Microsoft Frees Up Its Consumer Security Software Product
26 June 2009

Microsoft's free consumer security offering, Microsoft Security Essentials, will spur more free offerings from its competitors. But Gartner expects adoption to be slowed by users' preference for security-focused vendors.
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Microsoft Brings Consumer Energy Efficiency Into Hohm
26 June 2009

Microsoft's move confirms our prediction that end-user energy efficiency will be a consumer technology vendor play. With Hohm, Microsoft departs from its model by owning the application rather than supporting partners.
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Enterprises Should Demand Windows Upgrade Option
26 June 2009

Microsoft has limited the number of free Windows 7 upgrades that can be claimed via its Windows Upgrade Option. Organizations need to understand their Windows 7 requirements and obtain rights for the best value.
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IBM-Siemens Pact Opens New Ways to Streamline PLM Processes
23 June 2009

The IBM-Siemens technology integration opens new product life cycle management opportunities. Gartner views the potential ability to manage embedded software more integrally as the most important benefit of the integration.
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The Web Wins Whether or Not Google Wave Succeeds
2 June 2009

Google Wave demonstrates substantial innovation in product, platform and protocol. This initiative will take many years to affect the enterprise but will change competition and opportunities in the workplace IT market.
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Historic Indian Election Results Bode Well for Indian IT
21 May 2009

India has voted its current government to a second five-year term. This could help deliver the political stability, legal reforms and economic growth needed to enable Indian industry to integrate and expand globally.
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Battery Switch Demo Is Critical Step for Better Place
20 May 2009

For electric vehicle services provider Better Place, getting traction for its automated battery switching technology in the form of government and auto company buy-in is crucial to its long-term development strategy.
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HP and Microsoft Unite for the Coming UCC War
20 May 2009

HP and Microsoft escalated the battle to supply unified communication and collaboration services to enterprises with a partnership that will deliver integration, sales/marketing and joint product development.
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Participation Key to Heartland Effort
13 May 2009

Heartland Payment Systems will offer end-to-end encryption to re-establish its credibility as a secure processor and strengthen its security practices. To work, its plan must be adopted by merchants and card brands.
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Windows 7 Will Affect Vista Deployment
13 May 2009

Microsoft expects to ship Windows 7 in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season. Organizations with a Windows Vista project well underway should stay the course, but most others should target Windows 7.
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Open Text Pads Its ECM Portfolio With Vignette Buy
11 May 2009

Buying Vignette will remove Open Text's last big independent rival in enterprise content management. Open Text and smaller players will benefit, but the deal won't affect either vendor's ECM customers in the short run.
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Microsoft's Vine Alerting Software Not Yet Up to Twitter
1 May 2009

Microsoft's Vine enables users to organize and disseminate information within a community and track friends and family in an emergency. Vine will need more functions and integration to challenge social sites like Twitter.
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EU Insurers Must Act Now to Meet Solvency II Deadline
28 April 2009

The European Parliament has taken a first step toward harmonizing risk management for insurers in the European Union by approving the Solvency II framework. But delegates quashed stronger plans for cross-border regulation.
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The 'Swine Flu' Is a Reason to Plan, Not Panic
27 April 2009

Enterprises should not overreact to the worldwide swine flu outbreak and the media attention surrounding it. But they should take this event as a wake-up call and review and test their pandemic response plans.
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IBM Services Revenue Under Pressure but Margins Expand
24 April 2009

IBM Global Services' 1Q09 results show its continued resiliency in the current economic environment, with cost controls driving IBM's profits. As expected, outsourcing outpaces consulting and system integration.
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Oracle's Acquisition of Sun Could Change Java's Course
23 April 2009

If Oracle owns the Java trademark and controls the Java Community Process, it could strategically secure Java and gain control over its future direction. But the Java community's reaction to its ownership is critical.
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Oracle/Sun Deal Will Change Competitive Landscape in IT
22 April 2009

Acquiring Sun Microsystems will propel Oracle into the IT hardware market and enable it to exploit the Java and Solaris software brands. But Oracle will also have to work at ensuring its open-source solutions remain viable.
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IBM GBS Breaks Ground on Analytic Solutions Practice
17 April 2009

IBM's Business Analytics and Optimization practice integrates its Research Center for Business Optimization into Global Business Services, and links GBS more closely with IBM's software group to develop analytic solutions.
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Deal Strengthens Cisco's Data Center Automation Plans
14 April 2009

