Macadamian Helps Elsevier/Mosby Deliver Leading Mobile App for Certified Emergency Nurses

 

Macadamian Helps Elsevier/Mosby Deliver Leading Mobile App for Certified Emergency Nurses

 

Ottawa (April 11, 2012) - Macadamian a global leader in healthcare software product creation, today announced its role in the design of Elsevier’s Mosby’s Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) Exam Prep smartphone app as well as the development of the iOS app compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Mosby is the trusted authority in nursing education and reference.

 

Macadamian conducted user experience research with nurses and nurse educators to evaluate various Elsevier design concepts for mobile learning apps.  The research identified the CEN® Exam Prep app as highly useful to the nursing community and recommended specific user interface and feature enhancements.  The resulting design template was used to guide the design of both Android and iOS apps.  Macadamian also developed the iOS app that is now available through the Apple App Store.

 

Mosby’s CEN® Exam Prep application for mobile devices, offers questions written by expert nurses, that follow the Certified Emergency Nurse examination content outline. The application’s 12 subject area quizzes and master exams provide question rationales and scores for each attempt. Master exams contain 175 questions, which vary for repeated practice. The easy-to-navigate app includes a glossary and a bibliography to further assist in preparing for the CEN® examination.  Nurses and nurse educators appreciate the easy access to practice questions on a mobile device, making studying in different environments possible without carrying books or accessing a PC.

“We chose Macadamian because of their expertise in user experience research and design for mobile applications plus their track-record in software development for the healthcare sector,” said Lou Pilla, MS Ed, Director of Mosby's Nursing Consult and Mosby's Index at Elsevier. “Ease of use and accessibility were key requirements for this app because nurses are busy, highly-mobile professionals”.  

“Our user experience research yielded valuable insights that guided the design of the CEN® Exam Prep app," said Lorraine Chapman, Director of Research at Macadamian. “There is science behind the application’s simplicity and focus on content that supports effective nurse learning.”

For more information about Macadamian’s healthcare software practice, visit www.macadamian.com/industries/healthcare

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier’s online solutions enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively. A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

About Macadamian

Macadamian is a global leader in software product creation providing a complete range of product strategy, user experience design and software engineering services to clients around the world, including healthcare industry leaders like Elsevier, MED3OOO, Cardinal Health and Telus Health. Macadamian has a track record of helping clients create successful products on a variety of mobile, web and desktop platforms. Additional information is available at www.Macadamian.com or by following Macadamian on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

Heather McCulligh

Communications & PR

613-797-8949

hmcculligh@rogers.com

 

 


IBM Sets the Stage for the Next Era of Computing

IBM Sets the Stage for the Next Era of Computing

- Deep integration points to new ‘Scale-In’ approach to system design from IBM
- Built-in ‘expertise’ makes new family of systems simple to run and manage
- Gives enterprises the ability to change the economics of IT

ARMONK, N.Y. - 11 Apr 2012: IBM (NYSE:IBM) today announced a major step forward in a new, simpler era of computing with the introduction of a new category of "expert integrated systems." This new family is the first with built-in expertise based on IBM's decades of experience running IT operations for tens of thousands of clients in 170 countries.

IBM’s expert integrated systems family – PureSystems – is the result of $2 billion in R&D and acquisitions over four years, an unprecedented move by IBM to integrate all IT elements, both physical and virtual. The new systems family offers clients an alternative to today’s enterprise computing model, where multiple and disparate systems require significant resources to set up and maintain. 

The prime challenge facing companies worldwide is the need to spend 70 percent or more of IT budgets on simple operations and maintenance, leaving little to invest in innovation.[1] Two-thirds of corporate IT projects are delivered over budget and behind schedule, according to a recent study by IBM which also found that only one in five corporate IT departments are able to spend the majority of their IT budget on innovation. To join the conversation, visit #IBMPureSystems on Twitter. 

IBM PureSystems Infographic - IT Headaches

With the introduction of the new PureSystems family, IBM is unveiling three major advances that point to a new era of computing technology that is designed to allow businesses to slash the high costs and nagging complexity associated with managing information technology. 

·        “Scale-In” System Design: With PureSystems, IBM is introducing a new concept in system design that integrates the server, storage, and networking into a highly automated, simple-to-manage machine. Scale-in design provides for increased density – PureSystems can handle twice as many applications compared to some IBM systems, doubling the computing power per square foot of data center space.[2]

·        Patterns of Expertise:  For the first time, IBM is embedding technology and industry expertise through first-of-a-kind software that allows the systems to automatically handle basic, time-consuming tasks such as configuration, upgrades, and application requirements.

