New EMC Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform Enhancements Simplify Delivery of Cloud Storage-as-a-Service - Fully Functional in Minutes

New EMC Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform Enhancements Simplify Delivery of
Cloud Storage-as-a-Service - Fully Functional in Minutes

Atmos GeoDrive Family Extended to Support Linux - Enables Instant
Access to Any Atmos Cloud and Eliminates Need to Write Code

News Highlights:

* Today EMC® announces enhancements to the EMC Atmos® Cloud Delivery
Platform, delivering newly expanded cloud metering services and enhanced
administrative reporting and controls for enterprises and service
providers.
* Now service providers can deliver and monetize self-branded
storage-as-a-service offerings even faster, while enterprises can more
easily transform IT into an internal service organization, enabling
agility and cost savings throughout the business.
* New Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform is packaged as a VMware® vApp and
enables customers to install a turnkey storage-as-a-service offering
with a few clicks of the mouse.
* Atmos GeoDrive now supports Linux, in addition to Windows operating
system, extending customers’ self-service infrastructure by providing
instant access to the cloud without having to write a single line of
code.
* EMC Atmos is designed to manage information for globally distributed
big data and cloud storage environments.

Full Story:

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) today further simplified the way
enterprises and service providers implement and access public and
private cloud storage with new enhancements to the EMC Atmos Cloud
Delivery Platform. With a simplified installation process and improved
visibility and reporting tools, the enhanced Atmos Cloud Delivery
Platform delivers expanded cloud metering services and enhanced
administrative reporting and controls. Packaged as a VMware vApp, the
Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform enables service providers to deliver and
monetize self-branded storage-as-a-service offerings even faster, while
enterprises can more easily transform IT into an internal service
organization, enabling agility and cost savings throughout the business.
EMC also announced that EMC GeoDrive now supports both Linux and Windows
operating systems, enabling instant access to any Atmos cloud without
ever having to write a single line of code.

EMC Atmos is designed to manage information for globally distributed
big data and cloud storage environments. With EMC Atmos as its
foundation, the Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform provides a complete,
turnkey storage-as-a-service solution. The enhanced Atmos Cloud Delivery
Platform is packaged as a VMware vApp for a faster and more intuitive
installation process. It enables customers to have their service up and
running in a matter of minutes. By adding a new administrative portal,
the Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform now provides customers with lifecycle
management. For example, administrators can now monitor accounts and
instantly take action on capacity requests, service level changes and
account modifications. The existing end user portal makes it easier than
ever to request storage in three easy steps, without ever having to
contact IT. Once an account is established, this portal provides
self-service access, management and reporting capabilities on bandwidth
and capacity usage.

New GeoDrive support for Linux enables customers to further extend
their self-service infrastructure by providing instant access to the
cloud without having to write a single line of code. Now supporting
Windows and Linux environments, GeoDrive requires no API integration for
Atmos-based clouds and includes a set of rich features and security
capabilities including encryption, compression and throttling. With new
Linux integration, GeoDrive now supports RedHat and SLES platforms.

Customer Quote:

Curtis A. Carver Jr., Vice Chancellor and CIO, Board of Regents,
University System of Georgia

“The University System of Georgia is focused on collaborative
partnership, high performance and value-based relationships with
 our
strategic partners. As we roll out new private cloud-based services to
our 36 educational institutions, we examined several viable offerings
before partnering with EMC to offer these innovative services. We are
excited at the potential of these new offerings to enhance campus
agility and innovation while realizing significant cost savings and
enterprise economies of scale through these offerings.”

EMC Executive:

Mike Feinberg, General Manager and Senior Vice President, EMC Cloud
Infrastructure Group

“We’ve seen tremendous traction and interest from both service
providers and enterprises looking to deploy public and private cloud
storage offerings, and both have benefited greatly from the new
advancements built into the Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform. Our customers
are finding the less time they spend on provisioning, managing and
billing, the more profitable their cost centres become. With our latest
Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform release and GeoDrive for Linux, we’ve
taken a significant step forward in terms of product, but more
importantly our customers can take a significant step forward in terms
of their business.”

Availability

Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform 1.1 and GeoDrive support for Linux are
available today.

Additional Resources

* Atmos Cloud Delivery Platform Data Sheet
(http://www.emc.com/collateral/software/data-sheet/h7472-atmos-cloud-delivery-platform-ds.pdf)

* GeoDrive Data Sheet
(http://www.emc.com/collateral/software/data-sheet/h8796-atmos-geodrive-ds.pdf)
* Follow EMC Atmos on Twitter (http://mobile.twitter.com/emcatmos),
LinkedIn
(http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2519073&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr)
* Connect with EMC via Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/emccorp),
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/emccorp), YouTube
(http://www.youtube.com/user/EMCCorp), LinkedIn
(http://www.linkedin.com/company/emc) and ECN (http://emc.im/bd2nk1)

About EMC

EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service
providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service.
Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through
innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud
computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze
their most valuable asset - information - in a more agile, trusted and
cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at
www.EMC.com.

