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The InformationWeek March 2006 Archive « February 2006 | Main | April 2006 » |
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Privacy Protection: Progress, Of Sorts
There's been some recent movement regarding two consumer data-protection bills in Congress. Progress is really slow, however, and I hope I'm wrong on this, but I believe it would be very optimistic to think they're going to be approved and signed by President Bush before the current session of Congress ends in early October, just in time for campaign season.
Continue reading "Privacy Protection: Progress, Of Sorts..."
Next Version of Google Talk Leaked
Screenshots and installation software for a major upgrade version of Google's instant messaging application, Google Talk, have apparently been leaked online. The new Google Talk appears to have "themes," color schemes and so on for how conversations look, and the equivalent of what rival AOL Instant Messenger calles "Buddy Icons." Here's a look at the screenshots.
Continue reading "Next Version of Google Talk Leaked..."
From Jill Carroll To InformationWeek's Own Tom Claburn: Journalists Just Doing Their Jobs
I feel like I should know Jill Carroll. She grew up down the street from me, went to the same Michigan middle school and high school as I did, and swam for the same neighborhood swim club. But I didn't know her. She's quite a bit--ahem--younger than I am.
Continue reading "From Jill Carroll To InformationWeek's Own Tom Claburn: Journalists Just Doing Their Jobs..."
Maybe Now Your Good-For-Nothing Children Will Pick Up A Phone And Call
Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel have invented a "kosher phone." It makes a nice sandwich with Gulden's spicy brown mustard and Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Tonic. And can I get you a little Danish for after? Diet-shmiet, you're pale, have you been eating?
Continue reading "Maybe Now Your Good-For-Nothing Children Will Pick Up A Phone And Call..."
Daily News Podcast For Friday, March 31
Listen to the current InformationWeek Daily Podcast. In this report: The Justice Department's subpoenas reach far beyond Google. You can download the subpoenas and other court documents. Learn how to protect against the createTextRange bug in Microsoft Internet Explorer. Also: Three competitors threaten Skype with a smackdown. And: Fixing Firefox, the video iPod vs. Wolverine MVP, and the five biggest networking no-nos.
Your host for today: Mitch Wagner.
Background music: "On The River," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
Ethics Aren't Just For The Classroom
My colleague Paul McDougall has been taking quite a beating in the comments section of the InformationWeek Weblog for suggesting that it's a bad idea for executives to take massive gifts from vendors bidding on company business. Paul is making the crazy, wild-eyed assertion that bribery is, perhaps, ethically speaking, the nonoptimal solution. You might even say it's wrong.
Continue reading "Ethics Aren't Just For The Classroom..."
Check Point Made The Right Move In Dropping Sourcefire Bid
The fastest way to obscurity in the security market is to worry about yesterday's problems. Check Point Software Technologies is looking to put its aborted bid to buy Sourcefire behind it. Once the deal came under the scrutiny of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, both companies would have been wrapped up in red tape for months. Unacceptable in the fast-moving world of IT security.
Continue reading "Check Point Made The Right Move In Dropping Sourcefire Bid..."
The Nerdy Way To Better Health
As junk food, alcohol, cigarettes, prescription drugs and inactivity increasingly take their toll on our health, people are looking for ways to get healthy. Of course, there's no getting around the need to consume fewer toxic substances and excercise more. The good news is that you can employ gadgets and computers to help you out -- and make getting healthy easier and more fun.
Continue reading "The Nerdy Way To Better Health..."
Microsoft Security Flaws Create A New Market
It's happened again: Someone other than Microsoft has ridden in on their white horse and delivered a patch designed to protect Microsoft customers while Redmond readies its next regularly scheduled download of fixes. Russian programmer Ilfak Guilfanov, senior developer with Belgian software maker DataRescue, opened the barn doors in January when he issued an unauthorized piece of workaround code to help companies defend themselves from programs looking to exploit Microsoft's Windows Metafile vulnerability. Now eEye Digital Security has issued its first Microsoft patch on Tuesday to tide Internet Explorer users over until Microsoft's April 11 patch. Have the most important software companies gotten too big and their products too complex for their own good?
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Globalization, Or Sailed Ships And Election-Year Politics
The car's left the driveway on the globalization of IT, but the United States apparently still thinks it has the keys. International deals of all sizes have been coming under increasing scrutiny over supposed security questions, and the atmosphere doesn't seem to be getting better anytime soon. Well, at least until after November.
Continue reading "Globalization, Or Sailed Ships And Election-Year Politics..."
Tips On Information And Records Retention Management
Knowing that proper information management can be the most effective means of reducing risks and bolstering regulatory compliance efforts, ARMA International, the not-for-profit professional membership association for records management professionals is offering some simple tips on setting your records and information management policies.
Continue reading "Tips On Information And Records Retention Management..."
Tips On Information And Records Retention Management
Knowing that proper information management can be the most effective means of reducing risks and bolstering regulatory compliance efforts, ARMA International, the not-for-profit professional membership association for records management professionals is offering some simple tips on setting your records and information management policies.
Continue reading "Tips On Information And Records Retention Management..."
When It Comes To Data, We Just Still Don't Get It
This whole information mismanagement thing is really starting to concern me. If we're to draw conclusions from recent developments, we, the nation that has mastered the art of creating an information economy while shipping most of the actual production of real goods overseas, appear to have no idea what we're doing with electronic data.
Continue reading "When It Comes To Data, We Just Still Don't Get It..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, March 30
In today's daily news podcast, we take a look at the latest Vista-related news, an attempt to steal AOL users, a temporary patch for the zero-day IE flaw, dueling Apples in court, volume control for the iPod, new laptops from Dell, and a troubling diagnosis for Accenture's contract with the U.K.'s National Health Service. The Editor's Note rounds up the latest entries in weird news for the wired.
Patricia Keefe is your host.
Background music: "Polka 2b," courtesy IncompeTech under Creative Commons License
Weird News Of The Wired
It's been so slow on the news front; it's like watching pages build for us news junkies. But no matter what else is going on, you can always find a steady flow of offbeat and sometimes just plain weird tech news. Here's a recent sampling:
Continue reading "Weird News Of The Wired..."
Justice Department Spreads Subpoenas
Search engines aren't the only companies being sent subpoenas. As part of its campaign to demonstrate the futility of Internet filtering, the U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed at least 34 Internet companies and software makers. The story is now posted on InformationWeek.com.
I discovered this thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request I filed with the Department of Justice. The DOJ complied, though rather selectively. I asked for records of government demands for information made to search engines or ISPs from January 2005 to the present.
Continue reading "Justice Department Spreads Subpoenas..."
Maybe It's Just That Nobody Gives A Cr-- Uh, Darn
Nonprofits and political organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, are campaigning against America Online's plan to give preferential treatment to some E-mail newsletters and other bulk mail, provided that the senders are willing to pay a fee.
Bennet Haselton, of the political group Peacefire.org, posted an explanation on Slashdot. It's thoughtful--but demonstrates why Peacefire and the EFF are missing the point about the pay-for-E-mail scheme.
Continue reading "Maybe It's Just That Nobody Gives A Cr-- Uh, Darn..."
It Takes An Indian Village To Buy An Intel Laptop
Intel Corp. has dropped the other shoe in its defense of its laptop processor business against whatever threat Nicholas Negroponte's One-Laptop-Per-Child project poses.
In December Intel Chairman Craig Barrett bad-mouthed the $100 laptop Negroponte, founder of MIT's Media Lab, plans to distribute in Third World countries, and earlier this month Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, the other half of the "Wintel" combine, did the same thing.
Even though he dismissed Negroponte's design as "the $100 gadget," Barrett apparently wasn't against the idea of a laptop specifically engineered for the challenges of the developing world. He was just against one that didn't use an Intel processor.
This week Intel Corp. launched a “community PC platform” designed to meet the needs of rural communities in India. The “Jagruti” (awakening) initiative, says Intel, will help accelerate access to the benefits of information and communications technologies in villages across India by fostering the spread of rural Internet kiosks based on this new Intel-powered Community PC.
Continue reading "It Takes An Indian Village To Buy An Intel Laptop..."
It Takes An Indian Village To Buy An Intel Laptop
Intel Corp. has dropped the other shoe in its defense of its laptop processor business against whatever threat Nicholas Negroponte's One-Laptop-Per-Child project poses.
In December Intel Chairman Craig Barrett bad-mouthed the $100 laptop Negroponte, founder of MIT's Media Lab, plans to distribute in Third World countries, and earlier this month Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, the other half of the "Wintel" combine, did the same thing.
Even though he dismissed Negroponte's design as "the $100 gadget," Barrett apparently wasn't against the idea of a laptop specifically engineered for the challenges of the developing world. He was just against one that didn't use an Intel processor.
This week Intel Corp. launched a “community PC platform” designed to meet the needs of rural communities in India. The “Jagruti” (awakening) initiative, says Intel, will help accelerate access to the benefits of information and communications technologies in villages across India by fostering the spread of rural Internet kiosks based on this new Intel-powered Community PC.
Continue reading "It Takes An Indian Village To Buy An Intel Laptop..."
Big IT Takes Step To Influence Tech Policy In U.S.
Influencing public policy in Washington and throughout the country requires more than hiring K Street lobbyists to push a legislative agenda. Look at the success of the modern conservative movement in shaping public policy. Its roots date back to 1973 with the founding of the think tank, The Heritage Foundation. Big IT vendors are tearing a page out of the right-wing playbook by establishing their own think tank.
Continue reading "Big IT Takes Step To Influence Tech Policy In U.S...."
Daily News Podcast For Wednesday, March 29
In today's podcast, we report on the Supreme Court's upcoming hearing of a landmark eBay patent case; Google is gaining search market share, widening its lead on Yahoo; and our commentary describes how what happened to Morgan Stanley could happen to any of us.
Today's host: Mitch Wagner.
Background music: "Tattoo," courtesy Dilvie under Creative Commons License
What Happened To Morgan Stanley Could Happen To Any Of Us
Reading over the tawdry details of a disgruntled employee's lawsuit against Morgan Stanley, any reasonable person is going to break out in a cold sweat and get a feeling that what happened to Morgan Stanley executives could happen to any one of us if we fail to follow some commonsense rules about doing business.
Continue reading "What Happened To Morgan Stanley Could Happen To Any Of Us..."
