|
|
|
 |
|
| QinetiQ/Cyveillance Deal Will Boost Cyberintelligence Market | |
|
|
| I-many Deal Will Benefit Revenue Management Software Market | |
|
|
| VIP's Clear Demise Leaves Fate of Personal Data Unclear | |
|
|
| Nokia/Intel Collaboration Raises Stakes in Mobile Chip Market | |
|
|
|
 |
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Bid for Wireless Assets Means Big Changes for Nortel Customers 23 June 2009 Nokia Siemens Networks has bid for part of Nortel's wireless division. The deal should add value for CDMA and LTE carrier customers. But other Nortel customers must prepare for further sale announcements in coming weeks. |
|
|
|
| Bull Blade Servers Aim for the High-Performance Computing Market 22 June 2009 The new bullx family gives Bull a purpose-built high-performance computing architecture that it hopes will distinguish it from commodity clusters, particularly for the divisional and supercomputing end of the market. |
|
|
|
| U.S. Financial System Regulatory Overhaul Brings More Scrutiny 19 June 2009 Regulatory reforms proposed by the Obama administration will require CIOs and IT managers to review their risk management and compliance activities and investments. |
|
|
|
| Comment on Meaningful Use of EHR but Understand It First 18 June 2009 The draft criteria on the "meaningful use" of electronic health records offer healthcare providers and other stakeholders an opportunity to influence the complex process that leads to the final criteria. |
|
|
|
| HP and Fortify Aim to Advance Application Security Testing 17 June 2009 HP's partnership with Fortify indicates growing industry understanding that application security testing, both static and dynamic, should be an integral part of software life cycle processes and platforms. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Bows to Growth of Online FSNs in Closing Money Plus 17 June 2009 The end is near for software-based financial management consumer tools. Financial social networks and other online options will better meet consumers' money management and planning needs, at less effort and cost. |
|
|
|
| Antenna-Dexterra Deal Further Advances Mobile Consolidation 17 June 2009 Antenna's Dexterra purchase reflects rising consolidation in mobile applications. The combined entity will be stronger than the separate parts, if Antenna can integrate the platforms and stay focused on its core business. |
|
|
|
| Siemens to Provide Important SaaS Talent Management Test Case 15 June 2009 Siemens' selection of SuccessFactors will provide an important test case for implementation of a large, complex, global software-as-a-service talent management suite. |
|
|
|
| Google Gmail Support for Outlook Challenges Exchange 10 June 2009 Taking its campaign to capture enterprise e-mail seats to a new level, Google released client-side code which allows Outlook to work natively against the Gmail back end. |
|
|
|
| YouSendIt Seeks Wider Enterprise Adoption Through Prosumers 9 June 2009 Moving files between users represents the most ad hoc, unmanaged and ungoverned aspect of file transfer. YouSendIt Tracker for iPhone could enhance IT governance by giving enterprises greater visibility into file traffic. |
|
|
|
| OutStart/Hot Lava Merger Advances Support for Social Learning 8 June 2009 OutStart's merger with mobile content and learning provider Hot Lava Software is another indicator of the growing market for supporting social learning with content "courselets" delivered on demand. |
|
|
|
| New Identity Federation Moves Should Help Increase Adoption 8 June 2009 New developments in Liberty Alliance interoperability testing, and especially increased multiprotocol support from Microsoft, should ease enterprises' concerns about competing identity federation mechanisms. |
|
|
|
| Dell 1Q10 Results Offer Proof of Market Downturn's Severity 5 June 2009 Dell's fiscal 1Q10 results show that, like other hardware vendors, the weak economy has affected it. But Dell hopes that business changes it is making will drive improvements and position it for the eventual recovery. |
|
|
|
| SolarMagic Design Tackles Solar Panel Obstruction Issues 3 June 2009 The innovative design of National Semiconductor's SolarMagic power optimizer could help improve the power output and return on investment of photovoltaic solar energy systems. |
|
|
|
| Continental's AutoLinQ to Fuel In-Car Web Applications 2 June 2009 Continental's AutoLinQ open platform approach will reduce barriers for developers and automakers to offer contextual, driving-specific Web experiences and lead to new business models. |
|
|
|
| EMC Continues Acquisitions Strategy With Configuresoft Buy 2 June 2009 EMC's planned purchase of Configuresoft continues its strategy of filling out its portfolio of IT operations management solutions and broadens its compliance focus. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Nokia's Ovi Maps Aims to Change Navigation Value Proposition 27 May 2009 Nokia has expanded and opened Ovi Maps to consumers and developers with the goal of designing a contextual, location-aware service foundation. This will directly impact automotive and navigation solution companies. |
|
|
|
| Solidcore Acquisition Helps McAfee Span Security and Operations 27 May 2009 This deal will add Solidcore's lockdown and change control solution to a broad security portfolio. It expands McAfee's presence in the server and dedicated device security market, but won't impact PC security until 2011. |
|
|
|
| HP's 2Q09 Results Dim Hopes for Imminent IT Industry Recovery 22 May 2009 HP's 2Q09 earnings results reflect the company's strategy during the economic downturn. This includes strategic and tactical cost-cutting to maintain margins, and squeezing inventory and supply chains to release cash. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Oracle's Deal With Virtual Iron Alters Virtualization Market 20 May 2009 Oracle's acquisition of Virtual Iron would strengthen its position in the virtualization space and help to polarize the Xen market around Citrix and Oracle with Sun. It would have lasting effects on Microsoft and VMware. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Antitrust Ruling Against Intel Unlikely to Have Lasting Effect 19 May 2009 The European Commission has fined Intel for engaging in anticompetitive activities. Gartner believes Intel's recent dominance is due to market forces at work and not because the company has engaged in illegal practices. |
|
|
|
| Nortel's 1Q09 Earnings Show Why Customers Need Contingency Plans 18 May 2009 Nortel's continuing losses will not only deter potential sales, but spur many customers to develop backup plans and look elsewhere. |
|
|
|
| Saba-IBM Collaboration Bolsters Support for Social Learning 15 May 2009 A new agreement between Saba and IBM reinforces the importance of learning in achieving the larger goal of talent development to support of business performance. Both companies will benefit from this relationship. |
|
|
|
| SumTotal Bidding War Signals Change, but Clients Shouldn't Panic 14 May 2009 Two private equity firms are vying to buy SumTotal Systems, one of the largest vendors in the corporate learning systems market. Despite the likely acquisition, current SumTotal customers shouldn't expect much to change. |
|
|
|
