Taleo-Vurv Deal Part of Talent Management Market Consolidation Rimini Street to Offer SAP R/3 Support Services in 2009 Oce Toner-Based Inkjet System Advances Wide-Format Printing Gemcom Buy Is Private Equity's Second Deal in Mining Software 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. SAP Support Offering Extends Solution Management Beyond SAP 9 May 2008 Enterprise Support will primarily affect "net-new" SAP customers. Current Standard Support customers can upgrade to Enterprise Support or continue with automatic renewal of their existing support contracts. 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. 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. Publication of Tax Details on Web Gives Glimpse Into Future 7 May 2008 The online publication of Italian citizens' income and taxes for 2005 raises a number of concerns but also hints at how public government information could be used in the future. Oracle/Siebel Enters Life Sciences Closed-Loop Marketing Race 6 May 2008 Oracle's pharma closed-loop marketing offering comes late to the market. But it is differentiated by the ability of its personalized content delivery functions to enable one-to-one marketing at the physician level. 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. Wall Street Systems Bolsters Back-Office Focus in Aleri Deal 6 May 2008 By buying the wholesale banking technology assets of Aleri Global Banking, Wall Street Systems will strengthen its back-office transaction processing while giving customers options to upgrade platforms. 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. Tellme's GPS-Enabled Search Offers Telematics Opportunities 30 April 2008 Tellme's combination of its voice portal with GPS data provides an alternative to resource-intensive, live-person concierge services in the telematics and navigation industry. Nokia Set to Become a Leader in Navigation Market 30 April 2008 Nokia's strategy for navigation services is expanding rapidly and will shake up market leadership structures, business models and partner selection in the navigation industry. FrontRange Adds Another Inventory Tool to Its Portfolio 30 April 2008 In buying Centennial Software, FrontRange Solutions gains auto-discovery/inventory functionality, and Centennial's maintenance contracts will add revenue. Customers will gain from a broader product line. IBM's iDataPlex Signals Future Direction of Server Hardware 29 April 2008 IBM's iDataPlex server is targeted at Web 2.0 and high-performance computing environments and highlights the future direction for servers. But iDataPlex is not the best choice for most large enterprises' data centers. Microsoft's CRM SaaS Solution Has Low Price, Limited Audience 29 April 2008 Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Professional and Professional Plus are now available in North America. However, Gartner expects that prospects will struggle to sort through Microsoft's CRM deployment choices. 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. 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. Rockwell's FactoryTalk Continues to Improve With Incuity Deal 29 April 2008 Rockwell Automation's agreement to acquire Incuity Software will add much-needed manufacturing analysis and intelligence capability to its FactoryTalk manufacturing operations management suite. Comptel Expands Its Strong Position Beyond Wireless Fulfillment 28 April 2008 Comptel has acquired fulfillment vendor Axiom Systems, strengthening its product portfolio with new IP-based solutions. The acquisition is strategic for Comptel, expanding its role as a leading global fulfillment provider. As Mincom Management Rebuilds, Watch for Emerging Strategy 28 April 2008 With Greg Clark as Mincom's new CEO, customers should start getting a feel for the company's future direction, which has been uncertain since the departure of former CEO Richard Mathews and other senior managers. Siemens Reaffirms Its CAD Future With Synchronous Technology 28 April 2008 If its synchronous technology works well in production, Siemens will set new standards for manufacturers' expectations from all mechanical computer-aided design. 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. Informatica Expands Data Quality With Identity Systems Buy 24 April 2008 Informatica will add identity resolution to its portfolio of capabilities. To best leverage this acquisition, Informatica must integrate the new technology with its data quality tools and divest redundant products. SanDisk Results Confirm Gartner's Revised View of Memory Group 22 April 2008 SanDisk's 1Q08 results confirmed Gartner Invest's decision to revise its bias on the memory group from negative-to-neutral to slightly positive, reflecting pricing stabilization and a more rational capacity environment. Oracle Advances Price Management Strategy With Deal Management 18 April 2008 Deal Management furthers Oracle's strategy of delivering a complete price optimization and management suite. Be aware that Oracle offers separate modules for Siebel and E-Business Suite. 