The acquisition of Tidal Software will enable Cisco to dedicate a new business unit to creating and implementing its data center automation strategy, which has become a priority since the Unified Computing System launch.
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Tech Mahindra Will Face Hurdles Integrating Satyam
14 April 2009

Tech Mahindra, an India-based, niche IT services company, won the bid to buy Satyam. However, it will face tougher-than-usual obstacles absorbing Satyam and joining the ranks of upper-echelon offshore firms.
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FIS/Metavante Deal May Boost Prices in Core Banking
8 April 2009

With Metavante, Fidelity National Information Services gains expertise in architectural strategy and outsourcing that can fuel expansion. However, banks may pay the price with less vendor competition and higher prices.
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Siemens Serious, Timely Move Into Pharmaceuticals MOM
3 April 2009

Siemens' acquisition of specialist life science manufacturing operations management supplier Elan Software is another confirmation of Siemens' strategy to become the leading industrial software supplier.
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Ensure That Systems Are Protected Against Firefox Flaws
30 March 2009

A critical vulnerability in the widely used Mozilla Firefox Web browser highlights the need for enterprises to secure unsupported "alternative" browsers. Ensure that only the patched version of Firefox is installed.
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Liaison Deal Drives A2A and B2B Project Convergence
24 March 2009

Liaison's purchase of First Thought strengthens its blended approach to application-to-application and business-to-business integration. But Liaison's modest size will remain a challenge in Europe.
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Dutch Job Cuts Signal Increased Global Delivery Ratios
20 March 2009

Capgemini is the latest IT service provider in the Dutch IT services market to reduce staff numbers in the Netherlands. This signals the need to further exploit global delivery models as a core competency.
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Unisys Efforts Could Boost It Up From 'Bottom Rung' List
19 March 2009

Unisys' inclusion on Moody's Investors Services' "Bottom Rung" list is bad publicity for the company. But Unisys is working at counteracting financial instability and is still executing well on its contractual obligations.
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NorthgateArinso Shakes Up the HCM Market
13 March 2009

NorthgateArinso launched a modified version of SAP Human Capital Management as a multitenant on-demand offering. It has the potential to disrupt the HCM market, especially in Europe.
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Google Voice Demands Enterprise Attention
13 March 2009

Google is aiming its new voice capabilities at consumers, but enterprise staff will likely use the services too. Enterprises must proactively develop policies for services like Google Voice.
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Rural China PC Program Will Increase PC Shipments in 2009
10 March 2009

The Chinese government has named 14 PC vendors that will offer low-priced PCs in rural China through a subsidized program. Expect competition to heat up between large multinational companies and small local vendors.
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Obama Helicopter Plans Traced to Iran Highlight P2P Risks
27 February 2009

The reported transfer of information about the U.S. president's helicopter to a node in Iran clearly shows the security risks of peer-to-peer file sharing. Enterprises must act now to reduce their risk exposure.
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Two Technology Acquisitions Expand Novell's IAM Portfolio
26 February 2009

Newly acquired superuser privilege management and enterprise single sign-on tools will enhance Novell's identity and access management offerings. Enterprises evaluating tools in these areas should consider Novell.
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Office 14 Delay Will Affect Value of Software Assurance
26 February 2009

Microsoft says it will not release Office 14 until 2010. This means some customers who renewed Software Assurance on Office in late 2006 and early 2007 will not get rights to a new version during their contract period.
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HP to Cut Pay, Not Jobs, for Long-Term Viability
25 February 2009

After reporting financial results for 1Q09, HP said it plans to cut employees' pay to save jobs. This move is a bold decision and a brave attempt to increase flexibility without carrying out additional layoffs.
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U.S. Health Insurers Face COBRA Issues in Stimulus Package
24 February 2009

Health payers face new duties and costs due to changes in COBRA funding and eligibility in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This will strain already-challenged IT budgets and complicate business operations.
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Stimulus Spending Reporting Will Challenge U.S. Agencies
20 February 2009

Meeting competing goals of spending expediency, enhanced transparency and strict accountability for use of U.S. federal economic stimulus funds will likely tax governmental performance, financial and compliance systems.
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Fidelity Ends Pursuit of Comprehensive HR Outsourcing Deals
18 February 2009

