: EMC Supports National Cyber Security Awareness Month with Global Outreach Campaign


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EMC Supports National Cyber Security Awareness Month with Global
Outreach Campaign

EMC Employee Volunteers to Teach Safe and Responsible Internet Use to
Thousands of Children in 17 Countries; Will Offer Free Cyber Security
Training Tools to Help SMBs

News Highlights:

* EMC supports National Cyber Security Awareness Month
(http://www.staysafeonline.org/ncsam) for sixth consecutive year with
educational events and activities to help promote safe use of the Web at
work, home and school
* Hundreds of EMC employee volunteers in 17 countries teach thousands
of school-age children about safe and responsible Internet use
* RSA, The Security Division of EMC has partnered with Radio Disney
(http://radio.disney.go.com/index.html) to deliver action-packed
educational sessions on cyber security awareness and digital
responsibility
* RSA Executive Chairman Art Coviello testifies on Capitol Hill Oct. 4
before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee
* EMC will offer free training kits for small and medium businesses to
help them defend against employee-targeted cybercrime
* EMC reaches out to its more than 50,000 employees worldwide to
reinforce ongoing cyber security training programs with live events and
testing, including an internal spear-phishing campaign

HOPKINTON, MA – October 4, 2011 – EMC (NYSE: EMC) today announced
the launch of its annual campaign to support National Cyber Security
Awareness Month, kicking off employee and corporate involvement in
dozens of national and international activities and events designed to
educate students, businesses, and EMC’s own employees on cyber
security awareness and digital responsibility.

Taking place every October since 2003, National Cyber Security
Awareness Month is a coordinated effort of the National Cyber Security
Alliance (http://www.staysafeonline.org/) (NCSA), the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), and The Multi-State Information Sharing and
Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and myriad companies, educational
institutions, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the
nation focused on improving online safety and security awareness and
education for citizens and businesses. In 2010 the NCSA, working in
partnership with private industry, reached an estimated 100 million
people to promote online safety during the month of October.

In October 2011, EMC and its RSA Security Division will again
contribute to National Cyber Security Awareness Month through the launch
of a month of volunteerism and outreach to schools and the small
business community. Employee volunteers will work with schools, youth
groups and small business associations throughout the U.S. and abroad to
help educate the public about key online safety and digital
responsibility issues including:

* Phishing and spear-phishing
* Malware
* Employee-targeted cybercrime
* Cyber bullying
* Social network safety
* Mobile device safety

Following is a partial list of activities and events EMC will sponsor
and/or participate in during National Cyber Security Awareness Month:

* Hundreds of EMC employee volunteers in 17 countries and 21 states
will dedicate a half day of volunteer service in October to teach
school-age children safe and responsible internet use via the Cyber
Security Awareness Volunteer Education project (C-SAVE
(http://www.staysafeonline.org/in-the-classroom/c-save)).
* The RSA Security Division has partnered with Radio Disney to deliver
action-packed educational sessions on cyber security awareness and
digital responsibility at 20 middle schools in Massachusetts, Rhode
Island and Connecticut.
* RSA Executive Chairman Art Coviello will testify on Capitol Hill Oct.
4 before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee to urge lawmakers to
consider policy changes designed to aid in the protection of U.S.
critical infrastructure and other business interests.
* EMC and NCSA will hold an Oct. 4 reception in Washington, DC with