| Clear Standards Buy Will Add GHG Management to SAP Solutions 14 May 2009 SAP's deal to purchase Clear Standards is the first of many acquisitions that Gartner expects major software vendors to make within the rapidly evolving technology area of greenhouse gas emissions management. |
|
|
|
| Acquisitions Would Benefit Micro Focus by Broadening Its Message 13 May 2009 Borland's and Compuware's automated software quality tools for distributed platforms will increase Micro Focus' revenue and broaden its message. But it will be challenged to manage complex and overlapping product lines. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Exeros Expands IBM's Mapping, Metadata Discovery Capabilities 12 May 2009 Exeros adds to IBM's capabilities for capturing metadata and discovering relationships within and across structured data sources. The technology must be proven through more deployments and become embedded in IBM products. |
|
|
|
| IBM Pushes Into the Cloud With Cloud Implementation Services 12 May 2009 IBM's implementation service offering for private cloud computing provides a strong entry point for larger organizations. But smaller enterprises may want to look elsewhere for scalable, flexible testing resources. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| New Benchmarking to Guide SAP Enterprise Support Fees 5 May 2009 SAP has introduced collaborative benchmarking for Enterprise Support and reduced yearly fee increases for its installed base, but not all clients will achieve the same value as benchmarked clients. |
|
|
|
| SAP and Teradata Partnership Will Strengthen Joint Solution 1 May 2009 A partnership between SAP and Teradata that focuses on NetWeaver Business Warehouse will help joint customers of the two vendors, but won't solve key integration problems. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Tough Chip Market Could Lead Renesas, NEC Electronics to Merge 30 April 2009 A planned merger of Renesas Technology and NEC Electronics would create the No. 3 semiconductor company worldwide and the No. 1 chip maker in Japan. The proposed deal would require formidable integration efforts to succeed. |
|
|
|
| IBM DB2 9.7 Shakes Up the DBMS Market With Oracle Compatibility 29 April 2009 A feature in the IBM DB2 9.7 that will enable users to more easily replace the Oracle database management system with the DB2 DBMS has important implications for the commercial, off-the-shelf software applications community. |
|
|
|
| 'Swine Flu' Means Test Transaction Document Recovery Plans Now 28 April 2009 The worldwide swine flu outbreak and the media attention surrounding it should not lead enterprises to panic. But they must take this opportunity to test their print and mail business continuity plans. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Ventyx Expands Offering With nMarket Acquisition 28 April 2009 In acquiring nMarket, Ventyx broadens its portfolio to cover the wholesale market's needs. A smooth transition will be required for nMarket to retain its position of strength. |
|
|
|
| HP's Matrix Simplifies BladeSystem Infrastructure 27 April 2009 HP's BladeSystem Matrix prepackages and preintegrates servers, networking, storage, software infrastructure and orchestration for simplified acquisition and faster deployment. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Oracle/Sun Deal Is Not About IAM, but IAM Could Be Impacted 24 April 2009 Oracle's plan to acquire Sun wasn't driven by a need for identity and access management functions, and its plans for Sun's IAM solutions aren't yet clear. IAM customers should stay informed and prepare for changes. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| New MicroStrategy BI Platform Offering Reduces Risk of Silos 22 April 2009 MicroStrategy now offers upgradeable free and departmental versions of its business intelligence platform. For the new packaging and branding to succeed, MicroStrategy must overcome its reputation as a high-end vendor. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Broadridge Enhances Financial Social Networking for Investors 20 April 2009 Investment services providers should look at the Broadridge Financial Solutions' The Investor Network as a model for exploiting their own data or technologies in innovative ways. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Terracotta v.3 Will Foster Greater Competition in DCP Market 17 April 2009 Terracotta v.3 server is a distributed caching platform focused on Java application database offloading. Organizations should explore using DCPs to improve performance and scalability and to reduce costs. |
|
|
|
| Recognize the Security Risks of Twitter, Other 'Consumer' Tools 15 April 2009 Malware attacks against the Twitter social networking service highlight the risks of using consumer-grade technologies for business. These services are not going away, so enterprises need to take security measures. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| SunEdison Milestone Signals Gain in Momentum for Solar Energy 7 April 2009 SunEdison has delivered 100 million kilowatt-hours of photovoltaic-generated electricity. This five-year milestone affirms the solar-energy-as-a-service model which has helped enterprises lower their electricity costs. |
|
|
|
| Formation of Fujitsu America Signals Bold Expansion Plans 7 April 2009 Fujitsu's creation of Fujitsu America will aid its expansion in North America and provide a much-needed structure to optimize North American competitive opportunities. |
|
|
|
| Rackable Systems Will Enhance Strengths With SGI Acquisition 6 April 2009 Rackable Systems has announced plans to acquire Silicon Graphics. The economic climate has challenged both vendors, so users should look for rapid conclusion of the merger and execution of the converged company strategy. |
|
|
|
| SAP-Syclo Co-innovation Enhances Mobile Field Service Offerings 6 April 2009 SAP has extended its relationship with Syclo, a mobile enterprise application platform vendor, to offer field service management on mobile devices. The deal is part of SAP's broader mobile partnership initiative. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| If You Are 'Too Big to Fail': Prepare EA for Divestiture 1 April 2009 The Obama administration's proposed regulation on any business deemed "too big to fail" highlights an opportunity for enterprise architecture teams to help management make proactive decisions. |
|
|
|
| IBM Users Should Experiment With Sametime Unified Telephony 1 April 2009 IBM's Sametime Unified Telephony will put telephony devices on a real-time collaboration platform. The product has great potential, but enterprises should not make a major commitment until SUT shows it is stable. |
|
|
|
| Accenture Results Show Downturn Is Hitting IT Services Hard 1 April 2009 Accenture's latest financial results show that its outlook for 2009 has weakened because of a steep drop in demand. We expect to see other IT service providers announcing lower results as the year unfolds. |
|
|
|