Morgan Stanley E-Mails Reveal Outsourcing's Dirty Little Secret
If you're an outsourcing vendor looking to crack the financial services market, it might help if you're about to go public or need an ADR listing in the U.S. According to E-mails disclosed this week in a lawsuit against Morgan Stanley, vendor selection is at times based on more than just domain expertise, CMM Level 5 capability, full ITIL compliance, or any of the other bullet points that service providers like to highlight in their marketing literature. It's based on how much money the vendor can spend in return. Here's why that just isn't right.
Continue reading "Morgan Stanley E-Mails Reveal Outsourcing's Dirty Little Secret..."
In This Corner: Big Names Back eBay, MercExchange
The fight pits eBay vs. MercExchange, but both sides have some impressive names in their corners when the Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in the patent infringement case.
Continue reading "In This Corner: Big Names Back eBay, MercExchange..."
Better Have Season Tickets If You Want To Sell IT Equipment To Morgan Stanley
E-mails filed as evidence this week in a lawsuit against Morgan Stanley provide a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the IT department at one of the world's most powerful investment banks--Morgan Stanley. Among other things, the E-mails show that Morgan Stanley CTO Guy Chiarello routinely received premium sports tickets from vendors looking to do business with the firm. In one series of exchanges lasting several months in 2003, EMC global account manager Lennox Stuart arranged for Chiarello tickets to Yankees, Jets, and Celtics games and the U.S. Open.
Question: In accepting, is Chiarello's behavior unethical, or is it just business as usual in the IT industry and on Wall Street? Read these excerpts from his correspondence with Stuart and let us know what you think.
Continue reading "Better Have Season Tickets If You Want To Sell IT Equipment To Morgan Stanley..."
Daily News Podcast For Tuesday, March 28
In today's podcast, we detail new security issues affecting Microsoft and the IE browser, outline the latest data on the projected impact of Vista delays, and spell out a planned 48-core processor from Azul. The commentary of the day is on the latest unsavory customer data loss incident.
Tom Smith is the host of this podcast.
Background music: "Hotcake Syrup" by Derek K. Miller, courtesy The Penmachine Sessions under Creative Commons License
Oracle's Wookey Talks Up Fusion, Open Source
Most customers won't make the jump to Oracle Corp.'s Fusion applications for years, but the software maker says it has begun working with companies to make the transition.
Along with the transition, Oracle's focus has been on delivering industry-specific features, similar to tools from Microsoft Business Solutions and SAP AG.
Click here to download or listen to the podcast. John Wookey, Oracle's senior vice president of applications development, talks about Fusion, enterprise applications, and open source technology.
Data Security: Out To Lunch, Er, Dinner
It was just last week that InformationWeek published the latest exhaustive analysis of what's emerging as the IT story of the first decade of this century: complete corporate and government ineptitude when it comes to managing sensitive personal data.
Continue reading "Data Security: Out To Lunch, Er, Dinner..."
More Madness In March
Say it one time out loud, and it still doesn't seem real. "George Mason is going to the final four." Say it a few times, and, it still sounds surreal but it is true.
March madness continues with one of the more surprising NCAA Basketball Tournaments in memory. Naturally, the country is riveted, and, though I have no figures to back this up, I am guessing productivity is plummeting. Most companies were antipating some issues with workers spending too much work time viewing games over the Web, and actively discouraging work-time viewing, according to last week's poll.
Continue reading "More Madness In March..."
More Madness In March
Say it one time out loud, and it still doesn't seem real. "George Mason is going to the final four." Say it a few times, and, it still sounds surreal but it is true.
March madness continues with one of the more surprising NCAA Basketball Tournaments in memory. Naturally, the country is riveted, and, though I have no figures to back this up, I am guessing productivity is plummeting. Most companies were antipating some issues with workers spending too much work time viewing games over the Web, and actively discouraging work-time viewing, according to last week's poll.
Continue reading "More Madness In March..."
One-Gigabyte SD Card Costs Just $20
It's amazing how quickly the price of removable mobile storage drops. The price of Secure Digital (SD) cards is now so low you can buy one for $19.95 -- and shipping is free.
Continue reading "One-Gigabyte SD Card Costs Just $20..."
Confessions Of An Adware Purveyor
York Baur acknowledges that 180solutions' original approach to spreading adware among the Internet masses wasn't properly executed by the company. "Lots of criticisms have been levied against 180, but I think the only valid criticism was that we were perhaps naïve about the world of Web publishing earlier on in our history, and it has taken us through 2005 to truly take control of that ownership of that network and get practices that we think are poor cleaned up," says Baur, 180solutions' executive VP for business development.
Continue reading "Confessions Of An Adware Purveyor..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, March 27
In the current podcast: The GAO says sensitive taxpayer data is at risk, Check Point and Sourcefire scrap acquisition plans amidst scrutiny from regulators, and Novell's new products aim to rally the Linux troops. Also: Microsoft announces delays to Office 2007, and employees are calling for heads to roll. Our editorial comments talk about Apple's DRM power grab in France.
Mitch Wagner is today's host.
Background music: "Tame (Instrumental)" by Miles Low, courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Microsoft SQL Server Runs With Largest Databases
Microsoft's SQL Server keeps showing up in unexpected places. One of them is the list of entrants for Winter Corp.'s 2005 TopTen largest databases.
Continue reading "Microsoft SQL Server Runs With Largest Databases..."
It Takes One To Know One, Stephen Toulouse
I am sorely tempted to heap ridicule on Stephen Toulouse, the program manager for the Microsoft Security Response Center who had the unmitigated gall to lecture Apple on how to do security alerts. But I won't. It's too easy. Mr. Toulouse doesn't need me piling on. He's self-satirizing. But I hope he and other Microsoft employees do learn a little lesson from this. Nobody from Microsoft has the right to tell anybody anything about security until they get their own house in order. And in a week when two more critical vulnerabilities were revealed in Internet Explorer, the day Mr. Toulouse could start a new career as a security lecturer doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
It Takes One To Know One, Stephen Toulouse
I am sorely tempted to heap ridicule on Stephen Toulouse, the program manager for the Microsoft Security Response Center who had the unmitigated gall to lecture Apple on how to do security alerts. But I won't. It's too easy. Mr. Toulouse doesn't need me piling on. He's self-satirizing. But I hope he and other Microsoft employees do learn a little lesson from this. Nobody from Microsoft has the right to tell anybody anything about security until they get their own house in order. And in a week when two more critical vulnerabilities were revealed in Internet Explorer, the day Mr. Toulouse could start a new career as a security lecturer doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
Daily News Podcast For Friday, March 23
In the current podcast: A laptop loaded with Hewlett-Packard employee data is stolen from Fidelity; we offer tips on cutting through the confusion of Vista delays and multiple versions, as well as a timeline of setbacks; Dell agrees to buy gaming computer maker Alienware; and a second bug in a week bites Internet Explorer. Editorial comments on the news of the day look at problems piling up for upcoming Vista and Office upgrades.
Mitch Wagner is your host for today.
Background music: "I'm With Steve Now (Instrumental)," courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Apple's Demand For A State-Sponsored Monopoly Shows That DRM Aims To Stop Competition, Not Piracy
Companies touting DRM technology claim it's intended to protect data from unauthorized copying. But Apple's angry response to a French plan for iTunes interoperability has let the truth slip out: DRM is designed to lock in customers, not lock down data.
Continue reading "Apple's Demand For A State-Sponsored Monopoly Shows That DRM Aims To Stop Competition, Not Piracy..."
Problems Pile Up For Upcoming Vista, Office Upgrades
Problems continue to pile up for Microsoft as it tries to push out the latest versions of its major products: Windows and Office.
Microsoft said earlier this week that it won't ship Windows Vista in time for the winter holiday season.
Meanwhile, Office has its own problems. For years, users have complained that Office is too bloated; Microsoft is reacting to those complaints by piling on new features that will likely be appealing to only a subset of users.
Continue reading "Problems Pile Up For Upcoming Vista, Office Upgrades..."
Goodmail Saga Continues, Dyson Tells It Like It Is
Applause goes out to Esther Dyson for her recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, You've Got Goodmail. She points out that Goodmail's service is like "FedEx for e-mail," except that Goodmail provisions its service atop the ISPs' services. So it's more like FedEx without its own planes. But I sort of like that analogy because the opposing forces seem to be conveniently overlooking some obvious facts here.
First, and most important, it doesn't matter if the letter is sent bulk, first class, second-day or overnight, somebody has to open it on the other end. And much, if not most, of the bulk mail addressed to "resident" goes straight to the recycle bin. Wouldn't it be great if you could say, "Please stop wasting paper on me" or "keep me on your mailing list."
That's the service that Goodmail is offering e-mail senders and receivers. It's good for legitimate senders because they don't want to be continually annoying people with unwanted messages anymore than they want their messages filtered out as spam before the receivers have a chance to decide for themselves. And it's good for receivers because they can see before they open a message if it is coming from an approved sender.
The other thing that the coalition of public interest groups and non-profit organizations known as DearAOL.com seem to ignore in their arguments is that major ISPs like AOL need to continually find better ways to hinder those that abuse the "free and open Internet." If they don't, they will lose customers. I'm not convinced that Goodmail is the ultimate solution for the heavy volume of virus-laden spam and phishing attacks but, as Dyson points out, it's an idea and ideas need to be explored because Spam is the real enemy here.
Continue reading "Goodmail Saga Continues, Dyson Tells It Like It Is..."
Goodmail Saga Continues, Dyson Tells It Like It Is
Applause goes out to Esther Dyson for her recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, You've Got Goodmail. She points out that Goodmail's service is like "FedEx for e-mail," except that Goodmail provisions its service atop the ISPs' services. So it's more like FedEx without its own planes. But I sort of like that analogy because the opposing forces seem to be conveniently overlooking some obvious facts here.
First, and most important, it doesn't matter if the letter is sent bulk, first class, second-day or overnight, somebody has to open it on the other end. And much, if not most, of the bulk mail addressed to "resident" goes straight to the recycle bin. Wouldn't it be great if you could say, "Please stop wasting paper on me" or "keep me on your mailing list."
That's the service that Goodmail is offering e-mail senders and receivers. It's good for legitimate senders because they don't want to be continually annoying people with unwanted messages anymore than they want their messages filtered out as spam before the receivers have a chance to decide for themselves. And it's good for receivers because they can see before they open a message if it is coming from an approved sender.