·        Cloud Ready integration: Out of the box, all PureSystems family members are built for the cloud, enabling corporations to quickly create private, self-service cloud offerings that can scale up and down automatically. 

“With its new scale-in design and built-in expertise, PureSystems represents an important advance in the evolution of computing,” said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive, software and systems, IBM. “By tightening the connections between hardware and software, and adding incomparable software know-how, PureSystems is designed to help clients to free up time and money to focus on innovation that many businesses cannot address due to ever rising costs and staffing needs in the traditional data center.” 

Scale-In Design Marks New Path for 21st Century Technology 

PureSystems' scale-in design integrates and optimizes all of the critical components required in today’s data center – system networking, storage, compute, management, etc. -- and provides for a single-view management system. The result is a system that is intuitive to set up and can be far less expensive to maintain and upgrade. For example, PureSystems can go from its single shipping crate to being up and running in one-third the time as compared to other IBM technology.[3] 

PureSystems can automatically and quickly scale compute resources, networking and storage. 

Bottling Expertise – ‘Patterns’ Package Know-how

At the center of the PureSystems is new software capability – “patterns of expertise” -- that enables operational know-how and knowledge to be built directly into the systems. This first-of-a-kind approach converts technology expertise into reusable, downloadable packages. Patterns are available in three categories: 

  • IBM Patterns: Built-in at the factory and created based on knowledge gleaned from IBM’s smartest IT managers, engineers and technology experts, these sets of patterns are designed to automate time-consuming tasks such as configuring, deploying and upgrading applications -- applications that used to take days to deploy can now be rolled out in hours, for example. 
  • ISV Patterns: IBM has teamed with more than 125 independent software vendors to offer applications that are certified “PureSystems Ready.” A new online catalogue of ISV Patterns, PureCentre, radically simplifies how applications are purchased, deployed and managed. For example, a customer relationship management program that used to take three days to deploy can now be deployed in under one hour. [See separate press release]
  • Customer Patterns: IT organizations can package the knowledge of their own handcrafted applications into a Pattern. As a result, a company that is interested in expanding into new markets can do so even when skills are not readily available in new regions or markets.  

Cloud Ready Systems

With PureSystems, IBM is taking the unprecedented step to completely integrate all of the technology components needed to stand up a private cloud system in minutes. By combining the virtualized servers, storage and networking found in PureSystems with cloud management software, IT organizations have a ready-to-go “cloud system in a box” -- giving them a foundational private cloud environment that can be expanded. The PureSystems cloud is delivered with built-in security, with no single point of failure. 

To significantly accelerate the use of the cloud, IBM has included a cloud self-service and provisioning interface directly into PureSystems. An application developer, for example, can use the self-service feature to configure a cloud environment application without any help from the IT department. PureSystems will sense and respond to the needs of the running applications and services and make decisions on how best to deploy IT resources while ensuring maximum efficiency, performance, and control.

PureSystems integrates the same foundational technologies and software used in IBM’s public SmartCloud Services offerings. As a result, by sharing common capabilities and interfaces, application developers can use IBM SmartCloud Services to create and test new applications. 

Pricing and Availability

The first two models of the PureSystems family – PureFlex System and PureApplication System -- start shipping to customers this quarter. PureSystems support POWER processors and Intel processors. 

Credit-qualified clients that elect financing can see immediate benefits with PureSystems while deferring their first payment for 90 days. Flexible financing options provided by IBM Global Financing[4] make it simple for clients to acquire PureSystems, while enabling them to manage budgets more easily with predictable payments. IBM Global Asset Recovery Services can buy back servers, including those made by HP and Oracle, for clients migrating to IBM PureSystems.  

For more information on IBM PureSystems: www.ibm.com/press/pure, http://www.expertintegratedsystemsblog.com  and http://www.youtube.com/user/expertintegratedsys.

[1] IDC Analyst Matt Eastwood, IDC Directions Presentation, 2011

[2] Compared utilizing virtualized applications between PureFlex System and previous generation BladeCenter HS22V. Specific client environments and results may vary.  

[3] Compared to previous generation blade servers. Specific client environments and results may vary.

[4] IBM Global Financing offerings are provided through IBM Credit LLC in the United States and other IBM subsidiaries and divisions worldwide to qualified commercial and government clients. Rates and availability are based on a client’s credit rating, financing terms, offering type, equipment and product type and options, and may vary by country. Non-hardware items must be one-time, non-recurring charges and are financed by means of loans. Other restrictions may apply. Rates and offerings are subject to change, extension or withdrawal without notice and may not be available in all countries.