| Conficker Is a Serious Threat but the 1 April 'Deadline' Is Not 31 March 2009 The Conficker worm represents a serious threat to enterprise and home PCs, but the approaching "deadline" is not as urgent as the media hype suggests. Gartner does not expect a widespread system meltdown on 1 April. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Getronics Workspace Alliance Must Lower Risk to Grow Globally 27 March 2009 This new alliance aims to combine its members' local delivery capability to offer globally consistent workspace outsourcing services. It needs to synchronize efforts to minimize risk and emerge as a viable alternative. |
|
|
|
| Sale of BearingPoint Units Could Disrupt Projects Short Term 27 March 2009 BearingPoint plans to sell major business units to Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Clients should get more stability in the long run, but the distraction caused by these sales could result in disruptions. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Maine Laptop Program to Cover All Secondary School Students 23 March 2009 Maine's education department will give a laptop to each junior- and senior-high public school student in the state. Officials in other states considering a similar program should ensure that all costs are accounted for. |
|
|
|
| Visa Heartland/RBS WorldPay Statement Brings Needed PCI Clarity 23 March 2009 A new Visa statement clarifies the positions of merchants concerned about the card brand's recent removal of two major payment processors from its list of Payment Card Industry-compliant service providers. |
|
|
|
| Wesabe Money Management Platform May Boost Online Banking 20 March 2009 Social banking tools available from online personal-finance-oriented social networks, such as Wesabe, will enable banks to introduce social computing capabilities on their Web sites faster and more economically. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Cisco Differentiates Itself in the Server/Systems Market 16 March 2009 Cisco has entered the x86 server blade market with its Unified Computing System, optimized specifically around virtualization deployments. The offering is unique, but displacing incumbents will be difficult. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| First Solar Deal Will Restructure U.S. Utility-Scale PV Market 9 March 2009 First Solar's acquisition of OptiSolar's photovoltaic project pipeline is the first major deal in a wave of market consolidation Gartner expects to see in the solar energy industry during 2009. |
|
|
|
| Intel's Initiative With TSMC Is a Bold Reach for New Markets 6 March 2009 Intel will contract with TSMC for Atom system-on-chip manufacturing and design services. The move will create new market opportunities by giving Intel access to areas where it has never ventured and where others dominate. |
|
|
|
| Software AG Unveils AlignSpace, Its Social BPM Platform Vision 6 March 2009 By 1Q10, Software AG will offer AlignSpace, a software-as-service-based social platform for business process management practitioners. Its ambitious vision requires BPM professionals to interact in new ways. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Accelerates a Trend by Flexing Its Patent Muscle 5 March 2009 Microsoft's patent infringement actions against TomTom are indicative of a broader trend by IT providers toward building and exploiting patent portfolios. |
|
|
|
| Early IBM Results Offer an Exception During Economic Downturn 4 March 2009 IBM says its business in January 2009 remained strong, consistent with 4Q08 results. Unlike many other technology providers, IBM is not suffering significantly from the economic downturn, due to its business model. |
|
|
|
| Citrix Essentials Clarifies Citrix/Microsoft Relationship 27 February 2009 The announcement of Citrix Essentials for Microsoft Hyper-V signals a significant upgrading of the relationship between two of the major virtualization market providers. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| BearingPoint Should Maintain Service Despite Chapter 11 Filing 26 February 2009 BearingPoint's U.S. business has filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors. The bankruptcy process should mitigate risk for clients, but they should develop contingency plans for business-critical work. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Forward Planning Will Help Nortel-Radware Deal Run Smoothly 25 February 2009 Nortel's restructuring begins with the planned sale of its application acceleration portfolio to Radware. The deal is likely to be completed soon, and planning by both parties should limit the disruption to customers. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| U.S. Stimulus Package May Reorder Health Insurers' IT Plans 24 February 2009 The U.S. economic stimulus bill is unclear on the role of health insurers in the development of health information technology. Costs to health insurers to comply with ARRA can be high and the value uncertain. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Iron Mountain Archiving Service May Ease Cloud Storage Concerns 24 February 2009 Iron Mountain's newest archiving service could have wide appeal as enterprises look to outsource historical data storage. This could increase the credibility of storage in the cloud. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Oracle Buys mValent to Enrich Oracle Enterprise Manager 19 February 2009 Oracle acquired mValent in an effort to bolster Oracle's enterprise management solution for end-to-end application configuration management. |
|
|
|
| Applimation Will Expand Informatica Data Management Capabilities 19 February 2009 The acquisition of Applimation enables Informatica to address its customers' data life cycle management requirements. It also gains an opportunity to expand its revenue through the fast-growing database archiving market. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Plan Establishes Likely Path to Generalist Search Strength 18 February 2009 Microsoft's new plan to incorporate Fast Search and Transfer's search technology directly into SharePoint will attract enterprises seeking to cut costs on enterprise search. |
|
|
|
| Intel's Super Server Chip Squeezes Operating System Scalability 13 February 2009 In a two-socket system, Intel's Nehalem EX server chip design suggests double the performance commonly seen today. Expect this boost to impact software and workloads not yet modernized for this new reality. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Enhances OCS: Blends Meetings, IM and Phone Calls 11 February 2009 An update of Office Communications Server launched in a virtual event, with new features usually held for major upgrades. To attract budget-minded customers, Microsoft's marketing message must emphasize cost savings. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Expect Further Consolidation in EMEA PC Market as NEC Exits 11 February 2009 NEC plans to exit the PC market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa because of falling revenue and profits. Gartner expects other vendors to follow as the economic downturn forces further market consolidation. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Premier Mission Critical Support Will Be SLA-Based 9 February 2009 This much-needed offering extends Microsoft Premier Support and should be evaluated for mission-critical environments that require an increased level of incident response, access to resources and accountability. |
|
|
|