The other thing that the coalition of public interest groups and non-profit organizations known as DearAOL.com seem to ignore in their arguments is that major ISPs like AOL need to continually find better ways to hinder those that abuse the "free and open Internet." If they don't, they will lose customers. I'm not convinced that Goodmail is the ultimate solution for the heavy volume of virus-laden spam and phishing attacks but, as Dyson points out, it's an idea and ideas need to be explored because Spam is the real enemy here.
Continue reading "Goodmail Saga Continues, Dyson Tells It Like It Is..."
Dell and Alienware: A Mismatch Made In Heaven?
I've been trying to think of apt similes for "Dell Buys Alienware." It's like "Kia Buys Ferrari," or "J. Howard Marshall II Marries Anna Nicole Smith" -- something that at first glance seems sort of ridiculous, and the longer you think about it, the less sense it makes. Dell's been going through a bad patch and could use a shot of good PR, but is being laughed at the kind of PR it really wanted?
Continue reading "Dell and Alienware: A Mismatch Made In Heaven?..."
Dell and Alienware: A Mismatch Made In Heaven?
I've been trying to think of apt similes for "Dell Buys Alienware." It's like "Kia Buys Ferrari," or "J. Howard Marshall II Marries Anna Nicole Smith" -- something that at first glance seems sort of ridiculous, and the longer you think about it, the less sense it makes. Dell's been going through a bad patch and could use a shot of good PR, but is being laughed at the kind of PR it really wanted?
Continue reading "Dell and Alienware: A Mismatch Made In Heaven?..."
Daily News Podcast for Thursday, March 23
In today's podcast, we detail a newly discovered Trojan bot targeting banks and their customers in Europe and identify four newly named "badware" purveyors. We also analyze Google's "victory" regarding access to its search data by the government, and update Sun Microsystems open-source processor directions. The commentary of the day -- based on a blog by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee, asks how far you'd be willing to go -- even as far as India? -- to advance an IT career.
Your host for today is Tom Smith.
Background Music "Who What," Courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License.
Vista Delay: Subtle Warnings Were There
Many people were surprised when Microsoft revealed yesterday that its much anticipated Windows Vista operating system would be delayed until January, missing the critical end-of-year shopping season. Surprised because Microsoft had given no indication that Vista might miss its deadline. That is, unless you listened very closely.
Continue reading "Vista Delay: Subtle Warnings Were There..."
‘V For Vendetta’ Phone Coming To U.S.?
In the film "V For Vendetta," all the movie's office yuppies carried identical cell phones -- a sweet black and very thin rectangular gadget that (like all technology in the movie, including old-school Dell PCs) seemed oddly primitive for the year 2020, but that would nevertheless be a very cool phone to have now. And soon you may be able to buy one.
Continue reading "‘V For Vendetta’ Phone Coming To U.S.?..."
Would You Move To India To Move Up the Career Ladder?
The word "outsourcing" has long caused many technology professionals to shudder. But 10 or 15 years ago, outsourcing still mostly meant moving your IT job from the payroll of one U.S. company to another American firm, like when Dupont in 1997 signed a megadeal to outsource 2,600 jobs to Computer Sciences Corp.
And for those people who transferred to IT outsourcing firms, the move frequently--although not always--provided a boost to the career. Often, the tech services firms not only invested more in training and professional development than the old employer, but the move also sometimes led to promotions, interesting new gigs working for other clients, fatter paychecks, and nice perks.
Continue reading "Would You Move To India To Move Up the Career Ladder?..."
March Madness Means Internet Madness
So who's watching March Madness basketball on their computers? Apparently millions. CBS SportsLine, which is offering games on-demand for free, said some 4 million visitors hit the site in the first four days. That resulted in more than 14 million live video streams being served up. It believes that's more than any live event in Internet history.
Continue reading "March Madness Means Internet Madness..."
Kana CEO: 'Backshoring' Makes Financial Sense
Why did Michael Fields, CEO of Kana Software, decide to bring technology development back in-house, instead of continuing the outsourcing arrangements established before he joined the company? Fields, who is the former president of Oracle USA, says he is a believer in the globalization of commerce, but "I felt for a company of our size not to own the intellectual knowledge of our product within the company was a mistake." Listen to this podcast of my conversation with Fields to hear more about "backsourcing," customer service apps (you'll love his Singapore Airlines experience), and why he believes Oracle's acquisition of Siebel was one of the most important days in Kana's history.
Background music "Nice Nylon," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License.
Daily News Podcast for Wednesday, March 22
In today's daily news podcast, we talk about the high cost of data loss and how it keeps continuing, why some think it was a cheap shot for Visa to blame Fujitsu for the recent debit-card PIN breach, how Microsoft is delaying the consumer version of Vista until after the new year, the first look at Firefox 2.0 is imminent, Microsoft has updated the beta 2 preview of Internet Explorer 7, Novell is giving customers a sneak peak at SUSE Linux 11, and an IT vendor says that RFID could solve the problem of lost airline luggage.
Today’s in-depth report is about personal technology, and our editorial is about new directions for Microsoft and Google.
Johanna Ambrosio is your host for today.
Background Music "Derail (Instrumental)" by Miles Low, Courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License.
Finger-Pointing Abounds As Customers Are Fleeced
In June, Frank Robertson could be sentenced to spend the next 15 years in a New Jersey state prison as punishment for his role in one of the biggest payment-card frauds pulled off to date. Robertson and 13 other men were arrested in December in connection with a heist that stretches across the U.S. and into Eastern Europe, with more than $3 million in goods stolen along the way, mostly high-end electronics. The repercussions of this crime will ripple throughout the financial services, retail, and IT industries long after Robertson is put away.
Continue reading "Finger-Pointing Abounds As Customers Are Fleeced..."
Microsoft's Going Broader, Google's Going Deeper--And Some Mobile Services May Not Go At All
In my opinion, Google has tipped its hand big-time as to where its next major growth spurt will come from: going deeper into specific market segments. The company has announced an invitation-only soccer site in partnership with Nike, as well as a financial news site with other content providers.
As for Microsoft, it's going full-bore after the consumer space via its deals with telecom providers and its version of IP TV.
On the other side of the spectrum, perhaps, are mobile content providers--meaning anyone who sells tunes and video for cell phones--which may be in for a rude awakening, if recent surveys are correct.
Continue reading "Microsoft's Going Broader, Google's Going Deeper--And Some Mobile Services May Not Go At All..."
New Fire-able Offences In The Age Of Regulation
For all the internal controls and automated policy enforcement that you've started layering atop your systems, you've no doubt reached the conclusion that it will never be enough to protect the company's confidential information, and you're probably right. These times call for a big stick. Without rules with teeth, how can you be expected to integrate big brother into the IT fabric, right? And there's just too much that goes on outside the scope of technology. So with tongue planted only half-way in cheek, here are some suggestions. Use them as guidelines and add your own.
New Fire-able Offences:
- Walking past a fax machine without first averting one's eyes
- Leaving the office without first activating the self-detonating device on your Blackberry
- Entering a washroom before donning approved soundproof headphones
- Waving at the security cameras over the men's urinals
- Being discovered with a filing cabinet outside the corporate underground bunker
- Allowing note taking during a Bring-Your-Daughter-To-Work Day
- Concealing any manual writing implement on your person.
- Connecting your laptop to the same home network that your wife uses to play online poker
- Catching a ride home with the armed courier transporting the company's backup tapes
- Remembering to update the corporate Web site
- Suggesting a paper recycling program
- Activating a CD/ROM or any other personal storage device without direct supervision of a corporate legal team member.
- Owning a briefcase (it's amazing how many of these incidents start with a briefcase)
All these are grounds for termination, or a least a good beating for first-time offenders. Which brings up a good point: you can't be expected to enforce such policies without prior experience in the CIA or on The Jerry Springer Show. So it's time for a new C-level position: the CCO (Chief Corrections Officer). Don't worry about the brown polyester business suit; the night stick and handcuffs are the real accoutrements for the job. Best to find one with a visible scar or a missing eye.
On the off chance that you've already implemented one or more of these rules, I was only kidding.
New Fire-able Offences In The Age Of Regulation
For all the internal controls and automated policy enforcement that you've started layering atop your systems, you've no doubt reached the conclusion that it will never be enough to protect the company's confidential information, and you're probably right. These times call for a big stick. Without rules with teeth, how can you be expected to integrate big brother into the IT fabric, right? And there's just too much that goes on outside the scope of technology. So with tongue planted only half-way in cheek, here are some suggestions. Use them as guidelines and add your own.
New Fire-able Offences:
- Walking past a fax machine without first averting one's eyes
- Leaving the office without first activating the self-detonating device on your Blackberry
- Entering a washroom before donning approved soundproof headphones
- Waving at the security cameras over the men's urinals
- Being discovered with a filing cabinet outside the corporate underground bunker
- Allowing note taking during a Bring-Your-Daughter-To-Work Day
- Concealing any manual writing implement on your person.
- Connecting your laptop to the same home network that your wife uses to play online poker
- Catching a ride home with the armed courier transporting the company's backup tapes
- Remembering to update the corporate Web site
- Suggesting a paper recycling program
- Activating a CD/ROM or any other personal storage device without direct supervision of a corporate legal team member.
- Owning a briefcase (it's amazing how many of these incidents start with a briefcase)
All these are grounds for termination, or a least a good beating for first-time offenders. Which brings up a good point: you can't be expected to enforce such policies without prior experience in the CIA or on The Jerry Springer Show. So it's time for a new C-level position: the CCO (Chief Corrections Officer). Don't worry about the brown polyester business suit; the night stick and handcuffs are the real accoutrements for the job. Best to find one with a visible scar or a missing eye.
On the off chance that you've already implemented one or more of these rules, I was only kidding.
Disney To AT&T: Here, Hold My Wallet
How much more are you willing to pay for Internet service? If you're Robert Iger, the CEO of Walt Disney, apparently you're willing to pay billions. Iger appeared at TelecomNext yesterday in Las Vegas and said he didn't see a need for any net-neutrality legislation that would keep the big telecoms and cable companies from charging his company whatever they want to to deliver Disney's content to customers.
Continue reading "Disney To AT&T: Here, Hold My Wallet..."