Contact(s) information

Faye Abloeser
IBM Media Relations
1 908-770-0762
abloeser@us.ibm.com

Mike Corrado
IBM Media Relations
914-766-4635
mcorrado@us.ibm.com

SAP to Acquire Syclo, Extends Leadership in Mobilizing the Enterprise

SAP to Acquire Syclo, Extends Leadership in Mobilizing the Enterprise

Leading Provider of Mobile Asset Management and Field Service Solutions to Boost Portfolio of Applications on the SAP® Mobile Platform, Adds Mobile Enterprise Strength for Asset-Intensive Industries and Line-of-Business Functions

SAN FRANCISCO - April 10, 2012 - In a move that will drive innovation in mobile solutions for businesses of all sizes, SAP AG(NYSE: SAP ) today announced plans to acquire Syclo, a leading provider of enterprise mobile applications and technologies . The addition of Syclo's expertise in building and selling mobile solutions in industries such as utilities, oil & gas, life sciences and manufacturing will immediately enhance SAP mobile solutions. It will also accelerate the adoption and deployment of new mobile asset management and field service solutions on Sybase® Unwired Platform, part of the SAP® mobile platform and the company's infrastructure for developing and managing mobile apps. The announcement was made at a press conference held this morning in San Francisco.

The move by SAP comes as businesses increasingly adopt smart devices and enterprise mobility in the workplace. Mobile phones are expected to overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide by 2013, according to Gartner Inc. The acquisition is the latest step by SAP in its strategy to drive growth and innovation in core applications, analytics, enterprise mobility, cloudand database and technology.

"With this acquisition, SAP adds momentum to our already powerful mobile portfolio, advancing our vision and leadership while accelerating our mobile apps, " said Sanjay Poonen, president, Global Solutions, SAP. " Syclo brings both domain-savvy expertise and industry-leading solutions, as recognized by customers and analysts. This will drive innovation and mobility in the workplace."

Focusing exclusively on enterprise mobility solutions, Syclo has more than 600 customers in 39 countries across all major asset and mobile-intensive industries. An established SAP partner, Syclo offers mobile apps that help companies extend business systems to a wide range of mobile devices and users . Syclo's expertise and technology offers a mature set of applications that complement SAP in key mobile areas such as enterprise asset management (EAM), field services, inventory management and approvals/workflow, and represents a significant growth opportunity for SAP. Following the close of the transaction, Syclo apps will be integrated with the SAP mobile platform and SAP® Afaria® for mobile device management and security. The combination of SAP and Syclo will create a unique solution provider in the industry with market-leading mobile enterprise applications integrated with a world-class business suite.

"Syclo and SAP have cultivated a strong partnership, and today's announcement is the next step in delivering a fully-integrated mobile platform and enterprise application portfolio to both Syclo and SAP customers," said Rich Padula, CEO, Syclo. "Together, we will expand and accelerate our ability to help businesses run better through mobility."

Enterprise Apps to Unwire the Enterprise
A s companies increasingly enable their employees to do more of their work on smart and "ruggedized" devices , t he combination of SAP and Syclo promises businesses a growing selection of enterprise-grade mobile apps. Building on Syclo's Smart Mobile Applications Suite and SAP® Business Suite software, the combined companies will serve traditional mobile employees as well as an increasing number of employees in other roles who are embracing smart devices in the workplace. The infusion of expertise from both Syclo and its partner network to the open SAP ecosystem will increase opportunities for co-innovation, creating new solutions for customers and opportunities for partners in markets around the world.

Upon receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and satisfaction of certain other conditions, SAP will acquire 100 percent of Syclo's equity . Syclo's solutions will become part of the SAP mobile solution portfolio, and Syclo's employees will join SAP. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012.

For more information, visit the SAP Newsroom.

About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 183,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of Sybase) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably . For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

© 2012 by SAP AG. All rights reserved.
SAP and the SAP logo are registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company. Sybase and the Sybase logo are registered trademarks of Sybase Inc. Sybase is an SAP company. Crossgate is a registered trademark of Crossgate AG in Germany and other countries. Crossgate is an SAP company.

Note to editors:
To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit www.sap.com/photos. On this platform, you can find high resolution material for your media channels. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit www.sap-tv.com. From this site, you can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV.

Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

For more information, press only:
Christoph Liedtke, +49 (6227) 7-50383, christoph.liedtke@sap.com; CET
Jim Dever, +1 (610) 661-2161, james.dever@sap.com, EDT
Amisha Gandhi, +1 (415) 341-7101, amisha.gandhi@sap.com, PDT
SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EDT; press@sap.com

Groundbreaking research centre in Ontario to create a new economic cornerstone for Canada

 

 

Groundbreaking research collaboration creates a new economic cornerstone for Canada

 

Governments of Canada and Ontario team with IBM, U of T, Western University in research initiative that will help solve pressing challenges in cities, water, energy, and healthcare

 

TORONTO, ON – APRIL 10, 2012 – The Governments of Canada and Ontario, with IBM (NYSE: IBM) and a consortium of seven universities led by the University of Toronto and Western University today announced they are collaborating to establish a new Ontario-based $210 million dollar research and development initiative that will create 145 new highly skilled jobs in Ontario and a new economic cornerstone for the country.

 

IBM will invest up to $175 million through December 2014 in the project, forming the “IBM Canada Research and Development Centre” to serve as a foundation for the research initiative. The Government of Ontario is investing $15 million towards the creation of this Centre; ensuring that the skills needed for developing future information and communications technology products and services are fostered in Ontario, new and existing Ontario companies are leaders in their fields, and innovation efficiencies and cost-savings are created across multiple sectors.

 

The Government of Canada will contribute $20 million to allow a consortium of seven southern Ontario post-secondary institutions and its lead industry partner, IBM, to install two high-performance IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputers and develop a cloud computing and agile computing platform to underpin the initiative’s research collaboration. The university consortium will have access to a new Barrie-based IBM data centre once it is fully operational in the fall of 2012. Other Canadian researchers and small to medium-sized enterprises will also be invited to join the consortium.

 

This collaborative model will help university and industry researchers use high performance and cloud computing infrastructure to better manage and analyze massive data sets to solve critical world challenges. Areas of focus for the research collaboration will include:

 

    Problems facing cities, including rapid urbanization and aging infrastructure.

    Healthcare challenges associated with rising healthcare costs due to chronic diseases, including afflictions of the brain, and the lengthy development cycle for new medicines. 

    Water conservation and management within cities and across watersheds including wild areas, industrial and agricultural use.

    Efficient energy conservation and management through the application of advanced weather modeling and smart grid technologies.

    Software innovation in high performance computing platforms.

 

The unique virtual structure of the network will allow IBM research staff to work side-by-side with many of Canada’s world-renowned, top scientists. This collaborative model and close day-to-day interaction is expected to accelerate commercialization opportunities and strengthen Canada’s digital infrastructure. We expect to add additional partners to this world-class collaboration as the project becomes fully operational.

 

IBM had the third largest corporate R&D investment in Canada last year*. For IBM, the Centre represents its first formal research and development lab in Canada. It will serve as a robust extension to IBM’s more than $6 billion investment in worldwide research and development, which helped generate over $1.7 billion in exports for Canada.

 

For a video perspective from Dr. Bernard Meyerson, vice-president of innovation at IBM, please visit:

 

 

QUOTES

“Our Government has been building on the strengths found in our region to support the advancement of science and technology and help create value-added jobs ,” said the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). “We are proud to invest in supercomputing infrastructure that will position southern Ontario at the forefront of research and development in areas that are not only critically important to our communities, but also show great commercial promise.” 

 

“This is a very exciting initiative that demonstrates Ontario is a leader in cutting-edge research,” said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation, Government of Ontario.  “Thanks to Ontario’s commitment to building an innovation-driven economy with leading research institutions, a highly educated workforce and a favourable corporate tax environment we are attracting world-leading initiatives, like IBM Canada’s Research and Development Centre.” 

 

“As we begin a new century of innovation for IBM, we’re investing in this “industry-building” initiative to further advance Canada’s competitiveness in the global digital economy, both now and in the future,” said John Lutz, president, IBM Canada. “Together with our government, academic and industry partners, we will apply new, collaborative approaches to Canada’s productivity and competitiveness challenges by more fully leveraging IBM’s one hundred year legacy of research and development leadership here in Ontario.” 

 

“Canada needs more knowledge-based industries to diversify our national economic portfolio beyond the current over-weighting of commodities and natural resources and help eliminate our identified innovation gap’,” said Professor David Naylor, president, University of Toronto. “This collaborative initiative takes direct aim at these issues by creating modern research networks that bring advanced computing capacity to bear on important issues such as: water monitoring, management and distribution; energy monitoring and management; urban planning and traffic management for intelligent cities; and the cross-walk of brain science with artificial intelligence.”

 

"Western has long been at the forefront of Canadian research that capitalizes on high-performance computing, and we are excited about our role within this consortium to take the next step by using cloud computing to manage the staggering volume of digital data society creates on a daily basis," said Dr. Amit Chakma, president, Western University. "From neuroscience and our environment, to other industrial applications, this field holds tremendous promise for helping us make complex research decisions more quickly, while mining data for better answers."


