Shaw Launches Canada's Fastest Inter City Fibre-Optic Network

Shaw Launches Canada's Fastest Inter City Fibre-Optic Network

Network makes Shaw first provider in Canada capable of carrying Internet, voice, video and data at 100 Gigabits per second

Press Release Source: Shaw Communications Inc. On Tuesday November 8, 2011, 11:00 am

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire -11/08/11)- Shaw Communications (TSX: SJR.B) (NYSE: SJR - News) announced the next generation of Canada's fastest Internet, with the launch of the nation's first 100 Gigabit per second (Gbit/s) fibre-optic network.

The network, delivered by Alcatel-Lucent, has the capability of carrying up to eighty-eight 100 Gbit/s channels over a single pair of fibres. The result is a game-changing network able to handle up to 133 million voice calls, 440,000 HDTV channels, or transmit 44 Blu-ray Discs in one second.

"People are demanding more from their Internet experience, and as a leader in Broadband Internet, Shaw continues to upgrade to bring Canadians the best Internet experience," said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications Inc. "The launch of this fibre-optic network allows us to lay the foundation in delivering a new Internet experience for our customers."

The technology delivers services at a rate of 100 Gbit/s - 10 times faster than Shaw's existing fibre-optic network. The launch follows a field trial over a 350-kilometre network between Calgary and Edmonton. Enhancements to the fibre-optic network will benefit both residential and business customers by providing new services, speed and reliability that is part of the Shaw Internet experience.

Shaw was also the first provider in Canada to trial Gigabit Internet in April 2010, delivered through Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) and will be able to support new and emerging Internet applications that require faster download speeds over the new fibre-optic network.

For more information please visit SHAW.CA.

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 18 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TSX: SJR.B) (NYSE: SJR - News). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.

Red Hat Announces Cloud Computing Alliance with SAIC

Red Hat Announces Cloud Computing Alliance with SAIC


Companies to deliver open source cloud computing solutions for U.S. Department of Defense

Raleigh, NC - November 7, 2011

Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced a collaboration with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI), to demonstrate and deliver innovative solutions that maximize the use of open source cloud computing technologies.

Offering security, scalability, interoperability and portability to reduce infrastructure and provide increased capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), a number of Red Hat solutions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, JBoss Enterprise Middleware, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, systems management technologies, Red Hat CloudForms, and the company’s OpenShift Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) cloud computing platform, will be deployed in SAIC’s new Advanced Computer Engineering (ACE) Laboratory located in North Charleston, S.C., adjacent to SAIC and Red Hat customers.

SAIC’s ACE Laboratory will serve as the foundation for an open community, providing an environment to maximize public and private cooperation focused on solving complex operational and computational problems. The laboratory provides physical and virtual environments for hands-on collaboration between SAIC, other contractors, small businesses, information technology vendors and government employees. Through emerging technology exploration and innovative solution demonstration, the ACE Laboratory aims to foster collaboration and information sharing, promote cloud computing best practices and deliver low-cost, enterprise-scale “create once, optimally manage and reuse often” solutions.

SAIC and Red Hat bring commercial patterns and practices specifically engineered to reduce cost, enable more agile service delivery and allow DoD customers to overcome barriers to cloud adoption, including shortage of skills, lack of interoperability within existing information technology architectures and complexities of service-level objective achievement. ACE Laboratory collaborators will learn how Red Hat's modular and open technology portfolio, designed to run consistently across physical servers, virtual platforms and private and public clouds, can be integrated into their cloud architecture. Organizations working to develop and implement a cloud strategy can gain the knowledge and practical experience needed to select open source components for private Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), develop applications using PaaS and achieve mission and business objectives by delivering and consuming Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

"Red Hat has a longstanding relationship with SAIC to provide open source technologies and methodologies on large programs in the federal government, dating back to our first master marketing agreement in 2006,” said Paul Smith, Red Hat’s vice president and general manager of public sector. “This most recent iteration capitalizes the widespread use by cloud providers of open source architectures to deliver services.  Red Hat is a leading provider of supported, secure and scalable products for both IaaS and PaaS."

“Using our ACE Lab, SAIC experts work with customers to develop advanced engineering solutions for some of our nation’s most significant cyber and software challenges,” said Jim Thigpen, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. “With Red Hat on our team, we’re continually finding ways to use our expertise to help keep customers a step ahead of the curve when it comes to cloud computing.”

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 software aids research aimed at extending seniors' independent living in Edmonton

For Immediate Release

 

IBM software aids research

aimed at extending seniors’ independent living

 

Edmonton AB & Markham, ON – November 8, 2011 – [CASCON] IBM today announced its software is being used to correlate data from sensors capturing patient activity and replicate that in a virtual world with avatars that represent the elderly subjects in a unique pilot aimed at providing health researchers and students with insights on how to care for Canada's aging population.

 

Since June, 2011, University of Alberta researchers in collaboration with Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital have been using IBM software to study elderly clients who volunteer to stay in a model, self-contained "independent living suite" at the facility. The suite is instrumented with sensors and equipped with smart devices collecting information about their daily activities.