industry, government and lawmakers to celebrate National Cyber Security
Awareness Month.
* EMC will offer free employee cyber security training kits designed
exclusively for small and medium businesses to help them stand a better
chance defending against employee-targeted cybercrime, which is
currently on the rise.
* EMC is leveraging National Cyber Security Awareness Month to elevate
the internal visibility of its long-running secure practices
initiatives. For example, EMC’s Product Security Office is engaging
10,000 EMC product engineers to promote the practices the company uses
to standardize secure product development across all of EMC’s hardware
and software engineering teams and worldwide EMC Centers of
Excellence.As with prior years, EMC’s Global Security Office is
reaching out to all 50,000 EMC employees worldwide with internal
communications, live events and awareness activities to administer
advanced cyber security training and testing, including an internal
phishing campaign on EMC employees.
* EMC is a Silver Sponsor of the October 7 Michigan Cyber Summit
(http://www.michigan.gov/cybersummit) in Ypsilanti, MI with Governor
Rick Snyder, leaders from DHS and others.
* EMC is a Gold Sponsor of the Maryland Cyber Challenge
(http://www.mdc3.org/index.html) and Conference being held Oct. 20-21 in
Baltimore, a non-profit event bringing together Maryland's best minds to
advance the critical field of cyber security across the public, private
and academic sectors.
* EMC will promote cyber security awareness via local and international
print, broadcast and social media campaigns.

Supporting Quotes

Tom Heiser, President, RSA, The Security Division of EMC

* “EMC plays a major role in the global economy in which more than
two-thirds of all business is done online. We not only provide the
infrastructure to organizations doing business globally, we also share a
responsibility in helping to make it safer for everyone – especially
children – to connect, learn and have fun without fear of being a
victim of cybercrime. EMC is a proud supporter of National Cyber
Security Awareness Month, and we encourage our partners and customers to
join us to take part in this vital public awareness campaign alongside
NCSA and its active members.”

Dave Martin, Chief Security Officer, EMC Global Security Office

* “The cyber threat landscape evolves so rapidly that even the most
security-conscious organizations must be continually trained and
educated about the myriad attacks which target organizations and their
employees every day. We have a responsibility as security professionals
to not only keep our own employees updated, trained and tested on the
latest cyber threats, but to also help educate children and consumers
and aid in developing a more security-savvy workforce.”

Michael Kaiser, Executive Director, National Cyber Security Alliance

* “National Cyber Security Awareness Month continues to grow stronger
every year in our effort to raise awareness for a very simple but
powerful message: It’s our shared responsibility to protect the
Internet and our digital assets. The wide array of participation –
from industry, federal, state and local government and nonprofit
organizations – speaks volumes about the commitment from various
communities in making the Internet more safe and secure.”

John Havermann, President, NCSA Board of Directors and EMC Federal
Office Senior Account Manager

* “With cyber attacks on the increase, it’s important that Internet
users better understand how to protect their sensitive information
online, whether they are at work or at home. We are pleased that the
nationwide effort to increase cyber security education and awareness
continues to gain momentum, particularly as advanced cyber threats
become more commonplace and users’ traditional information security
defenses are challenged.”

EMC and NCSA encourage all audiences – teachers, employers, families,
consumers, and more – to visit the Nation
al Cyber Security Awareness
Month Web portal to get more information about how to get involved,
events, and additional resources to help organizations and individuals
participate in the public awareness and education campaign. Please
visit: www.staysafeonline.org.

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.


: Cisco and EllisDon Team to Make PwC Tower One of Canada's Most Advanced IP Networked Commercial Buildings


Cisco and EllisDon Team to Make PwC Tower One of Canada's Most Advanced IP Networked Commercial Buildings

PwC Tower transforms tenant experience and sets new building development standards through connectivity, building system and facilities management with Cisco Smart+Connected Real Estate

TORONTO, Oct. 4, 2011 /CNW/ - Cisco and EllisDon today announced completion of PwC Tower's technology infrastructure, based on Cisco® Smart+Connected Real Estate solutions. Located at 18 York Street, in Toronto's Southcore Financial Centre, PwC Tower is one of Canada's most advanced commercial developments.

Developed by GWL Realty Advisors on behalf of owner British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC), the new tower comprises 650,000 square-feet on 26 floors and opened its doors on September 06, 2011. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) is the primary tenant, occupying 16 floors. Utilizing Cisco Smart+Connected Real Estate solutions, PwC Tower is one of the first commercial buildings in Canada with an end-to-end building information network. All building systems communicate over the Cisco IP network and are managed by a central management system, which acts as the central nervous system of the building, optimizing building performance, reducing building energy footprint and providing services and features that enhance the occupant experience.

