InformationWeek Stories by W. David Gardner

InformationWeek Stories by W. David Gardnerhttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2010-12-30T13:25:00ZFacebook Holds Commanding Lead In SearchThe social network held four of the top 10 terms searched in 2010 and recorded more site visits than any other Web property, reported Experian Hitwise.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900206?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/personal_tech/reviews/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800091"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/547/flock5_tn.jpg" alt="Flock Browses All Your Social Connections" title="Flock Browses All Your Social Connections" height="136" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Flock Browses All Your Social Connections</div></div>The Facebook juggernaut just keeps on rolling, passing Google and Yahoo in search last summer, and by the end of the year running up a commanding lead that seems unsurpassable, according to Experian Hitwise's report on Internet searches for 2010. The online market research firm found that Facebook Web sites captured four of the top 10 most-searched terms in 2010. Another online metric service, ComScore, reported earlier that Facebook passed Yahoo for the first time in July and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227400139">overtook Google</a> later that summer. "When combined, common search terms -- e.g., facebook and facebook.com -- for Facebook accounted for 3.48% of all searches in the U.S. among the top 50 terms, which represents a 207% increase versus 2009," said an Experian Hitwise report released Wednesday. Four Facebook variations were listed in the top 10 rankings including Facebook (generic site), Facebook login, Facebook.com, and www.Facebook.com. The other top 10 search terms, in order, were: Facebook, Facebook Login, YouTube, Craigslist, Myspace, Facebook.com, eBay, Yahoo, www.facebook.com, and Mapquest. Mapquest made its first recent appearance on the list, indicating the online mapping service may be undergoing a renaissance of sorts in the face of tough competition from Google and Microsoft. In the "most-visited Web sites" category, Facebook.com passed Google, which held down second place, while Yahoo placed three sites in the top 10 rankings -- mail.yahoo.com, www.yahoo.com, and search.yahoo.com. The top 10 Web sites, combined, accounted for 33% of all U.S. visits in the period surveyed. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227400139">Facebook Overtakes Google As Top Online Destination</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228300344">Facebook Traffic Up 60%</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/08/facebook_could.html">Facebook Could Challenge Google And Become The Remote Control For The Web</a>2010-12-29T14:52:00ZNokia Siemens Purchase Of Motorola Wireless DelayedChina's antitrust regulators have not yet approved the sale, which was expected to be completed this year.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900190?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlMotorola's effort to break itself up has hit a speed bump, as its plan to spin off its public carrier wireless network infrastructure assets to Nokia Siemens Networks has been delayed from the end of 2010 to the first quarter of 2011. Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) indicated the delay was due to a lack of regulatory approval from the anti-monopoly bureau of China's Ministry of Commerce. All other regulatory examinations have been obtained, NSN said, and the Chinese agency is continuing its review process. "This delay is disappointing, but we're looking forward to completing the acquisition early in the new year," said Rajeev Suri, NSN CEO, in a statement. "We are continuing to work closely with the authority in China to finalize the clearance process in that country. We recognize its efforts in addressing this case as a matter of importance." The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225900165">spinoff</a> of its mobile infrastructure was announced by Motorola last July after the company was pressured to break itself up by Wall Street financier and raider Carl Icahn, who argued the company was worth more in pieces than as a whole. Motorola is in the process of splitting into two operations in the new year -- a mobile devices and set-top box unit and an enterprise mobility/public safety unit. The mobile infrastructure unit to be transferred to NSN is not directly involved with the other Motorola units. NSN said it has received antitrust clearance from regulatory agencies in the United States, the European Union, Brazil, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, and Turkey. In July, Harbinger Capital Partners had announced it selected NSN to build its proposed 4G long-term evolution (LTE) combo terrestrial-satellite network in a $7 billion deal. Called <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226100024">LightSquared</a>, the network recently launched a satellite successfully from Kazakhstan. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225900165">Nokia Siemens To Buy Motorola Unit For $1.2B</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226100024">Nokia Siemens Will Build LightSquared National LTE Network</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/telecom/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198001150">Launch Of Nokia Siemens Networks Is Readied</a>2010-12-29T12:05:00ZGroupon Seeks $950 Million In Venture FundingThe filing to raise investor capital has caused analysts to increase the daily-deal site's value to nearly $7 billion.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900184?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/hardware/utility_ondemand/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800279"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/548/GoogleAndroidOS_tn.jpg" alt="Top 10 Google Stories Of 2010" title="Top 10 Google Stories Of 2010" height="175" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Top 10 Google Stories Of 2010</div></div>Already thought to be the fastest growing company ever, Groupon wants to keep the momentum rolling by moving to raise nearly $1 billion that could be used to fund its runaway growth. The online coupon company has filed incorporation papers in the State of Delaware for authorization to raise $950 million. That figure has venture capital wags putting the firm's total valuation between $5 billion and $7 billion. Different sources are placing different valuations on the daily deals company that offers a variety of offerings ranging from car washes and massages to restaurant coupons and dancing classes. Just weeks ago, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228400248">Google</a> tried to acquire Groupon for a price estimated between $5 billion and $6 billion, but those negotiations were never confirmed by either company. The Chicago-based firm's dramatic success -- it is said to be generating annual revenue of $2 billion -- has spawned a flood of copycat sites. The largest competitor is LivingSocial, which recently received an investment injection of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228500272">$175 million</a> from Amazon. In <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228600066">rejecting</a> the Google acquisition bid, Groupon followed the lead of Facebook, which likewise turned down early acquisition offers while deciding to holdout for bigger paydays. Groupon isn't required to file public financial statements because it is a private company, so the Delaware filing has the venture capital world speculating what's next for the daily deals company. Groupon already has made several international acquisitions and more funding could indicate there could be more international acquisitions. Some observers think Groupon will simply follow the trail of least resistance and move up a notch to address the small and midsize business (SMB) market.2010-12-29T07:00:00ZVerizon To Preview Android Devices, Not iPhoneAt CES next week, the carrier has scheduled a news conference to provide "sneak peek" of Android-based 4G LTE consumer devices, rather than the rumored announcement it will launch a version of the Apple iPhone.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900179?