| China's Rural Communities Present Opportunity for PC Vendors 6 February 2009 Subsidies for electrical appliances in China's rural communities could increase demand for PCs. This offers a good opportunity for PC vendors, but they'll need to overcome several challenges to sell in rural markets. |
|
|
|
| HCL-Nokia Deal to Open European Help Desk Market to Offshore Players 5 February 2009 The Nokia deal allows HCL to expand its help desk and desktop management footprint in Europe. HCL must face cultural, language and project scope challenges to ensure deal success and service continuity to all its clients. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Cisco Expands Into Network and Building Energy Management 4 February 2009 Cisco's EnergyWise initiative is a focused entry into green IT and will help make building infrastructure more efficient. But enterprises should not forget more basic ways of reducing energy consumption. |
|
|
|
| Tibco Endorses Appliance Approach to Messaging 4 February 2009 Tibco is the leading vendor of ultra-low-latency message-oriented middleware. Its move into the appliance business validates this approach to MOM packaging. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Autonomy to Buy Interwoven, Target E-Discovery and Compliance 28 January 2009 Autonomy intends to increase its penetration of the e-discovery and compliance markets by buying Interwoven. The deal could also highlight the importance of analytics for Web-based solutions. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| IBM Earnings Show Resilience in Its Service Business 27 January 2009 The strength of IBM's service business in the difficult economic environment of 2008 makes it the vendor to watch during 2009 as a key indicator of industry performance and opportunity. |
|
|
|
| Heartland Case Shows Stronger Card Security Is Still Needed 23 January 2009 The latest in a series of highly damaging data breaches highlights the ongoing need for upgraded Payment Card Industry security requirements and processes to protect against the most significant current threats. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Reimbursement Settlement to Affect Most U.S. Health Insurers 22 January 2009 Premiums for health insurance will likely increase as a result of a settlement between New York State and large U.S. health insurers over alleged manipulation of reimbursements of out-of-network medical services. |
|
|
|
| ICD-10 Delay Enables Orderly Transition if Action Starts Now 20 January 2009 The new deadline in the final regulations for ICD-10 conversion allows a more orderly transition, but only for healthcare organizations that begin work now. |
|
|
|
| PrismTech Uses Open Source to Widen Appeal of Low-Latency MOM 20 January 2009 PrismTech aims to bring its low-latency message-oriented middleware to the masses by using an open-source model. But it will face a number of challenges despite its proven track record in the market. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Nortel Must Rebuild Confidence as It Enters Creditor Protection 16 January 2009 Nortel has taken necessary action to protect its ongoing operations, but it must restructure its businesses and work hard to keep customers, partners and distributors loyal if it is to grow in 2009. |
|
|
|
| Google Apps Reseller Channel Puts 'Feet' on the Street 15 January 2009 In an effort to accelerate Google Apps sales, Google is creating a large-scale reseller program to supplement its enterprise sales force. |
|
|
|
| Gaza 'Cease-Fire' Trojan Shows No Sites Are Safe From Attack 14 January 2009 A new trojan attack shows that seemingly "safe" Web sites can be used in financially targeted attacks. Enterprises need to take a layered approach to these attack vectors, which mostly lie outside their control. |
|
|
|
| FSA Fines Aon, Pushes U.K. Insurers on Risk Management 14 January 2009 By fining Aon for its weak risk-management controls on overseas payments, the Financial Services Authority reminds companies to focus on compliance when doing business in the U.K. |
|
|
|
| Trend Micro-BigFix Deal Continues Security/Operations Integration 13 January 2009 A joint licensing agreement between BigFix and Trend Micro will strengthen both vendors' security solutions, and is an example of the continuing trend toward improved security and operations integration. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Aspect Buys AIM to Broaden Performance Management Portfolio 12 January 2009 Aspect Software has widened its performance management offering by purchasing AIM Technology's assets. This addresses concerns we had about the long-term suitability of Aspect's workforce optimization suite. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| XBRL Mandate on Financial Reporting Will Improve Transparency 19 December 2008 A new rule approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission gives IT organizations an opportunity to provide much-needed support to finance departments on an issue that directly affects shareholder value. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Huawei Symantec Strengthens Its Storage Portfolio 16 December 2008 Huawei Symantec's storage product launch exploits the successful integration of Symantec's storage technologies. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| JDA/i2 Merger Termination Preserves i2 Innovation Partner Option 11 December 2008 i2 Technologies says its merger agreement with JDA Software has been terminated. Gartner believes i2 will likely not continue as an independent public company, but may not necessarily be acquired by another software vendor. |
|
|
|
| Paisley Buy Could Make Thomson Reuters a Dominant GRC Player 10 December 2008 Thomson Reuters' planned acquisition of the enterprise governance, risk and compliance platform vendor Paisley will expand its audit offerings and likely benefit Paisley's audit and compliance customers. |
|
|
|
| Oerlikon Boosts Position With Milestone in Thin-Film Solar 10 December 2008 Inventux is the first customer to start mass production of solar cells based on Oerlikon Solar's tandem-junction thin-film technology. This is an important milestone for Oerlikon and the solar market. |
|
|
|
| New Bank-Targeted Trojan via Firefox Saps Consumer Confidence 9 December 2008 A new Trojan attack targeting more than 100 online bank sites and consumers who use the Mozilla Firefox browser should spur banks to immediately implement tougher security at their online channels. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft/RSA Alliance to Have Long-Term Impact on DLP Market 4 December 2008 Although a partnership between Microsoft and RSA will have implications for the entire data loss prevention market, only organizations using RSA's DLP Suite will be able to realize immediate benefits. |
|
|
|
| Capgemini to Buy Empire to Improve Presence in Eastern Europe 1 December 2008 Acquiring a competitor in the Czech Republic will give IT service provider Capgemini valuable skills and resources. But the deal will not give it as much market share as the top players in the market. |
|
|
|
