Roaring Penguin Software to Participate in SMB Nation Webinar

Roaring Penguin Software to Participate in SMB Nation Webinar

David Skoll, President and CTO of Roaring Penguin Software, will speak on email filtering

OTTAWA, Jan. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - Roaring Penguin Software Inc., known for its acclaimed email filtering software, will be presenting the CanIt family of email filtering and archiving solutions during an SMB Nation-sponsored Webinar on January 26th at 10:00 p.m. PST.  The core of the presentation will focus on stopping spam at the gateway prior to its entry into your network.  Brief demonstrations of Roaring Penguin's hosted products will be presented:  Hosted CanIt is a hosted email filtering service for blocking spam and viruses and Hosted CanIt Archiver is a hosted email archiving service designed for small- and medium-sized businesses.  Roaring Penguin also develops CanIt-PRO, CanIt-Domain-PRO anti-spam software and CanIt Archiver email archiving software which are designed for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who specialize in working in the small and medium business sector.

To sign up, go to SMBNation.com's Webinar Registration page at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/850304680.

About SMB Nation
SMB Nation is a publishing and events company targeted at the small and medium business (SMB) channel partner/reseller/consulting/VAR community.  SMB Nation spreads the knowledge of SMB technology trends through its conferences, books, SMB PC magazine, online services, and world-wide seminars, workshops and accredited Pocket MBA certificate (an academic partnership with Aspen University).  As an active participant in the technology community, SMB Nation has a long history of enthusiastic advocacy and evangelism.  The SMB Nation tribe exceeds 45,000 followers worldwide.

About Roaring Penguin
Founded in 1999, Roaring Penguin Software Inc. specializes in email filtering.  The company focuses on fighting spam at the mail server with the acclaimed CanIt-PRO, CanIt-Domain-PRO, and Hosted CanIt product lines.  Today Roaring Penguin develops, deploys and supports its spam- and virus-fighting products for customers that include enterprises, ISPs, campuses, web hosts, and government offices.  For more information, visit www.roaringpenguin.com.

For further information:

Bill White
Roaring Penguin Software
Tel:  +1 613-231-6599
email:  billw@roaringpenguin.com

Huawei, TELUS and Carleton University Celebrate Opening of Cloud Computing Research Centre

Huawei, TELUS and Carleton University Celebrate Opening of Cloud Computing Research Centre

OTTAWA, Jan. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - The Huawei-TELUS Innovation Centre for Enterprise Cloud Services opened today at Carleton University. The centre was created through a $1.4 million investment made by Huawei and TELUS.

The centre, located in Carleton's new engineering building, will be a venue for performing cutting-edge research in cloud computing. Students, faculty and industry will research real-world problems associated with enterprise clouds including management of computing, on demand storage and network resources, data-centre networking, scalability, business continuity, and security.

"Working with such innovative partners as Huawei and TELUS helps ensure Carleton continues to collaborate with important industry locally and nationally," said Rafik Goubran, dean of Carleton's Faculty of Engineering and Design. "Our students will get the hands-on, real-world training they need to be competitive in the job market."

"This initiative will enable Carleton to work with a growing number of innovators in the field of cloud computing research," says Ibrahim Gedeon, TELUS Chief Technology Officer. "The centre, supported by TELUS and Huawei, will be a vital element of not only academia in Canada but with our industry in helping to develop the most advanced cloud technology and services, ultimately benefitting the consumer and business alike."

"We're very pleased to be partnering with TELUS and the dynamic researchers in Carleton's Faculty of Engineering and Design in developing the cloud computing lab," says Sean Yang, president of Huawei Canada.  "With Carleton students driving research in leading-edge technologies, this will have significant benefits in the local information and communications technology community as these students graduate and enter the workforce."

Many of these students, along with faculty from Carleton's Faculty of Engineering and Design and representatives from Huawei Canada and TELUS, were on-hand at the opening to discuss the importance of cloud technologies and the research projects they are launching in the centre.

Carleton's Shikharesh Majumdar, professor of systems and computer engineering, will work with two graduate students on resource management in clouds that give rise to high system performance while conserving power; Professor Changcheng Huang will lead a project on traffic control for data-centre networks; Professor Yvan Labiche and students will research intrusion detection for clouds; Professor Samuel Ajila will lead a team working on virtual machine migration within the cloud; Professor Winnie Ye will lead a project exploring how photonic cross connections can be used to optimize clouds; and a team of four professors and graduate students led by Professor Ioannis Lambadaris will investigate effective techniques for service level agreement based resource allocation.

About Cloud Computing:

Cloud computing allows users to acquire resources on demand from a service provider and store data on the service provider's system rather than hosting this information on their own computers. The term "cloud computing" refers to the information which is processed and stored on computers that are offsite, often in a location unknown to the client and accessed via the internet. Enterprise cloud computing offers resource sharing within one business or enterprise and provides secure, fast and flexible sharing of computer power,  storage and software focusing on one company's or business's individual demands.

