on Monday will announce shipment of General Interface 3.0, an AJAX-based (Asynchronous JavaScript plus XML) technology. This represents a major play in the rich Internet applications arena, positioning Tibco to vie...

Microsoft exec touts small, mid-market business plan; Utzschneider also doubts diversity of open source apps.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill James Utzschneider is general manager of strategy for Microsoft's Small and Midsize Solutions & Partner (SMS&P) Group. Microsoft last week unveiled both its Dynamics platform, which will merge four ERP platforms and had...

Centro aims at mid-market IT needs, Microsoft exec says; Management package relies on Longhorn Server OS.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Microsoft last week unveiled its Centro product plan, which is intended to make it easier to administer networks in midsize businesses. InfoWorld Editor at Large Paul Krill interviewed Steven VanRoekel, director of...

In Brief: Software AG enhances ApplinX legacy modernization software; Also in Brief: IBM software pinpoints defects in Web apps; HP invests in business recovery centers; Vodafone extends offer for mobile phone solar charger; Adomo introduces voice messaging for Microsoft Exchange; Shavlik announces anti-spyware and patch management solution; Critical Path upgrades Memova Anti-Abuse Appliance.
September 13, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Software AG announced its ApplinX legacy modernization software now supports the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) as well as the Fujitsu-Siemens BS2000/OSD operating system. ApplinX helps extend...

Update: IBM to offer ESB as part of SOA strategy; A host of products are readied for rollout.
September 13, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill As part of a multifaceted SOA software rollout, IBM on Tuesday is joining the list of companies offering a product labeled as an ESB (enterprise service bus). The comprehensive SOA arsenal unveiled by IBM also...

PDC goes with the flow; Microsoft's WWF lets developers build composite workflow applications.
September 14, 2005... Byline: Eric Knorr What separates enterprise apps from desktop apps? Mainly, business rules and workflow. Wednesday, at the (PDC) Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft announced Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF), a brand new...

AJAX catching on at Microsoft, ClearNova; Scripting technology tools grow.
September 15, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript plus XML) technology for building rich Web applications this week is getting a boost from Microsoft and ClearNova. Microsoft at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles...

In Brief: StrikeIron launches Web Services Marketplace; Also in Brief: Software AG enhances ApplinX legacy modernization software; IBM software pinpoints defects in Web apps; HP invests in business recovery centers; Vodafone extends offer for mobile phone solar charger; Adomo introduces voice messaging for Microsoft Exchange; Shavlik announces anti-spyware and patch management solution.
September 15, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff StrikeIron has announced the StrikeIron Web Services Marketplace, which is available as part of a new release of the StrikeIron Web Services Business Network. StrikeIron Marketplace simplifies the selling and buying...

ENTERPRISE WINDOWS: The truth about Microsoft is out there; With all of its acquisitions and new product releases over the past four years, Redmond better be up to something.
September 15, 2005... Byline: Oliver Rist I've been ordered to make sense out of Microsoft's slew of mid-market, vertical, and back-office application announcements for an upcoming feature in InfoWorld. There have been a bunch of such announcements over the...

STORAGE INSIDER: Quantum puts faith in tape; Three new stackable libraries and a new autoloader will replace low-end portfolio.
September 15, 2005... Byline: Mario Apicella I was fairly certain I knew what an upcoming chat with Quantum would focus on. I was expecting to hear more about SDLT (super digital linear tape), the next generation of their high-end tape that, according to...

BEA seeks open source accommodation; Company pledges support for free software efforts.
September 16, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill At face value, it might appear that BEA Systems has its work cut out for it competing with free, open source alternatives to its own commercially available WebLogic Server application server platform. But the company...

IBM preps 'BI-lite' productivity app; Workplace offering maps decision-making process with visual scorecards and dashboards.
September 16, 2005... Byline: Cathleen Moore IBM next month plans to release a new software product designed to bring business intelligence-style data views to the masses. The goal is to make it easier for workers to transform business objectives into...

SECURITY ADVISER: A software security chat with David LeBlanc; Webroot's chief software architect talks about reducing vulnerabilities and preventing buffer overflows.
September 16, 2005... Byline: Roger A. Grimes Last week I summarized the difficulties in preventing buffer overflows in complex software and introduced fuzzers. With multiple buffer overflows announced every week on some of the world’s most popular...

Oracle and EDS to team up for application management; Companies will offer single hosted service.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz At the OpenWorld conference this week Oracle will announce a deal with EDS to combine both companies' application management and modernization services as a single offering. Application modernization will...

Rally adds Eclipse link to hosted developer service; Advanced defect management also included.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Rally Software Development is adding an Eclipse plug-in as well as features such as advanced filters for defect management to its hosted service for software lifecycle management. Improvements are being made in Rally...

OPEN ENTERPRISE: Can open source companies innovate? Without licensing fees to fall back on, pure open source companies may be limited to imitating proprietary vendors' successes.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Neil McAllister When it comes to open source vendors and innovation, Bill Gates doesn't waver. In an interview at Microsoft's annual Professional Developers Conference (PDC) last week, Gates told CNet, "I don't think that someone...