| Notes Traveler Needs More Security for Use With Smartphones 26 November 2008 Notes Traveler will enable Nokia smartphones to access Lotus Notes e-mail wirelessly. But enterprises must carefully evaluate security risks before deploying the software. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Exits Consumer Security, Enterprise Security Remains 25 November 2008 Microsoft's decision to exit the consumer security market and offer a free product will have limited impact, but its presence in enterprise security remains. |
|
|
|
| Capgemini Pushes Further Into the Cloud With Amazon Deal 21 November 2008 Capgemini has announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services aimed at helping large and midsize enterprises take advantage of Amazon Web Services' cloud-computing offerings. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft Collaboration Offering Ushers in New Era for SaaS 18 November 2008 Microsoft's multitenant software-as-a-service offering for Exchange, SharePoint and Office Communication Server provides a substantial new option for buying and consuming collaboration software. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Alchemy Becomes an Instant Player in IT Modernization 13 November 2008 By acquiring Fujitsu's mainframe hosting technology, Alchemy Solutions gets well-developed .NET-centric IT modernization solutions that it can develop further. |
|
|
|
| Canon Reworks Distribution Road Map, Signs New IKON Agreement 13 November 2008 Canon USA has revealed some details of its new distribution strategy -- including phasing out its current agreement with IKON Office Solutions -- showing an organization that appears energized about the future. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Consider Shift to WPA2 to Address New Wireless Security Threat 10 November 2008 A new attack against a widely used wireless encryption solution is part of the normal vulnerability cycle. But it gives security professionals a new reason to upgrade their wireless protections to the current standard. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| MySpace, MTV, Auditude Plan Raises Video Copyright Stakes 6 November 2008 A plan for consumer-controlled distribution of professional media could generate millions of dollars in ad revenue per month, and will raise the copyright stakes for other video sites. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Windows 7 Hype Should Not Alter Windows Vista Deployment Plans 30 October 2008 Microsoft's Windows 7 will offer improved usability and functions over Windows Vista. But organizations should stick with Vista deployment plans, because most will not be ready to deploy Windows 7 until mid-2011 or later. |
|
|
|
| Claims-based Application Framework Spans Enterprises, Cloud 29 October 2008 Microsoft's claims-based application framework spans enterprise on-premises applications and emerging cloud-based applications built on Microsoft's Azure Services Platform. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Web Version of Microsoft Office Seeks to Counter Google Apps 28 October 2008 Responding to rapidly changing market conditions, Microsoft said it is building a Web-based version of its Office suite. |
|
|
|
| IBM Notes Hosting Will Compete With Exchange Service Offerings 27 October 2008 IBM's announcement of Lotus Notes Hosted Messaging is a reaction to customer demand for hosted e-mail services and to a competitive challenge from Microsoft. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Samsung Set to Benefit as It Drops Bid for SanDisk 24 October 2008 Samsung has highlighted SanDisk's financial challenges by withdrawing its latest bid for the company and looks set to gain the most from SanDisk's struggles in the NAND flash market. |
|
|
|
| IBM z10 BC Is a Consolidation Platform for the Rest of Us 21 October 2008 Historically, low-end mainframe customers have been less likely than larger, enterprise-class ones to place new workloads on mainframes. With the IBM System z10 Business Class, IBM seeks to change that profile. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| SAP Steps Into the Growing B2B Services Market Via Crossgate 16 October 2008 SAP has formalized and strengthened its alliance with Crossgate as it makes a decisive move into the business-to-business infrastructure market. |
|
|
|
| Novell's Planned Managed Objects Buy to Boost RTI Strategy 16 October 2008 Novell's planned Managed Objects buy will add credibility to Novell's data center management and real-time infrastructure strategy, but will challenge its direct sales and professional services capabilities. |
|
|
|
| How the Oracle-Primavera Deal Impacts Energy Firms, Utilities 14 October 2008 Oracle seeks to extend its functional capability to capitalize on worldwide infrastructure growth by acquiring leading project management tool vendor Primavera. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| AMD Restructuring Buys Time but Increases Pressure to Perform 9 October 2008 AMD will team with ATIC to form a new foundry company from AMD's semiconductor fabrication plants. Concurrently, Mubadala will increase its stake in AMD, ensuring the likelihood of long-term viability for the new venture. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Microchip's Bid for Atmel Pushes Industry Consolidation 7 October 2008 Microchip Technology and On Semiconductor have made an unsolicited offer for Atmel. The deal would benefit the vendors, but there is no assurance a transaction will be completed. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| PCI Security Standard Update Does Not Meet Merchants' Needs 6 October 2008 The first update to the Payment Card Industry's primary security standard in more than two years still fails to address merchants' most critical security and compliance issues. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Nokia Drops Enterprise Software, Intellisync Users Lose Out 3 October 2008 Nokia is discontinuing its server-side enterprise software. The move is good for Nokia, but enterprise Intellisync users will need to find an alternative as the product is phased out. |
|
|
|
| Oracle OpenWorld's Middleware Message Is 'Watch This Space' 2 October 2008 Busy with executing on its ambitious road map for integrating the BEA Systems technology portfolio into the Fusion Middleware stack, Oracle offered little substantive news about middleware at Oracle OpenWorld 2008. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Secure Computing Buy Will Strengthen McAfee Network Security 29 September 2008 McAfee's planned purchase of Secure Computing should offer the two companies' customers strong, broader offerings. But significant execution and integration demands will keep that from happening in the immediate future. |
|
|
|
| Oracle's Exadata Enters the Data Management Hardware Fray 29 September 2008 Through Exadata, Oracle is entering the hardware market with a storage grid and a data warehouse appliance, both optimized for Oracle's database management system. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| GigaSpaces Aims XTP at the Masses and the Cloud With XAP 6.6 29 September 2008 GigaSpaces' eXtreme Application Platform v. 6.6 aims to bring extreme transaction processing to mainstream and cloud users. But this bold move puts it in direct competition with vendors such as IBM, Oracle and Red Hat. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Tenrox Release 10 Focuses on Maintenance Cost, Ease of Use 24 September 2008 Tenrox's latest release reflects the increasing focus by vendors of midtier project management software on ease of use and user-configurable functionality. |