Fidelity will stop pursuing comprehensive HR BPO deals but will continue to support its installed base. Prospective customers should use caution, although Fidelity remains a viable candidate for discrete benefits HR BPO.
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LegalTech 2009 Shows Higher Bar for E-Discovery
11 February 2009

A conference on IT for the legal profession shows that lawyers will have to meet higher standards for understanding discovery and litigation. IT professionals should help educate the legal department about technologies that can help.
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Intel's Westmere Will Alter Corporate PC Configurations
11 February 2009

Intel announced plans to accelerate its transition to 32 nm processors, advancing its delivery model by two quarters. This will have a significant effect on the processor industry and corporate configurations.
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Despite Reports, Kodak Intends to Stay the Digital Course
10 February 2009

Kodak moved quickly to dispel an erroneous Wall Street Journal article stating that it would sell its digital press business. The plausibility of the article's error speaks volumes about the state of the industry.
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Windows 7 Version Strategy Simplifies, Confuses
5 February 2009

Microsoft's release of Vista created a great deal of user frustration, as overlapping versions had conflicting features. The release of Windows 7 aims to avoid such issues, but there is still potential for some confusion.
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Software AG Makes Strong Gains in the Middleware Market
2 February 2009

Software AG's latest financial results show that the company gained market share in the middleware market. But Software AG still needs to improve its visibility and third-party support to sustain its momentum.
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Xactly Buys Centive, Removing a Leading On-Demand ICM Rival
28 January 2009

Xactly acquired Centive, its main rival in on-demand incentive compensation management delivered as software as a service. The deal enlarged Xactly's client base, but detailed consolidation plans are yet to be announced.
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Microsoft Shifts Strategy on PerformancePoint Server
28 January 2009

With its decision to roll PerformancePoint Server functions into SharePoint and discontinue PPS Planning, Microsoft is shifting toward pervasive business intelligence and away from delivering performance management.
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Intel and Citrix Bid to Set New PC Standard
22 January 2009

Citrix and Intel plan to deliver a Xen-based client hypervisor for enterprise PCs and notebooks. This may lead to a redefinition of the relationship between PC hardware and software, but only if supported by PC OEMs.
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Freeze on Pending Regulations Unlikely to Delay ICD-10
22 January 2009

The new Obama administration's routine order to halt last-minute Bush regulations for review is unlikely to significantly delay ICD-10. Healthcare organizations should continue to work quickly toward implementation.
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Outblaze Hosted E-Mail Buy Will Help IBM Target SMBs
20 January 2009

IBM plans to buy popular, low-cost e-mail assets from Outblaze. The deal will enable IBM to tap strong demand for hosted e-mail among small and midsize businesses and respond to competitors Microsoft, Google and Cisco.
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CA's Orchestria Buy Continues DLP Market Consolidation
12 January 2009

The acquisition of Orchestria marks a logical step in the rapidly consolidating data loss prevention market. The new technology will bring needed content-awareness to CA's identity and access management offerings.
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What the Satyam Debacle Means for the Indian IT Industry
12 January 2009

The Satyam accounting scandal represents another shock to an IT industry still reeling from the economic recession. However, Gartner predicts that "India Inc." will remain a leading destination for offshore IT services.
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Prepare for Aftereffects of Satyam Accounting Scandal
8 January 2009

The chairman of Satyam has resigned after saying he falsified key financial results. Until the company's position is clarified, Satyam customers should create scenario plans to mitigate potential service disruptions.
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Nokia Customers Would Benefit More From Check Point Deal
30 December 2008

After an earlier deal to acquire Nokia's security appliance unit fell through, Check Point Technologies stepped forth as a proposed buyer. Gartner believes the new deal offers much more to Nokia customers than the old one.
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Ariba Lawsuit Delivers a Moderate Blow to Emptoris
23 December 2008

Ariba has successfully prevailed against Emptoris for infringement of two reverse-auction patents. Emptoris on-premises Sourcing customers and all prospects must take action to protect their interests.
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PTC's Acquisition of Synapsis Accelerates Green PLM Trend
16 December 2008

PTC's purchase of Synapsis' assets will enable PTC customers to streamline environmental compliance during product development. Non-PTC customers using Synapsis are protected today, but will likely face longer-term risks.
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Regional Compromise Is SAP's Response to Customer Objections
16 December 2008

In an unexpected turn, SAP will allow its customers in Germany and Austria to receive support based on their existing maintenance contracts. Gartner believes that customers in other geographies will ask for equal treatment.
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Transitive Buy to Boost IBM Cross-Platform Virtualization
25 November 2008