In Brief: Vendors collaborate on new SOA Maturity Model; Also in Brief: Bit9 helps solve the problem of unwanted software; StrikeIron launches Web Services Marketplace; Software AG enhances ApplinX legacy modernization software; IBM software pinpoints defects in Web apps; HP invests in business recovery centers; Vodafone extends offer for mobile phone solar charger.
September 20, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Sonic Software has joined with AmberPoint, BearingPoint, and Systinet to publish a new SOA Maturity Model (SOA MM) and launch a 10-city Management Forum tour designed to educate managers on maximizing the benefits...

Demo show unveils $800 ThinkPad; Lenovo offers low-cost 14-inch-wide screen notebook.
September 20, 2005... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Mobility and collaboration were two of the major themes as Demo Fall 2005 conference kicked off on Tuesday. In its 16th year, Demo gives startups and established vendors six minutes...

Open source ESB, Java program model advance; SymphonySoft adds BPEL to bus; JBoss unifies EJB, JavaServer Faces.
September 20, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Two companies are unveiling open source efforts in the categories of enterprise service bus (ESB) and Java models. SymphonySoft is updating the Mule ESB and JBoss is introducing its Seam model for building enterprise...

Oracle, BEA battle over BPEL; Process orchestration technology is focus of feud.
September 20, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Officials from BEA Systems and Oracle this week waged a war of words over BPEL (Business Process Execution Language), the Web services-based specification for orchestration of processes in SOAs. Oracle Senior Vice...

In Brief: Zend enhances PHP management in Zend Platform 2; Also in Brief: Panda offers enhanced protection against spyware, online fraud; Macromedia offers new Web conferencing solutions; Vendors collaborate on new SOA Maturity Model; Bit9 helps solve the problem of unwanted software; StrikeIron launches Web Services Marketplace; Software AG enhances ApplinX legacy modernization software.
September 21, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Zend Technologies announced Zend Platform 2 with enhanced application performance and simplified data synchronization. Zend Platform supports the application life-cycle of PHP applications. New features include...

Enterprise security solutions take Demo stage; Last day of show focuses on application continuity and e-mail security.
September 21, 2005... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- While the gamers and entertainers get all the headlines at shows like Demo Fall '05, enterprise solutions are the backbone of the bi-annual show that connects high-tech innovators with...

Gadgets and gizmos add spark to Demo Fall 05; From keyboards to VoIP, technology keeps changing.
September 21, 2005... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- What would Demo Fall 05, the now bi-annual conference for the introduction of new products and services, be if it didn't have its share of gadgets and gizmos to entertain the audience of...

ENTERPRISE WINDOWS: Another view of Vista; Microsoft continues to reveal tantalizing features of its forthcoming OS.
September 22, 2005... Byline: Oliver Rist So my recent MIGRAINE (Microsoft Granular Investigation of New Expectations) journalistic odyssey went well. Redmond really did announce an amazing amount of stuff in the past three weeks, and it really does all tie...

STORAGE INSIDER: A call to action: It's time for EMR; Electronic medical records can improve patients' disaster-recovery plan, saving lives and money.
September 22, 2005... Byline: Mario Apicella A few months ago while waiting at my doctor's office, I noticed a group of young people shuffling an enormous amount of documents on the other side of the glass partition. After watching a little longer I noticed a...

Phishing attacks, and cures, grow more sophisticated; Iconix releases visual identity technology for e-mail.
September 23, 2005... Byline: Cathleen Moore Phishing is hooking more victims as the e-mail fraud attacks become more sophisticated and prevalent. According to Gartner, the number of phishing e-mail recipients has grown 28 percent in 2005. Because...

Progress adds Eclipse, ESB link to apps platform; 4GL-based environment is upgraded.
September 23, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Progress Software is adding Eclipse integration to its OpenEdge application development and deployment platform as well as links to affiliate Sonic Software's ESB (enterprise service bus). Produced by the Progress...

Microsoft to offer third beta of developer collaboration tool; Team Foundation Server update to go live on Friday.
September 23, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill Microsoft on Friday plans to release the third beta version of its Team Foundation Server (TFS) software for application lifecycle management, a Microsoft representative said. Available to Microsoft Developer Network...

SECURITY ADVISER: App security wall of shame; It's time to hold vendors accountable if their apps require users to log in as administrators.
September 23, 2005... Byline: Roger A. Grimes A few columns ago I mentioned that 70 to 90 percent of all current malware threats would fail to work if the end-user executing them did not belong to the local administrators group (or, in Linux/Unix, were not...

In Brief: Flashline debuts product for managing SOA, Web services; Also in Brief: Systinet provides SOA registry for Oracle Fusion Middleware; VA Software, ThoughtWorks team up on development solutions; Zend enhances PHP management in Zend Platform; 2Panda offers enhanced protection against spyware, online fraud; Macromedia offers new Web conferencing solutions; Vendors collaborate on new SOA Maturity Model.
September 26, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Flashline has introduced Flashline for SOA, which provides governance, registration, and lifecycle management of Web services and SOA. The product focuses on architectural compliance and policy enforcement during...