Disney To AT&T: Here, Hold My Wallet
How much more are you willing to pay for Internet service? If you're Robert Iger, the CEO of Walt Disney, apparently you're willing to pay billions. Iger appeared at TelecomNext yesterday in Las Vegas and said he didn't see a need for any net-neutrality legislation that would keep the big telecoms and cable companies from charging his company whatever they want to to deliver Disney's content to customers.
Continue reading "Disney To AT&T: Here, Hold My Wallet..."
Outsourcing Is A Win-Win For Business And Consumers, So Why Are Corporations So Shy About Their Offshore Plans?
Dell and IBM are set to add thousands of workers to their payrolls in India as they turn more and more work over to the country's low-cost workforce. Surprisingly, and unlike most of their corporate peers, they're coming clean out about their plans. Michael Dell told reporters this week that his company will add 10,000 jobs in India over the next three years. IBM issued a press release heralding a new center in Bangalore that will house all its SOA solutions development. Here's why more companies should follow their lead.
Continue reading "Outsourcing Is A Win-Win For Business And Consumers, So Why Are Corporations So Shy About Their Offshore Plans?..."
Daily News Podcast For Tuesday, March 21
In today's daily news podcast, we offer a Q&A with Bill Gates expounding on the future of Office as well as his promise for the future of IE, our analysis of the future of Microsoft Office, and a report suggesting that the wait for Vista will slow PC sales this year. Also, a judge rules Google doesn't have to turn over search queries, Kinderstart sues Google over its lower page ranking, Google Earth catches on in the business world, CIOs bemoan Sarbanes-Oxley's "big impact, little benefit," and Dell will add 10,000 workers in India. The Editor's Note offers some suggestions for dealing with the most critical IT problem facing the country today: securing data.
Patricia Keefe is your host.
Background music: "On The River," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
Securing A Solution To Data Theft
One of the most popular stories on our site over the last two weeks was "PIN Scandal 'Worst Hack Ever'; Citibank Only The Start," followed closely by "International Citibank Customers Shaken By Data Breach." Day after day, one or both made our list of the five most popular headlines.
I'm guessing another story posted Monday, about two large botnets hacking into users' online shopping carts to steal credit card numbers, bank account details, and log-on passwords, will grab similar reader interest.
Continue reading "Securing A Solution To Data Theft..."
Has Google's Privacy Policy Protected Us From Government Surveillance?
The District Court ruling that Google doesn’t have to turn over any search records to the Bush administration isn’t just a victory for Web surfers who don’t like the thought of being tracked by the government. It's a victory for anyone who stores data and doesn’t want to be harassed by lawyers or federal agents.
Google claimed from the start that the case was about privacy rights, citing both its users’ right not to have their searches revealed and Google’s own right to make sure its trade secrets stayed that way. Both of these are important and were enough to win in court. But the implications for both personal and corporate privacy go much further than that.
Continue reading "Has Google's Privacy Policy Protected Us From Government Surveillance?..."
Bill Gates On Blogging, Enterprise Data Search, And Why Client-Server Apps Still Matter
It's decision time again for people who buy, manage, and use Microsoft's Office applications suite. Three years after introducing Office 2003, Microsoft is readying an upgrade in the form of Office 2007, a collection of about 15 desktop applications, five server applications, and middleware called Windows SharePoint Services that runs in the Windows Server operating system and ties those applications together with added functionality. I grabbed the chance last week to sit down with Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and ask him about some of what's new in Office 2007. You can listen for yourself; here's a podcast of our conversation.
Continue reading "Bill Gates On Blogging, Enterprise Data Search, And Why Client-Server Apps Still Matter..."
March Madness Takes Hold
The NCAA Basketball Tournament didn't disappoint this weekend, unless of course, you happen to be a North Carolina or Ohio State fan. But as we cruise into the second week of what is inarguably America's favorite March past time, I am wondering how businesses are managing through this productivity drain. And then, of course, there is this question of how businesses are dealing with the drain on bandwidth coming as employees sign up for free streaming Webcasts of the games from CBS Sportsline.
Continue reading "March Madness Takes Hold..."
March Madness Takes Hold
The NCAA Basketball Tournament didn't disappoint this weekend, unless of course, you happen to be a North Carolina or Ohio State fan. But as we cruise into the second week of what is inarguably America's favorite March past time, I am wondering how businesses are managing through this productivity drain. And then, of course, there is this question of how businesses are dealing with the drain on bandwidth coming as employees sign up for free streaming Webcasts of the games from CBS Sportsline.
Continue reading "March Madness Takes Hold..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, March 20
In today's daily news podcast, we take a look at court victories notched last week by Google and by Oracle, the latest zero-day bug to hit Internet Explorer, Apple's patched patch and McAfee's flawed virus update, Lockheed Martin's FBI win, a counterattack launched against the child porn industry, and a quick guide to making the laptop your primary computer. The Editor's Note explains why high-tech companies should never get too comfortable.
Your host today is Patricia Keefe.
Background music: "Noire" by Kevin MacLeod, courtesy IncompeTech under Creative Commons License
Focus, Focus, Focus
Location, location, location. That's the golden rule in real estate. In high tech, it ought to be focus, focus, focus. Too often vendors get caught up in personality clashes, obsessions with beating or matching competitors, and technological zealotry. All can blind even the best companies to the real issues that need attention. Over and over we see vendors lose their positioning and products miss their mark because executives focused on the wrong thing.
I was reminded of this by several news reports this week, which once again drove home the need to keep your eye on the ball--and not your competition or your critics--and steady your focus on working out the kinks.
Continue reading "Focus, Focus, Focus..."
Daily News Podcast For Friday, March 17
In today's podcast, we detail a major Microsoft productivity initiative built around several forthcoming products and backed with $500 million in marketing funds, report on Bill Gates' critical comments about the $100 laptop, explore the latest Trojan, and give updated results on a contest to get Windows XP to dual-boot on Intel-based Macs. Finally, the day's editorial revolves around the aforementioned Gates comments, as well as two other less-than-stellar accomplishments.
Your host for today is Tom Smith.
Background music: "The Fall" by Miles Low, courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Gates Slings Mud at $100 PC, Winds Up Muddy
Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, stopped off in Washington yesterday to push his company's Origami project at his company's Government Leaders Forum. Although generally a pretty classy guy, Gates followed Intel Chairman Craig Barrett down the low road to take some cheap shots at Nicholas Negroponte's One-Laptop-Per-Child $100 laptop project as a way of building up Origami. Sorry, Bill, but when you got a dog that won't hunt, you shouldn't make fun of those that do.
Continue reading "Gates Slings Mud at $100 PC, Winds Up Muddy..."
Gates Slings Mud at $100 PC, Winds Up Muddy
Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, stopped off in Washington yesterday to push his company's Origami project at his company's Government Leaders Forum. Although generally a pretty classy guy, Gates followed Intel Chairman Craig Barrett down the low road to take some cheap shots at Nicholas Negroponte's One-Laptop-Per-Child $100 laptop project as a way of building up Origami. Sorry, Bill, but when you got a dog that won't hunt, you shouldn't make fun of those that do.
Continue reading "Gates Slings Mud at $100 PC, Winds Up Muddy..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, March 16
Today's report looks at the growing call to reform the nation's patent system, the latest ship date for Vista, the use of open-source principles in IT governance, the expansion of a class-action suit against IBM, a six-month delay for the Playstation 3, the availability of March Madness via iTunes, efforts to jam cell phone signals at movie theaters, and a round-up of security news. The Editor's Note examines a recent spate of news stories focusing on technology and civility.
Your host for today is Patricia Keefe.
Can't We All Just Get Along (Online And In The Air)?
Manners, or rather, the lack of them, have been all over our news pages the last two weeks. The topics covered won't surprise anyone, although the proposed remedies might. And yet when all is said and done, what's really needed isn't some time-consuming legal maneuver or more reams of survey data, but rather a dose of good old common sense served up with a dollop of common courtesy.
Continue reading "Can't We All Just Get Along (Online And In The Air)?..."
Getting Ahead Of Ourselves: The AOL E-Mail Battle Continues
The can of worms that has become America Online's certified e-mail delivery strategy just won't go away. It's not that other e-mail providers haven't offered the very same or similar services; it's just that this can of worms is being used to catch the biggest fish in the lake.
AOL will soon begin offering a fee-based, guaranteed e-mail deliver service based on GoodMail's Certified Email technology and the DearAOL.com coalition is ratcheting up the pressure against the move. One assumes that the coalition's strategy to get AOL to cave would send the message to other providers that they're next.
The coalition, now over 500-members strong, continues to mount a PR campaign. The latest move brought California Senator Dean Florez (D) into the fray with a comment and a promise that he would look further into the "risks faced by consumers under the AOL proposal." In fact, a new California task force, the Select Committee on E-Commerce, Wireless Technology and Consumer Driven Programming, plans to hold a hearing on the matter later this month.
I'm still a little hazy on what those "risks" might be. While AOL is effectively setting up another tier of service, it isn't changing its existing service. So what are those risks? It all seems to hinge on the coalition's speculation that the existing e-mail service will deteriorate as AOL invests more in the new service. I can't really believe that AOL would do something so foolishly detrimental to is core business, but if it did, the risk would be that customers would walk.
Continue reading "Getting Ahead Of Ourselves: The AOL E-Mail Battle Continues..."
Getting Ahead Of Ourselves: The AOL E-Mail Battle Continues
The can of worms that has become America Online's certified e-mail delivery strategy just won't go away. It's not that other e-mail providers haven't offered the very same or similar services; it's just that this can of worms is being used to catch the biggest fish in the lake.
AOL will soon begin offering a fee-based, guaranteed e-mail deliver service based on GoodMail's Certified Email technology and the DearAOL.com coalition is ratcheting up the pressure against the move. One assumes that the coalition's strategy to get AOL to cave would send the message to other providers that they're next.
The coalition, now over 500-members strong, continues to mount a PR campaign. The latest move brought California Senator Dean Florez (D) into the fray with a comment and a promise that he would look further into the "risks faced by consumers under the AOL proposal." In fact, a new California task force, the Select Committee on E-Commerce, Wireless Technology and Consumer Driven Programming, plans to hold a hearing on the matter later this month.