About Carleton University:

Carleton's Faculty of Engineering and Design has more than 4,500 students, making it one of the largest engineering schools in Canada. Located in the nation's capital, Carleton University is a dynamic research and teaching institution with a tradition of leading change. Its internationally recognized faculty, staff and researchers provide more than 25,000 full- and part-time students from every province and more than 100 countries around the world with academic opportunities in more than 65 programs of study, including public affairs, journalism, film studies, engineering, high technology, and international studies. Carleton's creative, interdisciplinary and international approach to research has led to many significant discoveries and creative works in science and technology, business, governance, public policy and the arts. As an innovative institution Carleton is uniquely committed to developing solutions to real-world problems by pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding daily.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world's population.

For more information, visit Huawei online: www.huawei.com.

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/huaweipress  and YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuaweiPress.

About TELUS:

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.3 billion of annual revenue and 12.6 million customer connections including 7.2 million wireless subscribers, 3.6 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 450,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees will, by year-end 2011, have contributed $245 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

For further information:

Media contacts: 

Chris Cline
Carleton University
(613) 520-2600, ext. 1391
christopher_cline@carleton.ca

Scott Bradley
Vice-President Corporate and Government Affairs
Huawei Canada
613-558-5333
scott.bradley@huawei.com

Chris Gerritsen
TELUS Media Relations
403-530-4919
chris.gerritsen@telus.com

Solutions and Services to Improve Learning Outcomes for Students

Dell Provides New Education Cloud Solutions and Services to Improve Learning Outcomes for Students

Date : 1/10/2012
Round Rock, Texas

  • Dell delivers integrated learning platform, actionable data and IT efficiency to schools and universities
  • Dell’s Next Generation Learning Platform helps educators improve student outcomes
  • New education resources delivered through Dell hosted cloud solutions
@DellEDU on Twitter Join the Conversation on Twitter.


Dell launched today its Next Generation Learning Platform that integrates core education applications, digital learning resources and learning data to empower educators to address specific learning styles and help students reach their full potential. The new offerings provide educators, students, parents and administrators secure and integrated access to resources necessary to personalize teaching and learning and enable collaboration beyond the classroom.

For the last decade, as schools and universities have brought technology into the classroom, educators have had to rely upon multiple, disparate resources, including dashboards, grade books, curriculum maps and learning management systems to develop and deliver high impact lessons. Now, Dell is bringing together all of these resources with integrated data management and single sign-on access supported by professional learning services to make it easier for educators and faculty to achieve their critical teaching and learning goals.

Dell Next Generation Learning Platform streamlines resources and enables collaboration
The Dell Next Generation Learning Platform integrates core education applications and resources needed to address specific learning styles, collaboration and data-driven teaching in an intuitive and engaging interface. Already supporting learning needs in several school districts and systems, this platform brings together curriculum management, digital curriculum and ebooks, lecture capture and features tools for chat and collaboration. The platform accesses information from data management and student information systems to create a streamlined, robust toolset for educators and their students. Interfaces are tailored specifically for educators, students and parents with the features most important to each of them.

District and system, educator and publisher content can also be accessed within the platform through a Dell-provided content repository that provides an innovative way for educators, parents, administrators and students to search, find, share, assign and report across a series of open education resources.

Dell Education Data Management identifies unique learning needs
Dell Education Data Management integrates student performance data with predictive analytics to make it easy for educators to monitor student progress and intervene as necessary to improve student outcomes. The data can be leveraged on its own and as part of Dell’s Next Generation Learning Platform.

Supporting next generation learning with professional learning services and consulting
Expanded professional learning services help educators utilize the new tools and resources that are available to them helping ensure that improved outcomes for each student come to fruition. Dell’s team of educators and administrators ensure proper usage and application of predicative analytics and teaching and learning data, the transition from print to digital learning environments and the integration of the learning platform into daily teaching practices including the use of collaboration tools and student engagement techniques.

Expanding technology support to address students with special learning requirements
Text-to-speech software, magnifying screens and touch-screen monitors can help students, specifically those with disabilities, access information, communicate with others and participate in classroom activities. Dell’s technology support and management for schools and universities now goes beyond core laptop, slate and whiteboard tools to provide a single source for assistive technology solutions that support students with special learning requirements.

Quotes

Mark Horan, Dell global education vice president
“Our mission is to equip teachers, administrators and parents with the resources they need to ensure all students reach their full potential. Our Next Generation Learning Platform and our cloud and services capabilities are part of our continuing investment in and commitment to developing the solutions our education customers tell us they need to improve learning outcomes.”