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlVerizon Wireless on Tuesday announced its lineup of speakers for its LTE news conference at next week's CES show in Las Vegas and the news is likely to disappoint the hoards of journalists and stock analysts who have been predicting the firm will launch a version of Apple's iPhone. Instead, Verizon said it will provide "a sneak peek of Android-based 4G LTE consumer devices" during the news conference, which will be Webcast live on Jan. 6. The Android devices could represent a new breakthrough, offering consumers more than the dongles and USB devices currently available on Verizon's LTE nationwide network, which serves nearly 40 cities and some 60 airports. Verizon has already begun hyping new Android devices to come from Motorola and the handset maker has said it is working on additional Android handsets as well as on Android-based tablets. So where's the iPhone and when is it coming to Verizon? The company still won't talk and Apple is stiller than the Sphinx, but the fact that Verizon is offering Apple's iPad hasn't gone unnoticed; the iPad familiarizes Verizon with Apple apps and delivery channels, helping it pave the way for an iPhone launch. There are some problems that have to be surmounted before Verizon can offer an iPhone. First, its LTE network is not yet ready for handsets with voice calling capability. Those handsets won't likely be arriving for a few months at least. MetroPCS offers a Samsung handset for its LTE service, but the device features multimedia and entertainment features and has no voice calling capability either. Verizon's LTE so far is aimed at data consumption rather than multimedia consumption. For Verizon and Apple to offer a 3G iPhone for Verizon's CDMA network would require some significant retooling on the part of both firms and there are no firm indications that the retooling is underway. The Verizon speakers scheduled to appear at the Jan. 6 news conference are Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless; Tony Melone, executive vice president and chief technology officer; and Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/handheld/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226900071">Apple And Verizon Ironing Out iPhone Details</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/10/verizons_iphone_1.html">Verizon's iPhone Nears Completion</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227500333">1.4 Million iPhone Users Plan Verizon Switch</a>2010-12-28T15:48:00ZAlcatel To Pay $137 Million In Bribery SettlementThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission found the telecom made illegal payments to foreign government officials in exchange for favorable business treatment.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900178?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has found that Alcatel began bribing foreign government officials nearly a decade ago and the company, now called Alcatel-Lucent, has agreed to pay $137 million in penalties relating to the violations, according to an SEC announcement issued this week. The SEC complaint charged that executives acting on Alcatel's behalf concealed undocumented payments to government officials in Costa Rica, Honduras, Malaysia, and Taiwan between December 2001 and June 2006. Alcatel merged with Lucent Technologies late that year in a deal that has made Alcatel the dominant partner in the merger. The company is based in Paris. "Alcatel and its subsidiaries failed to detect or investigate numerous red flags suggesting their employees were directing sham consultants to provide gifts and payments to foreign government officials to illegally win business," said Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC's division of enforcement, in a statement. "Alcatel and its subsidiaries failed to detect or investigate numerous red flags." The SEC stated that the payments were improperly recorded and were consolidated into the Alcatel's financial statements. Without admitting any wrongdoing, the company agreed to pay more than $45 million to settle the SEC charges and also to pay an additional $92 million to the Justice Department on related charges. Alcatel was charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies and companies whose stock trades on U.S. exchanges from making illegal payments to foreign governments to obtain favorable treatment. An Alcatel-Lucent executive was quoted in media reports saying the firm has implemented procedures that will prevent such violations from occurring again. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/switches/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227701170">Alcatel-Lucent Unveils 10GbE Switch</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196600676">Merger Of Lucent And Alcatel Is Complete</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/telecom/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209800367">Chairman, CEO To Leave Alcatel-Lucent After More Losses</a>2010-12-28T11:16:00ZAT&T Expands WiFi Hotzones In NYC, San FranciscoMove intended to ease mobile spectrum congestion in large cities.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900170?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlReacting in large part to complaints of dropped calls from cell phone customers in the New York City and San Francisco areas, AT&T said Tuesday that it will deploy additional Wi-Fi hotzones in both areas. Consumers using AT&T's Wi-Fi connections are not charged additional fees for their cell phones. Mobile phone spectrum has been becoming more congested with the advent of smartphones and is expected to worsen as the devices become more common. AT&T has been particularly hard hit due to the success of Apple's iPhone, for which it has been the exclusive U.S carrier. Last week, AT&T agreed <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800923">to acquire</a> a large swath of valuable 700-MHz spectrum from Qualcomm for $1.925 billion; the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2011. More immediately, AT&T will beef up its Times Square hotzone in time to serve New Year's Eve revelers. The company already has tested a Wi-Fi zone there and, according to Tuesday's announcement, additional Wi-Fi hotzones will be created near Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral. The company reported that it will also launch a Wi-Fi hotzone in San Francisco's Embarcadero Center. "Our initial AT&T Wi-Fi hotzones have received great customer response and supported high data traffic," said AT&T's CTO John Donovan in a statement. "The pilot demonstrated the clear benefits of having fast and readily available Wi-Fi options for our customers and our network, and so we have decided to deploy hotzones in more locations." To date, AT&T has some 23,000 U.S. Wi-Fi hotspots placed in a variety of locations ranging from coffee shops and retail stores to hotels and airports. Many AT&T mobile phones and 3G-equipped laptops automatically connect to the firm's Wi-Fi connections. AT&T has also established Wi-Fi hotzones in Charlotte, N.C.'s center city, and in Chicago's Wrigleyville. Citing the popularity of its Wi-Fi locations, AT&T noted that in this year's third quarter alone, 106.9 million Wi-Fi connections were handled by its networks, outnumbering the more than 85 million connections that were made during the entire previous year. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800923">AT&T To Acquire Qualcomm Spectrum For $1.9 Billion</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/wifiwimax/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207400046">AT&T Launches Starbucks Wi-Fi Service In San Antonio</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/data_protection/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225200143">AT&T Launches Times Square WiFi Hotzone</a>2010-12-27T15:38:00ZOutsourcing Pioneer Patni Gets $915 Million Takeover BidPrivate equity firms Apax Partners and iGate are leading an effort to acquire the offshore IT services firm, say reports.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900160?