 

The data will be used to understand how to make better use of healthcare resources, enable remote collaboration among providers, and contribute to early intervention and long-term management of chronic diseases. Researchers will also learn how to prepare older people for independent living, and extend the length of time seniors are able to live in their homes.

 

The number of Canadian seniors will increase from 4.2 million from 2005 to 9.8 million by 2036, and seniors' share of the population is expected to almost double, increasing from 13.2 percent to 24.5 percent, according to most recent information available from Statistics Canada. The number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to rise to 88.5 million in 2050 making up 20 percent of the population, according to the US Census Bureau. The healthcare needs of this growing demographic are significant and expensive.

 

IBM WebSphere® Sensor Events software collects and processes a stream of data from sensors capturing a range of medical and physical inputs, from heart-rate and body weight to electricity consumption and the use of doors, furniture, light switches and appliances. The data stream is analyzed to assess the occupant's ability to take medication as prescribed and other aspects of independent living. The analysis results are also used to animate an avatar of the occupant that mirrors their activities in a virtual version of the apartment.

 

"We are using an avatar and the visualization to represent the people in the suite as this is far less intrusive than having a video or live monitoring system on them all the time," says Dr. Lili Liu, a professor of occupational therapy at the University of Alberta, and research affiliate at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.

This virtual-world view can be monitored in real time, and replayed recordings can be used for simulation training for health-sciences students. Ultimately, researchers hope to understand how the integration of sensor networks with virtual worlds can impact the future of at-home health monitoring and care delivery.

 

While the pilot is still ongoing, researchers have identified a need to track two new activities - use of wheel chairs or walkers, and food intake. Additionally, by monitoring subjects' use of a medication reminder device, they have determined how to improve its usability.

 

"We know data is being generated all the time, but harnessing, aggregating, analyzing and gaining insights from it have been challenges. When you view data as diverse as heart rate monitor and electrical consumption independently, out of context, it means very little. The IBM software has enabled us to put it together in a visualization and actually see a patient's ability to function independently, so clinicians can intervene when necessary and students can learn how best to care for them. It has provided visibility to the physical world in a way we've never been able to see it before," says Eleni Stroulia, NSERC/AITF Industrial Research Chair on Service Systems Management at University of Alberta.

 

The research was released today at CASCON, an annual conference showcasing Canadian research IBM's Centres for Advanced Studies undertake in partnership with academic and government research organizations.

 

The pilot comprises the first 'real-world' trial, where the concept moved out of a university simulation environment to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, and is part of the "Smart Condo(TM)" initiative, a multi-year, research collaboration with the IBM Alberta Centre for Advanced Studies, professors and students from six faculties at the University of Alberta, as well as NSERC, OLSONET, AITF, Health Sciences Education and Research Commons and the Government of Alberta.

 

"Innovation isn't just about new technologies and inventions, it is about taking what we have and getting the very most out of it," said the Honourable Greg Weadick, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. "The Smart Condo is an outstanding example of how we can use innovative technology to help Albertans be safer, healthier and more connected, best of all, right in their own homes."

 

A permanent "Smart Condo" installation is currently being completed at the Health Sciences Education and Research Commons, part of the  inside the University of Alberta's new Edmonton Clinic Health Academy.

 

For more about IBM please visit www.ibm.com/ca/en

 

Media Contacts

 

Leslie Plant                                        Eleni Stoulia

IBM                                                       University of Alberta

416.478.9840                                                     780.492.3520

laplant@ca.ibm.com                     stroulia@ualberta.ca

 

 

Deborah Boyce

Account Executive


Ketchum Public Relations Canada | 33 Bloor Street East, Suite 1607, Toronto, ON  M4W 3H1
Office 416-355-7425 |
www.ketchum.com/canada

 

Description: cid:<a href=image001.jpg@01CC0BFB.6A8C53E0" width="26" />Description: cid:<a href=image002.jpg@01CC0BFB.6A8C53E0" width="24" />

 

Ketchum

break through

 

A proud partner of Room to Read; World Change Starts with Educated Children ®

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

 

 

----------------------------
This message is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this message or the information herein by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you have received this message by mistake, please destroy it immediately and notify the sender.
----------------------------


(download)

For the First Time, IBM Brings Mainframe and Windows Together

press release

Nov. 7, 2011, 8:30 a.m. EST

For the First Time, IBM Brings Mainframe and Windows Together

Support for Windows in the IBM zEnterprise Environment Begins Dec. 16; Helps Clients Reduce Islands of Computing To Lower Complexity and Costs

ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- IBM /quotes/zigman/230066/quotes/nls/ibm IBM +0.50% today announced that technology allowing IBM zEnterprise System users to integrate Microsoft Windows applications into the mainframe environment -- an industry first -- will become available on Dec. 16.

The new capability allows clients with multi-tier applications -- for example, Windows applications connected to mainframe data -- to be integrated and consolidated on the same system. This first-ever bringing together of the mainframe and distributed computing worlds is designed to ease the cost and complexity of large corporate data centers and improve management of workloads spanning mainframe and distributed environments.