Bill Rust, Gartner analyst
“A key challenge in the years ahead will be the integration and support of disparate information, instruction and education service resources in a world of choice where students and staff are using quite personally owned or selected devices. School agencies should begin now to look for device and OS agnostic solutions that integrate and deliver resources to users regardless of what they are using to gain access.”

About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) is committed to helping students develop the knowledge and skills they need to learn and succeed in an increasingly digital world and a globally competitive workforce. As the top provider of technology and services to schools, Dell listens to and works with students, educators, administrators, parents and community members around the world to deliver innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more in and out of the classroom. Learn more about Dell in Education at www.dell.com.

Avaya Mobile Collaboration Optimizes Team Performance For Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Avaya Mobile Collaboration Optimizes Team Performance For Small and Mid-Size Businesses

For Immediate Release:10 Jan 2012

  • Avaya IP Office 8.0 launches with comprehensive set of intuitive, easy-to-use collaboration capabilities for consumer-oriented mobile devices
 
  • IP Office drives cost-savings and faster deployment of unified communications for small and mid-size businesses through new 'serverless' capabilities
 
  • Avaya customer - Duluth Entertainment Convention Center - uses Avaya IP Office to run events with mobile workforce and cut communications costs in half
 
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Avaya, a global provider of business communications and collaboration systems and services, today unveiled Avaya IP Office 8.0 — the new version of the company's unified communications (UC) solution for small and mid-size enterprises (SME). The new version introduces a range of advancements for improving collaboration, including a comprehensive set of mobile capabilities that drive better team performance and keep mobile workers connected to their colleagues and customers wherever they go. 
 
Full-Featured Business Mobility
The new mobility application for Avaya IP Office 8.0 — called one-X® Mobile Preferred for IP Office — enables users to access a comprehensive set of unified communications capabilities on Android-compatible devices now, and on iPhone devices in early 2012. Key features of Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred for IP Office include:
  • Full multi-party conference management via mobile device offers the ability to invite, view, mute and drop participants during a conference call. Users can set up voice conferences by selecting the participants and then, with one touch, initiate the group conference.
  • Integrated presence enables users to display availability status to co-workers via mobile device (e.g. available, do not disturb), and show specific times of availability based on a user’s Microsoft® Outlook calendar. Unavailable workers can let colleagues follow them and receive an alert when availability resumes.
  • Instant Messaging lets workers easily find business colleagues via an integrated corporate directory and begin a text chat with multiple co-workers simultaneously.
  • 'Geopresence' displays one's location anywhere in the world, and is ideal for teams in places such as hospitals, hotels or companies where employees need to quickly identify a co-worker's physical location.
  • Visual Voicemail lets users see all of their business voicemails on their mobile device with date/time information. Users can hear voicemail messages as they are being left in real-time and access a call in progress to converse.
 
Avaya's new one-X Mobile Preferred for IP Office application builds on the previously-available Essential Mobility solution for IP Office, a solution that extends voice capabilities such as one number access and call control. Essential Mobility is currently supported on Symbian, Windows Mobile and iPhone devices (support for Android and Blackberry devices available in first quarter of 2012).
 
SMEs Gain Cost-Saving, Productivity Benefits
Avaya IP Office 8.0 also offers new "serverless" collaboration capabilities delivered through an integrated unified communications module, called the Avaya C110 Unified Communications module.1 This can eliminate the need for an external server in IP Office implementations, helping to simplify deployment for partners, reduce installation times and decrease equipment costs.
 
Additionally, new desktop IP Office plug-ins embed communications into popular business productivity applications, providing a more convenient way for workers to communicate via their preferred application. This enables users to:
  • Use federated presence to bring Google Talk and IP Office contacts into Avaya one-X® Portal for IP Office—the company's 'all-in-one' communications portal for SMEs.
  • Make and receive phone calls from a Salesforce.com® page.
  • View directory contacts for Google Talk and IP Office in one location, with click-to-call and conference capabilities.
  • Use visual voicemail within an employee's Microsoft® Outlook e-mail window.
 
Quotes:
Jeff Stark, technology director, Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), a 500 employee (full- and part-time) mid-size organization
"In our business running a large convention center, you have to be two steps ahead of what is happening to meet client needs. One day we are serving a rock concert, the next a hockey game, so we need the best communications to meet all kinds of customer expectations. The mobility advancements in Avaya IP Office 8.0 are the most comprehensive we've seen, and will be essential in helping us run a location as large as the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, where you never know where anyone is. 
 
"We'll now have the ability to see who's available, where they are, and keep them connected into the team. Fast collaboration is essential for the 150-plus people we have dedicated to running a day's event at DECC, and we couldn't do it this effectively without Avaya IP Office.
 
"In terms of savings, Avaya IP Office makes it much more cost-effective for us to set up anything from a temporary office to a call center for clients at the DECC. We can estimate savings of up to fifty percent just by bringing in Avaya IP Office, not to mention the flexibility and ease-of-setup the system delivers."
(Note: Avaya Business Partner TelcoLogix helped implement IP Office for DECC.)