IBM's planned acquisition of Transitive should help drive migration of legacy workloads. But the deal could adversely impact Transitive's ability to forge working relationships with other vendors, such as Sun and HP.
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CA Continues IAM Suite Building With Eurekify Buy
20 November 2008

CA plans to acquire role life cycle management provider Eurekify. The move will enable CA to continue consolidating related functions in its identity and access management offerings.
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PCI Quality Assurance Program Does Not Go Far Enough
20 November 2008

The Payment Card Industry's new quality assurance program will do nothing to address the industry's most serious compliance problem: the conflict of interest inherent in assessors' also performing remediation.
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Trango Buy Gains VMware Presence in Smartphone Hypervisors
17 November 2008

VMware launched into smartphone hypervisors via the purchase of Trango Virtual Processors. To drive new business from this, VMware needs to sell add-on capabilities to multiple partners in the mobile handset arena.
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Visa Sets Global PCI Deadlines, but Other Players Needed
17 November 2008

Visa announced a global compliance program for the card industry's key security standard. But many issues remain, including unclear European deadlines and the treatment of merchants that have chip card processing in place.
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Nortel's 3Q08 Results Focus Attention on Its Viability
13 November 2008

Nortel's 3Q08 results revealed a 14% year-over-year fall in revenue. It also plans to cut 1,300 positions. The announcement has increased uncertainty around Nortel and will make it more difficult to sell products.
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Fujitsu Product Support Services to Gain from Siemens Buy
10 November 2008

Fujitsu will improve its market position with the acquisition of Siemens' portion of their joint venture, Fujitsu Siemens Computers. But product and services portfolio and cultural integration will pose challenges.
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FSC Needs to Clarify Future of Products After Fujitsu Deal
10 November 2008

Fujitsu has ended months of speculation by announcing it will buy Siemens' stake in Fujitsu Siemens Computers. Users of x86 servers should benefit, but FSC needs to clarify its commitment to products and alliances.
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Obama Plan Could Boost U.S. Solar Development and Demand
7 November 2008

Barack Obama's election as the next U.S. president could usher in a new era of solar energy development in the US. However, economic difficulties may prove a barrier to some of the more expensive renewable initiatives.
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Windows Azure Completes the Microsoft Platform Triangle
5 November 2008

Windows Azure adds a "new continent" to Microsoft's world map of business application platforms. But Microsoft remains years away from delivering an industry state-of-the-art application platform as a service.
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Beta Deal Increases Proginet's Relevance in MFT
5 November 2008

Proginet has made itself stronger in managed file transfer by giving Beta its security products in exchange for Beta's MFT products. Proginet will be able to attract more customers with a new sales strategy.
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Microsoft at a Critical Inflection Point
31 October 2008

Announcements at Microsoft's U.S. Professional Developer's Conference show the company's most significant coordinated shift in strategy since its transformation to embrace the Internet and combat Netscape in 1996.
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Microsoft Bolsters the Prospects for AMQP Messaging
31 October 2008

Advanced Message Queuing Protocol won't have a strong impact on most users before 2011. But it could standardize messaging across dissimilar platforms, if Microsoft and other vendors offer products based on the protocol.
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Skura Spinoff Heats Up Competition in Biopharma CLM Market
29 October 2008

Skura has spun off its services business to IMS Health to focus exclusively on closed-loop marketing in biopharmaceuticals. This focus and infusion of capital to fund innovation will challenge competitors to keep pace.
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First Data Utility Peace Finds Home Down Under
28 October 2008

Buying Peace will help Hansen Technologies increase its presence in the utility customer information system market and expand to North America, but reviving Peace and resolving product overlaps will be challenging.
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Windows Patch Requires Immediate Action
24 October 2008

Active exploits and a critical Windows vulnerability make a potent mix. Enterprises should expedite patching and shielding to avoid business disruptions.
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P2P Social Lending Networks Morph Into Investment Networks
21 October 2008

Peer-to-peer lenders such as Lending Club are creating secondary markets for trading loans they make. Although early in inception, such efforts point to the ability of new entrants to disrupt traditional market dynamics.
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Asus LCD PC With Atom CPU Targets a Niche Market
20 October 2008