EMC Canada (www.EMC2.ca), headquartered in Toronto with nine offices
from coast to coast, is a wholly owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation.

- 30 -

For more information contact:
Michelle Chang/Mike Martin
StrategicAmpersand
416-961-5595
michelle@stratamp.com
mike@stratamp.com


EMC and Atmos are registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC
Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other
trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States
and/or other jurisdictions. Other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.


If you do not wish to receive news releases from EMC Canada please
reply to this e-mail with "remove" in the subject header.


PwC expands eHealth capabilities with acquisition

PwC expands eHealth capabilities with acquisition

JRS Partners acquisition provides enhanced depth in enterprise architecture and eHealth

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2011 /CNW/ - The professional services firm PwC is pleased to announce the addition of expanded service capabilities in its Healthcare and Technology practices with the acquisition of JRS Partners.

JRS Partners brings together the knowledge and capabilities of recognized experts in the field of eHealth solutions and enterprise architecture. The company of dedicated consultants, together with its established base of independent contractors, is based in Montreal and Toronto, providing specialized eHealth consulting services for clients.  JRS and PwC have partnered on a number of past and current eHealth engagements.

"The two founding partners of JRS, Robert Caron and José Mussi, along with their JRS team members, are a welcome addition to our technology consulting team at PwC, as we continue our growth and delivery in serving healthcare clients across Canada," says Barbara Pitts, PwC's national healthcare leader. "We are very familiar with the company from our previous collaborations on client projects and look forward to the depth of expertise that JRS team brings."

"We're very happy to be joining the PwC team and look forward to serving our existing clients with the same level of care and dedication. With PwC's expanded capabilities we're able to bring together a broader service offering to the healthcare sector with new opportunities for our people," says Robert Caron.

Healthcare organizations can benefit from PwC's unique insight and strategies to help address current issues in the sector. Its comprehensive experience combined with a global network of healthcare professionals provide clients with a variety of services, among them: Health System Transformation; Integrated Service Delivery; Model Design; Financial Recovery and Effectiveness; Shared Back-Office Services; Quality and Safety Standardization; Strategic Resource Deployment; Incentive Realignment; Innovation; and Infrastructure and Service Delivery. PwC also provides tailored solutions to a variety of clients, including private--and public sector--pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, research organizations, healthcare providers and government.

About PwC
The firms of the PwC network provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in PwC firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. In Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, and its related entities have more than 5,700 partners and staff in offices across the country. See www.pwc.com/ca for more information.

"PwC" is the brand under which member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwCIL) operate and provide services. Together, these firms form the PwC network. Each firm in the network is a separate legal entity and does not act as agent of PwCIL or any other member firm. PwCIL does not provide any services to clients. PwCIL is not responsible or liable for the acts or omissions of any of its member firms nor can it control the exercise of their professional judgment or bind them in any way.

"PwC" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity.

For further information:

David Rowney
Tel.: 416 365 8858
Email: david.rowney@ca.pwc.com


Next Generation of Microsoft Surface Available for Pre-Order in 23 Countries

News Press Release
Next Generation of Microsoft Surface Available for Pre-Order in 23 Countries
Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface embraced by businesses worldwide.

REDMOND, Wash. Nov. 17, 2011 — Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. announced today that the next generation of Microsoft Surface is now available for pre-order through Samsung resellers in 23 countries worldwide including the United States, via the Samsung Electronics website at http://www.samsunglfd.com/solution/sur40.do. Initially unveiled by Samsung and Microsoft earlier this year, the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface features PixelSense technology, which gives LCD panels the power to see without the use of cameras.

“Customers across a wide range of industries currently integrate Microsoft Surface and make it relevant to their business needs, creating immersive, collaborative and meaningful experiences,” said Somanna Palacanda, director, Microsoft Surface. “With the Samsung SUR40 available for pre-order in 23 countries worldwide, Surface computing will now be more readily available for education, financial and professional services, healthcare, hospitality, retail, manufacturing and resources, and other commercial business environments to help deliver interactive digital content, drive sales, showcase brands, and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.”

The Samsung SUR40 with PixelSense technology makes it possible for people to share, collaborate and explore together using a large, thin display. Recognizing up to 50 points of simultaneous touch, including fingers, hands and other objects placed on the screen, it has been well-received by new and existing Surface customers as companies such as Dassault Aviation, Fujifilm Corp. and Royal Bank of Canada prepare to deploy units around the globe in early 2012.