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlPatni Computer Systems, the Indian-American IT services company that pioneered the offshore outsourcing phenomenon, is expected to be purchased by private equity firms in a deal said to be worth nearly $1 billion. According to several media reports in the United States and India, Apax Partners and iGate have been negotiating to purchase Patni, which was founded near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge, Mass., by Narendra Patni and his wife, Poonam. The Hindustan Times reported that a source with direct knowledge of the deal said the acquisition was valued at about $915 million. A competing acquisition team made up of the Carlyle Group, Advent International, and Akansa Capital had also bid for Patni, which was said to have been for sale for several months. The husband-and-wife team founded their offshore outsourcing company in 1972 after Narendra Patri finished studies at MIT. Their first office, a two-bedroom apartment in a three-family dwelling near the MIT campus, has grown into a 15,000-employee IT services firm with offices all over the world. It also fired up a robust offshore IT services outsourcing industry led by several Indian firms. According to the Hindustan Times, the Apax-iGate partnership would likely obtain a $500 million loan to fund the acquisition of Patni. General Atlantic, which provided some early venture funding for Patni, is reported to be selling its 17% stake in Patni. The offshore outsourcing phenomenon has not been without controversy as many U.S. lawmakers, unions, and professional organizations have complained about the loss of U.S. jobs to foreign software specialists. Offshore outsourcing has grown into a mature and financially healthy business since Patni began its operations in the early 1970s.2010-12-27T13:38:00ZOnline Holiday Shopping Surges 15%Mobile phones accounted for a larger share of the $36.4 billion consumers spent in November and December.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900157?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/web_services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227101752"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/488/Gmaps_tn.jpg" alt="Best Mobile Apps For Busy Professionals" title="Best Mobile Apps For Busy Professionals" height="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Best Mobile Apps For Busy Professionals</div></div>Online holiday shopping roared ahead in 2010, as consumers spent 15% more than they did in the previous year. The growth was also fueled by consumers shopping using mobile phones in a big way for the first time. MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse said online retailers reported online sales of $36.4 billion between Oct. 31 and Dec. 23 versus the $31.5 billion that was reported in the same period last year. SpendingPulse, which measures various payment activities including online, cash, and check, said that apparel sales showed a big jump. Online apparel purchases hit 18.9% of total clothing sales this year, a 25.7% gain over last year's figures. "This is the season of the sweater," SpendingPulse's VP for research and analysis Michael McNamara, told reporters. "What is driving this is that apparel sales online are doing well in general, represented by a shift from brick-and-mortar stores. The weather has helped, too." Online retailer Amazon said its current Kindle model is the best-selling product in its history. Amazon bombarded its e-mailing lists with promotional offers, including free shipping, to the point that many were annoyed by the steady Amazon sales drumbeat. In the end, everybody got into the act, from department stores and other large retailers, to traditional online shopping sites like Amazon and eBay. An Amazon mobile phone shopping app that allows shoppers to scan bar codes for pricing data helped consumers become more comfortable with ordering online with their cell phones. eBay's acquisition of app developer Critical Path Software helped the shopping and auction company attract more mobile phone users this year. In recent years, consumers have used their mobile phones to find store locations and check pricing of items, but that has proved to be a double-edged sword for some large retailers, which are finding that some online shopping services are sending shoppers to discount sites where they can purchase items for less online than in their bricks-and-mortar stores.2010-12-24T08:00:00ZVoters Used Cell Phones For Election NewsYounger, more affluent people were more inclined to use wireless devices to share information about November's midterm vote, finds Pew study.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900140?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/government/info-management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800302"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/550/Obama-Orders-Federal_tn.jpg" alt="Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010" title="Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010" height="102" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010</div></div> Cell phones played a role in the November elections and their users were generally evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, according to a report issued this week by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Users utilized their mobile phones in a variety of ways ranging from telling others they had voted (14%), getting election news (12%), texting about the election (10%), and informing others of conditions at voting stations (6%). The study of 2,257 adults, of whom 1,918 had cell phones, said voter traits generally tracked the U.S. population. "The mobile political user group is more male than female, more young than old, better off financially than less well-off, and better educated than less well-educated," according to the report. The reports' authors, Lee Rainie and Aaron Smith, also sought to learn the impact, if any, attributed to the rise of the Tea Party movement, which came to dominate much of the news coverage of the election. Attitudes on the Tea Party were evenly divided, with 34% saying they agreed or strongly agreed with the Tea Party and 32% saying they disagreed or strongly disagreed with the movement. "The wireless political user cohort does not tilt in a clear partisan direction," the report authors wrote. Of those voting, 44% voted for their Republican candidate and 44% voted for their Democratic candidate. Noting that younger, more affluent people tended to favor Democratic candidates by a small margin, the authors found that respondents voting for Democratic candidates were more likely to use their cell phones for campaign-related activities by a 26% to 19% margin. The authors also found a disconnect in their survey. "Somewhat surprisingly," they said, "21% of those who used their cell phones to learn about or participate in politics did not end up voting in the election."2010-12-23T14:32:00ZWhite House Deputy CTO ResignsAndrew McLaughlin will leave his government post, where he worked on Internet policy, to launch two startups.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900141?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/government/info-management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800302"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/550/Obama-Orders-Federal_tn.jpg" alt="Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010" title="Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010" height="102" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010</div></div> It's not exactly a "mission accomplished" event although it's close: two days after the Federal Communications Commission approved a net neutrality policy, Andrew McLaughlin is resigning his White House deputy CTO post, in which he worked on Internet policy issues. He said he will launch two startups -- one, high-tech support for state and local governments; the other, support for startups in developing countries. McLaughlin has been a major player in Internet development, ranging from early involvement in the launch and management of the ICANN Web domain management organization, to a teaching post at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. McLaughlin said he plans to return to the Berkman Center to teach, although he will continue living in the Washington, D.C. area. Before his White House days, he was head of Google's global public policy and government affairs. "My White House experience has been fantastic, but it's been more than two years since I started working on the (2008 election) transition," McLaughlin wrote in an e-mail to reporters, "And I've been feeling the itch to get entrepreneurial again." Several months ago McLaughlin <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/leadership/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224900083">was criticized</a> for e-mailing former colleagues at Google -- a violation of the Obama Administration's strict policy banning White House employees from engaging with former employers and clients. He was reprimanded for the alleged infraction, but Administration officials said the limited number of e-mails had no influence on any federal policy decisions. The White House post was created <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/enterprise-architecture/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700899">for McLaughlin</a>, who worked with CTO Aneesh Chopra and CIO Vivek Kindra. "Andrew has been a valuable public servant, helping to advance the administration's priorities in technology and innovation," said White House office of science and technology spokesman Rick Weiss, in a statement. "We are sorry to see him go and wish him all the best in his next endeavors."2010-12-23T11:51:00ZData Center Upgrades Spur Surge In Network EquipmentInfonetics research says cloud computing will fuel large gains in the 10G Ethernet and storage markets through 2014.