|
|
|
| Jabber Buy Helps Cisco Raise the Stakes in the UCC Market 24 September 2008 Cisco's plan to acquire instant-messaging provider Jabber confirms that it will engage in a head-on competition with Microsoft, IBM and Google in the unified communications and collaboration market. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Lenovo Adds to the Competition in x86 Worldwide Server Market 22 September 2008 Lenovo's x86-based ThinkServer line seeks to offer the server market an alternative provider. Tier 2 and local server providers will likely feel some competitive pressure from Lenovo's market entry. |
|
|
|
| Google, GE Make Smart Move Onto 'Intelligent Grid' Bandwagon 22 September 2008 The Google/GE "intelligent grid" initiative, aimed at addressing energy sustainability concerns, could be a game-changer, especially if Google moves beyond policy advocacy. |
|
|
|
| Yahoo E-Mail Hack Shows Perils of Consumerization 19 September 2008 Hackers' access to Governor Sarah Palin's personal Yahoo e-mail account underscores the risks of conducting business through consumer-oriented Web collaboration services. |
|
|
|
| Quest's NetPro Acquisition Narrows Windows Management Markets 18 September 2008 Quest Software's acquisition of NetPro will remove a direct head-to-head competitor in several markets. The deal will primarily affect the Microsoft Active Directory management market, which Quest has long dominated. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft's Model-Driven Approach Includes Joining Standards Body 17 September 2008 Microsoft's announcement is less an endorsement of the Object Management Group's architecture standards than a signal of the company's new focus on process understanding and collaboration between IT and business units. |
|
|
|
| Software AG Release Delves Further Into SOA Management 15 September 2008 Software AG's webMethods Insight adds runtime management capabilities for heterogeneous service-oriented architecture environments. Such technologies are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. |
|
|
|
| IBM Adds Java EE Support in WebSphere Application Server 7 15 September 2008 Version 7 of WebSphere Application Server adds full Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 5 support. This means most major platform middleware vendors now support Java EE 5. |
|
|
|
| Mobile Financial Services Begin to Come Into Their Own 11 September 2008 Fiserv's partnership with M-Com affirms the shift of stand-alone mobile banking applications to mobile financial services that are integrated with a bank's multichannel integration architecture. |
|
|
|
| Captaris Buy Gives Open Text Components to Enter New Markets 11 September 2008 Open Text will gain content capture, delivery, processing and archive components from this deal. These will support Open Text's strategy to offer infrastructure stack supplements and extend its appeal to new markets. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Red Hat Buys Qumranet in Push for Virtualization Leadership 10 September 2008 Red Hat will be challenged to position KVM as the next-generation hypervisor in an increasingly crowded market. |
|
|
|
| New Standard Will Make Content Repositories Interoperable 10 September 2008 EMC, IBM and Microsoft have proposed a standard for making enterprise content management repositories interoperable. This standard may succeed where other standards have failed, but it will take time. |
|
|
|
| Windows Licensing Changes Enable New PC Deployment Scenarios 10 September 2008 Microsoft's latest licensing changes for the Windows client operating system will enable broader enterprise use of virtual machine technology. This is an important step in decoupling Windows licenses from PC hardware. |
|
|
|
| Oracle Aims to Boost Application Management With QuickVision 8 September 2008 With its planned acquisition of ClearApp, Oracle aims to use QuickVision technology to manage its increasingly complex application stack. The move also could also make Oracle's stack more compelling to customers. |
|
|
|
| Google Seeks to Control Its Browser Destiny With Chrome 5 September 2008 Google's introduction of Google Chrome is not simply a salvo in the "browser wars" of the past decade. Its primary purpose is to enable a more compelling user experience for Google's Web applications. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Appian Reaches Outside to Spur Its Growth in the BPMS Market 5 September 2008 Appian's recent funding and its partnership with Mega indicate it is taking new steps to grow its business in the business process management suite market. But this must be backed by sales execution from both vendors. |
|
|
|
| Google E-Mail Outage Stresses SaaS/Cloud Services' Vulnerability 3 September 2008 Recent unreliable commercial e-mail service from Google has underscored the need for enterprises to develop contingency plans for software-as-a-service applications. |
|
|
|
| Nvision 08 Keynote Was Strong on Entertainment, Weak on Strategy 3 September 2008 Nvision 08 focused on gaming, digital content creation and the movie industry. The keynote demonstrated Nvidia's grasp of graphics entertainment markets, but did not reflect the full evolution of visual computing. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| FRSGlobal-Iris Deal Will Combine Risk Reporting and Analytics 2 September 2008 FRSGlobal's acquisition of Iris, a provider of Basel-II-specific credit risk management software, will enable the combined entity to offer risk management capabilities across credit and operational risk disciplines. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Refillers to Benefit From HP's Cartridge Increases in India 26 August 2008 With materials costs and inflation rising in India, HP has increased the prices of some of its laser toners and ink cartridges. HP's supplies business with already cost-conscious customers will be affected. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Colubris Buy Will Take HP Further Into the WLAN Market 18 August 2008 HP's plan to buy Colubris Networks is a positive move for both companies, with just a few potential pitfalls. HP has now affirmed its commitment to the ProCurve Networking product portfolio. |
|
|
|
| Vendor Deal Aims for Enterprise Mobile Financial Services 12 August 2008 A Fundtech/Firethorn partnership marks a new focus on selling mobile financial services to banks. Banks should scrutinize vendors for their ability to support all lines of business, and not just retail banking. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Planned Reconnex Acquisition Will Anchor McAfee DLP Offerings 5 August 2008 The planned Reconnex acquisition will give McAfee all the components of an enterprise data loss prevention solution. But integration with ePolicy Orchestrator and McAfee's existing capabilities will be the key to success. |
|
|
|
| Intel Capital Investment Extends Its Position in 'Cleantech' 5 August 2008 With its investment in Voltaix, Intel Capital continues to add its financial backing and its brand to key firms in the photovoltaic ecosystem. This may drive significant improvements in the overall solar market. |
|