“This pre-order phase brings us one step closer to getting the highly anticipated Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface into the hands of our customers,” said Charles Park, vice president at Samsung Electronics. “The Samsung SUR40 delivers a unique interactive experience that will significantly change the way companies engage with their customers.”

The Samsung SUR40 continues to capture the attention of industry influencers, from international businesses to media outlets. Announced earlier this week, the next-generation device was named a 2011 “Best of What’s New” award winner by Popular Science magazine and is featured in a special awards issue currently on newsstands.

“For 24 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us — those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of whatʼs possible in the future,” said Mark Jannot, editor in chief of Popular Science. “The ‘Best of Whatʼs New’ award is the magazineʼs top honor, and the 100 winners — chosen from among thousands of entrants — represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.”

Software developers interested in creating solutions for the Samsung SUR40 can get started immediately by visiting the Surface Developer Center. The site provides free and easy access to the Surface 2.0 software developer kit, featuring the Input Simulator, which enables developers to write Surface applications on any Windows 7 machine, as well as other helpful developer-related resources. There are already hundreds of highly skilled Surface software development partners that can be found at http://www.surface.com.

Pre-orders are available to commercial businesses in 23 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Product availability in additional markets is expected in the coming months. More information, including region-specific Samsung representatives and quotes, can be found at http://www.samsunglfd.com/solution/sur40.do.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$133.8 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 206 offices across 72 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface provides a new way to experience and use information and digital content, engaging the senses, improving collaboration and empowering people to interact. Microsoft Surface is at the forefront of developing software and hardware that uses vision-based technology to fundamentally change the way people use computing devices. More information can be found at http://www.surface.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

IBM and Juniper Join Forces on Mobile Security

IBM and Juniper Join Forces on Mobile Security

by Juniper Employee LizKing on 11-17-2011 10:02 AM

On November 11, IBM announced a new managed security service that addresses today’s security concerns for smartphones and tablet devices in the workplace.  Built on Juniper’s Junos Pulse Mobility Security Suite, IBM will provide organizations with on-device protection for mobile devices – including iPhone, Blackberry, Windows and Android devices, among others.

 

Through our global alliance, IBM and Juniper have been working together for years in providing best-in-class security solutions and services to customers worldwide. This new security service will help mitigate risks associated with the growing number of employee-owned, bring-your-own-device (“BYOD”) and corporate-liable mobile devices accessing sensitive date. It will also help organizations protect themselves against data loss and other risks caused by device theft, malware, spyware and unauthorized access.

 

Webcast on Tuesday, November 29, 1-2PM EST http://events.unisfair.com/index.jsp?eid=546&seid=372: Please join our security experts for an exciting webinar to learn more about what IBM and Juniper are doing together to secure corporate data in a world where more and more employees are using their own mobile devices for work.

 

The proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace has skyrocketed over the course of the last few years and is only expected to continue.  According to a recent Gartner report, 90% of organizations will support corporate applications on personal devices, by the year 2014 – leading to, as Juniper’s Karim Toubba put it in a recent Forbes byline, the “perfect storm for hackers.”

BDC-sponsored survey shows SMEs are well connected but not taking full advantage of the Internet and ICT

BDC-sponsored survey shows SMEs are well connected but not taking full advantage of the Internet and ICT


Highlights

  • Most Canadian SMEs (92.8%) are now connected to the Internet. 
  • Few companies use management software packages. One quarter of the companies surveyed have computerized their processes by using an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software package (24.9%) or a customer relationship management (CRM) system (23.9%). Only 12% of these companies have a supply chain management (SCM) software package.
  • Two thirds (69.8%) of SMEs have websites, but only 8.2% have adapted them for use on mobile platforms. Selling online is not very popular with SMEs - only 17.9% of those with websites engage in it. 
  • SMEs connected to the Internet have not yet been won over by social network applications, as only 15.2% incorporate them into their marketing strategies, 14.3% apply them internally with their employees, and 17.5% use them with partners and suppliers.
  • The size of the business and the activity sector influence the adoption of ICT. ICT is better rooted in medium-sized SMEs, i.e. those with 100 to 499 employees, and in SMEs in the manufacturing sector.

MONTREAL, Nov. 16, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadian SMEs are well connected to the Internet, but are not taking full advantage of the Web and information and communications technologies (ICT) to increase their productivity and their revenues. These are the main conclusions of a recent national survey conducted by CEFRIO and sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). The key highlights of the survey, which aimed to evaluate SME's use of ICT in their business practices, were presented today during a panel discussion hosted by Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D).

"The impact of ICT on SME productivity, innovation and competitiveness is now recognized as very real," said Michel Bergeron, BDC Vice President, Corporate Relations. "In fact, Canada's productivity gap is largely explained by the lower level of ICT investment.  According to a 2011 Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity report, our businesses invest $2,400 less per employee, per year, in computers, software and training than do American companies.  In a globalized economy, where competition is getting more intense all the time, we need to see an increased ICT investment by Canadian SMEs. This is why BDC recently launched financing solutions as well as online web and technology assessment tools to help companies better integrate ICT in their daily operations."