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. Veenman Buy Will Further Xerox's Reach in Dutch SMB Market 18 April 2008 Xerox's plan to buy a printer distributor shows its intention to further penetrate the global small and midsize business market. Expect Xerox to replace many HP and Konica Minolta products with Xerox products. 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. Joint Venture Could Create No. 3 Mobile Phone Chipset Supplier 17 April 2008 By forming the NewCo joint venture, STMicroelectronics and NXP will create a more competitive market. Tier 2 mobile phone chipset manufacturers will likely respond by evaluating potential merger scenarios. BT/Wire One Deal Seeks to Raise the Bar for Video Services 16 April 2008 BT plans to acquire the largest independent provider of managed video solutions. Wire One Holdings will be the centerpiece of an expanded BT video portfolio, with a strong presence in the U.S. market. Konica/Danka Deal Will Transform U.S. Distribution Landscape 15 April 2008 Konica Minolta's plans to acquire Danka will be a challenging transition for Canon USA. This is a good opportunity for customers to negotiate favorable terms. EMC Will Acquire Iomega to Target Consumer and SOHO Markets 14 April 2008 EMC's planned acquisition immediately follows its launch of a new consumer-oriented product in China. These moves reflect EMC's escalating desire to penetrate the consumer and small office/home office storage markets. Hitachi/M-Tech Deal Creates New Pacific Region IAM Player 11 April 2008 Hitachi's acquisition of M-Tech signals the entry of a new and significant Pacific region player in the maturing identity and access management market. 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. 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. 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. Effort to Address Online Reputation Scoring Is Big First Step 8 April 2008 The formation of the Open Reputation Management Systems Technical Committee is an important effort in a difficult area of interoperability. Even if the committee doesn't succeed, it may offer valuable lessons learned. EMC Aims for Consumers With StorageCredenza Launch in China 7 April 2008 EMC has taken a bold step forward with StorageCredenza, a storage solution for small-office/home-office customers in China. This marks the first time EMC has launched a major product in China before the U.S. Standards Bodies' Approval of OOXML Doesn't Change Status Quo 7 April 2008 The approval of Microsoft's Office Open XML specification as an ISO/IEC standard will mainly affect organizations that seek to exchange data between applications. Benefits for most Office documents will be limited. Tower Deal Would Help HP Expand Integrated Archiving Platform 7 April 2008 HP's acquisition of Tower Software would add to its archiving offering and support initiatives in its Imaging and Printing Group. Tower customers should press HP for assurances on its commitment to content management. 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. 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. Sword Extends Its Reach With Graham Technology Acquisition 2 April 2008 The Sword Group continues to expand, with the purchase of CRM software provider Graham Technology. Users need to monitor the direction of Graham Technology during the next 12 months. Portrait to Buy Million Handshakes for Outbound Campaigns 27 March 2008 The multichannel campaign management software market continues to consolidate as Portrait Software agrees to acquire Million Handshakes to augment its next-best-campaign offers with outbound campaigns. 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. BladeLogic Buy Will Help Sharpen BMC's Data Center Focus 21 March 2008 BMC's portfolio will be enhanced by BladeLogic's server provisioning and configuration management software. BMC customers will likely benefit from the deal. Hannaford Case Shows Need for End-to-End Card Data Security 20 March 2008 A major theft shows that improvements in card-data storage security have driven criminals to shift their attacks to data in transit. Merchants must immediately work to secure the entire path that sensitive data travels. 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. Amentra Acquisition Signals New Business Strategy at Red Hat 19 March 2008 The acquisition of Amentra is the first step by Red Hat's new management to implement its enterprise acceleration strategy. It gives Red Hat the consulting resources it needs -- and lacked -- to grow its middleware business. 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. 