About Avaya:
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit

Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in Fourth Quarter of 2011 Declined 1.4 Percent; Year-End Shipments Increased 0.5 Percent

Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in Fourth Quarter of 2011 Declined 1.4 Percent; Year-End Shipments Increased 0.5 Percent

Healthy Professional PC and Emerging Markets Growth Couldn't Compensate for Weak Holiday Consumer PC Demand

STAMFORD, Conn., January 11, 2012— After two quarters of positive growth, worldwide PC shipments totaled 92.2 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a 1.4 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2010, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. These figures were in line with Gartner’s earlier forecast of a 1 percent decline for the fourth quarter of 2011.

“Continuously low consumer PC demand resulted in weak holiday PC shipments,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “While economic uncertainty in Western Europe had an effect on consumer PC shipments, expectations of a healthier economic outlook in North America could not stimulate consumer PC demand in that region. The healthy professional PC market as well as growth in emerging markets could not compensate for the weaknesses in mature markets, with overall growth still negative.”

Hard-disk drive (HDD) shortages triggered by the October 2011 floods in Thailand had a limited impact on fourth-quarter PC shipments and prices. However, Gartner analysts said a major impact will be felt, and this is expected to materialize in the first half of 2012, and potentially continue throughout 2012. These shortages will temporarily lower PC shipment growth during 2012.

“Ultrabooks were quietly introduced into the market during the 4Q11 holiday season,” Ms. Kitagawa said. “Ultrabooks didn’t seem to draw consumers’ attention. Consumers had very little understanding and awareness of ultrabooks, and only a small group of consumers was willing to pay the price premium for such models. However, as has been seen this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) show, 2012 is a big debut stage for ultrabooks.”

HP retained its No. 1 position in the fourth quarter of 2011, despite a shipment decline of 16.2 percent year over year (see Table 1). While the company’s new CEO, Meg Whitman, cleared up some confusion surrounding its PC business, its 4Q11 results were affected by the noise around this issue. HP also had to battle against aggressive pricing from competitors and deal with weak consumer PC demand in the holiday season.

Table 1
Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 4Q11 (Units)


Company

4Q11 Shipments

4Q11 Market Share (%)

4Q10 Shipments

4Q10 Market Share (%)

4Q11-4Q10 Growth (%)

HP

14,712,266

16.0

17,554,181

18.8

-16.2

Lenovo

12,931,136

14.0

10,516,772

11.3

23.0

Dell

11,633,880

12.6

10,796,317

11.6

7.8

Acer Group

9,823,214

10.7

12,043,606

12.9

-18.4

Asus

6,243,118

6.8

5,180,913

5.5

20.5

Others

36,827,666

40.0

37,358,786

40.0

-1.4

Total

92,171,280

100.0

93,450,575

100.0

-1.4

Note: Data includes desk-based PCs, mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (January 2012)

Lenovo experienced the strongest growth among the top five vendors, as its PC shipments grew 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, and it further cemented its place as the No. 2 vendor in global PC shipments. The company’s growth was attributed to its aggressive pricing in both the professional and consumer markets.

Dell had a good quarter with shipment growth in most regions. While the consumer market remained a weak point, Dell enjoyed stable growth in the professional sector, driven by upgrades to Windows 7. Asia/Pacific continued to be the major growth market for Dell, as it achieved 30 percent growth in the region. Asus stayed in the No. 5 position despite generally weak consumer sales. Asus’s shift from mini-notebooks to regular notebooks was successful, as close to 80 percent of Asus mobile PCs shipments were regular notebooks in the fourth quarter of 2011.

In the U.S., PC shipments totaled 17.9 million units, a 5.9 percent decline compared with the same quarter last year (see Table 2). U.S. holiday sales were not all that exciting for PC vendors. As expected, consumers’ attention was diverted toward other product categories, especially smartphones and media tablets. All-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs drew consumers’ attention during the holiday season. The main attractions were large screen sizes and high-definition viewing capability.

HP maintained the No. 1 position in the U.S. PC market in the fourth quarter of 2011, but Dell gained ground as HP lost substantial market share in the quarter. Apple enjoyed the strongest growth among the top five vendors. Lenovo’s U.S. PC shipments grew 40 percent year-over-year, but its shipment volume was not enough to squeeze into the top five ranking (it was in the sixth position).