|
|
| SafeWord Will Bring Aladdin Strong Authentication Channel 5 August 2008 The acquisition of Secure Computing's SafeWord authentication line will bring Aladdin Knowledge Systems a strong channel network. But customers and prospects will see little immediate benefit. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Gas Price Rises Show Need to Improve Customer Contact Channels 4 August 2008 After recent U.K. gas price increases, utilities' voice systems and Web sites could not handle spikes in traffic. Utilities can reduce customer churn and win more new customers by improving systems and being proactive. |
|
|
|
| SCM Application Plans Go Unspecified in Planned Ilog/IBM Deal 1 August 2008 IBM will acquire Ilog primarily for its rules management, optimization and visualization capabilities. Supply chain management application customers should watch for IBM to state it plans regarding those Ilog offerings. |
|
|
|
| Sophos Seeks to Extend Endpoint Offering With Utimaco Buy 1 August 2008 The planned acquisition of Utimaco Safeware will significantly extend Sophos' endpoint security capabilities. But Sophos must work hard to ensure long-term success in a volatile and fast-converging marketplace. |
|
|
|
| Gores/Siemens Joint Venture Is Promising but Faces Tough Market 31 July 2008 A joint venture between Gores Group and Siemens Enterprise Communications will enable them to roll in other companies to create a larger enterprise portfolio. But the challenge of a consolidating market still looms. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| AirDefense Should Strengthen Motorola in Wireless Security 30 July 2008 The acquisition of AirDefense will likely improve Motorola's position in enterprise wireless security. But Motorola must show that it is focusing on this market. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| First Solar's Malaysian Plans Ramps Up Its Competitiveness 28 July 2008 Solar cell and module supplier First Solar's plant expansion in Malaysia indicates that it will be a serious competitor for the photovoltaics market, particularly for large-scale power plant installations. |
|
|
|
| SAP Shutdown of TomorrowNow Pushes Customers to Alternatives 25 July 2008 As a result of SAP's closing its TomorrowNow subsidiary, customers with Oracle products may choose to return to Oracle support services, bring support in-house or select another third-party support provider. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| OutStart-Eedo Merger Could Create Learning Content Leader 25 July 2008 OutStart's merger with Eedo Knowledgeware gives it a richer product set for content creation, management and delivery, and positions the new company to become a major player in learning content management systems. |
|
|
|
| U.K. Government Steps Up to Green IT, but More Action Required 24 July 2008 The U.K. central government set ambitious targets to achieve carbon neutrality for IT. But its pragmatic "to do" list lacks the broader approach needed to significantly improve the global climate. |
|
|
|
| HCL to Buy Liberata for Foothold in U.K. Insurance BPO Market 23 July 2008 By acquiring Liberata Financial Services, HCL Technologies will gain the domain skills, clients and facilities needed to establish a U.K.-based insurance business processing outsourcing operation. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Buying Intervoice Will Strengthen Convergys in Contact Centers 18 July 2008 The planned acquisition of Intervoice will help Convergys address two key trends in the contact center market. Customers of both vendors will benefit. |
|
|
|
| Aviva's Sale of Offshore Operations Hints at Emerging Trend 17 July 2008 Insurer Aviva has sold its offshore operations to business process outsourcing service provider WNS Global Services. It is one of the few organizations to take this step, but a trend is developing. |
|
|
|
| Facebook Is the Real Target of Google's Virtual World 10 July 2008 Google's three-dimensional virtual world system Lively does not seek to be another Second Life. Gartner believes its primary purpose is to lure social network users away from Facebook and MySpace. |
|
|
|
| DNS Vulnerability Requires More Action Than Patching Alone 10 July 2008 Patches been released for newly announced Domain Name System vulnerabilities that affect products from at least 79 vendors. But enterprises need to take protective measures that extend well beyond normal patching. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Aspect Bolsters Communications Capabilities With BlueNote Buy 9 July 2008 Aspect Software has acquired BlueNote Networks to better deliver standards-based unified communications solutions. This should boost Aspect's ability to support enterprises seeking advanced capabilities in this area. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Microsoft's E-Mail/SharePoint Pricing Portends Shift to SaaS 8 July 2008 Newly announced Microsoft software-as-a-service pricing and distribution for Exchange and SharePoint -- coupled with robust pent-up demand -- will accelerate the transition away from premises-based collaboration software. |
|
|
|
| U.K. Government Seeks Better Ways to Mash Up Its Data 7 July 2008 The U.K. government has launched a competition in an attempt to find better ways to mash up its public data as part of its response to the Power of Information Review Report. |
|
|
|
| Touchpaper Deal Helps Avocent Enter IT Service Desk Market 3 July 2008 Acquiring Touchpaper will enable Avocent to offer an integrated PC life cycle configuration management and IT service desk solution. Organizations increasingly are seeking this functionality from a single vendor. |
|
|
|
| Progress Acquires Iona to Strengthen Presence in AIM Market 2 July 2008 Progress Software plans to acquire Iona Technologies. This will help Progress compete against the large vendors in the application integration and middleware market. But it will need to address product overlaps. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Symbian Adopts Open Platform to Head Off Threat From Android 30 June 2008 Symbian's announcement is timely as the mobile device market moves toward open platforms. The battle in the mobile space is now shifting to the software and services that run on these platforms. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Joint Effort Seeks to Connect Health Records and Care Providers 30 June 2008 An AT&T, Covisint and Microsoft joint announcement regarding health information exchange products is mostly old news. But it provides insight into an important business strategy for HealthVault. |
|
|
|
| Red Hat Reorganizes for Linux, Middleware and Virtualization 26 June 2008 Red Hat's 2008 Summit focused on architecture, APIs and open-source software tools. Now Red Hat must deliver on its claims of physical and virtual management automation with competitive certified and integrated solutions. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Proofpoint Buys Fortiva to Keep Up With Market Consolidation 26 June 2008 The acquisition of e-mail archive vendor Fortiva by e-mail hygiene vendor Proofpoint underscores the continuing consolidation in the message control market and the growing demand for software as a service. |
|
|
|