Asus targets a promising niche of the consumer market with its Atom-based touch-screen LCD PC. Competitors should price products aggressively and develop specifications based on usage patterns and users' wants and needs.
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Updated Apple Notebooks Raise Bar for Competitors
17 October 2008

Apple's new MacBook products' structural rigidity, graphics performance and environmentally friendly manufacturing process will create a tough new standard for other notebook manufacturers to match.
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Oracle Taps Primavera for New Energy in PPM Market
14 October 2008

Oracle will acquire Primavera Software, a leading provider of project and portfolio management solutions. The deal will further boost the PPM market to one of enterprise-class solutions.
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New Technology Could Benefit Firms With Rooftop Solar Needs
13 October 2008

Solyndra's new photovoltaic cell design could help companies self-generate solar power more cheaply. It's early, but the technology looks like a promising one that firms seeking rooftop solar systems should investigate.
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Symantec's Big Move Into SaaS Will Likely Be Rocky
10 October 2008

Symantec plans to pay a premium for MessageLabs and enter the e-mail software-as-a-service market. Success will require Symantec to reconcile e-mail security investments and maintain MessageLabs' inbound protection focus.
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What Banks Can Do When Politics Derails Offshoring
7 October 2008

Reaction to a U.K. bank's possible plans to move IT jobs offshore frames a dilemma all banks face when economics, politics and logistics collide. Bank CIOs must know how to cope with external interference.
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Expect Other States to Follow Nevada's Lead in Encryption Law
6 October 2008

A Nevada law will increase pressure on organizations to encrypt electronic transmissions of sensitive personal information. Compliance will require more employee training and further investment in external communication channels.
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Despite Bank Rescue - IT Budget Pressure Looms
6 October 2008

The U.S. Congress approved a bill aimed at improving lending between business and consumers. This saves IT from a "worst case scenario" but precedes downward pressure on IT budgets in 2009.
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Nokia's Planned Security Sale Will Not Benefit Customers
3 October 2008

Nokia plans to sell its security appliance product unit, which has faced increasing competitive pressure from partner Check Point Software Technologies. The sale would likely benefit Nokia, but not its security appliance customers.
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Oz Will Bolster Nokia's Messaging Strategy
3 October 2008

The acquisition of Oz Communications will strengthen Nokia's capabilities in consumer-oriented mobile e-mail and messaging. The deal is part of Nokia's strategy of focusing on devices, consumers and mobile operators.
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Serena Acquires Projity, Stirs Up Project Scheduling Market
30 September 2008

Projity's resources will give Serena a competitive boost against other project management software-as-a-service vendors, and continue to erode the market perception that few viable project-scheduling tools are available.
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McAfee Seizes Opportunity to Buy Gateway Market Presence
29 September 2008

By buying Secure Computing, McAfee will gain e-mail security and secure Web gateway market share. But customer gains in these markets will come from provider consolidation and licensing practices, not product integration.
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Oracle Confirms Its Road Map and Vision for Insurance
29 September 2008

Although Oracle has long dabbled in insurance, it lacked an industry vision or complete product portfolio. Acquisitions and development of this vision will help Oracle meet customer needs and be more competitive.
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Oracle to Close EH&S Gap by Partnering With ESS
26 September 2008

ESS and Oracle announced an alliance to deliver an integrated environmental health and safety solution. The move should close the gap between Oracle and its chief competitors.
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IBM's New Standards Policy Won't Affect Its Products
26 September 2008

IBM will review its participation in industry standards bodies and focus on making such efforts more open. This move won't significantly alter IBM's products but may change how new standards are determined.
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04 and Market6 Advance Field Sales in Consumer Goods
26 September 2008

Predictive modeling has already garnered significant interest in trade promotion management. This move will empower consumer goods field sales to better manage retail store execution and monitoring.
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Nortel's Planned Divestiture Calls for Caution Not Panic
22 September 2008

Nortel plans to sell its Metro Ethernet Networks division and explore partnerships to develop Long-Term Evolution technology. Carriers and enterprises should continue to assess Nortel products but must proceed with caution.
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Improving Sales Is Goal of Oracle Trade Management
10 September 2008

Oracle Trade Management will more closely integrate Siebel CRM and Demantra solutions for the consumer goods industry. Customers using one solution can now more easily take advantage of the other as well.
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Oracle Builds Its ESB Strategy on AquaLogic Foundation
5 September 2008