I'm still a little hazy on what those "risks" might be. While AOL is effectively setting up another tier of service, it isn't changing its existing service. So what are those risks? It all seems to hinge on the coalition's speculation that the existing e-mail service will deteriorate as AOL invests more in the new service. I can't really believe that AOL would do something so foolishly detrimental to is core business, but if it did, the risk would be that customers would walk.
Continue reading "Getting Ahead Of Ourselves: The AOL E-Mail Battle Continues..."
Tech History Made Yesterday
Most of the Big Events in technology history appear big only in retrospect. For example, for technology historians the day Google.com first came online (September 15, 1997) is obviously a historic milestone. But at the time the number of people who were even aware of it was insufficient to form a basketball team. The date became important only because of what happened later. So remember the date March 14, 2006.
Continue reading "Tech History Made Yesterday..."
Daily News Podcast For Wednesday, March 15
In this report: The U.S. government is backing off somewhat in its demands for Google to turn over search data; social networking services are catching on with some business users, but are still having profit problems; Amazon launches an online storage service that could bring closer competition with Google; Intel adds a low-voltage chip to its portfolio; securing customer data doesn't seem to be a major priority for banks despite all the recent data breaches; and an Internet backlash has stalled the "online civility" bill proposal in New Jersey.
Our in-depth report is about technology and your health, and our editorial comments are about keeping kids safe online. Your host for today is Johanna Ambrosio.
Background music: "So Long (instrumental)," courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Keeping Kids Safe Online
I'm no expert, but I am a parent of three teenagers who, thankfully, have been safe so far. My reaction to the news about Microsoft jumping into the monitoring space with a free tool to be available this summer is that it sounds great, but I hope parents realize that the use of any monitoring software isn't by itself enough to guarantee kids' safety.
Continue reading "Keeping Kids Safe Online..."
There's More To Social Networking Than Hype
I must confess to some skepticism about social networking. Like many caught up in the hype, I joined a social networking service last year. I then proceeded to not use it.
I'm probably not the ideal candidate for social networking. I'm not in sales. I don't research companies to invest in. And I'm not currently looking for a job. What's more, as a journalist, it's usually fairly easy to get access to people. I'm not about to start paying to make a connection with someone outside my network when I can just pick up the phone and set up an interview.
Continue reading "There's More To Social Networking Than Hype..."
Ajax, Java, Mashups, And More
In this podcast, you'll hear about the benefits of Ajax on a sluggish Internet; an update on the Java EE 5/Glassfish spec; the string, glue, and voodoo around mashups; and the hype and reality of Web 2.0. Listen to my discussion with Tim Bray, director of Web technologies, and Dan Roberts, director of developer tools marketing, at Sun Microsystems.
And speaking of Web 2.0 hype, you might find this blog-to-blog debate between Tim Bray and Tim O'Reilly, who recently hosted the O'Reilly Emerging Technologies Conference, interesting.
Background music: "Away In The Woods," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
Fast Macs, Slow Software?
A study says that if Intel-based Macs could run Windows applications as fast as Windows PCs, Apple could sell a million more machines this year. I don't doubt that. And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. The Intel Macs are faster. But there seems to be a problem: they don't run all Mac software faster.
Continue reading "Fast Macs, Slow Software?..."
Fast Macs, Slow Software?
A study says that if Intel-based Macs could run Windows applications as fast as Windows PCs, Apple could sell a million more machines this year. I don't doubt that. And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. The Intel Macs are faster. But there seems to be a problem: they don't run all Mac software faster.
Continue reading "Fast Macs, Slow Software?..."
Daily News Podcast For Tuesday, March 14
Listen to the current InformationWeek Daily News Podcast. In this report: A McAfee update breaks hundreds of applications, and IBM is looking to India for more than 50,000 new employees. In our in-depth report, Fred Langa shows you how to update your PC hard drive without rebuilding your operating system. And in our editorial comments on the news of the day, Chris Murphy talks about how offshoring is both good for business and maybe bad for your job.
Your host for today is Mitch Wagner.
Background music: "Coast of California," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
Michigan's Anti-Outsourcing Legislation Would Cost More Jobs Than It Would Save
Democrats in the Michigan state senate on Monday introduced anti-outsourcing bills designed to put more of the state's residents out of work while raising their taxes. OK, that's not what the bills are "designed" to do, but that surely would be the outcome if they become law. And this from a party that offshored its leadership to Canada!
Continue reading "Michigan's Anti-Outsourcing Legislation Would Cost More Jobs Than It Would Save..."
Mini Displays Coming to Laptops
Most cool new clamshell cell phones these days have a big display inside, and a small one outside. The outside display shows the time, or Caller ID info. It's a great idea that people seem to like. Don’t look now, but the same idea is coming to Windows-based notebook PCs!
Continue reading "Mini Displays Coming to Laptops..."
Cisco Enters The Ring On Net Neutrality
Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers has joined the carrier echo on network neutrality. Blocking and impairing is bad, freedom to manage crowded networks and create quality-of-service agreements with content providers is good (and different from the first). Don't legislate against hypotheticals.
Continue reading "Cisco Enters The Ring On Net Neutrality..."
Intermec Talks New RFID Products For 2006
From small portable printers to huge forklifts, Intermec Corp. will RFID-enable more mobile devices this year, says Mike Wills, Intermec's vice president of global services, radio frequency identification, and intellectual property.
To download or listen to the podcast, click here.
To keep informed on enterprise applications, click here.
Larry Bossidy Keynotes InformationWeek Conference
I spoke with Larry Bossidy, the influential former CEO of Honeywell, about his upcoming keynote presentation at the InformationWeek Spring Conference on the topic of "Confronting Reality." In the podcast, Bossidy talks about why it's so difficult for even leading executives to confront reality and achieve consistent growth. The ideas are based on his book, and he'll be at the conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Fla., on April 3rd to talk with attendees about these important concepts.
If you're interested in registering for the InformationWeek Spring Conference, click here.
Rob Carter, FedEx CIO, Talks About The '6x6 Transformation'
I spoke with FedEx CIO Rob Carter (listen here) and asked him to outline a few of the major points he'll be delivering in his keynote presentation, "The Inside Story of FedEx's IT Platform Transformation," at the upcoming InformationWeek Spring Conference in Amelia Island, Fla., April 2-5. Rob is InformationWeek's 2005 Chief of the Year and will be providing attendees of the event with exclusive insight into FedEx's famous "6x6 Transformation" project, which wraps up this May after three years.
To sign up for the InformationWeek Conference, click here.
Background music: "Riding Out," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
Don't Overlook Project Management Applications
The first, and potentially highest, hurdle in shifting compliance management from a labor-intensive manual activity to an automated process is defining the scope of the project. That entails chores like identifying stakeholders and their roles, setting milestones and determining things like workflow and sign-offs.
In fact, this is where many companies pressing toward compliance automation get stuck and flounder. And when sighting down on a compliance problem, it's easy to overlook some obvious things, like useful software tools that have been around forever that could help drag a compliance project out of the quagmire.
I'm talking about project management applications. After looking through Information Week's review of project management software, it struck me how well-suited and inexpensive (even free) these applications are for helping frame the compliance management automation project and get it moving again.
Chances are, you've used one or two project management application in the past. And, if not, then chances are that there are at least a few of them being used somewhere in your company. As the reviewers point out, project management software has evolved from monolithic programs to more focused, agile applications for clearly defined purposes and users.
It's just thought, knowing how quickly the compliance management problem can become convoluted with conflicting agendas and subsets of problems that were never envisioned. And if you're not familiar with the available project management tools, the review is a good place to start.
Don't Overlook Project Management Applications
The first, and potentially highest, hurdle in shifting compliance management from a labor-intensive manual activity to an automated process is defining the scope of the project. That entails chores like identifying stakeholders and their roles, setting milestones and determining things like workflow and sign-offs.
In fact, this is where many companies pressing toward compliance automation get stuck and flounder. And when sighting down on a compliance problem, it's easy to overlook some obvious things, like useful software tools that have been around forever that could help drag a compliance project out of the quagmire.
I'm talking about project management applications. After looking through Information Week's review of project management software, it struck me how well-suited and inexpensive (even free) these applications are for helping frame the compliance management automation project and get it moving again.
Chances are, you've used one or two project management application in the past. And, if not, then chances are that there are at least a few of them being used somewhere in your company. As the reviewers point out, project management software has evolved from monolithic programs to more focused, agile applications for clearly defined purposes and users.
It's just thought, knowing how quickly the compliance management problem can become convoluted with conflicting agendas and subsets of problems that were never envisioned. And if you're not familiar with the available project management tools, the review is a good place to start.
Careers: You Vs. Offshoring
IT pros have to live segmented lives. As business people, they need to accept offshoring. It's a viable business strategy, and opposing it makes as much sense as being categorically against just-in-time inventory. But as individuals with careers on the line, they need to view their entire IT careers as a stark battle against offshoring--constantly assessing the risk of their particular job being moved, and positioning their skills and roles to guard against that.
Continue reading "Careers: You Vs. Offshoring..."
The Tech-Savvy Presidential Candidate
Mark Warner is mostly known within political circles these days as the anti-Hillary, but the ex-Democratic governor of Virginia has strong IT credentials that would make him the first former high-tech executive to call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home. Of course, he faces numerous obstacles in his still-unannounced quest for the White House, most notably grabbing the Democratic Party nomination from front-runner Hillary Clinton, let alone ousting the GOP hold on the federal government.
Continue reading "The Tech-Savvy Presidential Candidate..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, March 13
Listen to the current InformationWeek Daily Podcast. In this report: An IBM/Nissan outsourcing deal spans the globe, growth in PC shipments is slowing, and Verizon is launching a pay-as-you-go phone service in conjunction with Verizon. In our in-depth report: The European Union rejected collusion charges by Microsoft. And our editorial comments describe how Origami is Microsoft Bob for 2006. Your host for today is Mitch Wagner.
Background music: "Trickeehouse," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
The War On Malware Goes Mobile
Remember the good old days, when your only concern about issuing and managing cell phones and PDAs was that someone would leave theirs in a taxi or on an airplane? Now viruses and mobile malware have reared their ugly heads, further convincing IT departments that BlackBerrys, cell phones, laptops, and PDAs must be locked down with as much vigor as back-end systems. The result is a slew of mobile data security options that include mobile encryption and even a kill switch for data should it fall into the wrong hands.