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. 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. AOL-Bebo Deal Shows Social Platforms' Value Over Social Sites 17 March 2008 AOL's purchase of Bebo establishes a new, lower valuation figure for social sites and will set in motion other industry partnerships and acquisitions. IBM's Encentuate Acquisition Brings ESSO Into the IAM Suite 14 March 2008 The acquisition of Encentuate will extend IBM's identity and access management portfolio with robust enterprise single sign-on functionality. This announcement is good news for both companies' customers. EMC Enters IT Service Desk Suite Market With Infra Acquisition 14 March 2008 This acquisition moves EMC into a mature market where it lacks experience and domain knowledge. Although Infra is being acquired by a much larger vendor, the deal won't substantively change IT service desk market dynamics. 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. Microsoft Chooses Standards Future With Internet Explorer 8 12 March 2008 With Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft has chosen a standards-oriented future over a browser-dependent legacy past. But by favoring the standards community, it risks alienating loyal enterprise developers. 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. 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. Emerson's Bid to Buy Aperture Is a Sign of Things to Come 5 March 2008 Emerson is closer to acquiring Aperture, which has agreed in principle to the deal. The acquisition would be good for the industry, but customers need reassurance about product development and pricing. German Registration Process Offers Few Savings for Insurers 5 March 2008 A new procedure in Germany to register motor vehicles electronically will not provide immediate savings for motor insurers. To create value, insurers should invest in further customer-facing initiatives. T-Systems Teams Up With Cognizant to Improve Competitiveness 5 March 2008 T-Systems and Cognizant have announced a global sales and delivery agreement. The deal will improve T-Systems' offshore capabilities and gives both companies access to each other's customer bases. Layer 7 and GT Software Extend Mainframe SOA Enablement 3 March 2008 Vendors other than IBM continue to offer innovative solutions for supporting IBM mainframe customers' service-oriented architecture strategies. Evaluate SecureSpan Mainframe SOA Gateway if you prefer an XML appliance. Assetlink to Increase European Presence With Citat Deal 3 March 2008 The purchase of Citat's marketing resource management division will enhance Assetlink's MRM products and expand its client base. This deal will strengthen its presence in Europe and further consolidates the MRM market. Google Pressures Microsoft With Team Collaboration Tool 3 March 2008 Google expanded its suite of personal and group productivity tools by adding a persistent collaboration repository to Google Apps. This move increases the pressure on Microsoft and once again alters IT pricing economics. Microsoft Matches Google With SaaS for E-Mail/SharePoint 29 February 2008 Responding to the threat from Google, and sensing a significant business opportunity, Microsoft has announced substantial plans for an Exchange and SharePoint software-as-a-service model. WinRunner Users Must Plan Now for Coming Product Retirement 28 February 2008 HP will end all WinRunner support by 1 January 2011. Users should not only develop migration plans, but also take this opportunity to evaluate their overall application quality management and life cycle tool directions. IBM Brings Its Next-Generation Mainframe to Market 28 February 2008 The next generation of IBM mainframes, the System z10 Enterprise Class, will extend the platform's inherent strengths while improving the positioning of the platform for new workloads. Adobe Moves From Browser to Desktop With RIA Platform 28 February 2008 With its technology platform for rich Internet applications, Adobe is moving from its browser-based market stronghold into territory claimed by Microsoft and Sun, among other competitors. iWay Managed File Transfer Option Focuses on Integration 26 February 2008 iWay Software's Managed File Transfer Option targets the need for improved integration of MFT features with SOA and integration infrastructure. It could help iWay challenge MFT and enterprise service bus market leaders. Microsoft Declares Interfaces Accessible; Royalties May Apply 25 February 2008 Microsoft's new interoperability principles go much further than before, but questions remain about Microsoft's royalty terms and conditions and how they will affect the benefits of interoperability. Prepare for DRAM Threat to Encrypted Data Storage 25 February 2008 New research describes a previously unknown method of stealing encrypted information on dynamic RAM chips. The