BEA faces revenue growth challenges; But CEO Alfred Chuang is confident.
September 27, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Although stuck at approximately $1 billion in annual revenues for several years, BEA Systems Chairman and CEO Alfred Chuang believes the middleware company is on a path for growth. An analyst,...

BEA chief at BEAWorld: We're the SOA leader; Rival IBM disagrees.
September 27, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Looking to seize the mantle of SOA leadership, BEA Chairman and CEO Alfred Chuang at the BEAWorld conference on Tuesday declared BEA to be the world's leader in enabling SOAs. Citing the...

SOA Software, AmberPoint help manage SOAs; Service Manager for BEA AquaLogic is unveiled.
September 27, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill SOA Software and AmberPoint are bolstering SOA and Web-services management, with SOA Software focused on BEA Systems middleware and AmberPoint verifying SOA operations. SOA Software on Tuesday is announcing Service...

M7 acquisition is intended to boost BEA blending efforts; Open source and commercial software combo touted.
September 28, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill SANTA CLARA, Calif. - BEA Systems' acquisition Wednesday of Eclipse-based tools vendor M7 boosts BEA's strategy to blend open source and commercial software options, a company official and an industry analyst said. ...

Cisco rolls out datacenter architecture for utility computing; VFrame combines InfiniBand-based server fabric switches with VFrame virtualization software.
September 28, 2005... Byline: Oliver Rist Cisco Systems on Wednesday released a new computer networking and virtualization architecture it calls VFrame. The architecture combines a set of InfiniBand-based SFSs (server fabric switches) with the VFrame...

In Brief: Macromedia ColdFusion MX 7 supports Mac OS X 'Tiger'; Also in Brief: Samsung breaks ground for $33 billion expansion plan; Baracoda unveils RoadRunner family of wireless scanners; Flashline debuts product for managing SOA, Web services; Systinet provides SOA registry for Oracle Fusion Middleware; VA Software, ThoughtWorks team up on development solutions; Zend enhances PHP management in Zend Platform.
September 29, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Macromedia announced the availability of the Macromedia ColdFusion MX 7 Updater, a free incremental release that adds support for Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" and Mac OS X Server 10.4 "Tiger", and also updates support for...

BEA dev tool upgrade poses challenges; Lack of binary compatibility is cited.
September 29, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Noting a lack of binary compatibility between current and future versions of its Java development environment, BEA Systems is pledging to smooth the transition for developers moving from BEA...

ENTERPRISE WINDOWS: Sampling Visual Studio 2005; Beta 3 of Visual Studio 2005 TFS reveals a slick Web-based development collaboration server.
September 29, 2005... Byline: Oliver Rist Earlier this week, Microsoft released Beta 3 of Visual Studio 2005 TFS (Team Foundation Server). Turns out my developers are always interested in seeing competitors to CVS, and the moniker Beta 3 seemed safe enough for...

STORAGE INSIDER: Brushing up on HP and AppIQ; With these two companies now working as one, what can we expect on the storage front?
September 29, 2005... Byline: Mario Apicella Hewlett-Packard's recent acquisition of AppIQ makes for some interesting predictions, which mostly involve AppIQ's storage management knowledge and how that will play out in HP's storage strategy. To make sure...

Open source steps into ECM shoes; Former co-founder of Documentum readies a new open source content management venture called Alfresco.
September 30, 2005... Byline: Cathleen Moore The former co-founder of Documentum is applying lessons learned in the commercial ECM (enterprise content management) space to open source software. John Newton, CTO and Chairman of Alfresco, said that tackling...

In Brief: Quest releases Application Assurance Suite for Java and Portals; Also in Brief: China boasts nearly 373 million mobile phone users; Macromedia ColdFusion MX 7 supports Mac OS X 'Tiger'; Samsung breaks ground for $33 billion expansion plan; Baracoda unveils RoadRunner family of wireless scanners; Flashline debuts product for managing SOA, Web services; Systinet provides SOA registry for Oracle Fusion Middleware.
September 30, 2005... Byline: InfoWorld staff Quest Software announced at BEAWorld the release of its Application Assurance Suite for Java and Portals, which lets users rapidly measure, analyze, and optimize applications during development. The suite is the...

SAP to offer major SCM upgrades in Release 5.0; Supply-chain solution will focus on analytics.
September 30, 2005... Byline: Ephraim Schwartz With supply-chain management becoming a key benchmark for success in most industries, SAP will offer its enterprise customers enhanced SCM capabilities in the next release of its enterprise software, SAP 2005. ...

NetBeans open source tools getting refreshed; Eclipse rival fitted with GUI-building improvements.
September 30, 2005... Byline: Paul Krill The Sun Microsystems-led NetBeans developer community this week released a beta version of the NetBeans 5.0 open source IDE, with enhancements for client development based on Java. The general release of Version 5.0...

SECURITY ADVISER: The full disclosure debate; Is disclosing security bugs in public before notifying a vendor a good or bad idea?
September 30, 2005... Byline: Roger A. Grimes As the new InfoWorld security columnist, I’ve not backed away from controversy. I have intentionally picked hot topics in order to generate reader interest and feedback. And nothing generates more debate than...