Oracle will use AquaLogic Service Bus as the foundation for its enterprise service bus strategy. Former customers of BEA Systems will likely face few integration challenges when upgrading to future releases.
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iPhone Security Flaw Compromises Password Protection
2 September 2008

A security flaw lets unauthorized iPhone users access private information, even on a locked device. iPhone users should remove "favorites" from their devices and not create any new entries until the flaw is fixed.
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Ricoh's IKON Buy Will Impact Canon, Overall Market Dynamics
2 September 2008

This acquisition deal helps Ricoh fortify its formidable distribution channel. Expect a minimal near-term impact for most customers, but watch for Canon's distribution partnership with IKON to end after the deal closes.
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HP Closes EDS Deal
29 August 2008

The EDS deal puts HP ninth on the Fortune list. But HP must still drive strong profits from the EDS unit and promote a stronger services presence beyond data center outsourcing to exploit the potential of this deal.
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Cisco Challenges Microsoft With PostPath
28 August 2008

Buying e-mail vendor PostPath will put Cisco in competition with Microsoft for leadership of the burgeoning unified communications and collaboration market.
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STM and Ericsson Join Forces to Boost Wireless Chip Sales
27 August 2008

STMicroelectronics and Ericsson's joint venture will be well-placed to compete with Qualcomm and Texas Instruments in the wireless chip market. But the new entity faces challenges integrating its wireless businesses.
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InStranet Buy Gives Salesforce.com Strong KM
20 August 2008

Acquiring InStranet gives salesforce.com strong knowledge management, access to large-enterprise call centers and a deeper European presence. InStranet customers should seek pricing and support guarantees.
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JDA's Planned i2 Buy Marks the End of an Era in SCM
18 August 2008

JDA Software's planned acquisition of i2 Technologies may create a vacuum for enterprises seeking supply chain management innovation and closes out an era in the SCM market. But the deal offers comparatively few synergies.
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NTT Data Deal Adds to Consolidation in German IT Services
7 August 2008

NTT Data's plan to acquire Cirquent is the latest in a series of deals in German IT services. Added to its purchase of itelligence, this move gives NTT Data 1.2% -- worth $424 million -- of the German IT services market.
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SunGard Seeks Global Growth Through GL Trade Acquisition
5 August 2008

This deal could result in a company with global reach and comprehensive front-to-back office trading and operational support, enabling SunGard to become a major vendor in the international market for its offerings.
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Capgemini Increases Presence in Netherlands With BAS Deal
31 July 2008

Capgemini's presence in the Netherlands' IT services market will grow through its deal for Getronics' Business Applications Services unit. But the deal will bring Capgemini limited benefits for its consulting operation.
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Microsoft Jumps Into the High-End Data Warehouse Space
30 July 2008

Microsoft's acquisition of DATAllegro is a bold move into the high-end, massively parallel processing data warehouse appliance space. Appliances involve hardware, which raises questions about the distribution channel.
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IBM's Acquisition of Ilog Will Fill Gap in WebSphere
29 July 2008

Buying Ilog will help close WebSphere's rules-processing functionality gap, extend IBM's optimization and visualization opportunities, and further compress the already consolidating independent business rule market.
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Consider Sun-Supported Open-Source WAM Offering
25 July 2008

Sun's new OpenSSO Express offers the benefits of both open-source and corporate-sponsored Web access management. But the cost of this offering may inhibit adoption by current OpenSSO supporters.
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PwC to World: 'We Implement'
22 July 2008

At the PricewaterhouseCoopers' Analyst Day, senior practice leaders emphasized that PwC delivers services across the full project life cycle, including implementation.
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Thales Offer for nCipher Targets Customer Base
18 July 2008

An increase in stored data encryption is fueling enterprise demand for key management capabilities. The projected deal between nCipher and Thales would further consolidate the hardware security module market.
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IBM Alleviates a Problem by Buying Platform Solutions Inc.
10 July 2008

IBM's acquisition of Platform Solutions Inc., a manufacturer of IBM-compatible mainframes, will end legal actions on patent and antitrust violations. But this won't resolve the lawsuit with PSI reseller T3 Technologies.
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Fiserv Insurance Solutions Gains Strength Via Spin Off
10 July 2008

Fiserv's insurance offerings received minimal attention and investments within Fiserv. Expect new ownership to help Fiserv Insurance Solutions gain independence and advance its position in the insurance software market.
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Boomi's SaaS Integration Services Strategy Gets a Boost
8 July 2008