Table 2
Preliminary United States PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 4Q11 (Units)


Company

4Q11 Shipments

4Q11 Market Share (%)

4Q10 Shipments

4Q10 Market Share (%)

4Q11-4Q10 Growth (%)

HP

4,137,833

23.1

5,598,619

29.4

-26.1

Dell

4,020,549

22.4

4,210,000

22.1

-4.5

Apple

2,074,800

11.6

1,718,400

9.0

20.7

Toshiba

1,925,100

10.7

1,968,091

10.3

-2.2

Acer Group

1,756,838

9.8

1,982,477

10.4

-11.4

Others

4,014,644

22.4

3,583,418

18.8

12.0

Total

17,929,764

100.0

19,061,005

100.0

-5.9

Note: Data includes desk-based PCs, mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (January 2012)

PC shipments in EMEA totaled 28.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a 9.6 percent decline from the same period in 2010. The EMEA PC market experienced its fourth consecutive quarter of decline, resulting in year-end 2011 shipments decreasing 7.2 percent from 2010. Western Europe saw weak consumer growth, as an uneasy economic environment squeezed consumer spending on PCs.

In Asia/Pacific, PC shipments reached 30.4 million units, an 8.5 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2010. The market performance was below Gartner’s anticipated growth of 10.6 percent. The preliminary findings show weaker shipment growth in China, India and Thailand.

The PC market in Latin America grew 11.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, as shipments reached 9.3 million units. Because whitebox PC vendors make up a large portion of Latin America’s PC market, last quarter Gartner expected Thailand’s HDD shortage to moderately affect growth in Latin America in the near term. Thus far, anecdotal evidence indicates that many local vendors had quickly ordered sufficient inventory to exit the fourth quarter unaffected.

PC shipments in Japan declined 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, as shipments totaled 3.9 million units. This was better than Gartner’s earlier projection of an 8 percent decline. The professional market showed a high double-digit decline, while the consumer market saw mid-single-digit growth.

For the year, worldwide PC shipments totaled 352.8 million units in 2011, a 0.5 percent increase from 2010 (see Table 3). A weak consumer PC market, particularly in mature markets, was a major contributor to this stagnation, despite good growth in the professional market. Emerging markets grew steadily, driven by low initial PC penetration.

Among the top five PC vendors, Lenovo took over the No. 2 spot from Dell. Lenovo continued to gain market share via aggressive pricing and acquisitions, namely of NEC and Medion. Asus climbed from sixth to fifth, replacing Toshiba.

 Table 3
Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 2011 (Units)


Company

2011 Shipments

2011 Market Share (%)

2010 Shipments

2010 Market Share (%)

2011-2010 Growth (%)

HP

60,554,726

17.2

62,741,274

17.9

-3.5

Lenovo

45,703,863

13.0

38,180,444

10.9

19.7

Dell

42,864,759

12.1

42,119,272

12.0

1.8

Acer Group

39,415,381

11.2

48,758,542

13.9

-19.2

ASUS

20,768,465

5.9

18,902,723

5.4

9.9

Others

143,499,792

40.7

140,198,078

40.0

2.4

Total

352,806,984

100.0

350,900,332

100.0

0.5

Note: Data includes desk-based PCs, mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (January 2012)

These results are preliminary. Final statistics will be available soon to clients of Gartner's PC Quarterly Statistics Worldwide by Region program. This program offers a comprehensive and timely picture of the worldwide PC market, allowing product planning, distribution, marketing and sales organizations to keep abreast of key issues and their future implications around the globe. Additional research can be found on Gartner's Computing Hardware section on Gartner's web site at http://www.gartner.com/it/products/research/asset_129157_2395.jsp.

 

Contact:

Christy Pettey
Gartner
+1 408 468 8312
christy.pettey@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 agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is a valuable partner to 60,000 clients in 11,500 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 4,500 associates, including 1,250 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.

Toronto's SecureKey Technology To Be Deployed in Intel(R) Identity Protection Technology

SecureKey Technology To Be Deployed in Intel® Identity Protection Technology

Global agreement provides deployment of SecureKey's online authentication and payment solutions on Intel® Ultrabook™ devices starting in 2H of 2012

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - SecureKey Technologies today announced that Intel Corporation will utilize SecureKey's authentication technology as part of Intel® Identity Protection Technology (IPT) beginning on Ultrabook devices with third generation Intel® Core™ technology (code named "Ivy Bridge").  The agreement provides SecureKey with an opportunity to greatly expand the number of devices that will be preconfigured to support SecureKey's authentication, identity and payment solutions.

"We are excited about working with Intel at the very core of their Intel IPT and NFC technology to enable a broad range of solutions for electronic commerce and online authentication," said Greg Wolfond, CEO of SecureKey Technologies Inc. "The solutions we are deploying, including 'tap-to-pay' and 'tap-to-authenticate', use real-world payment and identity credentials which people know and understand to enhance online security and payments in a simple and convenient manner."

The use of NFC-based contactless cards is growing rapidly as a global standard to enhance security and privacy, as well as reduce identity theft and fraud.  By embedding its technology in mobile computing devices, SecureKey allows consumers and business to securely access online services and affect payments online simply by tapping these cards and on their NFC-enabled devices. Working with device or cloud-based digital wallets, SecureKey can also provide secure proxies to stored credentials, making the online experience even more seamless.