risk is low, but enterprises should be prepared to take precautionary measures if necessary. Sanmina-SCI Refocuses on Strategic Business via PC Group Sale 22 February 2008 Sanmina-SCI will eliminate a big distraction by selling its PC group and refocus on its core businesses. To support this acquisition, Foxconn is expected to purchase an additional $500 million worth of semiconductors. Aastra Buys Ericsson PBX Business 21 February 2008 Aastra is buying Ericsson's enterprise PBX business. The deal will give Aastra the scale and breadth to become more of a challenger in the market, especially if it invests in innovation. ACS Looks to Strengthen Presence in Germany With sds Buy 22 February 2008 The sds acquisition will enhance ACS's position in the market for SAP-related services in Germany. But ACS will gain only a few employees from the deal, which may limit some buyers' view of its capabilities and scalability. Red Hat's Open-Source SOA Platform Initiative 21 February 2008 Open source differentiates Red Hat's comprehensive infrastructure suite for SOA from most of its competitors. But Red Hat must make a long-term strategic commitment for this platform-independent initiative to succeed. More-Customized eCopy Offerings Will Broaden Scan Market 21 February 2008 Offering expanded application development capabilities and a broader product portfolio will help eCopy expand its position in the market, while moving scanning applications out of the narrow vertical niches. Ipswitch Targets Enterprise Market With Standard Networks Buy 19 February 2008 Ipswitch's purchase of Standard Networks should help it compete in the midmarket and enterprise sectors. But the company must continue to expand its support services if it is to satisfy demanding enterprise clients. Dell Enters E-Mail SaaS Market With MessageOne Buy 15 February 2008 Recognizing that software as a service can be a potent market penetration tool, Dell is assembling a services portfolio that now includes e-mail disaster recovery, spam/virus filtering and archiving via its MessageOne acquisition. Trintech's Movaris Buy to Bolster Financial Governance Suite 14 February 2008 Trintech's planned acquisition of Movaris will expands its suite offering in the emerging financial governance market, and will help it compete against large ERP vendors and smaller best-of-breed vendors. FMP Buy Is Strategic for Flextronics' Vista Point, Mobile Groups 14 February 2008 By acquiring FMP, Flextronics will increase its strength in outboard power supplies and chargers, which are critical in supporting mobile-device OEMs. Expect the deal to enhance the company's ties to semiconductor vendors. Earlier Vista SP1 Availability Enables Earlier Testing 13 February 2008 Microsoft reversed its decision to delay availability of Vista's first service pack to technical and volume licensing customers. This helps companies with tight deployment deadlines, but there may be issues with drivers. New PCI Process Should Drive More Card Data Outsourcing 12 February 2008 The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council's new self-assessment questionnaire more accurately reflects different merchants' compliance requirements, and will likely increase the outsourcing of card data storage. Workday Buys ESB Vendor to Offer Integration as a Service 12 February 2008 Workday's purchase of enterprise service bus provider Cape Clear highlights the importance of middleware technology as software-as-a-service vendors move to offer integration as a service to their application customers. Samsung Deal Suggests NXP's Ambitions in the Mobile Market 12 February 2008 NXP's selection by Samsung as a supplier for its 3G phones is one of several indicators that NXP's mobile group is poised to be a more serious competitor for the high, midrange and low-end of the cell phone market. Critical Capabilities for IT GRCM Tools 11 February 2008 We assess eight IT governance, risk and compliance management software products by looking at their critical capabilities in three common use cases. Oracle Begins Formulating a Cohesive Data Integration Strategy 8 February 2008 Oracle's lack of cohesive messaging and linkage between its various data integration capabilities suggested it wasn't focusing seriously on this market. Oracle Data Integration Suite signals a change in priorities. NSW JusticeLink, Said to Be a World First, Carries Caveats 8 February 2008 JusticeLink aims to streamline pretrial procedures for courts across New South Wales and could yield strong benefits. There are pitfalls, however, when changing from paper-based processes to online endeavors. Vista Service Pack 1 Marks a Milestone for Enterprises 7 February 2008 Microsoft has released the long-awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1. While this technical update is key for Vista's functionality, it is