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900130?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlThe planets are aligning for data center network growth as virtualization, explosive data growth, and other cloud computing needs will result in a big surge in data center upgrades, according to a report from Infonetics Research. For equipment providers, there are several positive emerging indicators, including a rising demand for 10G Ethernet switches. Infonetics said data center switch ports reached 14% penetration in the third quarter, higher than in the total Ethernet switch market. Rapidly falling prices are expected to drive 10G port penetration in data centers to about 50% by 2014, the market research firm said this week in its report on data center networks. "A new round of data center upgrades is underway," said Infonetics analyst Matthias Machowinski, who added that the growth is "driven by virtualization, surging amounts of data, the growing need for storage, under-investment in 2009, and renewed life in the financial sector." He predicted the worldwide data center network equipment market will hit $7.6 billion in 2010, representing 67% growth in 2010. Machowinski is directing analyst of Infonetics enterprise networks and video practice. Telecom carriers are driving much of the application delivery controller market, which is paced by F5, although Citrix is enjoying a 25% growth and has passed Cisco for the first time, according to the report. At the same time, storage area networks are also enjoying a surge in demand and, according to analyst Michael Howard, the demand is driven by the deployment of "gargantuan gigabytes of storage each quarter." Howard noted that much of the surging growth in video and data content in global data centers is generated by consumers. Howard is predicting the worldwide SAN equipment market will more than double to $6.6 billion by 2014.2010-12-22T14:09:00ZMotorola Developing LTE Smartphone For VerizonThe 4G handset will be among the devices launched when Verizon debuts voice services over its Long-Term Evolution network.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900064?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227100391"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/486/Mighty-Meeting_tn.jpg" width="175" alt="Top 20 Android Productivity Apps" title="Top 20 Android Productivity Apps" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0; font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;"> Slideshow: Top 20 Android Productivity Apps</div></div>With an iPhone model reportedly poised to debut on Verizon Wireless and steal the thunder from the steady stream of Motorola Android handsets, a Verizon executive has sought to reassure the mobile world that Motorola is still important to Verizon. John Stratton, Verizon's chief operating officer, told the Wall Street Journal that Motorola will have a smartphone when the carrier rolls out handsets for its recently launched Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network. "We've got <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228801015">LTE smartphones</a> on the horizon," said Stratton. "Motorola will be right there." The comment served to give Motorola Mobility stock an immediate bump, reversing the decline it has undergone since the stock began trading on a preliminary basis earlier in the week. Motorola and several other smartphone manufacturers have been working to develop handsets for Verizon's LTE network. The network launched with dongles and USB modems earlier this month and consumers have been told they will have to wait a few months for smartphones with voice calling capability. So what's the hangup? Manufacturers didn't approve the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) specification until early this year, paving the way for work to begin in earnest on LTE handsets that would have voice calling capability. "As mobile operators begin to deploy LTE, it is essential their networks are aligned around one, common standard for voice and messaging services," explained the GSM Association's chief technology and strategy officer. Motorola, which once dominated the mobile phone industry, has been seeking to regain at least some of its former glory by splitting itself into two units -- Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions. The mobile phone operation, which is viewed as the glamorous unit, began its first preliminary trading day this week by trading down 9%. Motorola Solutions will continue making public safety products, bar-code scanners, walkie-talkies, and related equipment. Its stock traded up 3%. Pressed by Wall Street raider and financier Carl Icahn for months to break itself up, Motorola hired Sanjay Jha from Qualcomm and put him in charge of the Mobility unit. He has enjoyed initial success, largely due to Verizon's embrace of Motorola's Droid phones, but he now faces uncertainty due to the looming, but unconfirmed launch of an iPhone model for Verizon Wireless. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228801015">Verizon Wireless Prepping LTE Tablets, Smartphones For CES</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/services/voice/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222900710">LTE Handset Development Gets Boost</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228500106">Motorola Split Set For January</a>2010-12-22T10:38:00ZFCC Net Neutrality Vote Sets Up Legal ChallengesThe 3-2 Federal Communications Commission decision in support of an open Internet won't be the end of the story, as Congress and the courts will likely be called in to address the matter.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900022?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/government/info-management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800302"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/550/Obama-Orders-Federal_tn.jpg" alt="Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010" title="Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010" height="102" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Top 10 Government Stories Of 2010</div></div> Rather than settling the multi-year debate over net neutrality, the Federal Communications Commission's 3-2 party-line vote Tuesday is likely to be viewed as just another shot fired against opponents of a completely open Internet. Legions of Washington lawyers on both sides of the issue are licking their chops over the legal suits that are likely to enrich them for months -- if not years -- as net neutrality is litigated. One observer who liked the Tuesday vote led by the three Democratic commissioners was President Obama, who had promised to protect Internet access for consumers. In a statement, the President said: "As technology and the market continue to evolve at a rapid pace, my administration will remain vigilant and see to it that innovation is allowed to flourish, that consumers are protected from abuse, and that the democratic spirit of the Internet remains intact." A problem for Obama and the Democratic commissioners is the two other government branches. Congress is likely to attempt to pick apart Tuesday's decision, and the Washington Court of Appeals, which has already ruled in favor of at least a partial closing of the Internet, is likely to be called upon to decide ultimately how closed or open the Internet will be. In its vote, the FCC sought to deliver a compromise that would keep the largest carriers from blocking or retarding online access, even as wireless companies would be afforded increased latitude to regulate themselves. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, who has tried for months to work out a compromise acceptable to most sides in the issue, criticized "extremists" on both polarized ends of net neutrality. He hailed the new rules approved by fellow Democrats Michael Copps and Mignon Clyburn as an opportunity to make the U.S. Internet the "freest and fastest in the world." Genachowski has sounded the alarm for months that the United States is continuing to fall behind several other nations in the robustness of its Internet access. The Republican commissioners, Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker, voted against the new rules. The Republicans have generally argued that a less-regulated Internet would spur investment and innovation. Net neutrality also pits traditional carriers like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon against newer content providers like Amazon, eBay, and Skype which have thrived on an open access Internet. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/traffic_management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228300039">Verizon, Comcast Slam FCC On Net Neutrality</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226700006">Facebook Criticizes Google Verizon Net Neutrality Pact</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/utility_ondemand/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224701201">Net Neutrality Battle Lines Form Over FCC 'Third Way' Plan</a>2010-12-22T09:18:00ZEBay Acquires brands4friends For $200 MillionThe buyout will boost Ebay's presence in the European fashion market.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228900002?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlEBay continued in a shopping mode by announcing plans to purchase German online shopping club brands4friends for nearly $200 million. It was the second online shopping acquisition this month by eBay, which acquired Milo earlier in the month for its expertise in local shopping activities. While brands4friends will boost eBay’s presence in Europe and help it compete with rival Amazon, the German firm can help eBay in its efforts to enhance its fashion sales in the US, too. Market research studies indicate that as much as 20% of European online fashion sales are attributed to fashion purchases. “EBay has focused a lot on the fashion vertical,” Stephan Zoll, an eBay manager in Germany, told the Reuters news agency. “So far, the (deal) is focused on Germany. However, we can leverage the expertise that brands4friends has in the shopping club area internationally.” By acquiring brands4friends, eBay also picks up the German firm’s equity position in UK shopping club SecretSales.com and in a brands4friends affiliate in Japan. Shopping club members get group discounts and the online shopping phenomenon has been gaining traction as online shopping gains among shoppers worldwide. EBay, which said the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011, added that the acquisition is not expected to have a material impact on its 2011 financial results. The US shopping giant, based in San Jose, California, has quickly integrated Milo into its infrastructure, in time to take advantage of this season’s holiday boom in online shopping. Milo lists products in local stores on its Web site. Milo’s approach calls for products from 50,000 bricks and mortar stores to be listed online to make it easier for eBay shoppers to find products. These organization have the data, but accessing, sharing, and securing that data remain problematic. That story and more in the new all-digital supplement to InformationWeek Healthcare. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/121310HC/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe_os">Download it now</a> (registration required). 2010-12-21T13:27:00ZWiFi, ZigBee Battle On Smart Grid CredThe competing home wireless network technologies launch a public debate about which is more energy efficient.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800996?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlThe proliferation of electronic devices and appliances in homes and their impact on the efficiency and cost of smart-grid electrical power has given rise to a public debate over whether Wi-Fi or ZigBee represents the most energy-efficient way to deal with the situation. On one side is General Electric, which argues that ZigBee is more energy efficient than Wi-Fi. On the other side, the Wi-Fi Alliance maintains that "Wi-Fi offers unsurpassed capabilities for the smart grid" and that GE's recent study hailing ZigBee "is flawed, resulting in inaccurate findings." The Wi-Fi Alliance on Monday released its rejoinder to GE's early December <a href="http://www.brymercreative.com/geal_2010/images/120910_zigbee.pdf">white paper</a>. In its report, a team of GE engineers and technicians from the appliances and lighting units studied Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee solutions to determine which of the existing technologies would best minimize the energy impact of home energy networks. The GE team dismissed Bluetooth quickly, arguing that its limited range made it unsuitable for home networking of appliances and other products. In comparing Wi-Fi with ZigBee, GE said it found that components for ZigBee-based devices were less expensive than Wi-Fi components. In addition, the GE investigators said ZigBee's mesh networking capability resulted in energy savings as did other features of the ZigBee standard. The GE team argued that overall home network energy cost savings for ZigBee over Wi-Fi would result in theoretical annual savings of $315 million based on an assumed population of 750 million devices. In its release rebutting the GE findings, the Wi-Fi Alliance said the GE investigators based their findings in part on older, less efficient Wi-Fi technology that has been upgraded since the GE report was issued. "Because the evaluation was based on old technologies," said the Wi-Fi Alliance, "its conclusions present an inaccurate characterization of the energy efficiency of both ZigBee and Wi-Fi technologies and cannot be used to draw generalized conclusions about the state of smart grid communications technology today." The Wi-Fi Alliance noted that more recent Wi-Fi releases, including 802.11n, are more energy-efficient than the older Wi-Fi technology examined by the GE team. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206904418">ZigBee-Powered Meter Measures Electrical Consumption</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/peripherals/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800969">ZigBee Intros Wireless Input Device Standard </a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/remote_access/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227900741">Wi-Fi Direct Products Connect Without A Network</a>2010-12-21T10:40:00ZZigBee Intros Wireless Input Device StandardThe communications spec for mice, keyboards, set-top boxes, and other consumer electronics will replace infrared devices with greener, smarter technology, said Zigbee Alliance.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800969?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlThe ZigBee Alliance has established a new global standard for consumer electronics and computer accessories for use in energy management, residential, commercial, and consumer applications. Replacing the 30-year-old infrared technology currently in use, the ZigBee Input Device standard, announced Monday, improves options for the use of mice, touch pads, keyboards, wands, and remote control pointers. New two-way device communications features will help developers create smarter add-ons than are available in today's devices. The new standard is a green technology, too, because devices utilizing the standard will require fewer batteries, said the group. "ZigBee Input Device offers CE [consumer electronics] and computer accessory manufacturers a standard that makes their products greener and more intelligent," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance, in a statement. "It builds on the existing ZigBee Remote Control standard, adding features to enable a rich entertainment experience. It also gives set-top boxes, HDTVs, and other CE device manufacturers a significant additional market capability." Features based on the latest standard that are expected to be developed range from simple push-button pairing to support for multi-touch and gesture commands including pinch and rotation for touch-pad devices. Over-the-air updates for features based on the standard can also easily be added. Manufacturers showed strong interest in the ZigBee Remote Control for consumer electronics devices, introduced by the Zigbee Alliance <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/wifiwimax/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217300682">last year</a>. In May, the ZigBee Alliance reported that the first wave of products utilizing ZigBee Telecom Services for mobile networks was certified. The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225200461">initial products</a> were created by ETRI, IKI, and Telecom Italia. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225200461">Zigbee Alliance Certifies 13 Mobile Products</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/wifiwimax/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217300682">WiGig Alliance Plans Short-Range Wireless Standard</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206904418">ZigBee-Powered Meter Measures Electrical Consumption</a>2010-12-20T15:48:00ZEarthlink To Acquire One Communications For $370 MillionThe phone and Internet service provider will add about 113,000 small and midsized business customers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest to Earthlink's footprint.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800941?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlEarthlink continued on the acquisition trail Monday, announcing plans to acquire phone and Web service provider One Communications for $370 million. The deal, said Earthlink, builds on its October acquisition of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227600034">DeltaCom</a> for $516 million and solidly positions Earthlink for additional acquisitions in the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions. After Earthlink retreated from its earlier unsuccessful strategy of building municipal Wi-Fi networks in several U.S. cities, the Atlanta-based Internet service provider turned to acquiring Internet protocol (IP) networks. Earthlink said the One Communications acquisition is definitive and calls for the integration of One Communications into Earthlink's new business division. With corporate headquarters in Burlington, Mass., One Com serves some 113,000 small and midsized business (SMB) customers in 17 states across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest regions. Major metropolitan markets of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the District of Columbia are included in One Communications' service footprint. Citing the pending acquisition, Earthlink said it will lower its quarterly dividend by more than two-thirds from 16 cents a share to 5 cents a share. "We fully recognize the declining trend line of One Comm's revenue and EBITDA as the company has struggled to deal with the uncertainty of their debt covenants and pending litigation," said Earthlink chairman and chief executive officer Rolla Huff in a statement. "We have taken the opportunity to acquire their network assets and customer base at an attractive valuation multiple." Huff explained that Earthlink's various financial and service assets are expected to add stability to the financial and operating performance of the company. Earthlink noted that the acquisition will help place its fiber assets in a strong category, spanning some 28,000 route miles across 27 states with 55 IP and circuit-based switches and 68 metro fiber rings. The combined company will have nearly 3,500 employees in the United States. The $370 million acquisition price will be broken down by $85 million in cash and $285 million in assumed debt. Earthlink said it expects the deal to close in the first half of 2011. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227600034">Earthlink To Acquire DeltaCom For $516 Million</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/muni/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207402189">EarthLink To Shut Down New Orleans' Municipal Wi-Fi</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206106191">Narrowing Loss, EarthLink Seeks A New Strategy</a>2010-12-20T12:54:00ZAT&T To Acquire Qualcomm Spectrum For $1.9 BillionThe added 700-MHz bandwidth, freed when Qualcomm terminated its FLO TV service, will cover more than 300 million people across the U.S.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800923?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlUnder pressure to acquire more spectrum for its booming but network-strained mobile phone service, AT&T said it will acquire a large swath of 700-MHz bandwidth from Qualcomm for $1.925 billion. The spectrum was freed when Qualcomm decided to shut down its FLO TV service. The spectrum will cover more than 300 million people across the United States. The bandwidth consists of 12 MHz of Lower 700-MHz D and E block spectrum covering more than 70 million people in top U.S. metropolitan areas including Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. More than 230 million people in many remaining parts of the United States will be covered by 6 MHz of lower 700-MHz D block spectrum. AT&T said it plans to deploy the spectrum by working with Qualcomm to integrate carrier aggregation technology. The carrier expects to begin deploying the spectrum once compatible handsets and network equipment have been developed. Qualcomm added that it intends to integrate the technology into its chipset roadmap and then to market the technology globally. "Carrier aggregation, supplemental downlink, and [Long-Term Evolution] LTE multicast technologies are an exciting evolution of next generation wireless systems to economically support increasing consumer demand for mobile TV and other rich media content," said Qualcomm chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs in a statement. Carrier aggregation, which leads to increased network capacity gains, involves enabling unpaired spectrum for use in conjunction with paired spectrum. Qualcomm added that the technology, which is new, is expected to be utilized in global carrier markets where unpaired spectrum bands can operate in conjunction with paired spectrum. The Qualcomm-AT&T transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2011 after regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions are met. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/portable/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800176">Qualcomm Will Offer Refunds For FLO TV Devices</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207400019">700 MHz Auction Keeps U.S. Public Safety Network In Limbo</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225300125">AT&T Unveils Metered Data Plans</a>2010-12-18T08:00:00ZYahoo Targets AltaVista, Buzz, Delicious For EliminationAlltheWeb and MyBlogLog are also reported to be on the list of Yahoo "sunset" products being considered for elimination.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800838?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlBefore there was Google, there was AltaVista and, according to a leaked slide from Yahoo that surfaced this week, AltaVista is expected to fade from view soon. The pioneering search service, begun in the early 1990s by researchers at the Digital Equipment, is included in a photo of Yahoo "sunset" products that apparently are under consideration for elimination by Yahoo. Other Yahoo "sunset" products include its popular Delicious bookmarking solution, news aggregator Yahoo! Buzz, and another search feature, AlltheWeb. According to media reports, the "sunset" information was leaked by Eric Marcoullier, founder of MyBlogLog, yet another Yahoo property that also is listed in the "sunset" slide. Yahoo, which recently announced another round of layoffs, didn't announce the closing of the sites, but the firm did state: "Part of our organizational streamlining involves cutting our investment in underperforming or off-strategy products to put better focus on our core strengths and fund new innovation in the next year and beyond. We continuously evaluate and prioritize our portfolio of products and services, and do plan to shut down some products in the coming months such as Yahoo! Buzz, our Traffic APIs, and others. We will communicate specific plans when appropriate." The DEC researchers at the firm's Western Research Lab created AltaVista in an effort to find files on the rapidly-growing Internet. "We could have been Google," said Paul Cormier, who was quoted in a 2007 article in InformationWeek. "We should have been Google." Full-page Internet searches in subsecond response times were established by the Digital Equipment team as well as other pathfinding search features. DEC tried to take the company public in the mid-1900s, but the company was dealing with business turmoil and management upheaval at the time. A later owner, CMGI, also tried and failed to launch an AltaVista IPO, leaving a wide open field for newcomer Google. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/webdev/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199203959">AltaVista--Almost Google </a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/779/altavista.htm">AltaVista Renews Its Push Into Business Market</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=183702830">AltaVista Developer Paul Flaherty Dies at 42 </a>2010-12-17T11:35:00ZIEEE Intros Hybrid Home Network StandardThe common interface for bridging small networks will cover broadband over powerline, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and coaxial.