"Intel Identity Protection Technology provides users of Ultrabook devices and future generations of Intel-based devices with a more secure and convenient e-commerce experience," said George Thangadurai, general manager, Intel PC Client Services Group.  "Intel looks forward to collaborating with SecureKey to provide innovative solutions for consumers and businesses."

Working with Intel, SecureKey technology can be used by devices that support the U.S. Government's National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) and Canada's Federated Identity Management, which promote interoperability of security credentials to lower costs, improve convenience for consumers and build a more secure ecosystem for online payments and authentication for consumers and business. SecureKey was recently awarded a contract by the Government of Canada, which will allow Canadians to use their bank authentication credentials to obtain access to online government services.

About SecureKey Technologies Inc.
SecureKey develops innovative hardware and software solutions that extend the power of chip-based identity and payment credentials to online and mobile transactions. With SecureKey, financial institutions, health care providers and government organizations can offer their online customers the convenience and security of ' tap to authenticate' and 'tap to pay' services. SecureKey is a privately held company with offices in Toronto, Ontario.

For further information:

Miranda Gulland, Hill & Knowlton
416-413-4730
miranda.gulland@hillandknowton.ca

Robert Blumenthal, EVP, Marketing & Business Development
SecureKey Technologies Inc.
416-684-3013
robert.blumenthal@securekey.com

Ingram Micro Teams With U.S. Micro to Offer New IT Asset Disposition Services to Channel Partners

January 11, 2012 12:23 ET

Ingram Micro Teams With U.S. Micro to Offer New IT Asset Disposition Services to Channel Partners

New Data Removal and Environmentally-Friendly IT Disposal Services Meet Industry Regulations and Provide Solution Providers With a Competitive Services Edge

SANTA ANA, CA--(Marketwire - Jan 11, 2012) - Addressing one of the biggest security concerns within the IT industry and healthcare market, Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) today announced its new IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Services are readily available for resell by channel partners throughout the U.S.

Developed in collaboration with U.S. Micro, Ingram Micro's new ITAD Services enable solution providers to offer U.S. businesses and consumers the secure disposal and removal of data from all types of IT storage devices including hard disk drives, SD memory cards, printers, copiers or any other electronic device that carries a digital history.

By leveraging the new ITAD Services, Ingram Micro solution providers can provide customers with environmentally friendly IT disposal services that are proven to remove the risk of future liability for the improper disposal of electronic waste and potentially hazardous materials. Additionally, Ingram Micro's ITAD Services are approved for use by regulatory influences such as HIPAA that require healthcare facilities to determine and document the appropriate methods used to dispose of hardware, software and data.

"The security risk, regulatory requirements and environmental concerns around how to get rid of old or unwanted technology are weighing heavily on businesses and consumers, and with good reason," says Ted Tilden, senior director of sales, U.S. Micro. "Recent reports indicate that Americans trash more than two million tons of personal and professional electronics each year -- six times more than what is recycled. It's a frightening reality that cannot be sustained and calls for immediate and meaningful actions."

"The fallout from data breaches, identity theft and the improper disposal of IT equipment and data is not only costly, but in many cases can be disastrous and undetermined," says Michael Humke, senior director, public sector and healthcare markets, Ingram Micro U.S. "As trusted advisors to both businesses and consumers, our partners in the Public Sector and Healthcare markets are perfectly positioned to offer IT asset disposition services as part of their IT services portfolio. Together, Ingram Micro and U.S. Micro stand ready to enable our channel partners to turn this opportunity into a recurring revenue stream that will bring added value to their business, as well as the clients they serve."

Available now as part of the Ingram Micro Services Division's Professional Services portfolio, the new ITAD Services offer both on-site and facility-driven removal of information from devices, including the secure transport of devices to the processing facility. Upon completion of services rendered, solution providers and their clients will receive the necessary documentation and certifications noting the release of liability from any unauthorized or accidental release of electronic information.

"With the IT refresh cycle underway and adoption of cloud set to explode in 2012, the timing and business value around Ingram Micro's new ITAD services couldn't get any better," says Renee Bergeron, vice president of managed services and cloud computing, Ingram Micro North America.

"As a company, Ingram Micro takes great pride in supporting environmentally-sustainable initiatives and services through our Smart Citizen, Smart Steward program," concludes Bergeron. "When we can extend these efforts into the greater IT community and make it easier, and in this case profitable, for our solution provider partners to actively engage in earth-friendly activities and offer those services to their customers, the rewards are even greater."

For more information about Ingram Micro's new ITAD Services solution providers can contact the Ingram Micro Professional Services team at IMSNServices@IngramMicro.com.

Follow Ingram Micro Inc. on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IngramMicro and Twitter at www.twitter.com/IngramMicroInc.