even more important as a milestone for many organizations. Wait for More Detailed VeriSign Enterprise Security Plans 6 February 2008 The enterprise security businesses that VeriSign plans to sell have strong offerings and good synergies among themselves. But clients should wait for news of acquirers and their plans before making any further commitments. Google Sets New Pricing Paradigm for E-Mail Services 6 February 2008 Google introduced a new low-cost pricing schedule for hosted e-mail services, demonstrating the power of the GooglePlex cloud and the attraction of the software-as-a-service model. MySpace Joins the Crowded Social Platform Arena 6 February 2008 The MySpace Developer Platform attempts to play "catch up" in a crowded, rapidly evolving space. As a follower, MySpace will be able to avoid competitors' mistakes, but must develop compelling points of differentiation. Juniper Entry Needs More to Compete in Ethernet Switch Market 5 February 2008 Juniper's Ethernet switch offering would be the first new mainstream market entrant in many years. The news could have sparked change in the market, but Gartner believes the offering lacks critical functionality to set it apart. Accellion's Offer Helps Prepare Digital Natives for Workplace 4 February 2008 Accellion's free offer for students of client universities should help prepare students to enter the workforce, which has more-restrictive rules for data transmission than the consumer software most students use today. Cable Outage Shows Need for Redundancy, Resumption Plans 4 February 2008 An Internet and telecommunications outage in parts of the Middle East, North Africa and Asia underscores the need for companies to have redundant Internet and telephone carriers and business resumption plans. New Data Loss Highlights Problems With Contractors and Laws 4 February 2008 A troubling new California data security breach demonstrates the urgent need for enterprises to require more rigorous security practices from outside contractors, and for a comprehensive federal data breach disclosure law. Microsoft/Yahoo Deal Will First Impact Online Advertising 1 February 2008 Microsoft's bid affirms the importance of search and online advertising to its future and the focus it places on competing with Google. The largest impact will be solidifying the advertising market with a clear No. 2. IT and the Economy Update: No IT Recession in U.S. Yet 1 February 2008 Despite troubling economic times, Gartner's preliminary view finds no signs yet that enterprise IT spending in the U.S. is experiencing negative growth. HP Governance Solution Will Drive Wider SOA Adoption 1 February 2008 Some HP customers and prospects believed that the company already offered its newly announced service-oriented architecture governance software and services. HP must continue to improve its marketing of these offerings. StackSafe Test Center Targets New Market Focused on I&O 30 January 2008 StackSafe Test Center addresses a new market in the area of release management for increasing the rigor of infrastructure and operations change testing prior to production rollout. AptSoft Deal Shows IBM's Focus on Event Processing 29 January 2008 IBM's acquisition of AptSoft shows how the event-processing market is heating up. The deal is good for AptSoft customers and prospects, but IBM still must explain how it will rationalize its event product offerings. IBM Deal Will Enable Lenovo to Expand Worldwide Market Presence 29 January 2008 IBM's expanded partnership with Lenovo will add to Lenovo's server portfolio, increasing the opportunity for server sales outside of China, while IBM gains license, service and support revenue. HP-Deutsche Post Agreement May Herald Fresh Outsourcing Wave 29 January 2008 HP intends to assume responsibility for some IT operations of Deutsche Post World Net. The threat of a recession means outsourcing providers may see a period of intense activity as companies race to sign similar deals. Cisco, Brocade Enter Emerging Converged-Data-Center Market 29 January 2008 Brocade and Cisco have entered the consolidated-data-center core-switch market. The new switches have impressive features, but interoperable, standards-based solutions in this immature market are at least two years away. Lotus Unveils E-Mail Security Strategy 28 January 2008 Lotus Protector for Mail Security is IBM's initial answer to Google's Postini and Microsoft's Forefront and Exchange Hosted Services, but the product doesn't yet deliver the same breadth of features as its competitors. HP to Buy Exstream, Showing the Value of CRM Publishing 25 January 2008 HP's agreement to acquire Exstream Software allows it to support Gartner CRM publishing concepts. It places HP in the middle of multimedia output workflows, strengthening its hold on customer business. PCI Compliance Grows but Major Industry