The survey shows that 92.8% of Canadian SMEs are connected to the Internet. More than 59.3% have mobile devices such as smart phones or digital tablets, while 40.1% have none.

In the past twelve months most SMEs (88.3%) have made investments in ICT. Purchases of computer equipment (77.8%) and licenses (40.5%) are the most frequent investments.

Little use of management software packages
Few companies use management software packages. One quarter of the companies surveyed have computerized their processes by using an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software package (24.9%) or a customer relationship management (CRM) system (23.9%). Only 12% of these companies have a supply chain management (SCM) software package.

The survey showed that ICT is clearly better rooted in medium-sized companies (100 to 499 employees) and, to a large extent, in manufacturing companies. These companies have the highest Internet connection rate (97.6%) and make the most use of office suites (92.3%), ERP management software packages (34.4%) and websites as Internet tools (78.2%). SMEs in the manufacturing sector also use Open Source software the most (36.3%), as well as collaborative tools such as email (95.2%), project management tools (36.5%) or shared editing tools (40%).

"SMEs that succeed best and conquer new markets are often on the cutting edge of technology," said Michel Bergeron, BDC Vice President, Corporate Relations. "Some management software can be used as powerful tools for business growth. The costs of these products having decreased, it becomes very advantageous to acquire them.  In a context where companies must always do more with less, more SMEs should consider adopting such tools."

SMEs slow to take advantage of selling online
In 2011, 70.9% of SMEs connected to the Internet made online purchases. However, selling online is a much less popular activity as only 17.9% of SMEs owning a website engage in it. Despite the major development of Web 2.0, SMEs have not yet been won over by social network applications, as only 15.2% incorporate them into their marketing strategies, 14.3% apply them internally with their employees, and 17.5% use them with partners and suppliers. Those that engage in these activities use Facebook (60.9%) and the LinkedIn network (32.9%) more often.

"Considering how the Internet and Web 2.0 can contribute to increasing a company's revenue and profitability, SME executives have every interest in further exploring the opportunities these platforms offer their companies. If they do not take action in this field, they risk losing out on a major potential for growth and innovation," Michel Bergeron concluded.

BDC recently announced it had earmarked $200 million for loans to help entrepreneurs invest in ICT. BDC also made available at www.bdc.ca a new array of online tools specifically designed to meet small business needs, and, more specifically, to boost their productivity and accelerate their growth.

Download a copy of the survey report

Methodology
Slightly more than 2,000 leaders of Canadian SME were questioned (company executives, owners or managers, or the people in charge of administration, ICT, communications or marketing, as applicable). The SOM research and survey firm conducted telephone interviews from April 11 to May 24 2011. Surveyed SMEs had between 5 and 499 employees and were randomly selected from the Dun & Bradstreet database. The survey response rate was 27.7%. The margin of error for the overall sample was ±3.4%. This is the maximum margin of error for an evaluated proportion of the total sample.

About the survey
The 2011 NetPME survey is the fourth edition. Conducted exclusively in Quebec in the past, it was expanded this year to cover the entire country, due to the financial support of Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). The survey was also made possible by the financial support of the Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation, the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor du Québec, Desjardins Card Services, Services Québec and TELUS.

About CEFRIO
CEFRIO is the centre for research on innovation for organizations through the use of information and communications technology (ICT). It has over 150 members from government, industry and the academic sector, as well as 60 guest and associate researchers working in social and organizational innovation. CEFRIO's own activities generate 64% of its funding, with the remaining 36% provided by its primary financial partner, the Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation.

About BDC
Canada's business development bank, BDC, puts entrepreneurs first. With almost 1,900 employees and more than 100 business centres across the country, BDC offers financing, subordinate financing, venture capital and consulting services to 29,000 small and medium-sized companies. Their success is vital to Canada's economic prosperity.

For further information:

Maria Constantinescu
Advisor, Media Relations
BDC
514-496-1876
maria.constantinescu@bdc.ca

IBM Social Media analysis points to lower heels, bucking economic trend

IBM Social Media analysis points to lower heels, bucking economic trend

Usually women’s heels stay high during a downturn; perhaps not this time

ARMONK, NEW YORK, November 17, 2011 – An IBM computer-based analysis of billions of social media posts predicts an intriguing change on the horizon in women’s shoe fashions, with heel heights– currently in nosebleed territory – poised to decline. The IBM project highlights the predictive capabilities of social media analysis as a source of valuable insight that can help drive business strategies and results.