Continue reading "The War On Malware Goes Mobile..."
Biggest And Smallest USB Drives Unveiled
Those handy USB memory drives -- which have largely replaced "floppies" for the quick-and-dirty transfer of files from one PC to another -- come in a variety of sizes and storage capacities. The current smallest size, and also the largest capacity, memory drives have been unveiled by two different companies at the giant German trade show, CeBIT.
Continue reading "Biggest And Smallest USB Drives Unveiled..."
The Stripper And Bill Gates
Reading over the recent blog entry by InformationWeek Editor-in-Chief Rob Preston, I found myself thinking of a certain ex-stripper from Texas, and wondering who's got more business sense--the stripper or Bill Gates?
Continue reading "The Stripper And Bill Gates..."
You Can't Be Steve Jobs, But This Is Close
You want to be Steve Jobs. You can admit it. Everybody does. You want to wear the jeans, the black mock-turtleneck sweater, and the frameless eyeglasses. You want people to say your products are insanely great. You want to have a cult following.
Well, you can't be Steve, but you can create your own Steve Jobs presentation using the Steve Jobs Soundboard, mixing and matching Steve-isms like "We're super-excited about it" and "But there is one more thing."
Daily News Podcast For Friday, March 10
In today's daily news podcast, we take a look at some of the announcements pouring out of the Intel Developer Forum this week, Microsoft talks about refreshing the Office 2007 beta and unveils its ultracompact mobile PC, Gartner ticks off what it thinks will drive enterprise use of Vista, Google agrees to pay $90 million in click fraud, and the "worst ever" PIN scandal hits national banks. Our Editor's Note takes a look at the merging--and sometimes messy meshing--of business technology into our personal lives and social venues.
Patricia Keefe is your host for this broadcast.
Background music: "Animal Bakery Shop Instrumental," courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Technicolor Digital Cinema Lab Launched To Debug Technology
Thomson's Technicolor Digital Cinema division held a press conference on Wednesday to unveil its new digital cinema test Center lab in Burbank, Calif.
Continue reading "Technicolor Digital Cinema Lab Launched To Debug Technology..."
Origami, Or Microsoft Bob 2006
The most interesting thing about Origami is how Microsoft manipulated bloggers and journalists into hyping it. Far from the Transformer gadget hinted at (Eight toys in one! Changes from iPod to camcorder to computer and back!), the device is just a small Tablet PC. And Microsoft's only actual new product is a software suite intended to further dumb down Windows XP's user interface.
Continue reading "Origami, Or Microsoft Bob 2006..."
Cyber Society
As I was picking through a stack of newspapers I was getting ready to recycle this past weekend, I kept seeing examples of how advances in high technology and its movement beyond the workplace are creating new opportunities for the good, the bad, and the ever rude. It's also starting to spur debate about appropriate applications of some of this technology, while also bringing to a head the issue of how best to deal with some of the fallout.
The kinds of questions that come to mind include: How can we use emerging mobile digital technology to improve how we get things done, or even to address social problems? What's the best way to enable people to use their technology without infringing on anyone else's rights or interfering with other activities? These questions keep popping up, and it's probably going to come down to what we're willing to trade off for convenience, and what we're willing to put up with.
Continue reading "Cyber Society..."
If You Can't Trust Your Bank, Who Can You Trust?
You're traveling out of the country, for business or on vacation, and you decide it's time for lunch. You're about to hail a taxi to take you to that fantastic café you passed by this morning, but first you figure you might was well get some cash. No problem, there's even a branch of your local bank nearby. Well, maybe there is a problem. The ATM refuses to give you any money, informing you that your transaction cannot be completed and you should call your bank. You pull out your cell phone, but, it turns out after several minutes of hold music, the customer service representative can't figure out why your transaction was denied, and he can't help you. If this sounds like a realistic scenario, that's because, thanks to a data hack and careless encryption practices, it is for some customers of Citibank, Wells Fargo, and other financial institutions.
Continue reading "If You Can't Trust Your Bank, Who Can You Trust?..."
But What About The One-Man Helicopters?
I think about the movie The Road Warrior whenever I pass through places where business users and students gather--coffee shops, airport gates, hotel lobbies, and trade show common areas.
In The Road Warrior, Mel Gibson and groups of scruffy post-nuclear mutants wandered the Australian outback, clad in fabulous leather couture, fighting for dwindling supplies of gasoline.
And that's the scene wherever people gather to use mobile computers. Those places are bleak, Darwinian landscapes, where every hand is turned against the other, and only the strongest survive by controlling access to a rare, life-giving resource:
Working electrical sockets.
Chip and portable system vendors are looking to make those common areas into kinder, gentler places, by working to extend the battery lives of mobile hardware.
Continue reading "But What About The One-Man Helicopters?..."
Finally: A Camera Phone For Klutzes
A cool, ruggedized and water-resistant camera phone that's very popular in Japan and Korea called the Casio Hitachi NX9200 was approved today by the FCC for sale in the United States. Here's why you're going to want this phone.
Continue reading "Finally: A Camera Phone For Klutzes..."
Podcast: Interview With Jeremy Usher
This interview with Jeremy Usher, CEO of Weathernews Inc.'s U.S. operations, is a something of a follow-up to a story I wrote last year about the tensions between the National Weather Service and the businesses working to commercialize and add value to public weather data.
Weathernews, for those unfamiliar with the company, claims to be the world's largest private weather service firm.
Continue reading "Podcast: Interview With Jeremy Usher..."
Microsoft Plays Hardball With Vista Licensing
In an effort to build a more predictable revenue stream from its Software Assurance annuity program, Microsoft is only making the enterprise version of its upcoming Vista release available to those who sign on to that program or have a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement in place. While Microsoft's reasons for playing hardball are certainly understandable, the maneuver feels harsh.
Continue reading "Microsoft Plays Hardball With Vista Licensing..."
Microsoft Plays Hardball With Vista Licensing
In an effort to build a more predictable revenue stream from its Software Assurance annuity program, Microsoft is only making the enterprise version of its upcoming Vista release available to those who sign on to that program or have a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement in place. While Microsoft's reasons for playing hardball are certainly understandable, the maneuver feels harsh.
Continue reading "Microsoft Plays Hardball With Vista Licensing..."
Origami PR Campaign Is a Puzzlement
Microsoft has done a masterful job of manipulating the buzz around its Origami project. It's got the press playing "Where Is Carmen Sandeiego," tracking a flurry of rumors and sightings of the diminutive touchscreen PC all around the world. Our Man In San Francisco, Paul Kapustka, even got a sighting of his own at the Intel Developer's Conference. And here are the pictures.
Continue reading "Origami PR Campaign Is a Puzzlement..."
Origami PR Campaign Is a Puzzlement
Microsoft has done a masterful job of manipulating the buzz around its Origami project. It's got the press playing "Where Is Carmen Sandeiego," tracking a flurry of rumors and sightings of the diminutive touchscreen PC all around the world. Our Man In San Francisco, Paul Kapustka, even got a sighting of his own at the Intel Developer's Conference. And here are the pictures.
Continue reading "Origami PR Campaign Is a Puzzlement..."
ICANN's (Not So) Evil Twin?
Good things come to those who wait -- or who just take months to stumble across a "good thing." Case in point: This interview with Stanford University Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, posted last November on the Foreign Policy Web site.
Continue reading "ICANN's (Not So) Evil Twin?..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, March 9
In today's daily news podcast, over 1,000 applications are running on the Mactel platform, although the performance of some may not be up to snuff; the IT hiring outlook improves along with the economy; Citibank customers are shaken by the newest data breach in three countries; Google says it mistakenly posted a financial forecast on its Web site, Mozilla confirms that it’s taking in millions thanks to its relationship with Google; and IBM is moving its solutions development center to India.
Today’s in-depth report is about Microsoft, and our editorial is about things I never thought I’d see. Your host for today is Johanna Ambrosio.
Background music: "Blended Souls," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
VIDEO: Get Your Hands On Your Information
If you've ever been frustrated by the limitations of your monitor-keyboard-mouse windowing display, you'll love this demo of a tabletop computer display that lets you manipulate data with your hands, drawing, resizing, and moving objects on a touch screen with one finger, more than one finger, or your whole hand, as well as creating an infinite amount of space on the desktop to work.
The developer is Jeff Han, a consulting research scientist at New York University's Department of Computer Science. You can watch the video in the little box below--ain't our new inline player grand?--or download it.
You'll find more information and more nifty demo videos at Han's Web site.
The video runs about 2 minutes, 45 seconds.
Things I Never Thought I'd See
Yes, I'm sounding like my own grandmother, but some recent events remind me it's wise not to get too cynical about stuff--because you just never know. One of the many things about the computer industry I enjoy, besides all the cool toys, is that companies and the business as a whole are continually being reinvented, sometimes even for the better.
Continue reading "Things I Never Thought I'd See..."
More E-mail Management Tips
You can't have message management without messaging policies and you can't have policies until managers can decide and agree on what they should be. Ferris Research recently published a list of some of the key decisions in implementing messaging a document archiving projects.
The first thing on the list should be rather obvious, but determining who has responsibility for archiving can set the tone for the whole project. Raise your hand IT department because it can't be left up to users. Users will apply their own logic to the problem or just assume that someone else is doing it behind the scenes. And who else can build a policy-driven automated archiving system that makes you users' assumption valid?
The next tip from Ferris: make sure your mobile users are kept in the archiving loop. Not only do you need to make sure the documents housed on mobile devices get properly archived, those road warriors also need access to their archived messages. Ferris recommends they access their repositories in an offline state. That means you need to make it easy to sync with the archive when they connect to the network.
The next decision will cut across many functional boundaries and bring the legal and compliance folks to the table in a big way: deciding what types of documents need to be archived. This decision can cause so much internal debate that organizations end up throwing in the towel and instituting an archive-everything policy. There's not much to offer in the way of advice here because every organization has its unique requirements and obligations. Archiving everything might remove the debate but leave a mess on the back end when documents need to be discovered and produced. There are no standards to rely on here so if you opt for an archiving system with its own policy engine, do plenty of testing before you deploy to make sure it is archiving what you tell it to archive. For now, err on the side of caution.
Continue reading "More E-mail Management Tips..."
