ecosystem

Top vendors form WiMAX patent alliance

Paul Mah — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:19:03 -0400

A group of six major vendors have announced the creation of a patent alliance to ensure that companies are able to access WiMAX technologies at predictable costs. The Open Patent Alliance (OPA) is made up of Cisco, Intel, Alcatel-Lucent, Clearwire, Samsung and Sprint. Another six to nine companies are expected to join the organization.

Companies interested in creating WiMAX equipment can approach the OPA directly, resulting in a "competitive and open intellectual property rights model." In turn, it is hoped that the WiMAX industry will be stimulated to create a healthy ecosystem. This way, it will be easier to reach the critical mass of equipment and users necessary for WiMAX to truly take-off.

For more the Open Patent Alliance:
- check out this CNET News.com article

High-tech immigration debate keeps rolling in Washington

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:01:40 -0400

For those of you who are as sick and tired of the sycophantic coverage of Apple's iPhone, I have good news: There is only one such mention in today's missive and it's at the end. I would, however, like to say a thing or two about the high-tech immigration debate in Washington.

The unemployment in this country continues to rattle below 5 percent according to the most recent Department of Labor statistics. While those numbers may not account for the under-employment numbers that are hitting the low end of the job-seeking market, the fact is that corporate America is headed for the same type of shortage in technical resources that seriously hampered the development of many small companies during the peak of the dot-com era.

It seems to me that we have two choices: we can either import the talent that we need to keep our high-tech businesses running, or corporate America will simply accelerate the rate at which they outsource technical and management jobs to offshore facilities. In the latter scenario, we lose in more than one way. Not only do we shift opportunities abroad, we transfer an entire ecosystem of knowledge and expertise. Aren't we better off letting the technical expertise flow into this country rather than the other way around? I'm open to suggestions.

Let me know what you think. In the meantime, if you're heading out to the Apple Store this evening, save me a spot! - Patty Brown

Taking the middle ground with email

Mon, 07 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Today, it's entirely possible to take a hybrid approach to email messaging that allows you to choose the best from both the open standards community and your legacy proprietary systems technology. But this hybrid open/proprietary approach will only work if it allows users to drop in an email server without making changes to desktops or infrastructure. For a smooth transition and managed migration, the new system must operate seamlessly at the server-to-server level, so that during a period of coexistence, users of the new system can work effectively with users who are still hosted on Exchange. An effective approach uses a product compatible at the network-protocol level with the existing infrastructure. Outlook on the desktop will think it is talking to Exchange when it is really talking to the new Linux email server, and end users don't know they are on a different server. An open standard, Exchange-compatible, drop-in solution supports a Linux-friendly messaging environment that enables full Outlook functionality. What's more, enterprises can scale their email systems and choose the most economical storage components, and the servers can communicate on a peer-to-peer basis with Exchange and the rest of the email ecosystem. This middle-ground approach leverages systems that enable protocol compatibility with the market-dominating system but also allow the organization to evolve an open email ecosystem.

Read more about the hybrid email system:
- read the article at Linux Insider

Vista to generate $9.5 B for NY/NJ businesses in 2007

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:01:37 -0500

Take this one with a grain of salt, folks. A Microsoft-sponsored study conducted by analyst group IDC claims that Windows Vista will generate $9.5 billion for businesses and industries in New York and New Jersey, through 2007--that's $7 billion in New York and $2.5 billion in Jersey. Additionally, IDC predicts that Vista will make its way on to 4.7 million PCs in the area (ambitious, but not impossible) and will generate over 20,000 jobs. "Windows Vista's footprint in the state will be wide, as original equipment manufacturers sell PCs that run on it, software companies sell applications that run it, and services and distribution firms deliver, install, support and train on it," said John Gantz, chief research officer and senior vice president at IDC. "We expect that in the first year of Windows Vista shipments, this ecosystem will sell more than $7 billion of Windows Vista-related products and services in New York." Now that's all well and good for the NY/NJ economy but does this mean that you should deploy Vista right away? Not unless supporting local business is more important to you than the security of your business's data.

For more Vista predictions:
- see this Microsoft press release

Microsoft security chief lays out his vision

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:01:37 -0400

For Microsoft's new security chief, IT security is all about establishing a trust ecosystem--which would flip security strategies over from a defensive position to a proactive approach. As he explains, his company's vision of security is being looped into everything: from new products and system upgrades to its own internal business operations. It's not just about tightening down networks and putting up barricades, says Ben Fathi, it's about a deep management approach in which security permeates every aspect of the enterprise.

For more on the security leader's vision:
- read this article at InfoWorld

SPOTLIGHT: Mobile-device makers push for Linux platform

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:01:34 -0400

There's a new Linux advocacy group up and running. This time a few big mobile phone makers are launching a group to support an "open Linux-based software platform." The group hopes to create a cooperative atmosphere to foster the creation of a Linux ecosystem that would prevent technology fragmentation in the marketplace. Article

IBM opens doors to its R&D

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 19:01:37 -0500

IBM is setting out to build an "innovation ecosystem" and isn't wasting any time fostering collaboration with partners. It's going to make its research and development centers and staff available and open to partners in an effort to ignite "the front line of discovery." The decision is getting rave reviews from pundits and industry analysts, as well as corporate business leaders.

For more on IBM's innovation outreach:
- read this article at CIO Today