"The new heterogeneous virtual IT infrastructure will give us greater flexibility and scalability. On our existing servers, the various applications operate independently on diverse platforms, based upon the one-server-one application model. The combination of IBM System z with Intel servers in an ensemble configuration turns out to be the best solution for modernization of our IT infrastructure," said Huub Meertens, head of the Support Engineering Section at EUROCONTROL, the European air traffic management organization in the Netherlands. "Given our complex IT infrastructure with high safety and security requirements, reliability, scalability and management at a competitive price are very important. It is for these reasons that EUROCONTROL has opted for the IBM zEnterprise with zBX environment."

By bringing Windows and the mainframe together, IBM is helping clients to innovate more freely in multiple environments across z/OS, Linux, AIX and now Windows.

Specifically, the new technology provides centralized management, which offers a variety of money-saving benefits, such as faster and automated access to computing resources, reduced administration and lower training costs.

The new capability of consolidating and centralizing management of Windows applications on x86-based IBM System x servers will be available for either of the zEnterprise systems -- the z196 or z114.

Through a hybrid computing approach, that IBM has pioneered with the introduction of the zEnterprise System in July 2010, select IBM System x blades and System x applications can be installed in a zEnterprise. No changes are required for the application, and integration and management of blades and applications are handled by the zEnterprise Unified Resource Manager, via a single console. The benefit is that the application servers can be physically and logically close to the data running on the mainframe.

The hybrid capability already had been available for managing IBM Power-based workloads with operating system support for AIX and System x-based workloads with Linux as well as a business analytics solution and a multi-functional appliance for System z (IBM Websphere DataPower XI50 for zEnterprise). With these capabilities, the zEnterprise System is accelerating smarter computing for companies and governments through an innovative "system of systems" approach that allows disparate workloads spread across multiple systems to be managed as a single environment.

Today's announcement advances zEnterprise System's ability to address a vital issue for corporate data centers -- the jumble of disparate technologies added over time to run specific applications. These systems typically operate in individual silos, requiring separate staff and software tools to manage, with the additional complexity of interacting and communicating with each other in real time. This long-standing client challenge is aggravated by dramatic increases in cost and management complexity amid a rising tide of sophisticated, data-intensive workloads in an increasingly interconnected world.

Clients are demanding more efficient, easier-to-manage infrastructures so they can invest their limited resources to advance their strategic IT initiatives, such as cloud computing and business analytics.

The announcement also represents another example of the mainframe's continued vitality in a highly competitive and dynamic server marketplace. The mainframe remains a source of great value for banks, insurance companies, governments, major retailers and other IBM clients who benefit from its high levels of security and reliability. Backed by $1.5 billion in research and development and years of direct client input, IBM's zEnterprise demonstrates the company's ongoing mission to innovate and address key challenges.

IBM has continued to see mainframe momentum since shipping its new System zEnterprise 196 last July, with new clients and system upgrades worldwide. Since July 2010, IBM has added more than 80 new mainframe clients worldwide, with more than 30 percent of these in growth markets. Yi Lian Zhong Information Technology (YLZ), a leading provider of information services in China, recently announced its selection of System z to build a cloud computing platform that will improve the life of more than 300 million citizens in China via an online portal for a variety of social services.

"The IBM DB2 for z/OS is a secure and highly available repository for the bank's data. High-performance specialty processors have significantly improved query response times as compared to our previous solution. The new zEnterprise hybrid technology is highly scalable and flexible which means that our users are now able to access the information they need more quickly," added Ales Levstek, chief information officer of NLB (Nova Ljubljanska Bank), a large bank in Slovenia.

IBM's System z support for Windows means that clients can:

Gain more choice in choosing the best platform for a particular application from ERP to business analytics to transaction processing.

Allow front-end Windows applications to integrate with applications or data on the mainframe

Consolidate more workloads onto the mainframe as part of their efforts to maximize technology investments. The financial impact of consolidation onto System z can be substantial, with savings of up to 70 percent in total cost of ownership compared to distributed platforms. [1]

With today's announcement, clients can now run z/OS and Linux on System z along with IBM AIX, x86 Linux and Microsoft Windows on the zEnterprise System. These options now offer a more integrated multi-platform system that combines the best of IBM's server technology.

For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com/systems/z

Footnote:

[1] According to IBM's internal studies and based on IBM's internal Enterprise Computing Model in the company's own transformation to consolidate thousands of servers onto several mainframes

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Media Contact:Mylissa Tsai IBM Media Relations Phone: 1-917-472-3680 Email: tsaim@us.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

Gartner Says 30 Percent of Midsize Companies Will Use Recovery-as-a-Service by 2014

Gartner Says 30 Percent of Midsize Companies Will Use Recovery-as-a-Service by 2014

Analysts to Dispel the Hype and Examine the Reality of RaaS at Gartner Data Center & Operations Summit, November 28-29 in London, and at the Gartner Data Center Conference, December 5-8 in Las Vegas

Egham, UK, November 7, 2011—  

By 2014, 30 percent of midsize companies will have adopted recovery-in-the-cloud, also known as recovery-as-a-service (RaaS), to support IT operations recovery, up from just over 1 percent today, according to Gartner, Inc.