More E-mail Management Tips
You can't have message management without messaging policies and you can't have policies until managers can decide and agree on what they should be. Ferris Research recently published a list of some of the key decisions in implementing messaging a document archiving projects.
The first thing on the list should be rather obvious, but determining who has responsibility for archiving can set the tone for the whole project. Raise your hand IT department because it can't be left up to users. Users will apply their own logic to the problem or just assume that someone else is doing it behind the scenes. And who else can build a policy-driven automated archiving system that makes you users' assumption valid?
The next tip from Ferris: make sure your mobile users are kept in the archiving loop. Not only do you need to make sure the documents housed on mobile devices get properly archived, those road warriors also need access to their archived messages. Ferris recommends they access their repositories in an offline state. That means you need to make it easy to sync with the archive when they connect to the network.
The next decision will cut across many functional boundaries and bring the legal and compliance folks to the table in a big way: deciding what types of documents need to be archived. This decision can cause so much internal debate that organizations end up throwing in the towel and instituting an archive-everything policy. There's not much to offer in the way of advice here because every organization has its unique requirements and obligations. Archiving everything might remove the debate but leave a mess on the back end when documents need to be discovered and produced. There are no standards to rely on here so if you opt for an archiving system with its own policy engine, do plenty of testing before you deploy to make sure it is archiving what you tell it to archive. For now, err on the side of caution.
Continue reading "More E-mail Management Tips..."
Hey There, Pay Attention For A Minute
The theme of this week's O'Reilly Emerging Technology conference is "The Attention Economy," about tools and techniques for filtering all the demands we have on our time and attention. The scene as I walked through the hotel Tuesday morning, approaching the registration desk, was a perfect illustration of the problem. It couldn't have been better if the O'Reilly people had planned it.
I passed by a few clusters of people talking and far greater numbers of people sitting with their backs to the wall, hunched over their laptop computers and connecting to the Internet.
These people cleared off their schedules to go to this conference. Many of them took long, uncomfortable, and expensive plane flights. And then they spend time sitting with their backs to the wall, hunched over computer keyboards, physically alone but, presumably, connecting to others online. They'd chosen to focus their attention elsewhere.
Continue reading "Hey There, Pay Attention For A Minute..."
By The Numbers: IBM Getting Bigger In India, Smaller In The U.S.
Whoa! In the course of reporting that IBM plans to move all the design and development of its business consulting offerings to India, one company exec told me that IBM's current employment growth rate in the country will continue "for quite some time." So let's look at what that means.
Continue reading "By The Numbers: IBM Getting Bigger In India, Smaller In The U.S...."
Daily News Podcast For Wednesday, March 8
In today's podcast, we have a detailed report on the Intel Developer Forum and the important issue of power consumption. We review security developments relating to spam and instant messaging threats, and analyze Google's "slip" regarding a potential new service. Your host for this podcast is Tom Smith.
Background music: "Boron," courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Free, Easy and LEGAL Phone Hacking (To Bypass IVR, Reach Human)
When you think of "hacking," you probably imagine a dark underground of technical criminals abusing computer skills to break into, steal or deface company data and web sites. When "hacking" is done with telephones, it's called "phreaking," and it's always just as illegal... Or is it? I'm going to tell you about an ethical form of phone phreaking that's legal, easy, free and -- best of all -- helps you escape from that prison of automated responses you get when you call many large companies.
Continue reading "Free, Easy and LEGAL Phone Hacking (To Bypass IVR, Reach Human)..."
Rootkit Evangelist Holy_father Abandons His Mission
His mission unfulfilled, Holy_father has nonetheless stopped offering his Hacker Defender rootkit anti-detection services. I blogged in January about Holy_father's calling, which, he says, is to challenge the IT security industry by providing hackers with rootkits that can be used to install malware and the accompanying services that help these rootkits avoid detection. Holy_father has stepped down from his pulpit, although there's much more work to be done.
Continue reading "Rootkit Evangelist Holy_father Abandons His Mission..."
Google's Slip-pery Slope
Google in many ways has positioned itself as the industry's anti-Microsoft. Since its inception, it hasn't been given to preannouncing products or features years in advance, then watching as the starstruck masses hung on every move related to those (oft-delayed) products. Its corporate credo of "Don't Be Evil" comes off as the antithesis to the evil empire in Redmond (though recent events in China raise questions on how closely Google is hewing to its self-imposed mandate).
Continue reading "Google's Slip-pery Slope..."
Indian Bloggers Weigh In On Bush, Outsourcing, Nukes
There are many reasons why India is a natural ally and trading partner for the United States. Its progressive economy, IT and outsourcing prowess, and English language affinity are among them. Most important, India is a fully functioning democracy. Its freedom of expression was on display last week during President Bush's visit. Indian bloggers were quick to voice their thoughts on the summit and related issues. Many praised the growing ties between the United States and India, while others condemned the relationship. Here's a sampling (lightly edited for clarity) from a blog maintained by The Times of India.
Continue reading "Indian Bloggers Weigh In On Bush, Outsourcing, Nukes..."
Ch-Ch-Changes At CA
This week's cover story on CA portrays the company formerly known as Computer Associates as a work in progress, transitioning from brute force to a kinder, more innovative machine. Yet it also shows customer opinion often lags behind major shifts in the way vendors do business.
Continue reading "Ch-Ch-Changes At CA..."
SAP Calls Nucleus Report 'Junk Science'
Since we got our hands on a Nucleus Research report that claims SAP customers are 20% less profitable than their peers, we've had a chance to talk to SAP about it. "Their research is like comparing apples to rotten oranges," says SAP spokesperson Bill Wohl. "They [analyzed] 1/25th of a percent of SAP customers--81 out of 30K, and from that small slice they've concluded that SAP customers are less profitable."
Continue reading "SAP Calls Nucleus Report 'Junk Science'..."
Daily News Podcast For Tuesday, March 7
Listen to the current InformationWeek Daily Podcast from your host, Mitch Wagner. In this report: news about the AT&T BellSouth acquisition, Microsoft IE7 ignores Windows settings, an in-depth report about notebooks and chips, and our editorial comments about a stripper and Bill Gates.
Background music: "Away In The Woods," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
BlackBerry Case: Not Good Sign For Patent Challengers
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion’s decision to settle with NTP for $615 million in an infringement case involving wireless E-mail patents is good news for the likes of Tom Woolston, Dick Snyder, and Neil Balthaser. All three hold patents on IT that others contend they don’t deserve.
Continue reading "BlackBerry Case: Not Good Sign For Patent Challengers..."
RIM-Vs.-NTP: And The Winner Is . . . Neither
Who was the big winner in the RIM-NTP Inc. patent suit? It wasn't NTP. It looks to me like the patent troll folded and made a quick grab for some cash before RIM took it all off the table. And it wasn't RIM. The real damage to the BlackBerry company's business wasn't the $612-plus million it agreed to pay NTP. It was surely an amount several times that — whatever dollar value you assign to the damage done to its customer relationships, which was considerable. So who was the big winner? My theory probably won't surprise you.
Continue reading "RIM-Vs.-NTP: And The Winner Is . . . Neither..."
RIM-Vs.-NTP: And The Winner Is . . . Neither
Who was the big winner in the RIM-NTP Inc. patent suit? It wasn't NTP. It looks to me like the patent troll folded and made a quick grab for some cash before RIM took it all off the table. And it wasn't RIM. The real damage to the BlackBerry company's business wasn't the $612-plus million it agreed to pay NTP. It was surely an amount several times that — whatever dollar value you assign to the damage done to its customer relationships, which was considerable. So who was the big winner? My theory probably won't surprise you.
Continue reading "RIM-Vs.-NTP: And The Winner Is . . . Neither..."
RFID, The Newest Four-Letter Word
Have you heard the latest buzz on the newest four-letter word, RFID, also known as radio frequency identification technology?
Continue reading "RFID, The Newest Four-Letter Word..."
AT&T: Deja Vu, All Over Again
To say that reports yesterday that AT&T is close to completing a deal to acquire BellSouth brought back memories of a not-so-long ago merger would be an understatement. In a surreal variation on Groundhog Day, the Sunday AT&T disclosure took me back to a day a little over a year ago when SBC declared its intent to snap up its former parent corporation AT&T. So a 12 month-span that also saw Verizon buy MCI is starting to look a lot like 1984 all over again.
Continue reading "AT&T: Deja Vu, All Over Again..."
AT&T: Deja Vu, All Over Again
To say that reports yesterday that AT&T is close to completing a deal to acquire BellSouth brought back memories of a not-so-long ago merger would be an understatement. In a surreal variation on Groundhog Day, the Sunday AT&T disclosure took me back to a day a little over a year ago when SBC declared its intent to snap up its former parent corporation AT&T. So a 12 month-span that also saw Verizon buy MCI is starting to look a lot like 1984 all over again.
Continue reading "AT&T: Deja Vu, All Over Again..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, March 6
In today's daily news podcast, a security researcher criticizes Symantec for changing its adware definition, a new version of the Bagle worm threatens to bring on the lawyers, Research In Motion and NTP have reached a settlement in the long-running BlackBerry patent dispute, Intel cuts its revenue forecast, Microsoft wants the American court system to intervene in its antitrust case with the European Union, America Online will roll out free E-mail to nonprofits, and a new study says cell phones do indeed interfere with key cockpit instruments in airplanes.
Today’s in-depth report is about digital music, and our editorial is about Google and MySpace falling back to earth. Your host today is Johanna Ambrosio.
Background music: "Wild Isle," courtesy Digital Riffs Music under Creative Commons License
Google, MySpace Come Crashing Back To Earth
Every few years, Somebody Important in the tech industry anoints a new king. Microsoft gave way to Amazon, which then begat Google, the reigning monarch. Along the way there are princes and other royalty we watch to see if they have the stuff to someday take over the crown--Marimba and dozens of others, now victims of the Internet bubble, were in that camp. And now MySpace is there, too.
But the past week provided even more evidence that both MySpace and, yes, even Google are, at their core, companies run by human beings who like all of us make mistakes and whose reach is sometimes greater than their grasp. Good thing, too, or else there would be precious little innovation.
Continue reading "Google, MySpace Come Crashing Back To Earth..."
Microsoft's Losing European Battle
Microsoft is escalating its 2-year-old war with Europe's trustbusters, charging in a 16-page complaint that the European Commission schemed with the software giant's rivals in trying to discredit Microsoft's compliance with the EC's 2004 antitrust decision.