Boomi will use new funding to market its integration-as-a-service offering. It is the first vendor to target software-as-a-service vendors as its sales channel for this technology, but there will be others soon.
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Soasta Is First To Bring Testing to the Cloud
30 June 2008

Soasta is releasing a new product for testing cloud applications built on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud. Soasta's set of technologies fits uniquely in this emerging market space and radically alters the cost of testing.
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New Top-Level Internet Domains Won't Impact Most Firms
30 June 2008

The creation by ICANN of additional generic top-level Internet domains will offer value in some instances. But Gartner expects classic extensions like ".com" to continue to dominate overwhelmingly in the marketplace.
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Oracle Continues on Insurance Acquisition Path With Skywire
26 June 2008

By buying Skywire Software, Oracle aims to aggressively secure its position in the property-and-casualty and life insurance software market. Skywire's assets will bolster Oracle's offerings and add needed domain knowledge.
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With Restructuring, Expect Delays in HP's Print Strategy
24 June 2008

With the Edgeline and A4 strategies faltering for HP's top-performing print division, this reorganization is no surprise. The need to restructure indicates that the HP-only strategy will take longer than expected.
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CEOs' Letter Signals Serious Intentions for 'Green IT'
24 June 2008

CEOs from 100 large companies worldwide have endorsed a set of recommendations for world leaders and requested new categories of regulatory intervention for climate change. The message to IT: Prepare for new demands.
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Visiprise Buy Will Assist SAP in Assembling 'Perfect Plant'
23 June 2008

SAP's planned acquisition of Visiprise adds a vital component to SAP's "Perfect Plant" strategy. If SAP's manufacturing execution system overcomes challenges, it could potentially become a compelling single-vendor solution.
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Microsoft Adds Support for Open Formats to Quell Critics
29 May 2008

A plan to support ODF in Office suggests Microsoft's openness to industry standards and will likely ease document exchange. But documents edited in another vendor's product may still suffer visual fidelity problems.
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SunGard's Strohl Acquisition May Benefit Competitors More
22 May 2008

The planned Strohl Systems acquisition will give SunGard a business-continuity-focused sales channel. But it raises concerns about the future of both vendors' business continuity offerings and could help their competitors.
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EC Announcement on 'Green IT' Lacks Detail
20 May 2008

A European Commission document highlights the role IT could play in tackling climate change. But the report lacks detail on best practices and conviction on green procurement.
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HP-EDS Deal Seeks to Close Gap in Outsourcing Dominance
14 May 2008

HP would jump to No. 2 in worldwide outsourcing services with the acquisition of EDS. But HP will have to manage a complex integration and take a fresh approach to the consulting and integration business to reap rewards.
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Oracle Jumps Into the Collaboration Market (Again)
14 May 2008

After two unsuccessful forays into the collaboration market, Oracle is back with the next generation of Oracle Collaboration Suite. Gartner believes Beehive is unlikely to be any more successful than past efforts.
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2008 Sapphire Conference Shows Incremental Innovation
9 May 2008

The 2008 Sapphire conference made it clear that SAP is changing its marketing focus to its core applications. Evaluate SAP products along with best-of-breed alternatives for completeness, integration, cost and lock-in.
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Vanco Customers Should Take Precautions
9 May 2008

Despite Vanco's recent financial difficulties, Gartner cautions Vanco customers against making any snap decisions. They should, however, identify exit strategies and alternative suppliers as a precautionary measure.
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Microsoft, Hyundai Embrace Device-to-Vehicle Integration
8 May 2008

Microsoft gains critical mass as a solution provider in telematics as auto makers seek cost-effective telematics offerings. Device-to-vehicle and embedded technologies can combine to create a richer customer experience.
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Adobe Seeks to Broaden Its Reach Through Open Screen
6 May 2008

The Open Screen Project will enable versions of Adobe Flash and AIR across a broader range of devices. With this move, Adobe seeks to maintain Flash's strong position in a market where competitive threats are looming.
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Microsoft COFEE Brews Concern Over Penetration Tools
5 May 2008

Rumors that Microsoft has given law enforcement a "back door" into its systems appear to be unfounded. But this event is grounds for enterprises to take precautions to protect sensitive data against real penetration tools.
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Perot Gears Up Limited Germany Presence With HighQ-IT Buy
29 April 2008