RaaS describes the managed replication of virtual machines (VMs) and production data in a service-provider's cloud, together with the means to activate the VMs to support either recovery testing or actual recovery operations. The location of the data center equipment, the party housing the provider's cloud equipment, and the price vary by provider. 

Gartner sees the RaaS market being driven by midsize companies (with annual revenues between $150 million and $1 billion). Larger companies (with annual revenues or operating budgets of $1 billion or more) are more likely to have established recovery management facilities, infrastructures and support teams that are too complex to move fully to the cloud. Smaller businesses are less likely to have a formal strategy for managing disaster recovery.

"RaaS has been hailed as a 'killer' cloud app for disaster recovery, but the reality is that there has been much hype and some truth," said John Morency, research vice president at Gartner. "Certainly, it addresses well-recognised 'pain points' in IT disaster recovery management, including the need for frequent recovery-readiness testing and the cost of dedicated recovery floor space and facilities."

Gartner has identified four principal pain points that RaaS addresses:

1. Recovery testing/exercising costs — The costs of traditional recovery testing and exercising often constitute a significant portion of the annual disaster-recovery budget (sometimes as much as $100,000 or more per exercise). RaaS can reduce or even eliminate these costs.

2. Change skew — Consistency between the current state of the production data center infrastructure, applications and data, and their state at the time of the last recovery test erodes daily as a direct side effect of changes applied to support new business requirements. Although more frequent testing can reduce the scope of this problem, it cannot eliminate it.  However, because VM replication facilitates change synchronisation between production and recovery data centre-based VMs, VM-specific change skew becomes much more manageable.

3. Recovery configuration startup — Many web applications and services often have complex meshed relationships and dependencies on other applications and data. It's therefore essential to understand completely cross-application and data dependency relationships. RaaS can help reduce the complexity through the replication and recovery of application-specific and interdependent groups of VMs.

4. Testing scope — Determining what testing should take place is challenging and may require difficult trade-offs as there is never enough money to test everything frequently enough. Some businesses test only the most critical applications, skipping other systems to perform the critical tests more frequently; some lengthen the time between teststo afford bigger tests; some rotate testing among different groups of applications; and others look at where the failures occurred in prior tests and schedule the most fragile systems for the next recovery test. Ultimately, the strategy for testing should maximize the likelihood that critical workloads will be recovered on time during a real disaster. This requires judgment about what tests target the most likely errors and failure modes. Organisations are more likely to use RaaS to support more critical applications, especially those requiring short recovery times.

Among the midsize companies using RaaS at present, two camps are forming. The first is using server virtualization recovery features and SAN-based replication to deploy in-house disaster recovery solutions for some applications. The second is implementing initial pilots for the use of cloud services as an alternative to more traditional disaster recovery resources.

"For organisations that have not yet trialled RaaS, Gartner recommends commencing cloud infrastructure due diligence, especially for systems that already reside primarily outside their data centre," said Mr. Morency. "They should then qualify system image replication and failover support and probe how the provider can support application connectivity during recovery testing. They also need to check provider operations controls for potential regulatory compliance exposure and pilot a bounded implementation of the target configuration. This will clarify the potential service benefits as well as the level of management support that the in-house IT team will still need to provide."

Gartner analysts will explore RaaS further at the Gartner Data Center & IT Operations Summit, November 28-29 in London. the 30th Annual Gartner Data Center Conference, December 5-8 in Las Vegas. These events deliver a wealth of strategic guidance and tactical recommendations on the hottest issues, including next-stage virtualization, the impact of cloud computing, mobility, servers, storage, facilities, business continuity and disaster recovery.

Members of the media wishing to register for the Gartner Data Center & IT Operations Summit in London can register by contacting Holly Stevens, Gartner PR at holly.stevens@gartner.com. For further information on the Summit, please visit www.europe.gartner.com/datacenter

.More information on the Data Center Conference in Las Vegas is available at www.gartner.com/us/datacenter. Members of the media can register for both eventsby contacting Christy Pettey at christy.pettey@gartner.com.

Additional information from the events will be shared on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Gartner_inc and using #GartnerDC.

 

Contacts:

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

Holly Stevens
Gartner
+44 0 1784 267412
holly.stevens@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.

Ontario, Canada Partners with ViXS on Cutting-edge Mobile Technology

07.11.2011






Ontario, Canada Partners with ViXS on Cutting-edge Mobile Technology

Ontario, Canada is helping ViXS Systems Inc., a GTA-based semiconductor solutions provider, develop an energy-efficient network media processor that will help power multimedia platforms such as digital televisions, video recorders, set-top boxes and other products. Once enabled, these devices will stream content to multiple mobile devices, including iPads, tablets and smart phones. This innovative project will attract and retain world-class talent, commercialize cutting-edge R&D, and promote Ontario as a global Information Communications Technology (ICT) leader.