Continue reading "Microsoft's Losing European Battle..."
Podcast: Interview With Peter Rojas
Tech hardware blog Engadget turns two today, or so co-founder and editor-in-chief Peter Rojas reports. Coincidentally, Engadget is number two on Technorati's list of the most popular blogs.
I interviewed Peter Rojas for an upcoming Q&A in InformationWeek's print edition, and that conversation can be heard as a podcast here.
Continue reading "Podcast: Interview With Peter Rojas..."
Itanium And Integrity--Who Are Intel And HP Trying To Convince?
Itanium and Integrity won't go down from a lack of effort or commitment from its two creators and largest proponents, Intel and Hewlett-Packard. After Thursday's Webcast conference, one lingering impression was that the two companies may be trying as hard to convince themselves as the public that they haven't wasted billions of dollars in what has now become a decades-long effort to establish a new processor architecture.
Continue reading "Itanium And Integrity--Who Are Intel And HP Trying To Convince?..."
What If Microsoft Repackaged The iPod?
With so much speculation about Microsoft's mysterious Origami Project possibly being an iPod killer (unlike this origami project), I'd be remiss if I didn't point readers to this hilarious video where someone took the time to answer the question I pose in the title of this blog. It's certainly something we can only hope to see.
Daily News Podcast, Friday, March 3
In today's Daily News Podcast, we take a look at Google's plans to become a $100 billion company, Oracle's jump into enterprise search, a bill filed to Ensure "Net Neutrality," Microsoft's charges of collusion between the EU and its competitors, confirmation of an upgrade feature planned for Windows Vista, and the beta launch of Microsoft's online classified ads service. Our Editor's Note provides one man's view on why he hates open source routing, or, more accurately, the overly enthusiastic hoopla surrounding it. Patricia Keefe is your host.
Background music: "Species (Instrumental Mix)," courtesy The Cow Exchange under Creative Commons License
Net Neutrality Finds A Champion
Just when I was gloomily thinking that the only politicians interested in net neutrality were those being paid by telcos and cable companies to bury it, something really unusual has happened: A senator has stepped forward to champion the interests of citizens rather than corporate lobbyists. Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, says he's introducing legislation to prohibit Internet network operators from charging companies for faster delivery of their content to Internet users.
Continue reading "Net Neutrality Finds A Champion..."
Net Neutrality Finds A Champion
Just when I was gloomily thinking that the only politicians interested in net neutrality were those being paid by telcos and cable companies to bury it, something really unusual has happened: A senator has stepped forward to champion the interests of citizens rather than corporate lobbyists. Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, says he's introducing legislation to prohibit Internet network operators from charging companies for faster delivery of their content to Internet users.
Continue reading "Net Neutrality Finds A Champion..."
Get Set To Pay More For High-Bandwidth Internet Use
Consumers seeking to download heavy-duty apps such as streaming video could find themselves paying much more for their Internet service than those who simply want to surf the Web.
Continue reading "Get Set To Pay More For High-Bandwidth Internet Use..."
How Does An Optional Service Become An "E-Mail Tax?"
AOL must be feeling a bit picked on at this point. A collection of organizations that starting making noise last week about its upcoming fee-based certified e-mail service has banded together into a coalition of at least 50, mostly non-profit, organizations decrying the service provider's plan to deploy Goodmail's Certified Email as a destructive "e-mail tax."
And AOL has a right to feel singled out since it is far from the first e-mail provider to engage a third party like Bonded Sender, Habeas and Goodmail to provide a fee-based service to authenticate senders. In fact the list is fairly extensive. In addition to Yahoo, which has a similar deal with Goodmail, Microsoft, Earthlink and Google also offer similar services.
In a sense, it's more a testament to the size of AOL's customer base that, suddenly, another such move could spell the demise of the "free and open Internet." When AOL makes a move in the public e-mail realm, everyone feels it.
"E-mail tax" is an emotionally charged term right now and the coalition is making the most of it. But in reality, Certified Email is an optional service. I haven't heard of any taxes that were optional. And last I heard, AOL wasn't changing any of its free services.
Continue reading "How Does An Optional Service Become An "E-Mail Tax?"..."
How Does An Optional Service Become An "E-Mail Tax?"
AOL must be feeling a bit picked on at this point. A collection of organizations that starting making noise last week about its upcoming fee-based certified e-mail service has banded together into a coalition of at least 50, mostly non-profit, organizations decrying the service provider's plan to deploy Goodmail's Certified Email as a destructive "e-mail tax."
And AOL has a right to feel singled out since it is far from the first e-mail provider to engage a third party like Bonded Sender, Habeas and Goodmail to provide a fee-based service to authenticate senders. In fact the list is fairly extensive. In addition to Yahoo, which has a similar deal with Goodmail, Microsoft, Earthlink and Google also offer similar services.
In a sense, it's more a testament to the size of AOL's customer base that, suddenly, another such move could spell the demise of the "free and open Internet." When AOL makes a move in the public e-mail realm, everyone feels it.
"E-mail tax" is an emotionally charged term right now and the coalition is making the most of it. But in reality, Certified Email is an optional service. I haven't heard of any taxes that were optional. And last I heard, AOL wasn't changing any of its free services.
Continue reading "How Does An Optional Service Become An "E-Mail Tax?"..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, March 2
Listen to the InformationWeek Daily Podcast. In this report: Microsoft plans to unveil a nonsecurity update for Internet Explorer, Intel is developing a new micro-architecture, and Dell is shipping its second pair of Duo notebooks. Our in-depth report is about Google, cell phones, and porn. And my editorial comments talk about how Microsoft will stumble on Windows Vista and Office 2007. Your host for today: Mitch Wagner.
Background music: "Juniper" by Kevin MacLeod, courtesy IncompeTech under Creative Commons License
Microsoft Will Stumble On Windows Vista And Office 2007
The thing about the story of the boy who cried wolf is that the wolf eventually showed up.
Every time Microsoft updates Windows and Office, pessimists say customers won't adopt the new version. This trend goes back more than a decade. It happened with Windows 95, with Windows 98, with Windows ME, and with Windows XP. And the pessimists have been wrong every time.
But this time around, it's looking like the pessimistic view is the right one. Neither Vista nor the upcoming Office 2007 offers compelling reasons to upgrade.
Continue reading "Microsoft Will Stumble On Windows Vista And Office 2007..."
When Is A Security Update Not A Security Update?
Question: when is a security update not a security update? Answer: when it's an update to Internet Explorer. Microsoft Tuesday released an update to IE that forces the user to explicitly approve the execution of some Active-X controls. That's a security update in my book. Microsoft is splitting hairs by saying it doesn't protect the browser. It protects the user, and that's what's important.
Continue reading "When Is A Security Update Not A Security Update?..."
When Is A Security Update Not A Security Update?
Question: when is a security update not a security update? Answer: when it's an update to Internet Explorer. Microsoft Tuesday released an update to IE that forces the user to explicitly approve the execution of some Active-X controls. That's a security update in my book. Microsoft is splitting hairs by saying it doesn't protect the browser. It protects the user, and that's what's important.
Continue reading "When Is A Security Update Not A Security Update?..."
Microsoft Invents E-Mail You Use With Your Feet
Microsoft invests billions in its awesome research wing. Some of the inventions developed there are stunning -- awe inspiring. But one invention I discovered today is, well, not so hot. It's e-mail software that you manipulate with your feet using a Dance Dance Revolution game pad.
Continue reading "Microsoft Invents E-Mail You Use With Your Feet..."
Simple Ideas Can Be Big Ideas
As we continue to find out, there are many ways to skin the compliance cat, especially when it comes to archiving. And every once in a while simple ideas crop up that are relatively inexpensive to deploy and can really help the compliance cause.
Here's an example: We've all heard that archiving is less than half the battle in proving compliance with several key regulations. Once the data is archived, you have to be able to quickly search and discover the files critical to any ongoing litigation or compliance audit.
So why not use a system to automatically tag the files before they are stored? Seems logical, but such a system would have to based on preset policies for classifying files before they enter the archive. And with something as unstructured and diverse as E-mail, that in itself can be a pretty tall order.
Yes, some vendors offer something like this as part of their overall archiving systems, but what if you already have an archiving system?
Well, Orchestria has a piece of technology that often gets overlooked among its other compliance, threat and policy management, and behavior monitoring systems. The company's Smart Tagging technology can automatically apply rich metadata to the millions of messages that hit a corporate e-mail system every day, before those messages reach the archive. And it can be set up to look for special content such as discussions of financial records, intellectual property, employment solicitations, and personal communications. And then set retention periods based on the tagged categories to help manage storage costs.
Continue reading "Simple Ideas Can Be Big Ideas..."
Simple Ideas Can Be Big Ideas
As we continue to find out, there are many ways to skin the compliance cat, especially when it comes to archiving. And every once in a while simple ideas crop up that are relatively inexpensive to deploy and can really help the compliance cause.
Here's an example: We've all heard that archiving is less than half the battle in proving compliance with several key regulations. Once the data is archived, you have to be able to quickly search and discover the files critical to any ongoing litigation or compliance audit.
So why not use a system to automatically tag the files before they are stored? Seems logical, but such a system would have to based on preset policies for classifying files before they enter the archive. And with something as unstructured and diverse as E-mail, that in itself can be a pretty tall order.
Yes, some vendors offer something like this as part of their overall archiving systems, but what if you already have an archiving system?
Well, Orchestria has a piece of technology that often gets overlooked among its other compliance, threat and policy management, and behavior monitoring systems. The company's Smart Tagging technology can automatically apply rich metadata to the millions of messages that hit a corporate e-mail system every day, before those messages reach the archive. And it can be set up to look for special content such as discussions of financial records, intellectual property, employment solicitations, and personal communications. And then set retention periods based on the tagged categories to help manage storage costs.
Continue reading "Simple Ideas Can Be Big Ideas..."
Daily News Podcast, March 1
In today's podcast, we review Tuesday's financial news on Google, a new online payments thrust from the search leader, the new Intel-based mini Mac computers, as well as security reporting issues. In my commentary, I pose the question of whether security vulnerability reporting benefits IT managers or those who issue the reports to begin with.
Continue reading "Daily News Podcast, March 1..."
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