About U.S. Micro Corp
Since 1995, U.S. Micro has been a major innovator and leader in IT recycling. Founded in Atlanta, Ga., U.S. Micro processes over one million IT assets annually in its 125,000 sq. ft. Atlanta facility. U.S. Micro has also just recently opened its new state-of-the-art, 130,000 sq. ft. facility in Las Vegas, Nev., serving Fortune 500 companies that require the highest levels of data security and environmental stewardship. To further its sustainability initiatives the company refurbishes 90 percent of the IT equipment it processes; the remaining 10 percent is EPA compliantly recycled. U.S. Micro is committed to a 100 percent no landfill policy and was awarded G.R.A.D.E. certification (Green Recycling Asset Disposal for the Enterprise) by IDC. For more information visit www.usmicrocorp.com.

About Ingram Micro Inc.
As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics, technical and financial support, managed and cloud-based services, and product aggregation and distribution. The company is the only global broad-based IT distributor, serving more than 150 countries on six continents with the world's most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. Visit www.ingrammicro.com.

63% of US Households Spend More on Technology Bills than Utility Bills

63% of US Households Spend More on Technology Bills than Utility Bills

iYogi Insights Research Reveals that Technology is Now the Real Utility, as Households Spend More to Stay Connected than to Stay Warm

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A new report published by iYogi Insights titled, Consumer Research on Growing Spends on Technology Services 2012 revealed that 63% of US households spend 35% more on technology bills than utility bills. The research also shows that mobile phones top the chart on monthly technology spends. iYogi, a leading remote tech support company published this new research based on surveying nearly 1100 of its customers to understand their technology usage and monthly spend on services.

The rising cost of energy has become a topic of hot debate, with US Department of Energy reporting that consumers spend 6% to 12% of their income on utilities. iYogi put its hypothesis, "is technology now the real utility" to the test through this research. The research based on an in-depth survey offers interesting insights into the digital home, with technology bills for services surpassing utility bills for a majority of the respondents. Research shows that with the ever-increasing role played by technology in every sphere of life, consumer spending on connecting to the Internet, subscribing to online services, mobile communication, and multimedia entertainment has also risen.

"iYogi Insights is a new initiative that reviews emerging and disruptive technologies and trends impacting our lives. Our large panel of customers, across multiple geographies, contribute to these insights," says Vishal Dhar, President Marketing and co-founder of iYogi. "Technology is now the real utility as increasingly households spend more on a combination of technology bills to stay connected than their utility bills. The results of the survey also cite that technology continues to be the key enabler for empowering people in today's fast-paced interconnected world, driven by demand for newer and smarter devices that connect to the Internet and to each other."

Key highlights from iYogi Insights: Consumer Research on Rising Technology Spends 2012:

* Number of technology devices in households with more than two members goes up to 10-11.

* The highest expenditure is on mobile services with an average of $94 a month and an additional $19 on downloading games, music, movies, etc. Voice and data services are the most popular with 60% respondents subscribing to them.

* Triple Play package for Internet +TV+ Phone is the most popular with 50% respondents opting for this.

* Households spend $20-$180 per month on their ISP bills.

* Online back-up services, still a new concept, has already reached 30% adoption with a spend of about $10 per month. Such cloud services have immense potential as new types of services are launched.

* Nearly 30% use instant messaging applications, and app downloads topped the chart followed by music, movies, videos and games.

To read the detailed report go to http://insights.iyogi.com

ABOUT IYOGI INSIGHTS

iYogi Insights is a research initiative launched by iYogi to help understand the issues that people face with technology and how they adapt tech solutions to enhance their lives. A subscriber base that is among the largest in the tech support industry gives iYogi a unique vantage point to observe how technology is impacting people's lives and habits. Frequent interaction with this wide database of subscribers gives a privileged peek into how people are forging a partnership with technology, sorting out the occasional issue, and on the whole, positively embracing technology to empower themselves.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50128422&lang=en

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50128422&lang=en

Contact:
Media Contacts:
Matt Farrell (USA)
v.mattfarrell@iyogi.com
+1 917-971-1424
or
Indira Das (INDIA)
Indira.das@iyogi.com
+91 958-280-6534

The .CA Impact Awards Open for Entries


The .CA Impact Awards Open for Entries


The first ever program to recognize .CA web sites and applications that make a positive impact in the lives of Canadians gears up for its second year.

OTTAWA, Jan. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - The 2012 .CA Impact Awards has opened for entries!

The .CA Impact Awards recognize youth, educators, not-for-profit and public organizations, small businesses and web developers and designers for their innovation and the impact of their .CA websites and applications.

"The .CA Impact Awards is truly unique amongst awards programs," says Byron Holland, President and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). "By celebrating .CA websites that make an impact, we are recognizing the Internet as a powerful agent of social change."