ViXS is investing $82.8-million in the project, including $10-million in Ontario government funding. The initiative will create 107 new, highly-skilled jobs at ViXS, on top of 54 existing positions. These new jobs will build upon the 97,700 net new jobs that have already been created in Ontario so far this year alone.

QUOTES

"In 2009, Ontario's ICT sector contributed an impressive $26.7 billion to Ontario's GDP. With this partnership, ViXS is one step closer to providing unparalleled access to streamed media content to enhance the video entertainment experience, and secure Ontario's rightful place as a global ICT leader," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation.

"With support from the Ontario government, we're positioning ViXS as an ahead-of-the-curve leader in digital media delivery. Through this investment, we can increase our world-class employee base, expand our global presence and support the GTA's ever-growing ICT cluster development," said Sally Daub, CEO of ViXS Systems, Inc.

QUICK FACTS

  • ViXS recently ranked 29th in PROFIT magazine's 23rd annual ranking of Canada's 200 fastest-growing companies.
  • This is the second partnership with ViXS; the first project is ahead of schedule and has already created jobs.
  • Ontario is first in North America when it comes to converting foreign investment into jobs with 11,210 new jobs from foreign direct investment projects.
  • In 2010, for the second time in a row, The Financial Times of London ranked Ontario second only to California in North America as a recipient of foreign direct investment.
  • Since October 2003, Ontario has created 524,100 net new jobs.
  • So far, Ontario has created 97,700 net new jobs in 2011.
  • As a result of the tax changes implemented in Ontario, taxes on business investment were cut in half, making Ontario more competitive and encouraging business growth.

LEARN MORE

  • Find out more about Ontario's Information and Communications Technology sector.
  • Review Ontario programs supporting business.

Ericsson predicts Mobile Data Traffic to grow 10-fold by 2016

Ericsson predicts Mobile Data Traffic to grow 10-fold by 2016

Nov 7, 2011 Categories: Press Releases Download:
  • New report from Ericsson says mobile data traffic will grow 10-fold between 2011 and 2016, mainly driven by video
  • Mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 60 percent in one year and are expected to grow from 900 million in 2011 to almost 5 billion in 2016
  • By 2016, users living on less than 1 percent of the Earth's total land area are set to generate around 60 percent of mobile traffic

In its new Traffic and Market Data report, which provides insights into current trends, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) forecasts a 10-fold increase in mobile data traffic by 2016. The report is based on measurements the company recorded over several years in live networks covering all regions of the world.

Johan Wibergh, Head of Ericsson Business Unit Networks, says: "Ericsson performs a broad range of measurements in order to monitor the pulse of the Networked Society - measurements that we use to efficiently design our products and plan networks. This report offers snapshots that, together, show how a growing number of people and businesses benefit from mobility, broadband and the cloud."

According to the report, mobile broadband subscriptions will reach almost 5 billion in 2016, up from the expected 900 million by the end of 2011.That would represent 60 percent year-on-year growth, at the same time as the data consumed by smartphone users is surging. Total smartphone traffic is expected to triple during 2011.

Across all devices, internet access will continue to drive mobile traffic development and mobile data traffic is expected to grow by nearly 60 percent per year between 2011 and 2016, mainly driven by video.

Other highlights from the report:

By 2016 more than 30 percent of the world's population will live in metropolitan and urban areas with a density of more than 1,000 people per square kilometer. These areas represent less than 1 percent of the Earth's total land area, yet they are set to generate around 60 percent of total mobile traffic.

Mobile broadband, new smartphone launches and applications uptake will continue to drive data consumption. At the same time, there is strong momentum for smartphone uptake in all regions. Ericsson expects traffic generated by advanced smartphones to increase 12-fold to roughly equal mobile PC-generated traffic by 2016.

Ericsson's presence in more than 180 countries, where it supports more than 1,000 networks, enables it to measure mobile voice and data volumes. The result is a representative base for calculating world total mobile traffic in 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.

Notes to editors:

Photos and bio of Johan Wibergh: http://goo.gl/N1YGa

Our multimedia content is available at the broadcast room: www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 180 countries, more than 90,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 203.3 billion (USD 28.2 billion) in 2010. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

www.ericsson.com
www.twitter.com/ericssonpress
www.facebook.com/technologyforgood
www.youtube.com/ericssonpress

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Ericsson Corporate Public & Media Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 69 92
E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com

Ericsson Investor Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 00 00
E-mail: investor.relations@ericsson.com

DragonWave plans to acquire Nokia Siemens Networks microwave transport business

 

Press Release

Espoo, Finland / Ottawa, Canada – November 4, 2011

 

 

DragonWave plans to acquire Nokia Siemens Networks microwave transport business

Companies also plan strategic technology and supply relationship

 

DragonWave, Inc. (TSX: DWI; NASDAQ: DRWI) plans to acquire Nokia Siemens Networks’ microwave transport business, including its associated operational support systems (OSS) and related support functions (the “business”). Under the terms of the “Master Acquisition Agreement” signed today, as well as acquiring the business, DragonWave would also become the preferred, strategic supplier to Nokia Siemens Networks of packet microwave and related products, and the companies would jointly coordinate technology development activities. The planned transaction is subject to any applicable regulatory, exchange and third party approvals, a consultation process with trade union representatives, and other customary terms and conditions.

