Schools Should Look at Scantron's Free Testing 28 March 2003 Scantron, best known for providing forms and optical readers, has stepped "outside the box" with its Performance Series testing program, which it will offer mostly free to some schools. SARS Outbreak Highlights the Need for Teleworking 28 March 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has led Hong Kong authorities to impose controls that may keep employees from traveling to work. The crisis shows why enterprises should enable telecommuting as part of business continuity planning. France Telecom Will Gain Funds but Needs Productivity Gains Too 27 March 2003 France Telecom has eased its immediate financial situation with a 15-billion-euros rights issue. But operational challenges remain. Cisco's Acquisition of Linksys Could Create Pricing Conflicts 25 March 2003 BMC Software takes a step toward business service management with its acquisition of IT Masters. BMC's event console customers should expect immediate benefits. BMC Buys IT Masters for Business Service Management 25 March 2003 BMC Software takes a step toward business service management with its acquisition of IT Masters. BMC's event console customers should expect immediate benefits. Boingo, T-Mobile Alliance Targets Wireless Internet Service Use 24 March 2003 Boingo Wireless and T-Mobile USA will develop software and services for Wi-Fi and general packet radio service (GPRS). The alliance is a small step toward more widespread North American adoption of wireless Internet service. New Top Management Should Stabilize EDS 24 March 2003 A new CEO and COO should help EDS get back on track toward growth and profitability. Service delivery and relationships shouldn't change in the short term, but customers should still check with EDS account executives.

3Com, Huawei Enter Joint Venture, Their Customers Will Win 21 March 2003 3Com and China's Huawei will form a joint venture to develop network switches and routers for the global market. 3Com will get an end-to-end solution while its sales channels will let Huawei expand into Europe and North America. Gary Forsee Becomes Sprint's CEO With Minor Conditions 21 March 2003 A mediator's decision allowed Sprint to appoint BellSouth's Gary Forsee as its new CEO. In Gartner's view, the mediator's restrictions are minor, and Sprint has resolved its executive management issue with minimal strings attached. Primavera to Acquire Evolve, Expand Project Management Line 21 March 2003 Primavera Systems plans to acquire financially troubled Evolve Software, a pioneering services automation vendor. The deal will further extend Primavera's project portfolio management product line. How Enterprises in Asia/Pacific Should Respond to War 20 March 2003 The war in Iraq threatens enterprises in the Asia/Pacific region. They should act immediately to secure the well-being of employees and ensure business continuity. PeopleSoft Takes Good First Steps in Instant Messaging 20 March 2003 PeopleSoft has extended its Multi-Channel Framework to include instant messaging (IM). Person-to-person chat is a good first offering, but people and business processes also need to interact in real time. How to Respond to War in Iraq 19 March 2003 The outbreak of war in Iraq places stress on enterprises in a number of ways. Enterprises should focus on the basics, such as keeping workers safe and supply chains running. Latest IIS Flaw Shows 'Security Through Obscurity' Doesn't Work 19 March 2003 Microsoft accelerated a patch for a vulnerability in Internet Information Server (IIS) that hackers exploited before it became publicly known. The flaw carries high risk, and enterprises should protect themselves immediately. Plan on Higher Maintenance Costs for IBM Mainframe Hardware 19 March 2003 IBM has announced higher maintenance prices on a broad class of hardware. Enterprises should take steps to control maintenance costs, which have recently seen hefty increases every year. Microsoft Announces Promising Vision for Real-Time Infrastructure 18 March 2003 Microsoft announced a real-time infrastructure strategy to make applications operationally aware. Enterprises will eventually benefit from improved flexibility and automation in Windows systems. WorldCom's $80 Billion Write-Off: Don't Worry, but Watch Service Levels 18 March 2003 The size of WorldCom's write-off should not alarm customers. However, Gartner believes the carrier must further reduce costs to achieve solid profitability, so enterprises should monitor service levels with extra care. Benetton's Radio ID Tags May Not Be Ready for Deployment 18 March 2003 Benetton plans to pilot the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) for tracking garments across the supply chain. For most businesses, including Benetton, widespread RFID deployment is premature. Fiserv Adds to Its Offerings With PCS Acquisition 18 March 2003 By acquiring Precision Computer Systems (PCS), Fiserv will add to its customer base and its core processing offerings for small and midsize banks. The only problem involves some overlap in market segments. ISO Acquires Ascendant One, Broadens Approach to Insurers 17 March 2003 By purchasing AscendantOne, Insurance Services Office (ISO) has expanded its reach in the property and casualty (P&C) market. ISO's focus is evolving from providing information to marketing packaged solutions.