Indeed, according to a recent IBM study, Chief Marketing Officers around the world recognize the need to embrace social media in their business – but only a small minority of them actually factor information from blogs and other forms of social media into their strategic decisions.

“Usually, in an economic downturn, heels go up and stay up – as consumers turn to more flamboyant fashions as a means of fantasy and escape,” said Dr. Trevor Davis, a consumer products expert with IBM Global Business Services. “This time, something different is happening -- perhaps a mood of long term austerity is evolving among consumers sparking a desire to reduce ostentation in everyday settings.”

A look back at the last 100 years of shoe fashion trends reveals that heel heights soared during the most prominent recessions in U.S. history. Low-heeled flapper shoes in the 1920s were replaced with high-heel pumps and platforms during the Great Depression. Platforms were again revived during the 1970s oil crisis, reversing the preference for low-heeled sandals in the late 1960s. And the low, thick heels of the 1990s “grunge” period gave way to “Sex and the City”-inspired stilettos following the dot-com bust at the turn of the century.

In a potential deviation from the long-term trend, Davis continued, an analysis of the last four years of social media showed that discussions of increasing heel height peaked towards the end of 2009, and declined after that. For example, key trend-watching bloggers between 2008 and 2009 wrote consistently about heels from five to eight inches, but by mid 2011 they were writing about the return of the kitten heel and the perfect flat from Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin. This is not to say that the sky-high heels have gone, rather that, as the economic downturn has wore on, they are discussed as glamwear and not for the office or shopping trip, Davis said.

While heels on women’s shoes are still high – as a visit to any shoe store will confirm -- the IBM analysis points to a change in trend. This data could be used by shoe manufacturers and retailers looking for insight into the kind of shoes to, respectively, manufacture and sell in the coming season.


Here’s how the analysis was conducted: first, IBM used special analytics software to search billions of social media posts to identify individuals discussing shoes. This initial category contained tens of thousands of posts. Next, the software narrowed the list down to those who are key online influencers in the area of footwear – bloggers, for example. The software relied on special algorithms that rated the popularity of these influencers by zeroing in on the ones who sit in the centre of large social networks – that is, writers of blogs that many other blogs link to and which in turn link to many blogs. These bloggers aren’t traditional “experts” – they don’t work in the footwear industry, for example. But they are passionate footwear enthusiasts with large followings.

Finally, the software analyzed the content of the social media sites, looking specifically for discussions of shoe height.

Social media analytics in the enterprise

The IBM project illustrates how sophisticated analysis of social media could be used by manufacturers in planning future products, by retailers in choosing which products to stock, and by marketers in planning advertising campaigns.
It could also help a city or government better serve its constituents. The ability to analyze social conversation in real-time can help officials see how constituents are responding to policy decisions or how outreach could be varied across different channels to get the word out about specific events. Social media analysis could also serve as an early warning system for governments around special events and unexpected occurrences.
For example, public safety officials could use this technology as part of a rapid response system for flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters; or to identify areas of public services delivery that need improvement.
For more information on analytics, visit http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/ca/analytics.

Contact information:

Carrie Bendzsa
IBM Media Relations
613-796-3880
carrie.bendzsa@ca.ibm.com

SAP to Spend US$2 Billion in China

SAP to Spend US$2 Billion in China

SAP to Spur Innovation Across China's IT Industry

BEIJING - November 15, 2011 - SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced multi-year spending plans of more than US$2 billion through 2015 to grow its business in China. The company intends to deepen its investment in this key global market in order to further underscore its long-term strategic commitment to the world's second-largest economy. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE® NOW + SAP® TechEd, being held as a co-located event in Beijing from November 15-17.

"We have successfully grown our business in China over the past 20 years and now want to scale our operations to fully meet the needs of both enterprises and our ecosystem," said Bill McDermott, co-CEO, SAP AG. "Our SAP Labs and SAP Research facilities there will continue to drive innovation for our Chinese customer base. We will also create more research and development facilities, hire thousands of people, train more experts and consultants and bring our world-class benchmarking methodology to China - all aimed at helping drive sustainable growth through informatization."

To position its business for continued growth in China, SAP expects its spending and investment to occur in the following key dimensions:

  • Creating Solutions: Innovating for the benefit of customers will further drive alignment between SAP and Sybase in China. SAP Labs in China will be the primary innovation center for the development of new solutions tailored to meet country requirements.
  • Delivering Solutions: Growing the business in China will require a significant increase in market presence. To bring services and support closer to its customers, SAP aims to hire approximately 2,000 people through 2015, open five to six new offices across the country and scale all support functions appropriately.
  • Supporting Solutions: Investing in the services and support functions that deliver value and drive co-innovation are critical to meeting growth objectives. The SAP® Active Global Support (SAP AGS) organization has already taken steps to specifically address the needs of companies operating in the Chinese market (see "China Draws Maximum Attention as Support Stronghold, Innovation Springboard for SAP"). SAP will scale SAP AGS and the SAP Services organization to support growth.
  • Growing the IT Ecosystem: SAP's success stems from the ability to nurture, educate and grow an ecosystem to meet customer needs, particularly in the small and midsize (SME) market. Building mutually beneficial relationships with both traditional and non-traditional partners - from systems integrators to banks and telecommunications companies - will support SAP in exponentially expanding its reach. SAP's experience in China shows that when the company invests, its local and global partners also invest. In this way, SAP's investments create a significant multiplier effect across the entire Chinese IT ecosystem.