Project Highlights:

  • Working closely with the developer, GWL Realty Advisors, and tenant, PwC, EllisDon Information and Communication Technology Services and Cisco assembled a team of focused professionals to design a future-ready building based on Cisco Smart+Connected Real Estate solutions. The collaboration was also aimed at providing the advanced technology features and functionality to drive the asset value of PwC's existing technology investment in Cisco Unified Communications and wired and wireless networking solutions.
  • The building is connected via a single, intelligent Cisco infrastructure, providing multiple services across one IP network—delivering data, voice and video, and connecting all building systems and controls, as well as  third-party applications for lighting, security, blinds and audio visual
  • A central management system provides access to third-party applications for fault detection of all building systems, including heating, ventilation and cooling, performing continuous analysis, and predicting building performance. The data collected can also be used for preventive maintenance analytics.
  • Utilizing a third-party application on their Cisco IP Phones, PwC employees will be able to control lighting to personalize offices, conference rooms and quiet areas. No longer just a dial tone, but a room controller, the Cisco IP Phone replaces light switches as well as offering voice, video and data over the converged network.
  • By removing traditional siloed approaches to building design, data from previously disparate building systems can now be collected over one IP network, helping owners, landlords and tenants monitor and improve the performance of buildings.
  • In 2009, EllisDon and Cisco began a strategic collaboration designed to accelerate the development of a next-generation, connected building strategy to bring the power of network convergence to building construction. PwC Tower represents the first completed commercial building collaboration between Cisco and EllisDon.

Supporting Quotes:

Mary McGrath, project leader, PwC Tower, PwC

"From the outset of this project we've looked for ways to work with GWL Realty Advisors and EllisDon ICT to create the most value at PwC Tower. The result has been a unique space that is very efficient and provides our people with ways to work more closely with our clients and collaborate with our coworkers. The flexibility that PwC Tower's IP infrastructure offers will enable us to adapt quickly and more cost effectively to manage growth and change at our firm."

Stephen Foster, director of ICT services, EllisDon Corp.

"The construction and real estate industry is in transformation and the IP network is playing a critical role in building and managing buildings. A one network approach, like we've developed at PwC Tower enables better facilities management, overall better experiences for landlords and tenants, and drives asset value. We are proud to be driving that change as we incorporate IP network solutions in all our future-ready buildings."

Rick Huijbregts, vice president, Smart +Connected Communities, Cisco Canada

"PwC Tower clearly demonstrates that building objectives such as sustainability, energy management, increasing operational efficiencies or innovation in the workplace, all start with using the network as a platform to transform the built environment. Our partnership with EllisDon and PwC has resulted in a building which truly embraces these elements and is focused on delivering next-generation building services."

Anil Menon, president, Globalisation and Smart+Connected Communities, Cisco

"PwC Tower in Toronto is a strong global example of how transformational relationships, like ours with EllisDon, and an eco-system of partners can create a truly Smart+Connected building. At PwC Tower, Cisco and EllisDon have brought together a group of innovative third-party applications, integrated on a central IP network, that allow developers and tenants to have better control and management of their environment than ever before."

Tags, Keywords:

Cisco, EllisDon, GWL Realty Advisors, Smart+Connected Communities, Smart + Connected Real Estate, Green, sustainability, smart building, intelligent building, Southcore Financial Centre, PwC Tower, bcIMC

Supporting Resources:

About EllisDon

EllisDon is an employee-owned company delivering construction expertise and services to clients throughout the world. Completing in excess of $2 billion in new construction annually, EllisDon employs approximately 1,000 people and has a presence in North America, as well as offices in the West Indies and the United Arab Emirates. Incorporated in 1951, EllisDon has distinguished itself through its people and its innovative practices. Offering not only construction and project management but now a growing range of construction consulting services in risk management and technology, EllisDon is behind some of the most exciting and innovative projects in the world. For more information, please visit www.ellisdon.com.