 

Nokia Siemens Networks and DragonWave believe the proposed acquisition and supply agreements would accelerate innovation in backhaul products, supporting world class microwave solutions for mobile operators. The companies aim to complete the planned acquisition and supply agreements in the first quarter 2012 (the “closing date”).

 

Following the proposed acquisition, Nokia Siemens Networks would retain responsibility for its existing solution sales and associated services for microwave transport, while DragonWave would be responsible for the product line, including R&D, product management and operations functions.

 

“Through this strategic relationship, customers would continue to receive high-quality services and sales support from Nokia Siemens Networks, while DragonWave’s best of breed products would ensure they have access to industry leading technology,” said Marc Rouanne, head of Network Systems, Nokia Siemens Networks. “Our intention is to capitalize on DragonWave’s proven capabilities for innovative product development and focus on our end-to-end solutions.”

 

"DragonWave is very proud to partner with Nokia Siemens Networks. We hope to welcome new employees as a valuable addition to the DragonWave team,” said Peter Allen, president & chief executive officer of DragonWave. “This relationship is transformational, giving us the ability to serve customers who want to access an integrated solution. In addition, it provides DragonWave an expanded technology base to address those customers who wish to purchase stand-alone best-in-breed products. Our increased scale, diversity and customer footprint, coupled with significantly enhanced resources and capabilities, will provide a solid foundation for faster innovation and broader market penetration.”

 

The consideration paid by DragonWave on closing will include approximately 10 million euros in cash subject to customary purchase price adjustments and 5 million euros worth of DragonWave common shares which will be subject to a lock-up agreement restricting sale or disposition of the shares (subject to customary exceptions) for 24 months. DragonWave will also assume employee liabilities of approximately 10 million euros and will enter into a capital asset lease arrangement for approximately 5 million euros. The terms of the Master Acquisition Agreement also provides for sales performance based earn-out payments to be made following closing. The hardware and basic software earn-out period runs for 18 months following closing and the earn-out period on application software upgrades runs for four years following closing. The earn-out payments could raise the value of the transaction by approximately 80 million euros.

 

DragonWave expects to finance the transaction through a combination of cash on its balance sheet and increased debt facilities provided by Comerica Bank and Export Development Canada. Such debt facilities are subject to conditions and will be entered into on, and subject to, closing of the acquisition.

 

The planned deal would substantially broaden and strengthen DragonWave’s product presence in major mobile operators throughout the world through Nokia Siemens Networks’ extensive global sales channel.

 

As part of the proposed acquisition, the companies expect approximately 360 Nokia Siemens Networks employees, mainly based in Milan, Italy and Shanghai, China, to transfer to DragonWave. The companies will shortly enter into consultation regarding the proposed acquisition with employees and employee representatives in accordance with applicable law provisions and relevant timelines.

 

Both Nokia Siemens Networks and DragonWave believe the planned acquisition would provide transferring employees with attractive new opportunities in a solid, technologically advanced company, with its focus on their core areas of expertise.

 

This planned deal is a “significant acquisition” for DragonWave under applicable securities laws and, accordingly, DragonWave will file a Business Acquisition Report within 75 days of closing. Canaccord Genuity Corp. acted as exclusive financial advisor to DragonWave.

 

 

Conference Call and Webcast

DragonWave will host a conference call and webcast beginning at 08:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Friday, November 4, 2011.

 

Toll-free North America Dial-in: 866 393 0571

International Dial-in: +1 760 536 8545

 

The live webcast will be available: http://investor.dragonwaveinc.com/events.cfm.

 

An archive of the webcast will be available at the same link.

 

 

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

 

Talk about Nokia Siemens Networks’ news at http://blogs.nokiasiemensnetworks.com and find out if your country is exploiting the full potential of connectivity at www.connectivityscorecard.org

 

About DragonWave

DragonWave® is a leading provider of high-capacity packet microwave solutions that drive next-generation IP networks. DragonWave’s carrier-grade point-to-point packet microwave systems transmit broadband voice, video and data, enabling service providers, government agencies, enterprises and other organizations to meet their increasing bandwidth requirements rapidly and affordably. The principal application of DragonWave’s products is wireless network backhaul. Additional solutions include leased line replacement, last mile fiber extension and enterprise networks. DragonWave’s corporate headquarters is located in Ottawa, Ontario, with sales locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. For more information, visit http://www.dragonwaveinc.com.

 

DragonWave® and Horizon® are registered trademarks of DragonWave Inc.