"This is an exciting time for SAP China as we embark upon this significant plan," said Hera Siu, president, SAP China. "With this increased level of commitment, we are better positioned to help China enterprises run better, thereby contributing to China's transition to a knowledge-based economy, a key component of China's 12th five-year plan. It will also spur broader innovation across the IT industry here for customers and partners throughout the ecosystem."

SAPPHIRE® NOW + SAP® TechEd Beijing
In 2011, SAP brings together its largest ecosystem education event series with its premier customer conference for a co-located event being held in Beijing, China, from November 15-17. With SAPPHIRE® NOW, SAP offers its customers, partners and prospects even more opportunities to engage in dialogue with peers, participants and thought leaders around the globe, and can gain insight as to how SAP is delivering on its product strategy and helping organizations around the world to run better. SAP® TechEd brings IT managers, software developers, administrators, and business process experts together for a look under the hood of today's business motors: the latest advances in in-memory and mobile technologies, and in on-premise, on-demand, and on-device applications from SAP and more. Follow on Twitter at @SAPTechEd and @SAPPHIRENOW, and join the conversation at #SAPTechEd and #SAPPHIRENOW.

Note to editors:
Announcements, blog posts, videos and other coverage from SAPPHIRE NOW + SAP TechEd will be available in the event's newsroom at www.events.news-sap.com. 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 e-mail links and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV.

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 176,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of Sybase) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

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Copyright © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.
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Norton Online Family Report Identifies Issues of “Cyberbaiting” and Overspending

Norton Online Family Report Identifies Issues of “Cyberbaiting” and Overspending

Kids Who Follow House Rules Have Less Negative Experiences Online

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Mountain View, Calif. – Nov. 17, 2011 – The latest edition of the Norton Online Family Report sheds new light on the realities and risks of growing up in the digital age. This year’s report identifies the new issue of “cyberbaiting,” a growing phenomenon where kids taunt their teachers, then capture the distressed reactions via cell phone videos. In addition, the report reveals a surprisingly high number of kids taking liberties with their parents’ credit cards for shopping online. However, it’s not all bad news: the report shows that following clearly stated house rules for proper Internet behavior can make a significant impact in averting negative online experiences.


Overall, almost 62 percent of kids across the world said that they have had a negative experience while online. Nearly 4 in 10 (39%), however, have had a serious negative experience online, such as receiving inappropriate pictures from strangers, being bullied or becoming the victim of cybercrime. The report also shows that kids who are active on social networks open up more doors for content or situations that can be tricky for them to handle: 74 percent of kids on social networks find themselves in unpleasant situations online, compared to 38 percent who stay away from social networking.


Parents are setting ground rules, however, for online use, which helps kids have a more positive experience. The Norton Online Family Report shows that 77 percent of parents have rules for how their kids may use the Internet. For those households where rules exist, while the “good kids” who follow the rules stay relatively safe with 52 percent having had a negative experience online, the percentage increases to 82 percent among rule-breakers.


“Kids are developing their online identity at an earlier age than ever before,” said Vanessa Van Petten, youthologist and author of “Radical Parenting,” “and they need parents, teachers and other role models to help them figure out where to go, what to say, how to act and perhaps most importantly, how not to act. Negative situations online can have repercussions in the real world—from bullying to money lost in scams to giving strangers personal information.”


Teachers at Risk of Cyberbaiting

One of the more shocking examples of using social networks for bad behavior is cyberbaiting, where students first irritate or bait a teacher until he or she cracks, filming the incident on their mobile device so they can post the footage online, embarrassing the teacher and the school. One in five teachers has personally experienced or knows another teacher who has experienced this phenomenon.


Perhaps because of cyberbaiting, 67 percent of teachers say being friends with students on social networks exposes them to risks. Still, 34 percent continue to “friend” their students. Only 51 percent, however, say their school has a code of conduct for how teachers and students communicate with each other through social media. Eighty percent of teachers call for more online safety education in schools, a position supported by 70 percent of parents.