Perot Systems will gain SAP competencies, automotive-vertical expertise and a stronger European position by acquiring HighQ-IT. But Perot will have more work to do if it hopes to catch the European market leaders.
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Apple's P.A. Semi Deal Won't Change Plans for iPhone Yet
29 April 2008

Apple will gain a 64-bit PowerPC core and system-on-chip architecture in its deal for P.A. Semi. But its plans for the technology remain unclear, as Apple is likely to stick with Intel's x86 architecture for several years.
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Microsoft Live Mesh Embraces the Web as a Platform
24 April 2008

Microsoft's Live Mesh is a Web platform providing basic application capabilities. The platform needs better heterogeneous platform support, third-party application vendors and a well-executed business model.
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Seagate Challenges SSD Vendors to Defend Their Technology
18 April 2008

Seagate's suit against STEC claims patent infringement. This lawsuit may be the first of many for the solid-state drive industry, which could have a dramatic impact on the refinement of SSD memory for computing environments.
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Satyam Initiative to Tap Local Skills in Mature Economy
18 April 2008

An initiative with Australia's Victoria state and Deakin University will make Satyam Computer Services the first Indian offshore vendor to set up a combined technology and learning campus in a mature "western" economy.
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Google App Engine Goes Up Against Amazon Web Services
11 April 2008

Google App Engine is a development "platform in the cloud" that currently has a relatively narrow scope. Eventually, we expect it to compete with Amazon and platform providers like IBM, Microsoft and salesforce.com.
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IBM Enterprise Offering Brings Mashups Closer to Mainstream
11 April 2008

IBM has announced the beta version of its IBM Mashup Center. The offering is unique in its capabilities and promises to generate more enterprise interest in mashups, bringing them a step closer to mainstream business use.
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With Grintek Deal, Atio Expands Contact Center Capabilities
10 April 2008

In buying Grintek's Enterprise unit, Atio firms its position in the contact center communication market. Grintek clients should review their support agreements and update them with new terms and conditions supported by Atio.
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New Leadership for SAP Reinforces Strategy Shift
4 April 2008

The appointment of Leo Apotheker to co-CEO marks the leadership transition of the world's largest application vendor. This, plus other board changes, will accelerate SAP's shift to a parallel, multiproduct strategy.
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Shell's Outsourcing Award Shows Multisourcing Leadership
3 April 2008

Shell's outsourcing awards are significant not only for their size, but also for incorporating emerging best practices into a complex multisourcing operating model. Cooperation will be critical to the deal's success.
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Lockdown Shuts Down as NAC Market Consolidates Further
24 March 2008

Lockdown Networks' demise shows the continuing consolidation of the network access control market and the need for vendors to create solutions that adhere to industry standards and support heterogeneous environments.
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Microsoft's Stake in Aspect Targets Contact Centers
19 March 2008

Microsoft and Aspect Software have announced an alliance that Microsoft hopes will speed the integration of Office Communication Server-based unified communications capabilities into Aspect's contact center offerings.
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SAP's Enhanced GRC Offerings Expand Integration Options
18 March 2008

SAP's governance, risk and compliance offerings align to financial, supply chain, and environmental safety and health functions. New releases of these offerings enhance integration but an overarching GRC platform awaits.
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Ford Shifts Vehicle Hub Concept Into High Gear
17 March 2008

Ford's continued development of the vehicle hub concept gives it a clear, product-differentiating edge among vehicle manufacturers in terms of vehicle information and communication technology and telematics strategies.
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Lawson Strengthens Fashion Solution With Freeborders PLM
17 March 2008

The acquisition of Freeborders' product life cycle management division will strengthen Lawson Software's apparel, footwear and accessories offering and complements its current solutions for the fashion industry.
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Silverlight 2 Slims Down .NET for Broader Reach
12 March 2008

Silverlight 2 brings .NET technology into browsers and across platforms, in a direct challenge to Adobe Flash and Flex. It will appeal to Microsoft-centric organizations but will not tempt most consumer Web developers.
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Microsoft Advances Its Web Strategy at MIX08
11 March 2008

Microsoft has taken the next step in its bid to appeal to Web developers and challenge Adobe with beta releases of new products. Underneath these announcements lies the company's evolving strategy.
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HP Targets SMBs With New Products and Print System Branding
10 March 2008

A range of new printing products from HP aims squarely at the cost-conscious small and midsize business market. To succeed in this space, technology providers need to build solutions to the problems small businesses face.
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