 

 

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements as to the plans and terms of the transaction between Nokia Siemens Networks and DragonWave (referred to below as the “transaction”); DragonWave’s growth opportunities as a result of the proposed transaction; the potential benefits of such transaction to either Nokia Siemens Networks and DragonWave (referred to below as the “parties”) and expectations regarding the future business relationship between the parties. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, including the parties' beliefs regarding the industry and markets in which the parties operate; successful completion of the proposed transaction; expectations regarding potential synergies and prospects for the business if the transaction is closed and statements preceded by “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “foresee,” “target,” “estimate,” “designed,” “plans,” “will” or similar expressions. The proposed transaction is subject to risks, including: the risks that the parties will not proceed with the transaction for any reason; that the ultimate terms of the transaction will differ from those that are currently contemplated; that if the transaction is completed, that expected synergies will not materialize, that unexpected costs will be incurred to integrate the business, or that end-customer demand will not meet expectations. In particular, the completion of the proposed transaction is subject to a number of terms and conditions, including, without limitation regulatory approvals and no occurrence of a material adverse effect. These approvals may not be obtained and/or the other conditions to the transaction may not be satisfied, in which case the proposed transaction could be modified, restructured or terminated. Other risks relating to Nokia Corporation including Nokia Siemens Networks are specified on pages 12-39 of Nokia’s annual report Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2010 under item 3D “Risk Factors”. Other risks relating to DragonWave's business and industry, and risks associated with acquisitions generally, can be found in the public documents filed by DragonWave with U.S. and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The risks referred to above, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary materially. The parties assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law.

 

 

Media Contacts

 

Nokia Siemens Networks

Johanna Harjula

Media Relations

 

Press Office

 

DragonWave Inc.

Nadine Kittle

Marketing Communications

 

Investor Relations

John Lawlor

VP Investor Relations

 

Interprose Public Relations (for DragonWave)

Becky Obbema

 

 

 

 

SecureKey Technologies Inc. to power the Government of Canada's new online authentication service

 

SecureKey Technologies Inc. to power the Government of Canada’s new online authentication service

                                                          

Use of bank-issued credentials from TD Bank Group, Scotiabank and BMO Financial Group will enable secure, convenient access to online government services

Toronto, Canada, November 7, 2011 - Toronto based SecureKey Technologies Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Government of Canada to provide an innovative Credential Broker Service (CBS) that will allow Canadians to use their bank authentication credentials to obtain access to online government services. To ensure privacy protection, users of the CBS will authenticate through their bank but neither their login credentials nor the identity of their bank will be shared with the Government of Canada.  Similarly, no information about the government service being accessed by the user will be shared with the user’s bank.

The new service is part of the Government of Canada’s Cyber Authentication Renewal initiative and leverages SecureKey’s authentication solutions, which enable banks, credit card issuers, governments and healthcare providers to extend the security capabilities of chip-based payment and identity cards to their mobile and online offerings.

“We are thrilled to have been selected, through a competitive process, by the Government of Canada to provide this unique service”, said SecureKey Technologies Inc, CEO Greg Wolfond, “This partnership between government and industry lays the foundation for an ecosystem that will offer increased choice and ease of use for consumers and businesses accessing secure online services.”

Management of security credentials is a constant challenge for online government services which are used periodically, as website-specific user ID’s and passwords are often forgotten. SecureKey’s new authentication service will allow consumers to access government services using their online banking login credentials or, if offered by their bank, by tapping their bank-issued chip card on one of SecureKey’s easy-to-use USB card readers or, in future, on a SecureKey-enabled laptop or mobile device. 

To provide consumer choice and broad national coverage for the launch of the service, three of Canada’s largest banks, BMO Financial Group, TD Bank Group and Scotiabank have been selected as the inaugural credential providers. These banks offer unparalleled authentication capabilities that will make customer access to online government services much easier.

“We are pleased to be able to offer our customers safe, secure and convenient online access to government programs and services,” said Mike Henry, Scotiabank’s Senior Vice-President and Head of Canadian Retail Payments, Deposits and Lending. “So many websites require login information, making it easy to forget a few every now and then. With this service, our customers won’t have to worry about remembering another user ID and password because they will be able to easily access government services online using what they already use with us.  This will give them the peace of mind that their personal information is securely protected.”

“BMO sees this as a natural extension of services we offer to our customers. Our participation gives customers a secure, simple, and trusted verification process for accessing government sites and also levers the investments we have already made in chip and contactless technology to create a safe & sound environment for banking and payments,“ said Mike Kitchen, SVP, P&C Products, BMO Bank of Montreal.

“SecureKey’s credential service will offer our customers a powerful combination of security and convenience when accessing their government accounts online,” said Paal Kaperdal, SVP, Online Banking, TD Bank Group. “This is an innovative approach by both government and industry to improve an essential service for Canadians, and another way that TD can fulfill our promise of delivering a more comfortable banking experience to our customers.”

The CBS will go live in 2012 and will be made available to all Government of Canada Departments and Agencies.

