Windows Phone 7, Mark It Tardy
I don't care what Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer claims, Windows Phone 7 is late to market -- dangerously late. Microsoft's late start is going to cost them a pretty penny.
You're Invited To Take InformationWeek Analytics' Enterprise 2.0 Survey
Do you E2.0? If so, I need your help. InformationWeek Analytics is conducting a survey to determine what's important to you when you're choosing Enterprise 2.0 applications, and how vendors stack up against a list of criteria rating the performance, applicability, cost, and reliability of their software.
Safego Addresses Facebook Security
Love it or hate it, social networking is here to stay…at least for a while. Undoubtedly, websites like Facebook are appealing for a lot of reasons: You can connect with friends and family members who live far away; you can satisfy your curiosity about a former classmate; you can find out which Italian restaurant in your area has the best pasta primavera; and, if you're a business owner, you can tap the power of word-of-mouth to ratchet up sales.
Oracle v. SAP: Daytime Drama
Part 1 – Trial Preview: A trial nearly four years in the making is finally upon us. Oracle and SAP counsel will put on a dramatic show thanks to star witnesses, a trail of illegal activity, and accusations of misconduct at the highest levels.
Flash Exploit On The Move Via PDF File
A critical zero-day Flash exploit that arrives in a PDF file is being used in attacks aimed at Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x. The exploited vulnerability is found across all major platforms, and a patch is not expected to be available for a couple of weeks.
Pentagon's New CIO Faces A Tough Test
The Department of Defense's incoming IT leadership team, led by Teri Takai, will be greeted by organizational upheaval, cost cutting, and pressure from Congress.
First Impressions: BlackBerry Style 9670
Research In Motion's latest BlackBerry smartphone takes a cue from the feature phone with its flip form factor. Does this non-traditional smartphone still pack a punch?
Apple Leapfrogs RIM Into The Top Five
According to IDC, Apple's most recent quarter vaulted it past Research In Motion, making Apple the world's fourth-largest maker of mobile phones. Nokia still holds the number one spot with an iron grip.
Cell Phones Defy Downturn
Many IT markets have been caught in the doldrums recently, however, cell phones are riding high. Market research firm International Data Corp. found sales grew by 14.6% in the third quarter of 2010, the fourth consecutive period of double-digit growth.
WebOS Wrap Up
There has been both good news and bad news for WebOS fans this week. News has leaked that HP's Asian manufacturers are planning up to six new Palm devices which would all presumably run WebOS 2.0. Speaking of 2.0, if you like the PalmOS 5.x emulator, or MotionApps Classic, they aren't supporting WebOS beyond 1.x. Oh yeah. HP has unveiled a new logo for its mobile platform.
Microsoft's Consumer-Corporate Schism
CNN says that Microsoft's consumer brand is dying. No doubt the Microsoft brand doesn't have the consumer appeal it did in the mid-1990s, but is down the only direction it can go?
IBM Cognos 10 Impresses at IoD
I was at IBM's Information on Demand (IoD) and Cognos Business Analytics Forum this week in Las Vegas where Cognos launched its next-generation BI platform: IBM Cognos 10. Some of the improvements put the vendor in a stronger competitive position, but new collaboration features have the potential to be a significant competitive differentiator...
Opera Debuts Native Symbian Browser
Opera Software made a new version of Opera Mini available to the Symbian platform. Opera Mini 5.1 is significant because it is a native -- and not a Java -- application.
Browsers Preferred Over Apps For Many Tasks
Apple has over 300,000 apps, Google over 100,000 and after just one week, Microsoft over 1,000 in its store, yet users often prefer browsers for getting some of the most common things done on their smartphone.
Now Can We Put the Cloud to Work?
Gartner has released its 2010 Hype Cycle Report, identifying those technologies it thinks have reached the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" as well as those languishing in the "Trough of Disillusionment." Cloud computing hype seems to have peaked, and that's a good thing.
The Privacy Discussion Is Heating Up
Internet privacy issues are getting more and more attention. Frankly, I think we're getting past the point where the only big risk is loss of liberty. More and more, the risk of an excessive backlash is upon us as well...
Google Rounds Out Product Trio With Boost
First there was Google Places, which let businesses list themselves for all the web to see. Then there was Tags, which allowed users to expand those listings with coupons, photos, videos, etc. Now Google has announced the beta of Boost, an online advertising solution targeting small businesses.
Is Java Putting Your SMB At Risk?
Java exploits are on the rise, and sharply so, exceeding PDF attacks by a factor of 60 to 1, according to Microsoft. Is it time to cut off Java in your workplace?
Use Analytics to Spotlight Customer 'HEROes'
Most people in communities are essentially there for the ride, contributing little while benefiting from whatever resources the more generous among them have chosen to share... That's fine, as long as you keep encouraging actively engaged individuals -- whom Forrester refers to as CRM Highly Empowered & Resourceful Operatives (HEROes) -- to keep the useful content coming.
Windows Phone 7 Gets Mac Support
Microsoft has released a beta of their synchronization tool that will allow their new Windows Phone 7 platform to connect to a Mac and access its iTunes library. It isn't a full Zune desktop client but is far better than official support for Windows Mobile in the past, which was basically nothing.
RIM Demos PlayBook Tablet
Research In Motion used the AdobeMAX conference to highlight the capabilities of its forthcoming PlayBook tablet. The big question on everyone's mind: Is this thing for real?
Focus on Inventory: ERP Lets SMB Get Warranties Under Control
I recently checked in with Greg Woodward, who is heading up Torelli Bicycle Company's enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project for SAP integrator Navigator Business Solutions. I asked Greg what gains Torelli will realize from the technology makeover it's receiving.
Being 'Social' With Customers: A Tricky Business
If you're an SMB that's decided to take on social media, I commend you. The world of Twitter and Facebook can be an intimidating one to navigate, but it can also yield dividends in the way of enhanced customer loyalty and new business.
There's (Short-Term) Hope For Greener Storage
Energy demands made by data center storage are expected to start leveling off soon as vendors start making storage with greener, more efficient components. But the effect won't last.
New York As IT Center Of The World
The Big Apple's new licensing agreement with Microsoft is just one part of an ambitious IT strategy that includes data center consolidation and central management of policies and services.
Extreme Embellishes Fixed Ethernet Switches
Competition has intensified in the network switch market. In order to protect its position in the data center, Extreme Networks unveiled a new fixed Ethernet switch family that offers customers more capacity as well as longer distance transmissions than previous systems.
Adobe Flash 10.1 Coming To Most Platforms
Today Adobe announced the release of AIR 2.5 and buried in the announcement is an update on Flash for smartphones. Unless you have an iPhone, chances are good you can either get it today or will be able to in the near future.
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