Raiding Mom’s Digital Purse

Twenty-three percent of parents who let their kids use their debit or credit card to shop online say their kids have overspent. Thirty percent of parents, however, say that their child has used their debit or credit card to shop online without consent. And more than half of parents (53 percent) who let their child shop online using their online store account reported that their child has used it without permission.


But saving money isn’t the only reason to set clear guidelines about online shopping and safe Internet behaviors. Eighty-seven percent of parents whose children have been the victim of cybercrime have also been a victim themselves—a steep increase from the global average of 69 percent among online adults across the world. (Norton Cybercrime Report, 2011)


“Parents and teachers play an enormous role in keeping kids—and themselves—safe online, and this year’s Norton Online Family Report shows a real need for further education,” said Marian Merritt, Norton Internet Safety Advocate. “While 63 percent of parents say they talk to their kids about online safety, one-third (34%) still secretly check their children’s online use and a quarter look at their social network use behind their backs. Having an open dialogue with kids in a safe environment like at home or school can be much more effective, along with arming children with the tools they need to stay safe.”


For more tips on how to keep your kids and yourself safe online, please visit: www.norton.com/familyresources. For more findings from the Norton Online Family Report globally and by country, please visit: www.norton.com/cybercrimereport.


About Norton from Symantec

Symantec’s Norton products protect consumers from cybercrime with technologies like antivirus, anti-spyware and phishing protection-- while also being light on system resources. The company also provides services such as online backup and PC tuneup, and family online safety. Fan Norton on Facebook at www.facebook.com/norton and follow @NortonOnline on Twitter.


About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.


About the Norton Online Family Report methodology

Between February 6, 2011 and March 14, 2011 StrategyOne conducted 19,636 online survey among 12,704 adults (including 2956 parents of children aged 8-7), 4553 children aged 8-17, and 2379 teachers of students aged 8-17.


The survey was conducted in 24 countries (14 tracking countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States; 10 new countries: Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Hong Kong, Mexico, South Africa, Singapore, Poland, Switzerland and UAE). The global data has been weighted to ensure all countries have equal representation. Adults to n500 (n100 parents), children to n200, teachers to n100.


The margin of error for the total sample of adults (n=12,704) is + 0.87% at the 95% level of confidence. The margin of error for the total sample of parents, defined as parents with children aged 8-17 who spend 1+ hour online per month (n=2,956) is + 1.8% at the 95% level of confidence. The margin of error for the total sample of children (n=4,553) is + 1.45% at the 95% level of confidence. The margin of error for the total sample of teachers (n=2,379) is + 2.0% at the 95% level of confidence.

Note to Editors: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at http://www.symantec.com/news. All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.

Red Hat Provides Comprehensive Lifecycle Support for Java in the Cloud with OpenShift PaaS

Red Hat Provides Comprehensive Lifecycle Support for Java in the Cloud with OpenShift PaaS


OpenShift integrates Jenkins, JBoss Tools and Maven technologies, allowing Java developers to code, build, deploy and scale on the cloud

Raleigh, NC - November 15, 2011

Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced new capabilities for Java developers using the OpenShift Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). With new technology integrations, OpenShift now offers a  comprehensive Java developer experience from code to cloud that is fast, easy and free.

With OpenShift, Red Hat offers a compelling PaaS built on open source technologies that enables developers to quickly develop and deploy applications on the cloud.  OpenShift provides built-in auto-scaling, supports a wide variety of languages, frameworks, middleware and clouds and is available free of charge.  In August, Red Hat announced that it was the first to deliver Java EE 6 on a PaaS with OpenShift, powered by Red Hat’s JBoss application platform technology.  Today, OpenShift expands upon its Java capabilities with the integration of several technologies that allow OpenShift to offer a fuller Java lifecycle for developers – developers can now code their application in an IDE, as well as build, deploy and scale it with OpenShift.  

New technology integrations for OpenShift announced today include:

  • Support for Jenkins, which is based on Hudson, extending OpenShift to “Build-as-a-Service,” allowing for faster builds in the cloud.
  • Integration between IDE and the cloud with the integration of JBoss Tools and OpenShift, allowing developers to easily push their code to the cloud from the leading Java IDE.  Future integration is also planned for JBoss Developer Studio.
  • Support for Maven, delivering application dependency resolution as part of the build process.


"With Apache Maven we set out to build open technology that would make the build process easier and allow developers to be able to quickly comprehend the complete state of a development effort in the shortest period of time," said Jason van Zyl, CTO and founder of Sonatype and the founder of the Apache Maven Project.  "Red Hat incorporating support for the Maven build management system through OpenShift brings additional ease and efficiency to developers that can now build and test in the cloud faster."

"Previously Java developers would have to download dependencies, compile everything into a giant Java program file and upload that to the cloud. This new functionality from OpenShift dramatically speeds up the development lifecycle," said Charlotte Dunlap, Senior Analyst at Current Analysis.

