InformationWeek Daily Archives

06/18/2013 05:33:47 Daily, September 26
Boarding The Open-Source Express

In This Issue:
1. Editor's Note: Boarding The Open-Source Express
2. Today's Top Story: Microprocessors
    - AMD Launches Three Dual-Core Chips
    - Dell Introduces First Dual-Core Xeon Servers
    - Intel, Server Vendors Team Up To Push Itanium
3. Breaking News
    - Cisco Bolsters Network Security
    - Palm To Debut Handheld Running Windows
    - Symantec Updates Personal Security Product Line
    - Credit Companies Promise Tighter Security
    - Judge Sides With Visa, MasterCard In Test Of Consumer Protection Law
    - Phishers Take Aim At Yahoo Photo Sharing
    - Microsoft To Add Staff, Tune Software For India
    - Lockheed Martin Launches Modernized GPS Satellite
    - Poll: Companies Unprepared For Next Sarbanes-Oxley Deadline
    - Strong Growth Rate Predicted For Municipal Wireless
    - Yahoo News Exclusive Hot Zone Content Begins
    - Messaging Reportedly Makes Financial Industry Vulnerable To Compliance Breaches
4. In Depth: Fred Langa Analyzes Image-Sharing Services
5. Voice Of Authority: Analyzing Oracle's Apps Strategy
6. White Papers: Open-Source ERP and CRM
7. Get More Out Of InformationWeek
8. Manage Your Newsletter Subscription

Quote of the day:
"Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining." -- Jef Raskin

1. Editor's Note: Boarding The Open-Source Express

A little over a month ago, I set out to find out just how popular open-source software has become within big business. These are companies that have the money to spend on the biggest, most complex packages that IBM, Oracle, and other enterprise software makers have to offer. They're also companies with armies of IT professionals highly proficient in writing and maintaining their own applications. Why in the world would they use open source? Actually, the question has become: Why in the world wouldn't they use open source? Here's some of what I learned while I was researching this week's cover story.

Most large, multibillion-dollar companies don't know how much open source they're actually using. It's introduced into the IT environment by developers looking to build the best applications in the shortest amount of time possible.

Most companies don't have a budget, per se, for open source. Open source is often used to help launch side projects that otherwise would stay on the shelf because there isn't enough IT money to go around.

Open source is responsible for changing the character of large IT operations even more than it is changing the composition of these operations. Perhaps the greatest driver of open source adoption is that programmers like it.

There seems to be a consensus among large companies that open-source is a superior model for avoiding per-CPU software licensing fees that quickly add up in the data center.

For smaller companies with fewer legacy IT investments, open source offers the ability to build an IT environment that more closely matches the company's needs.

Big companies don't want to get pinched by intellectual-property lawsuits over open source. That's why JBoss, Red Hat, Novell, and others offer indemnification as part of their services.

You can read more of my analysis of the state of open-source software in this blog entry.

My next open-source project, due out next month, will examine the role open source plays supporting startup and emerging companies. Unlike their deep-pocketed corporate counterparts, these small-but-growing businesses are turning to open source to breathe life into ideas that otherwise might not have seen the light of day. I welcome your input and suggestions as I flesh out this next major open-source analysis.

Larry Greenemeier
lgreenem@cmp.com
www.informationweek.com

2. Today's Top Story

AMD Launches Three Dual-Core Chips
Advanced Micro Devices beats Intel out the door with its dual-core Opteron chip family.

Related Stories:
Dell Introduces First Dual-Core Xeon Servers
AMD introduces three new models of its dual-core Opteron line, while Dell starts taking orders for its Intel-based dual-core systems.

Intel, Server Vendors Team Up To Push Itanium
The idea behind this week's alliance announcement: to lure mass-market software vendors to help make Itanium attractive outside its traditional RISC base.

3. Breaking News

Cisco Bolsters Network Security
The newest offerings are part of Cisco's Self-Defending Network security strategy, launched a few years ago to deliver real-time response to threats based on internal and external network-threat intelligence.

Palm To Debut Handheld Running Windows
The Windows Mobile-based Treo 700 is expected to compete with Research in Motion's BlackBerry wireless device.

Symantec Updates Personal Security Product Line
Symantec has released the 2006 editions of its flagship consumer and small business Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, and Norton Personal Firewall products, all which now include a security status console that shows not only vendor's products, but rivals', too.

Credit Companies Promise Tighter Security
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion promise they will come up with an encryption standard to protect sensitive customer data.

Judge Sides With Visa, MasterCard In Test Of Consumer Protection Law
The credit-card companies don't have to warn thousands of people that they may be at risk for identity theft, a California judge ruled on Friday.

Phishers Take Aim At Yahoo Photo Sharing
Phishers have switched tactics in their ongoing attempt to lift user names and passwords from unsuspecting Yahoo users, a security company says.

Microsoft To Add Staff, Tune Software For India
Microsoft plans to beef up its operation in India by increasing staff, improving broadband access, and promising versions of Windows XP for different Indian dialects.

Lockheed Martin Launches Modernized GPS Satellite
The first modernized Global Positioning System satellite was launched by a Delta II rocket at Cape Canaveral Sunday. It's expected to improve navigation for U.S. military forces and civilians.

Poll: Companies Unprepared For Next Sarbanes-Oxley Deadline
Nearly half of public companies that filed for extensions to meet Sarbanes-Oxley requirements are likely to miss the next deadline, according to a poll by Akonix Systems.

Strong Growth Rate Predicted For Muni Wireless
The development of municipal wireless networks will double every year through 2007, a new study predicts.

Yahoo News Exclusive Hot Zone Content Begins
Yahoo News began airing its exclusive news content Sunday with a veteran war correspondent's dispatches from Somalia.

Messaging Reportedly Makes Financial Industry Vulnerable To Compliance Breaches
Orchestria's findings indicate that most policy breaches are due to a misunderstanding of policy rather than malicious intent.

All our latest news

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4. In Depth: Fred Langa And Personal Tech

Langa Letter: Analyzing New Kinds Of Image-Sharing Services
If videos or photos are part of your work, these new services can help, Fred Langa says.

Langa Letter: GPS Update
Remember when cell phones went from fat, bulky, exotic devices to slim, must-have, everyday tools? That's what's happening to GPS technology right now, Fred Langa says.

Cool New Gadgets For You To Buy
New feature! This week, InformationWeek has the skinny on a new Kodak wireless digital camera, Canary Wireless Wi-Fi finder, solar-powered battery charger, and a Jabra wireless cell phone headset that doesn't look like a goiter hanging off your ear.

Dell Launches iPod Competitor
The PC vendor has introduced the 'DJ Ditty,' meant to take on the iPod Shuffle, and is promoting it through extremely low-key means.

Review: IPod Nano -- Small, Sleek And Superior
Apple's new iPod nano has a few problems, but overall it is a light and lovable gadget with cool features that far outweigh the annoyances.

5. Voice Of Authority: Analyzing Oracle's Apps Strategy

SmartAdvice: Oracle Will Merge Application Features--Eventually
Short term, Oracle's committed to support for JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and Siebel apps, The Advisory Council says.

6. White Papers: Open-Source ERP and CRM

Open Source ERP & CRM Primer by Global Era
Learn how your company can reap the benefits of the leading open source ERP & CRM solution on the market today. This Webcast presents the business and technical benefits of selecting Compiere's Open Source solution, which is built on Java, J2EE, and an Oracle database.

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