For more information about the individual investments made by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and IBM Canada, please follow #smarterontario on Twitter and refer to the backgrounders:

 

 

Editors: Access broll online.

 

For more information about IBM’s initiatives to help the world work better, visit: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/ca/en/

 

*Source: Re$earch Infosource Inc. “Canada’s Top 100 R&D Spenders”.

 

 

Charlene Magnaye | Associate Account Executive

Ketchum Public Relations Canada | 33 Bloor Street East, Suite 1607, Toronto, ON  M4W 3H1
p 416.355.7430 | e charlene.magnaye@ketchum.com | www.ketchum.com/canada

 

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Gartner Says Worldwide IT Spending Figures Show Mixed Results for 2012

Gartner Says Worldwide IT Spending Figures Show Mixed Results for 2012

Analysts to Discuss 2012 IT Spending Outlook During Gartner Webinar on April 17

STAMFORD, Conn., April 5, 2012—

Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.7 trillion in 2012, a 2.5 percent increase from 2011, according to the latest outlook by Gartner, Inc. This is down from Gartner's previous forecast of 3.7 percent growth for 2012.

Gartner analysts said the lower growth rate has more to do with the U.S. currency than an actual decline in spending. The recent strengthening in the value of the U.S. dollar versus other currencies has resulted in the reduced growth rate. However, when looking at spending in constant U.S. dollars, Gartner analysts said IT spending is on pace to increase 5.2 percent in 2012, up from its previous projection of 4.6 percent.

"Despite ongoing concerns about the global economic recovery — most notably around the resolution of eurozone sovereign-debt problems, worries about the potential for China's real estate 'bubble' to spillover and affect the rest of the economy and rising oil prices — early signs in 2012 suggest that the global economic outlook has brightened a little," said Richard Gordon, research vice president at Gartner.

Gartner analysts said IT spending in the government sector is expected to contract moderately on a global basis in 2012 and 2013, driven by austerity measures in the eurozone. While there has been much commentary about the need for government cuts since the sovereign debt crisis emerged in Europe, it is only now that the impact of government budget cutbacks is being felt on IT spending in the region. Similarly, we expect U.S. government spending to be essentially flat in 2012 before contracting in 2013.

In the small and midsize business market, which represents approximately a quarter of all enterprise IT spending, spending is forecast to reach $874 billion in 2012 and will grow to $1 trillion by 2016. Throughout the forecast period, midsized business IT spending outperforms other sectors in each of the next five years, driven by growth in spending on enterprise software.

The worldwide telecom equipment market is forecast to show the strongest growth with spending reaching $472 billion in 2012, a 6.9 percent increase from 2011. Gartner attributes this growth to the continued health of the mobile devices market as well as a more positive outlook for enterprise network equipment, which is being driven by spending on application acceleration equipment, network security, WLAN and Ethernet switches.

Table 1. Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Billions of U.S. Dollars)

 

2011

Spending

2011

Growth (%)

2012

Spending

2012

Growth (%)

Computing Hardware

404

7.7

421

4.3

Enterprise Software

267

9.2

280

5.0

IT Services

845

6.5

856

1.3

Telecom Equipment

442

7.2

472

6.9

Telecom Services

1,704

6.3

1,721

1.0

All IT

3,661

6.8

3,751

2.5

Source: Gartner (April 2012)

More-detailed analysis on the outlook for the IT industry will be presented in the webinar "Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast, 1Q12 Update." The complimentary webinar will be hosted by Gartner on April 17 at 11 a.m. EDT. Mr. Gordon will assess the prospects for growth in IT spending not only in the short term but also through 2016. To register for the webinar, please visit http://my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=202&mode=2&PageID=5553&resId=1898715&ref=Webinar-Calendar.

The Gartner quarterly IT spending forecast delivers a unique perspective on IT spending across hardware, software, IT services and telecommunications segments. These reports help Gartner clients understand market opportunities and challenges. The most recent IT spending forecast research is available at www.gartner.com/quarterly-it-forecast. This Quarterly IT Spending Forecast section includes links to the latest IT spending reports, webinars, blog posts and press releases.