“With these latest updates to the OpenShift platform to extend its reach into Java, developers can focus more on their application instead of on the stack,” said Mark Little, senior director, Middleware Engineering at Red Hat.  “Now, OpenShift takes code from your favorite IDE, resolves and loads dependencies, compiles, deploys and scales your application, all in the cloud.  The new IDE combined with Maven dependency resolutions and Jenkins build automation means you can write code and see it scaling in the cloud within seconds.  This is a big step forward for today’s Java developers.”

To learn more and to access OpenShift, visit https://openshift.redhat.com.

To see more about how OpenShift delivers comprehensive lifecycle support for Java developers, watch this video http://www.redhat.com/openshift/videos/a-comprehensive-lifecycle-for-java-developers-in-the-cloud-with-openshift.

For more information about Red Hat, visit www.redhat.com.  For more news, more often, visit www.press.redhat.com.


About Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source solutions and an S&P 500 company, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with more than 70 offices spanning the globe. Red Hat provides high-quality, affordable technology with its operating system platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, together with cloud, virtualization, applications, management, storage and service-oriented architecture (SOA) solutions, including Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization and JBoss Enterprise Middleware. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com.

IBM and Novell Complete New, Higher Level of Security Certification Evaluation for SUSE Linux

IBM and Novell Complete New, Higher Level of Security Certification Evaluation for SUSE Linux

Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 First Linux Distribution to Complete Evaluation Assurance Level EAL4+

BOSTON (LinuxWorld Conference& Expo 2005)
February 15, 2005

IBM and Novell today announced that SUSE® LINUX Enterprise Server 9 has successfully completed a Common Criteria evaluation to achieve a new level of security certification that will further enable Linux to be adopted by governments and government agencies for mission-critical and command-and-control operations.

In addition, the two companies cooperatively achieved US Department of Defense Common Operating Environment compliance, a Defense Information Systems Agency requirement for military computing products.

Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 on IBM eServers has achieved Controlled Access Protection Profile under the Common Criteria for Information Security Evaluation, also referred to as CAPP/EAL4+. A formal certificate issued by the Federal Office for Information Security in Germany (BSI) is expected to follow shortly.

While most IT professionals already acknowledge that Linux offers superior security when compared to other operating systems, the certification process is required for governments and governmental agencies to implement Linux solutions. The new, higher level of security certification clears the way for more rapid adoption of Linux by governments in the United States and around the world.

“Another barrier to the adoption of Linux falls today,” said IBM’s Daniel Frye, vice president, Linux Technology Center. “Not only does this pave the way for faster adoption by governments and their agencies, it also reinforces to businesses that Linux is an excellent choice to handle mission-critical applications.”

In addition, IBM and Novell announced that SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 had achieved Common Operating Environment compliance across IBM’s eServer line. This compliance – required by the United States Department of Defense – addresses functionality and interoperability requirements for commercially acquired IT products and allows Linux to be used in command-and-control systems, which represent some of the most sensitive and critical applications run by the government.

The Common Criteria is recognized internationally by IT professionals in businesses and government agencies as the ISO standard (ISO/IEC 15408) used by the Federal government and other organizations to assess security and assurance of technology products. It provides a necessary and standardized way of expressing security requirements and defines the respective set of rigorous criteria by which the product will be evaluated.

“The successful completion of this latest security evaluation is a clear demonstration of Novell's commitment to achieving industry approved security standards that will give our customers and partners the confidence to deploy SUSE Linux solutions,” said Markus Rex, vice president and general manager for SUSE Linux at Novell. “The close collaboration between Novell, IBM and atsec has been key to completing the security evaluation in record time.”

The evaluation announced today was completed by atsec information security, one of the world’s leading vendor-independent IT security consulting companies, and accredited in Germany by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

About IBM

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key IBM Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. For more information about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com. For more information about IBM and Linux, visit http://www.ibm.com/linux.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) is a leading provider of information solutions that deliver secure identity management (Novell Nsure™), Web application development (Novell exteNd™) and cross-platform networking services (Novell Nterprise™), all supported by strategic consulting and professional services (Novell NgageSM). Active in the open source community with its Ximian® and SUSE Linux brands, Novell provides a full range of Linux products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the server. Novell’s vision of one Net – a world without information boundaries – helps customers realize the value of their information securely and economically. For more information, call Novell’s Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272) or visit www.novell.com. Press should visit www.novell.com/pressroom.

IBM, the IBM logo, eServer, zSeries, pSeries, iSeries, xSeries, BladeCenter, POWER5, OpenPower, and TotalStorage are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both. See http://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.

Novell, Nsure and Ximian are registered trademarks; exteNd and Nterprise are trademarks; and Ngage is a service mark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE Linux AG, a Novell business.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries or both.

All other company/product names and service marks may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.