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800810?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlThe IEEE tech industry group has developed a standard aimed at providing a common interface to bridge various hybrid home networks including broadband over powerline (BPL), Wi-Fi, 802.11, Ethernet, and the Multimedia over Coax Alliance's MoCA technologies. The IEEE announced the approval of the draft standard, called IEEE P1905.1, early this week and said the standard's working group is meeting later in the week in an inaugural meeting. The standard is primarily aimed at improving interconnections among various devices in homes and small offices. While most devices could operate in those environments anyway, the new IEEE action will streamline overall network performance by dynamically managing packets from the different wireless and wired interfaces while maximizing network bandwidth. "As there is not a single networking technology that ideally addresses all of today's applications, platforms, and environments, IEEE P1905.1 represents a fundamental advancement for home networking," said Paul Houze of France Telecom-Orange and chair of the IEEE working group. "Creating a bridge between the world's most popular wired and wireless technologies will bring much-needed synergy, making home networks easier to use and elevating their overall performance." The IEEE predicted that the new specification will facilitate easier installation, setup, management, and diagnostics for consumers, who will be able to obtain true plug-and-play networking. The new spec is likely to result in an increase in BPL technology, in particular. The powerline technology has had periods of uncertainty, as the use of utility power lines to deliver broadband to consumers never really caught on. However, it has enjoyed a renaissance lately, as technological improvements have helped eliminate interference. Powerline technology in homes is catching on and the IEEE support is likely to help it spread, particularly as its value in delivering smart-grid technology, including monitor and control of home energy use, is better understood. The IEEE said the fact that key stakeholders, including chipmakers, equipment manufacturers, and service providers, have been involved in producing the P1905 spec is expected to hasten its acceptance. The spec is backward-compatible with most existing relevant networking standards. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/systems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224300006">Broadband Over Powerline Loses Support</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227900187">Broadband Over Power Line Gets Surge From Standard</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/muni/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216501074">Broadband-Over-Powerline Gets Funding, Lives On</a>2010-12-17T07:00:00ZTwitter Valuation $3.7B After $200M Funding RoundKleiner Perkins has reportedly led a fourth round of venture funding for the microblogging service that values the company at three times it's worth only months ago.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800779?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlTwitter has a bulging financial war chest after Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers reported it led a $200 million fourth round of venture financing for the booming social networking phenomenon. The new investment values Twitter at $3.7 billion, which is more than three times its value a few months ago. The new infusion of money means that the company can continue its aggressive hiring and that it won't have to float an IPO in the foreseeable future. The investment is something of a departure for Kleiner Perkins, which has recently been focusing on alternative technology. It also represents a return to more mainstream technology investments, following its legendary success in investing in Google, Amazon, Genentech, Juniper Networks and Sun Microsystems, to name just a few of its successful investments. Twitter's 140-character "tweets" have taken the social networking world by storm and there is a consensus among early users that its usefulness has just begun. Twitter also named Mike McCue and David Rosenblatt, successful entrepreneurs, to its board of directors. Former CEO of DoubleClick, Rosenblatt sold that company to Google for $3.2 billion. MCue sold voice recognition provider TellMe to Microsoft for $800 million. McCue has also been running Flipboard, a Kleiner Perkins investment that helps create magazine formats for Apple's iPad. "We are privileged and excited to be the lead investor in Twitter's latest investment round," Kleiner Perkins said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg news. "We look forward to helping the company become the next great Internet treasure." The investment follows close on the heels of the venture capital firm's naming Mary Meeker, Morgan Stanley Internet analyst, as a partner. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/pbx/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226600281">Skype Plans $100 Million IPO</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224700842">Twitter Is About News, Not Social Media</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228600140">Twitter Worm Spreading Through Google Link</a>2010-12-16T14:32:00ZMicrosoft Search Gains On Google, YahooGoogle continues to dominate the market, reports ComScore's November search engine rankings.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800733?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 10px; float:right; width:185px; text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/smb/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228500013"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/544/opera5_tn.jpg" alt="Clicking Through Opera 11 Browser Beta" title="Clicking Through Opera 11 Browser Beta" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin:0 0 3px 0; padding:0;" /></a> (click image for larger view) <div style="margin:5px 0 0 0; padding:0;font-weight:bold; font-size:1.2em; color:#990000;">Slideshow: Clicking Through Opera 11 Browser Beta</div> </div>According to the latest figures from ComScore, Google retained its dominance in the November search engine rankings while Microsoft moved ahead 0.3%. Google and Yahoo each dropped 0.1%, as AOL continued its relentless race to the bottom of the big five search engines, losing 0.1% to finish with a total of 2% of searches in the group. Ask Network's position remained unchanged at a 3.6% share of market. It's too soon to tell whether the latest statistics represent a trend, but it's possible that some recent actions by Microsoft -- including improving its <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/systems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800684">Facebook features</a> -- to improve its search engine experience may be bearing fruit. "More than 16 billion explicit core searches were conducted in November," ComScore said in its monthly search engine report. "Google sites ranked first with 10.6 billion searches, followed by Yahoo sites in second with 2.6 billion, and Microsoft sites in third with 1.9 billion." The Ask Network recorded 580 million explicit core searches, and AOL hit 327 million. The new search figures include the impact of Google Instant Search, the search feature that gives users real-time results as they type queries. Google has dominated search engine results in recent years, but it has attracted scrutiny from regulatory agencies, including the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228400231">European Union</a>, that investigate market-dominating firms. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228400231">Google Faces EU Antitrust Inquiry</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/systems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228800684">Bing Search Gets The Facebook Effect<a/>2010-12-16T12:15:00ZRegulators Approve Qwest Sale To CenturyLinkColorado utilities commission signs off on the $22 billion deal for the former Baby Bell wireline operation.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800715?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlAnd then there were two -- Baby Bells, that is. In approving Qwest's merger with CenturyLink Wednesday, Colorado regulators cleared the field of one of the last remaining Regional Bell Operating Systems (RBOCs), leaving AT&T and Verizon Communications as the two remaining Bell units that were created when Ma Bell, also called AT&T, was broken up more than two decades ago. CenturyLink is paying $22 billion in stock and debt for Qwest, based in Denver. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) placed some conditions on the deal, but also rejected a plea by consumer advocates who wanted improved customer-service benchmarks. "I don't perceive that there's a problem that needs fixing," said PUC chairman Ron Binz at the Wednesday hearing. Noting that Qwest and its earlier U.S. West incarnation have been "pillars of the community," Binz added that the firm will be required to continue its previous level of charitable donations. The company will also be required to spend $70 million to improve broadband infrastructure in Colorado. The new firm will be based at CenturyLink's headquarters in Louisiana. The merged company has said it expects streamlining resulting from the acquisition will save $575 million in annual savings. However, the Colorado Consumer Counsel had expressed concerns that the cuts would result in service degradations. Qwest will fade away after a long history. Its stock boomed in the telecom bubble of the late 1990s, but collapsed when the bubble burst, leaving the company with massive debt. Its CEO, Joe Nacchio, was charged with various criminal stock trading activities and, after being found guilty of some of the charges, was subsequently sentenced to a jail term in a Pennsylvania prison. The company also suffered financially because it never had its own mobile phone operation. AT&T and Verizon remain the sole Bell survivors and, since they are financially healthy, they are likely to remain so. The firms compete vigorously in the mobile phone space, but not in wireline and cable TV access. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201201589">Qwest's Nacchio Sentenced To Six Years, Fined $19 Million</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/ethernet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226600112">Qwest Reports Lower Profits, Earnings</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224200498">Qwest Seeks $350 Million For Rural Broadband</a>2010-12-15T14:47:00ZAtos Origin To Buy Siemens IT Services UnitThe $1.1 billion deal, which gives Siemens a 15% stake and a place on Atos' board, is expected to create an outsourcing powerhouse and step up competition with IBM in Europe.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800663?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_htmlSiemens and Atos Origin announced that they have combined their key IT services operations, with Atos picking up most of Siemens' ailing Internet protocol (IP) services group, in a deal that will create a European IT outsourcing powerhouse and increase pressure on market leader IBM. Siemens, which has been shedding much of its computing and telecom assets, will obtain a board seat on the French firm as well as take a 15% stake in the combined company. Siemens has already moved to spin off its main telecom interests by shifting networking operations to Nokia Siemens Networks, clearing the way for it to concentrate on healthcare, energy, and some smaller industrial segments. The Atos Origin investment is valued at about $1.1 billion plus some future considerations. "Today marks the start of a very solid and promising long-term industrial alliance between Atos Origin and Siemens that will create a most attractive powerhouse in IT and high-tech transactional services in Europe," said Thierry Breton, Atos Origin's CEO and board chairman, in a statement. The pact calls for Atos Origin to receive $7.3 billion to operate Siemens' IT infrastructure and applications worldwide, the companies said. Each company will contribute about $700 million to jointly develop IT products and solutions. Analysts at Technology Business Research (TBR) said the merger "is a move in line with overall global industry trends." TBR added that the beefed-up entity will enable the unit to better compete with IBM and HP services offerings. "The two organizations benefit from outstanding complementarities regarding customer base, geographies, and services," noted Peter Loescher, Siemens president and CEO. "For the next seven years the new company will also be responsible for the service of the IT backbone of Siemens." SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/leadership/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225701657">Siemens Taps Glaser To Lead Global Healthcare IT</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225900165">Nokia Siemens To Buy Motorola Unit For $1.2B</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/interviews/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224400887">Global CIO: IBM Layoffs Mostly Outside U.S., Despite Media Indignation</a>2010-12-15T11:36:00ZMetroPCS Adds Boston, NY, Sacramento To LTE NetworkThe Long-Term Evolution wireless service covers about 80% of the company's existing CDMA footprint.http://www.informationweek.com/news/228800632?cid=nl_IW_daily_2010-09-30_html<table width="185" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="0" align="right"> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/galleries/smb/1000to1500/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225700799"><img src="http://twimgs.com/bmighty/images/slideshows/20100621/MobileSS_01.jpg" width="175" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0"></a> </td> <td align="center" valign="middle" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" rowspan="2"> </td></tr><tr><td width="175" align="center"><img src="http://twimgs.com/infoweek/spacer.gif" width="175" height="4" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0"> How To Manage Mobile Devices</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="185" align="center"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/galleries/smb/1000to1500/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225700799 ">(click for larger image and for full slideshow)</a></td></tr></table>MetroPCS continued its staggered Long-Term Evolution (LTE) rollout across the United States Wednesday as it announced the expansion of its service into the Boston, New York City, and Sacramento markets. The prepaid service, available on <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224200357">Samsung Craft</a> mobile phones, more or less follows the existing footprint of its CDMA network, which covers broad areas around MetroPCS' 14 core markets in major metropolitan areas. MetroPCS began offering the service in a few selected cities in September, beating Verizon Wireless to market with the high-speed 4G technology. Earlier this month, the Verizon unit <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228600062">launched</a> its LTE service in 38 U.S. markets. Neither company's LTE network offers voice capability, although calling features are expected for both next year on a new generation of LTE handsets. MetroPCS' strategy is built primarily around a plan to offer the service to its existing CDMA customers who want a multimedia entertainment experience. The phone also offers ample opportunity for Web browsing and e-mailing. "By offering customers the ability to do more with easy access to their social networks, exclusive MetroSTUDIO content, and expanded Web browsing capabilities, we are giving our customers what they need," said Roger D. Linquist, president, CEO, and chairman of MetroPCS, in a statement. MetroSTUDIO, available on a $60 prepaid service plan, features ringtones, ringback tones, and video content from a variety of TV and entertainment providers. In an interview, a MetroPCS spokesman said the LTE service covers about 80% to 85% of the company's existing CDMA footprint. "It's really designed to reach our existing customers," he said. "They told us they wanted (expanded) entertainment access. We also know that the majority of our customers use MetroPCS as their primary Web access point so that's also available." The basic prepaid LTE service plan is available for $55 a month. The Samsung Craft is available in MetroPCS stores or online for $299 plus tax after a $50 instant rebate. The firm's next cities scheduled for LTE deployment include Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. The service is already offered in nine metropolitan areas including Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228600062">Verizon Launches 4G LTE Network</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227101718">MetroPCS Launching LTE In Dallas, Las Vegas</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300817">MetroPCS Unveils $40 Prepaid Mobile</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224200357">Samsung Intros LTE Phone</a>