Contacts:

Christy Pettey
Gartner
+1 408 468 8312
christy.pettey@gartner.com

Rob van der Meulen
Gartner
+44 0 1784 267892
rob.vandermeulen@gartner.com


About Gartner:
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agen

CANON CANADA ANNOUNCES GOOGLE CLOUD PRINT™ SUPPORT FOR SELECT PIXMA PRINTERS

 
 
 
CANON CANADA ANNOUNCES GOOGLE CLOUD PRINT™ SUPPORT
FOR SELECT PIXMA PRINTERS
 
 
MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 9, 2012 – Canon Canada Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that the PIXMA MG8220 and MG6220 Wireless1 Photo All-In-One (AIO) inkjet photo printers now support Google Cloud Print™ 2 allowing users to print from Gmail™ and Google Docs™ on a mobile device and from the Google Chrome™ browser for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome devices. With Google Cloud Print, you can print from wherever you are, from applications you use every day. You can even share your home and work printers with anyone you choose. The PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO inkjet printer is also scheduled to provide the same support in May.
 
"We are excited to work with Google on the addition of this connectivity feature on our PIXMA printers," said Ian Macfarlane, Senior Vice-President of Sales and Service Operations, Canon Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon USA. "In today's world, we understand that consumers are always interested in additional connectivity options to print their important photos and documents and we are more than happy to be able to deliver this new feature to our users today."
 
"We designed the Google Cloud Print service to make it easy to print to a home or work printer directly from any app or device that you use every day," said Mike Jazayeri, Product Management Director at Google. "It's exciting to see that the latest range of Canon printers are Google Cloud Print ready, offering people a seamless printing experience."
 
For further details on Google Cloud Print™ and the compatible PIXMA printers, please visit www.canon.ca/cloudprint.
 
 
About Canon Canada Inc.
 
Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company employs 1,200 people at its offices nation-wide, servicing the Canadian market from coast to coast. Innovation and cutting-edge technology have been essential ingredients in Canon's success. Canon's leadership in imaging, optical and document management technology and solutions is based in large part on the thousands of patents the company has secured throughout its history. Canon Inc. has been among the top four US patent recipients since 1994.
 
The company's comprehensive product line includes networked multifunction devices; digital copiers (colour and black and white); printers, scanners, image filing systems and facsimile machines; calculators, digital camcorders, digital cameras and lenses; medical imaging equipment, semiconductor, broadcast and other specialized industrial products. Canon Canada is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility.
 
For more information, visit www.canon.ca or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CanonCanada
 
 
-30-
For more information, please contact:
 
Wayne Doyle
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Canon Canada Inc.
 
Riddhi Gandhi
Account Manager
Edelman Canada
(416) 849-8918
riddhi.gandhi@edelman.com
 
 
###
 
 
 
 
† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
Google, Google Chrome™, Google Cloud Print™, Google Docs™ and Gmail™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Google Inc.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvald in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries.
1 Wireless printing requires a working network with wireless 802.11b/g or 802.11n capability. Wireless performance may vary based on terrain and distance between the printer and wireless network clients.
2 Requires an Internet connection and Google Account. Printer firmware update may be necessary for Google Cloud Print function. Certain exceptions may apply. A PC running Windows XP or later or A Mac running OS 10.4.11 or later and USB cable required to perform firmware update.
 
 
 
 
 

Montreal's ThinkTel Launches Professional Services Practice

 

ThinkTel Launches Professional Services Practice


New Specialized Group Will Help Enterprise Customers and Partners Embrace Unified Communications

MONTREAL, April 5, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - ThinkTel Communications, a Canadian leader in IP-based business telecommunications operating an advanced carrier network in over 1,000 cities across the country, announced today that it is launching a  Professional Services practice. This new specialized group will assist Canadian enterprises in adopting and deploying unified communications technology delivered through a variety of platforms, with a particular focus on Microsoft Lync.

"ThinkTel's expertise, country-wide network footprint and extensive unified communications experience makes us singularly well-equipped to meet the demanding needs of Canada's leading enterprises," said Dave Damer, President and CEO of ThinkTel. "We are delighted to be able to offer our Professional Services to both new and existing customers as well as regional and national partners."

The Professional Services now offered by ThinkTel include proof of concept, planning and deployment services, advanced SIP Trunking configuration, managed Microsoft Lync offerings and custom solutions. For enterprise customers, ThinkTel's Professional Service offering will provide a single source for buying equipment, planning and implementing deployments, PSTN connectivity and day-to-day support.

"Ultimately, we are leveraging our extensive experience to provide a range of solutions that will help our customers achieve and surpass their business objectives," Mr. Damer added.

ABOUT THINKTEL

ThinkTel, a division of Distributel Communications, is a national provider of SIP-based voice, video, and data services catering to the SMB, enterprise and wholesale business segments. Backed by a carrier network footprint in over 1,000 cities across Canada, ThinkTel continually innovates to meet the demanding standards of some of Canada's largest organizations such as Cancer Care Ontario and Subaru.