Problems Remain 25 January 2008 Newly released statistics show Visa making strong progress in driving Payment Card Industry security compliance. But other card brands' compliance efforts, and PCI Security Council communications, still need improvement. Paper Scandal Demands Greener Paper Production, Enforcement 25 January 2008 Printer manufacturers in Japan temporarily stopped selling falsely labeled recycled paper. This situation underscores the role printer manufacturers can -- and should -- play in the shift toward "green IT." EMC Lays Down a SaaS Foundation, Starting With Online Backup 24 January 2008 EMC's software-as-a-service platform and its enterprise version of the Mozy online backup service are likely the first of many SaaS applications to come as the company seeks to make a strong entry into this emerging market. PowerEdge M-Series Will Beef Up Dell's Blade Server Offerings 23 January 2008 Dell's new M-Series servers represent an important advancement in Dell's blade technology and compare well technically with offerings from other major vendors. Symantec Exits APM, but Its APM Tools Will Be More Viable 23 January 2008 Symantec's decision to exit the application performance management business is good news for its customers in this market. The new company created to handle its APM tools will, however, face significant challenges. EMC's New Solid State Drive Boosts Storage Performance 22 January 2008 EMC's flash drives for its Symmetrix DMX-4 storage system claim improvements in response time, lower power consumption and greater reliability. Customers should consider them where capacity needs keep costs affordable. Oce/Konica Minolta Deals Make Sense in Consolidating Market 22 January 2008 The extended agreements maximize distribution and R&D synergies. Print providers must recognize that a supplier's ability to offer a full range of products and solutions is increasingly to their advantage. BEA Could Make Oracle an SOA Governance Technology Contender 21 January 2008 The planned acquisition of BEA Systems will move Oracle from near-nonentity to market contender in service-oriented governance technologies. Consider the combined entity for SOA governance, especially in Oracle/BEA environments. VMware Buys to Strengthen Its Desktop Virtualization Commitment 21 January 2008 VMware's acquisition of Thinstall and Foedus' assets will expand its market presence and reach. These deals signal that VMware intends to raise the stakes in the desktop virtualization market during 2008. MySQL Acquisition Edges Sun Closer to a Complete OSS Stack 21 January 2008 The MySQL purchase immediately casts Sun in the role of a major open-source database management system vendor with heterogeneous operating system solutions. IBM, Oracle and Red Hat will likely feel some market pressure. Kodak Offset-Class Inkjet Technology Shows Digital Print Market Evolving 21 January 2008 With Kodak's alternative to offset printing, expect lower costs for high-volume, color transactional products. Educate marketing staff about continuous inkjet's potential to make transactional printing a revenue center. Axway and Atos Origin Unite to Offer B2B Integration Services 18 January 2008 Axway and Atos Origin have announced an alliance to jointly offer outsourced business-to-business integration services. The deal has potential, but will require staff retraining and greater focus outside Europe. Oracle Buys BEA to Strengthen Position in Middleware Market 18 January 2008 BEA Systems has agreed to be purchased by Oracle. If the deal gets the right shareholder and government approvals, Oracle will emerge as a peer to IBM and Microsoft, the current middleware market leaders. Kyocera Mita's Bid to Bring Controllers In-house Signals Shift 17 January 2008 Kyocera Mita's plan to acquire Peerless assets transforms a dependency to a strength that larger rivals already exploit. Printer manufacturers should assess Peerless' remaining capabilities and assets. Microsoft Eyes Fast to Thwart Google in Enterprise Search 14 January 2008 In buying Fast Search and Transfer, Microsoft will gain access to sophisticated enterprise search software that addresses the market in a fashion Google does not, and which positions it effectively against IBM and Oracle. Network Appliance Signals Better SAN Management With Onaro Buy 8 January 2008 Onaro's SANscreen will strengthen Network Appliance's support of large Fibre Channel storage area networks. But the family of products is not well-known outside big data centers and some features are unproven. Epicor NSB Buy to Further Consolidate Retail Software Midmarket 21 December 2007 Epicor's agreement to acquire NSB Retail continues the trend toward consolidation in midmarket retail software. However, the deal does not involve purely complementary product sets, because there is overlap in key products.