CIRA is looking for people and organizations that use their .CA websites to make a positive difference in the lives of their users and those around them. Impact can be social, cultural, political, technological, or economic.

For its second iteration, the Impact Awards is seeking entries in four categories: Public Sector and Not-for-Profit, eLearning, Small Business and Applications. Entries for the 2012 awards will be received until March 23, 2012.

Winners of the Impact Awards will receive $5,000 each and the added visibility which comes from winning a national award.

For more information about the .CA Impact Awards, eligibility, judges, prizing, or to submit an entry, visit us at impactawards.ca, watch the .CA Impact Awards video, write to us at impactawards@cira.ca or follow-us on: CIRA blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Slideshare.

About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the member-driven organization that manages Canada's .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada's Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally. .CA is Canada's Internet identity, reserved for Canadians, recognized and trusted worldwide.

For further information:

Tanya O'Callaghan
Communications Manager

613-237-5335 ext. 262
tanya.ocallaghan@cira.ca
impactawards.ca


IBM Breaks U.S. Patent Record; Tops Patent List for 19th Consecutive Year

 

IBM Breaks U.S. Patent Record; Tops Patent List for 19th Consecutive Year
IBM inventors received more than 6,000 patents in 2011


ARMONK, N.Y.—January 11, 2012— IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it set a new U.S. patent record in 2011, marking the 19th consecutive year that the company has led the annual list of patent recipients. IBM inventors earned a record 6,180 U.S. patents in 2011, more than quadrupling Hewlett-Packard’s issuances and exceeding by six times those of Oracle/Sun.

More than 8,000 IBMers residing in 46 different U.S. states and 36 countries are responsible for the company's record-breaking 2011 patent tally. IBM inventors who reside outside the U.S. collaborated with U.S. inventors on more than 26% of the company's patents in 2011.

2011 U.S. Patent Leaders*
1        IBM                        6,180
2        Samsung                4,894
3        Canon                        2,821
4        Panasonic                2,559
5        Toshiba                2,483
6        Microsoft                2,311
7        Sony                        2,286
8        Seiko Epson                1,533
9        Hon Hai                1,514
10        Hitachi                        1,465

*Data provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services

 

The more than 6,000 patents IBMers received in 2011 represent a range of inventions that enable new innovations and add significant value to the company's products, services, including smarter solutions for retail, banking, healthcare, transportation and other industries. These patented inventions also span a wide range of computing technologies poised to support a new generation of more cognitive, intelligent and insight-driven systems, processes and infrastructures for smarter commerce, shopping, medicine, transportation, and more.

“IBM's commitment to invention and scientific exploration is unmatched in any industry and the results of this dedication to enabling innovation is evidenced in our nearly two decades of U.S. patent leadership,” said Ken King, general manager, Intellectual Property and vice president, Research Business Development, IBM. “The inventions we patent each year deliver significant value to IBM, our clients and partners and demonstrate a measurable return on our approximately $6 billion annual investment in research and development.”

IBM's record-breaking 2011 patent output features many interesting and important inventions, such as:

  • U.S. Patent #8,019,992: Method for granting user privileges in electronic commerce security domains – This patented invention helps IBM WebSphere Commerce software customers reduce administration and resource costs by providing a flexible authentication and authorization mechanism across multiple online stores.  The capability enables shoppers and administrators to have access to individual online stores or seamlessly access multiple online stores managed by the same company. It also is a key feature in enabling multiple companies to run on a single instance of WebSphere Commerce. Patent #8,019,992 was issued to IBM inventors Victor Chan, Darshanand Khusial, Lev Mirlas and Wesley Philip.
  • U.S. Patent #8,037,000: Systems and methods for automated interpretation of analytic procedures – This invention describes a method for dynamically constructing natural language explanations of analytic results using templates defined by domain experts. Patent #8,037,000 was issued to IBM inventors Robert Delmonico, Tamir Klinger, Bonnie Ray, Padmanabhan Santhanam and Clay Williams.  
  • U.S. Patent #8,005,773: System and method for cortical simulation – This patented invention describes a method for developing a computerized brain simulation system that can mimic the cognitive systems and function of the cortex of the brain. IBM has fabricated working prototypes of experimental computer chips designed to emulate the brain’s abilities for perception, action and cognition. Patent #8,005,773 was issued to IBM inventors Dharmendra Modha and Rajagopal Ananthanarayanan.
  • U.S. Patent #7,882,219: Deploying analytic functions – This patented invention empowers users to design and implement highly-sophisticated, streaming analytics on massive disparate data sources. The advanced algorithm described in patent #7,882,219 enables IBM Tivoli Network Performance Manager software to efficiently perform sophisticated analytics in near real-time. Patent #7,882,219 was issued to IBM inventors Alexander Pikovsky, David Pennell, Robert McKeown and Colin Putney.

For more information about IBM's patent and innovation leadership, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/icons/patents/

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