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Works in Progress

Is The Tire Industry Due For An RFID Retread?
Michelin is testing RFID, along with its partners, as a means of product-tracking. And other tire makers may be working on it as well. But big tire users--shippers, fleet owners--really want RFID to monitor pressure and other performance factors. Laurie Sullivan is looking into what’s possible and what’s practical. In the meantime, you can always keep up with RFID here.

The IT Jobs Drought Might Be Lifting
Is a major change occurring in IT employment, with tech jobs outperforming the rest of the workforce? Eric Chabrow is working to confirm new government stats that suggest that’s the case. Prior to the recession that began in 2001, IT employment far outperformed the overall workforce. But in recent years, IT unemployment more or less mirrored the national rate, though usually just a few tenths of percentage points lower.

Good Security News, Bad Security News
Tom Claburn has two potentially significant stories in the works. First, the Federal Trade Commission has filed the first case in the country against software firms that are accused of infecting computers with intrusive spyware and then trying to sell people the solution.

Second, one of the first global reports looking at industrial cybersecurity, this one looking at the security of industrial controls, shows a tenfold increase in successful attacks on the systems since 2000. Many of the attacked systems were responsible for the operation of electricity, petroleum production, nuclear power, water, transportation and communications. Let’s hope that at least one company is paying attention.

PeopleSoft’s Still On The Move
PeopleSoft is moving ahead with its new product and upgrade launches, says Laurie Sullivan, despite Oracle’s hostile takeover bid, and the firing of CEO Craig Conway. Demand Flow Manufacturing, RFID Processor, and EnterpriseOne CRM 8.11 are being rolled out. And AMR Research Analyst Jim Sheperd has urged companies not to give up on PeopleSoft because despite recent distractions the company’s financials are sound.

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