new software

HP upgrades archiving software

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Hewlett-Packard Co. has rolled out an improved version of its HP Database Archiving software that could be good news for IT pros. The new software comes equipped with a visual design tool that HP says will allow IT departments to quickly model their core business applications and maintain data for regulatory compliance and e-discovery needs.

Kevin O'Malley, product marketing manager for database archiving at HP, said the new software "marries the infrastructure and business."

"We think this will change the game, he said. "Customers can do archived deployment far more readily and align the business and the IT objectives of managing the data."

To read more about the new HP software:
- check out this searchcio.com article

Cisco adds a new security tool

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

There's always something new in the market to protect the network. And last week, Cisco announced its new technology called Trusted Security that combines identity and role-based security measures for enterprise networks. "Customers are demanding a highly secure way to expand their businesses and compliance policies," said Jayshree Ullal, senior vice president of the Data Center, Switching, and Security Technology Group at Cisco. The next generation of security software has an increasingly complex job as computers go mobile and global. Cisco's new software will provide a more secure arena for users. And it comes not a moment too soon. Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group, called Cisco TrustSec the evolution of self-protecting networks that's needed for the global and mobile world. "Identity is important not only from a security standpoint, but it will also be used to define a user's context, which includes presence and other information," Kerravala said.

For more on Cisco's newest security tool:
- Read this CIO Today Article

Tech dodges H1-B visa limits by moving to Canada

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Microsoft is setting an interesting precedent by opening a new center near Vancouver, British Columbia that will allow the company to "recruit and retain highly skilled people affected by immigration issues in the U.S." and station them near its Redmond, WA headquarters. After sending Bill Gates across the country to lobby for an increase in the number of workers that can enter the country using the H1-B visa--and losing--Microsoft is executing its own work-around strategy. InformationWeek reports that the company will open a new software development center in Canada this fall. The facility will initially house 200 workers, "with room to grow," and the new facility will develop software for the full range of Microsoft's products. The Vancouver center will be staffed with "a mix" of Canadian-born workers and workers from other countries.

For more on Microsoft's H1-B workaround:
- read more in InformationWeek. Article

The danger of open-source

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Using open-source code to help develop new software sounds like a great idea, but beware. If developers uses a piece of code that has been distributed under the GPL, for example, the entire piece of released code that includes the GPL code has to be distributed under the GPL. That means your developers can come up with the next "killer app", but just as it's gaining steam, a competitor may point out that all of your code has to be covered by GPL, which means it has to be made available to anyone and you can't apply restrictions on the redistribution of that code. You can't really prevent your developers from using pre-written reusable code chunks, because it reduces time to market. And you can't ensure that all code is held against a copy of the license and then distribute each chunk under its own license separately. It's not viable. A small company, Black Duck, may have a solution. It provides a capability for code to be searched at both a string matching level and at a pattern matching level to identify code that has come from an environment where the code is licensed. It can then flag all of these pieces of code and ensure that the developer or legal department is aware that this may raise issues. The developer and/or organization concerned can then make a decision about whether the overall code should go under a specific license, get packaged separately from the open code to maintain the fidelity of the commercial code, or to replace the code with in-house code to bypass the possible ramifications of the other licensed code.

Read more about the caveats of using open source:
- read the article at IT-Director.com

ALSO: read this about Sun following through on its open source promise

Breaking the rules

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:01:38 -0400

When it comes to dealing with software, sometimes breaking the rules makes sense. For example, forget the idea that software must always be financed from the capital expenditures budget rather than from operational expense. Forget the convention that software should use a floating license solution, or the notion that every new software release will run more slowly than the previous release. You don't have to accept bugs in the first release of a software program and you should expect 100% uptime for enterprise applications. Don't always choose commercial software instead of open-source. Insist on support for end-of-life software. And don't assume that you always get what you pay for.

Read on for dozens of software rules that should be broken:
- read the article at Optimize

ALSO: read this on navigating software problems

Watch out for the virtual server takeover

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Virtual servers--servers that act just like physical machines but use the hardware of their host--are taking over the data center. But watch out for issues that can creep up. A move toward server virtualization may require changes to other systems, which in turn might make some older machines inoperable. Other possible changes include the purchase and installation of new software and hardware, as well as complex licensing issues and vendor hype.

For more about the inevitable move to virtual servers:
- read the article at SearchCIO

A joint effort on boosting wireless security

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:01:36 -0500

Wireless mobile computing security could jump ahead a few steps once new research efforts by vendors and the national defense department are completed. The pilot program called the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is being undertaken by Aruba Networks and Dartmouth College researchers who are developing a new software architecture that would better protect wireless networks from attack.

For more on the wireless security effort:
- read the story at NetworkWorld

Related Article: The insecurities of mobile computing. Article

ALSO NOTED: Linux mobility advances with new software suites; The serious damage micro-managing can cause; and much more...

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:01:33 -0500

> Linux mobility advances with new software suites. Article

> The serious damage micro-managing can cause. Article

> The Drift is much more than just a snazzy cell phone. Article

> How computers could help humans live forever. Article

And Finally... A programmer takes a unique approach in buying a laptop. Article

ALSO NOTED: Financial titan poo-poos online banking system flaw; A look at today's top 10 security issues; and much more...

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:01:33 -0400

> Financial titan poo-poos online banking system flaw. Article

> A look at today's top 10 security issues. Article

> AOL's data incident isn't prompting Google to make any changes. Article

> New software tool will provide automated code testing capability. Article

> Why following all best practices may not be a good practice. Article

> Book offers insight on the good and bad of corporate blogging. Review

And Finally... Future mobile capabilities that will change our lives. Article

How scheduling revamp can spur retail efforts

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 20:01:37 -0400

Putting the right level of the best resources into the business process of serving customers is key to making money and delivering a strong customer service relationship. As one shoe retailer is learning, new software for organizing and establishing employee scheduling is not only bringing new efficiencies into place but it's also ensuring that store resources are not diverted away from customers. The improved time organization is helping spur revenue.

For more on new tech tools for customer driven enterprises:
- see this article at BPM Today