| Getronics Deal Continues CompuCom's Ongoing Transformation 25 June 2008 CompuCom Systems plans to acquire the North American operations of Getronics. The organizations that will see the greatest impact are the North American service delivery partners of Getronics. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Dassault Raises Simulation Stakes With Engineous Buy 24 June 2008 Dassault Systemes' planned purchase of Engineous Software recognizes the growing focus on simulation as an approach to reduce the time and cost required to design and deliver products. |
|
|
|
| BMC Buys ITM to Expand Its IT Business Management Capability 24 June 2008 ITM Software was one of the last remaining stand-alone portfolio analysis vendors in the IT project portfolio management market segment. The future direction and strategic focus of ITM under BMC still isn't clear. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| FalconStor VTL OpenStorage Option Simplifies Disk Backup 17 June 2008 FalconStor Software's new option on its virtual tape libraries to support Symantec's NetBackup OpenStorage application programming interface offers better integration for NetBackup environments. |
|
|
|
| Merced Solidifies Dual Sales-Service Focus With Practique Buy 12 June 2008 Merced's acquisition of Practique Associates' incentive compensation software business will enhance Merced's efforts to deliver a combined product line for managing sales and service performance. |
|
|
|
| SOA Software Partners With iTKO for Validation Technology 10 June 2008 This partnership shows SOA Software moving toward a "total governance view," but it will need to cement a relationship that will give it the needed functions or develop them internally. |
|
|
|
| Green Hat Aims to Boost SOA Quality With Solstice Buy 5 June 2008 Green Hat's acquisition of Solstice creates a stronger global presence for Green Hat and strengthens its overall position in the service-oriented-architecture quality management market. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| With Talisma Deal, nGenera Takes on E-Service Collaboration 29 May 2008 In buying Talisma, nGenera can accelerate the rollout of its on-demand e-services platform that offers businesses enhanced collaboration. However, nGenera must transfer its thought leadership to the Talisma product suite. |
|
|
|
| Xerox India Product Launch Targets Needs of Emerging Markets 28 May 2008 Features in Xerox's latest low-cost monochrome printer offering are likely to appeal to the India market. This move underscores the increasing importance of India in launching products that target emerging markets. |
|
|
|
| Mobile PC ODMs to Pass on Increases, Slowing Price Drop Trend 27 May 2008 Rising oil prices and China's new labor law have added to PC manufacturing costs, leading the top mobile PC original design manufacturers to pass increases on to vendors. This could slow the PC price drop trend. |
|
|
|
| Government Should Tie Agency Funding to Security Improvements 23 May 2008 A proposal to make National Aeronautics and Space Administration funding dependent on security improvements is a step in the right direction. All U.S. government agencies should be subject to such security oversight. |
|
|
|
| ING Takes a Leap With Trusteer Desktop Security Software 23 May 2008 ING Direct is taking the unusual move of distributing and supporting consumer desktop security software from Trusteer. Consider similar measures to avert PC-based attacks on consumer information and accounts. |
|
|
|
| Planned U.K. Telephone/E-Mail Database Too Costly to Implement 23 May 2008 A planned central database of all U.K. telephone and e-mail traffic data is likely too expensive to be implemented. Service providers and telecommunications carriers should continue to plan for decentralized data retention. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Accenture Broadens Automation IT Capabilities With Atan Deal 22 May 2008 Accenture's agreement to acquire Brazilian automation services provider Atan reflects the growing convergence of automation and business IT. |
|
|
|
| OpenSSL Vulnerability Shows Open-Source Process Weaknesses 22 May 2008 A major security flaw in some Linux distributions could expose encrypted data. Open-source developers and their vendor counterparts must improve their communications processes to address security issues like this one. |
|
|
|
| Union of IBM System z Business Partners No Cause for Concern 21 May 2008 The acquisition of Cornerstone Systems by Mainline Information Systems will combine two of IBM's North American business partners. System z mainframe customers should not be concerned, but a contract review is in order. |
|
|
|
| SEC XBRL Mandate Will Challenge Companies Filing in the U.S. 21 May 2008 The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed that companies publicly traded in the U.S. adopt XBRL-based financial reporting. Begin formulating adoption strategies now for XBRL-based disclosure. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Accenture Becomes a Player in Insurance Product Configuration 20 May 2008 Accenture, with charter client Safeco, is building a property and casualty product configurator. The solution will tap Accenture's insurance knowledge and technology assets, and be market-ready for sales by 4Q08. |
|
|
|
| SOA Software Acquires LogicLibrary to Widen Governance Offering 19 May 2008 This deal will expand SOA Software's service-oriented-architecture governance suite while offering LogicLibrary customers further governance capabilities. |
|
|
|
| AdminServer to Accelerate Oracle in Insurance Software Market 16 May 2008 By buying AdminServer, Oracle will enter the core policy administration system market for life insurance. The deal will boost AminServer's competitiveness and give Oracle a foundation to sell more technologies. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Sun and Liferay Plan to Brighten Open-Source Enterprise Portals 14 May 2008 The collaboration between Sun and the smaller, emerging vendor Liferay -- both vendors of two overlapping portal packages -- combines Sun's execution with Liferay's market traction. |
|
|
|
| Taleo-Vurv Deal Part of Talent Management Market Consolidation 13 May 2008 Taleo's planned acquisition of Vurv Technology will strengthen its leadership in the e-recruitment market, but will not have a short-term impact on its position in the broader talent management software market. |
|
|
|
| Rimini Street to Offer SAP R/3 Support Services in 2009 12 May 2008 Rimini Street intends to expand its service offerings to include SAP R/3 software, which would give SAP customers another option for controlling support costs and extending the life of the R/3 releases. |
|
|
|
| Oce Toner-Based Inkjet System Advances Wide-Format Printing 13 May 2008 Oce's ColorWave 600, its first wide-format printer employing CrystalPoint technology, portends a shift in the technical documents market to more color and display graphics. |
|
|
|
| Gemcom Buy Is Private Equity's Second Deal in Mining Software 13 May 2008 Gemcom Software International has agreed to be acquired by private equity companies The Carlyle Group and JMI Equity. Going private will likely offer both benefits and disadvantages for the company and its clients. |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