ThinkTel has been a proud Microsoft partner since 2008 and has earned a Gold Competency in Communications and Silver Competency in Hosting from the Microsoft Partner Network. ThinkTel is the first and only Canadian company independently qualified by Microsoft's standards to deliver SIP trunking to Microsoft Lync & OCS R2. For more information, visit our website at http://www.thinktel.ca.

For further information:

Media Contact:
Vitaly Gurevich, Zenergy Communications, 1-866-440-4034
vitaly@zenergycom.com

Dell to Acquire Make Technologies, Further Expanding Capabilities in Applications Modernization

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 Dell to Acquire Make Technologies, Further Expanding Capabilities in Applications Modernization

 

 

·         Expands Dell Services capabilities with Make Technologies’ applications modernization software and services

 

·         Enables customers to significantly reduce the total cost of ownership in their IT environments by transitioning business-critical applications from legacy systems to cloud infrastructure and open standards based platforms

 

·         Provides a faster, more reliable and cost-effective approach to applications re-engineering

 

 

PLANO, Texas, April 5, 2012Dell today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Make Technologies, a leading global provider of application modernization software and services that reduce the cost, risk and time required to re-engineer applications. 

Companies are modernizing their applications portfolios so they can reduce legacy infrastructure operating costs.  These applications run most effectively on open, standardized platforms including the cloud.  With the acquisition of Make Technologies, Clerity Solutions and existing Dell Services capabilities, Dell provides end-to-end solutions from hardware through application migration services.

Make Technologies’ unique approach to the automation of application and code migration has helped IT departments significantly reduce both volume of code and associated operational costs.  The company differentiates in several ways:

 

·         Provides customers with end-to-end application portfolio transformation solutions that modernize entire portfolios of legacy applications in less time and with higher precision

 

·         Provides automated application and code migration tools to re-architect legacy application software and data to a more modern architecture

 

·         Reduces cost of maintaining and managing legacy applications

 

·         Drastically reduces the amount of custom code in legacy portfolios, while protecting the legacy information and business processes of the business functions it supports

 

·         Increases business agility through a re-engineered application that better aligns with our customers’ current and future business processes

 

 

Make Technologies was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Make Technologies has developed unique intellectual property, including TLM Enterprise Suite®, its applications migration software suite.  Dell looks forward to welcoming Make Technologies’ approximately 100 employees to the Dell Services team.  Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction remains subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of Dell’s fiscal year.

 

Quotes

 

“The addition of Make Technologies and Clerity Solutions to Dell Services positions us to lead in the fast-growing applications modernization space,” said Steve Schuckenbrock, president, Dell Services. “We have the capabilities to help customers with all their modernization needs—from re-hosting and re-platforming to code re-engineering.  These offerings will enable Dell to support the thousands of commercial and public sector customers looking to migrate business-critical applications to open, standards-based architectures, including the cloud.” 

           

“We continue to build and acquire the intellectual property necessary to execute on our strategy, and enable our customers to more simply and quickly deploy solutions that meet their needs,” said Dave Johnson, senior vice president, Dell Corporate Strategy.  “By implementing the technologies acquired in Clerity Solutions and Make Technologies, Dell can help customers consolidate their legacy application on industry standard infrastructure.  This will simplify their operational environments, lower their infrastructure costs, and enable them to leverage the cloud.”

 

"The combination of Make Technologies and Dell provides the market with a single vendor solution for any modernization activity and is an exciting step in expanding growth opportunities for our core application modernization software and services," said Bill Bergen, president and CEO Make Technologies, Inc.  "Together, with Dell's global reach, scale and reputation for customer support, Make's methodology and tools will become even more accessible to more customers struggling with the dilemma that surrounds legacy environments."

 

About Make Technologies

Make Technologies® is a leading global provider of legacy modernization software and services. Founded in 1999, Make Technologies has guided organizations that maintain portfolios of legacy applications to transform and implement business-agile systems.  By using our proven methodology and tools, our clients maximize their IT investments to support their customers’ demand for results, reduce costs, and increase productivity. The Make Technologies brand is a trusted name in enterprise legacy modernization, including relationships with Oracle® and IBM®.

About Dell

 

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Dell Services develops and delivers a comprehensive suite of services and solutions in applications, business process, consulting, infrastructure and support to help customers succeed. Learn more at www.dell.com.