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.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO) is a highly diversified financial services organization. With total assets of CDN$477 billion as at July 31,  2011, and more than 47,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 70,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $567 billion (as at July 31, 2011), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group (TD). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves more than 20 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in key financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust, TD Insurance and TD Auto Finance Canada; Wealth Management, including TD Waterhouse and an investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank and TD Auto Finance U.S.; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 7 million online customers. TD had CDN$665 billion in assets on July 31, 2011. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

 

For further information:

Andre Boysen, EVP, Digital Identity & Authentication Services

SecureKey Technologies Inc.

647-287-2544

andre.boysen@securekey.com

 

Laura Mergelas, Corporate and Public Affairs

TD Bank Group

416-983-1514

laura.mergelas@td.com

 

Ralph Marranca, Director, Corporate Media Relations and Issues Management

BMO Financial Group

416-867-4995

ralph.marranca@bmo.com

 

Patty Stathokostas, Media Communications

Scotiabank

416-866-3625 
patty_stathokostas@scotiacapital.com

 

Media Relations
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

613-957-2640
media@tbs-sct.gc.ca

 

 

 


 

 

http://www.hillandknowlton.com/common/file.php/pg/localhost72/hillandknowlton.com/binaries/299/hksig_logo.gif

 

Natalie Tutunzis

 

Assistant Consultant

 

Hill & Knowlton

 

 

Direct Line: (416) 413-4616

 

 

Mobile/Cell: (416) 509-0541

 

 

Fax: (416) 413-1550

 

 

natalie.tutunzis@hillandknowlton.ca

 

 

 

 

 

160 Bloor Street East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3P7 Canada

 

http://www.hillandknowlton.ca

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.hillandknowlton.com/common/file.php/pg/localhost72/hillandknowlton.com/binaries/300/canada_top100.gif

 



Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer does not consent to email or messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of Hill & Knowlton Canada shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.

(download)

Symantec's New Vulnerability Assessment Finds Critical Vulnerabilities on More Than Half of Scanned Sites

Symantec’s New Vulnerability Assessment Finds Critical Vulnerabilities

on More Than Half of Scanned Sites

 

TORONTO, ON. – Nov. 7, 2011 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced free vulnerability assessments for Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (EV SSL), Premium and Secure Site Pro certificate customers.  The new Symantec service enables quick identification and remediation of the most exploitable weaknesses on public-facing Web pages, Web-based applications, server software and network ports.  With this new offering, Symantec goes beyond SSL to help instill confidence in websites, protect valuable brands, and safeguard customers’ sensitive information.

 

Click to Tweet: Symantec's new free vulnerability scan discovers critical vulnerabilities in more than 50% of websites scanned: http://bit.ly/s9hMMc

 

In less than three weeks since the October launch of Symantec’s new vulnerability assessments, the company has scanned nearly 2000 web sites for critical vulnerabilities that could allow malicious hackers to insert malware or to directly access confidential customer data. Of these sites, more than half had critical vulnerabilities which customers were able to quickly remediate.  Symantec identified hundreds of exposures, largely due to outdated software, and has already helped over half of the impacted customers to completely eliminate all identified vulnerabilities.

Over the past year, Symantec has extended its offerings beyond traditional SSL to better protect customer websites. The latest example is the free vulnerability assessments service to help customers reduce the cost and complexity of vulnerability management with automated scans, actionable reports, and a cloud-based architecture that requires no software installation or maintenance.  In combination with the daily malware scan launched last year, Symantec now provides customers with end-to-end website protection. 

Customer feedback from the vulnerability assessment pilot conducted in August 2011 reinforces the value and ease of use of the service.1   “I cannot fix what I do not know is broken,” said a manufacturer participating in the pilot.  “It is very difficult to ensure web hosting security without a clear report defining its vulnerabilities. Vulnerability assessments from Symantec are an easy and cost effective method to alert my company of any potential hazards as they relate to security intrusion.”

 

Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly refining their attacks and targets; our customers are asking us for agile tools to stay ahead of them,” said Fran Rosch, Vice President Identity and Authentication Services, Symantec.  “Steps such as offering free vulnerability assessments with EV SSL, Premium and Secure Site Pro certificates show our commitment to protecting customers and the online community as a whole.


Inspiring and preserving customer confidence is central to Symantec’s business philosophy and drives its market leadership. The October 2011 Netcraft SSL Survey found that Symantec continues to be the market leader among all SSL Certificate Authorities worldwide, with more than 40 percent share of all installed SSL certificates.  Symantec also remains the top issuer of EV SSL Certificates, signing more than 67 percent of these certificates worldwide.

 

Availability

 

Symantec vulnerability assessments are available now to all EV SSL, Premium and Secure Site Pro Certificate customers. For more information, please visit:  http://www.verisign.com/ssl/ssl-information-center/vulnerability-assessment-faq.  

 

Additional Resources

 

Connect with Symantec

·         Follow Symantec on Twitter

·         Join Symantec on Facebook

·         Subscribe to Symantec News RSS Feed

·         Visit Symantec’s SlideShare Channel

·         Visit Symantec Connect Business Community


About Symantec

Symantec’s Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver.  For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, access Symantec’s Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA).


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.