 

 

Special Note:

 

Statements that relate to future results and events are forward-looking statements based on Dell's current expectations. Actual results and events in future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements because of a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that projected benefits may not materialize as expected; that the transaction may not be timely completed, if at all; that Dell is unable to successfully implement the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including the execution of integration strategies; and other risks that are described in Dell’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports. Dell undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

 

 

Contact Information

Media Contacts

Janet Fabri

Dell

(416) 758-3398

Janet_fabri@dell.com

Melissa Lee

Cohn & Wolfe for Dell

(647) 259-3266

Melissa.lee@cohnwolfe.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Business Owners Remain Optimistic About Domestic Economic Recovery, Sage Survey Shows

Canadian Business Owners Remain Optimistic About Domestic Economic Recovery, Sage Survey Shows

But Businesses Remain Pessimistic About the Global Economy

By Marketwire .
:

April 4, 2012


 

RICHMOND, BC -- (Marketwire) -- 04/04/12 -- Sage, a leading provider of business management software and services to more than 6 million small and midsized businesses worldwide including 500,000 in Canada, announced today the results of its annual Sage Business Index survey. The Sage Business Index gathered the opinions of 2,278 Canadian business owners and is part of a multi-country survey conducted in Canada, the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, South Africa and Malaysia/Singapore.

The Sage Business Index survey indicates that Canadian businesses have increased confidence about their prospects for the next six months with an index score of 63.65 compared to 59.35 in the summer of 2011. (Indexes are based on a scale where zero to 50 is negative and 50 to 100 is positive.) Canadian businesses were more confident than their counterparts in the U.S., U.K., and Europe. When asked if they felt the Canadian economy had improved or declined over the past six months, the sentiment was slightly positive with an index score of 54.62.

While Canadian businesses are confident about their own prospects and those for the country overall, they remain pessimistic about the global economy with an index score of 45.53. However, Canadian businesses are not alone: businesses in the U.S., the U.K., Germany and other Eurozone countries expressed even greater pessimism for the global economy.

A majority of Canadian businesses surveyed (70 per cent) reported revenue either staying the same or increasing over the past six months. Only 19 percent of respondents reported revenue decreasing over that same period. When asked what the biggest concerns for their business are over the next six months, half (51 per cent) indicated the rise in inflation and the increasing cost of energy, one third (33 per cent) indicated instability/uncertainty in local economic market, and one quarter (25 per cent) cited instability/uncertainty in global economic markets, reduced cash flow in the supply chain, and increasing government regulation as concerns.

When Canadian businesses owners were asked about the role customer service has played given the challenges of the economic downturn, less than half (47 percent) indicated customer service had become more important in their operations over the last 12 months. Nearly 40 per cent (38 per cent) are committing more budget or resources towards delivering customer service, while a little over a third (34 per cent) will not.

"Given the role that Sage plays with our small and midsized business customers, we are in the unique position of giving these businesses a voice," said Nancy Harris, vice president and general manager of the Sage Simply Accounting business. "The findings of the Sage Business Index continue to reflect the positive sentiment that many Canadian businesses have about the future of their companies and about the continued growth of the Canadian economy. With the price of energy continuing to affect consumers and business owners alike, we must be mindful of the impact this will have on the expected economic growth in Canada and around the world."

The Sage Business Index has a Canadian sample size of 2,278 with a 95 per cent confidence level and an error rate of +/- 2 per cent.

About Sage
Sage is a leading global supplier of business management software and services for small and midsized businesses. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs more than 12,300 people and supports more than 6 million customers worldwide. For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at SageNorthAmerica.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter, twitter.com/SageNAmerica.

© 2012 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Press Contact:
Tiffany Massey
LFPR for Sage North America
949-502-7750 ext. 218
tiffanym@lf-pr.com

John Schoutsen
Sage
905 267 2873
john.schoutsen@sage.com

CRTC seeks views on the state of competition in the Canadian wireless sector

CRTC seeks views on the state of competition in the Canadian wireless sector

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, April 4, 2012 — Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that it is seeking views on whether the wireless market has changed enough to warrant its intervention in the development of a national code for wireless services. The CRTC recently received several applications suggesting that one be established.  

In 1994, the CRTC decided it would not regulate the wireless sector. It was convinced that there was enough competition in the marketplace to guide the industry’s growth and provide Canadian consumers with a choice of innovative services.

“Our practice has been to rely on market forces as long as we are convinced that the interests of consumers will be looked after,” said Leonard Katz, the CRTC’s Acting Chairman. “In this case, we are seeking evidence that our intervention is necessary before considering the development of a national wireless code.”

Those who wish to participate in the CRTC’s proceeding are invited to submit their comments by May 3, 2012. Comments may be submitted by completing the online form, by writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, or by fax at 819-994-0218.

Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-206

The CRTC

The CRTC is an independent public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.

 

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Media Relations:
MediaRelations, Tel: 819-997-9403, Fax: 819-997-4245

General Inquiries:
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   Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
   TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)
   Ask a question or make a complaint