About Cisco

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to News@Cisco and News@Cisco Canada.

For further information:

Karin Scott
Cisco Canada
416-306-7164
kariscot@cisco.com

Dustin Luchka
EllisDon Corporation
905-896-8900 ext. 273
dluchka@ellisdon.com

Robert Merk PwC
416-687-8132
robert.e.merk@ca.pwc.com


IBM to Acquire Q1 Labs to Drive Greater Security Intelligence

Press Release

IBM to Acquire Q1 Labs to Drive Greater Security Intelligence

IBM Creates New Security Division with World’s Most Comprehensive Portfolio; Q1 Labs’ Analytics to Advance IBM’s Security Products and Services Offering



ARMONK, N.Y. - 04 Oct 2011:  IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Q1 Labs, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based provider of security intelligence software. The move aims to accelerate IBM’s efforts to help clients more intelligently secure their enterprises by applying analytics to correlate information from key security domains and creating security dashboards for their organizations. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Following the close of the acquisition, Q1 Labs will join the newly-formed IBM Security Systems division, representing the world’s most comprehensive security portfolio.  After the close, IBM intends the new division to be led by Brendan Hannigan, CEO of Q1 Labs. 

The new division will target a $94 billion opportunity in security software and services, which has a nearly 12 percent compound annual growth rate, according to IBM estimates.   Q1 Labs will join the more than 10 strategic security acquisitions IBM has made in the last decade and the more than 25 analytics-related purchases, including the recently announced acquisition of security analytics software firm, i2. 

Organizations face a landscape with high-impact corporate breaches, growing mobile security concerns and advanced security threats, as highlighted in last week’s IBM X-Force Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report.  Firms must be equipped to identify threats, detect insider fraud, predict business risk and address regulatory mandates. Three quarters of firms feel cyberattacks are hard to detect and their effectiveness would increase with end-to-end solutions, according to a recent industry report (1). 

Q1 Labs’ advanced analytics and correlation capabilities can automatically detect and flag actions across an enterprise that deviate from prescribed policies and typical behavior to help prevent breaches, such as an employee accessing unauthorized information. 

“Since perimeter defense alone is no longer capable of thwarting all threats, IBM is in a unique position to shift security thinking to an integrated, predictive approach,” said Brendan Hannigan, CEO of Q1 Labs. “Q1 Labs’ security analytics will add greater intelligence to IBM’s security portfolio and continue to distinguish IBM from competitors.” 

New IBM Security Division Delivers the World’s Most Comprehensive Security Offerings, Expertise 

IBM’s new Security Systems division integrates IBM’s Tivoli, Rational and Information Management security software, appliances, lab offerings and services. IBM plans to apply Q1 Labs’ analytics to drive greater security intelligence capabilities across its security products and services such as identity and access management, database security, application security, enterprise risk management, intrusion prevention, endpoint management and network security.  In fact, IBM Managed Security Services today is making available to clients a cloud-based service of Q1 Labs’ security information and event management offering. 

Q1 Labs technology will also create a common security platform for IBM’s software, hardware, services and research offerings. Clients will benefit from more tightly integrated products, a unified roadmap and accelerated time-to-value on investments to build more intelligent security systems. 

“Realigning IBM’s security expertise in a new division with a greater focus on analytics is a bold step IBM is taking to help clients stay ahead of growing security threats,” said Robert LeBlanc, senior vice president, IBM Middleware Software. “By consolidating our global expertise, IBM clients will have access to the most comprehensive, insightful view of security across their people, data and infrastructure.” 

IBM operates the world’s broadest security research and development organization, comprising nine security operations centers, nine IBM Research centers, 11 software security development labs and three Institutes for Advanced Security.  It employs thousands of security experts globally such as security operations analysts, consultants, sales and tech specialists, and strategic outsourcing delivery professionals.  IBM monitors 12 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries and holds 3,000 security patents. IBM has been in the security business for nearly 50 years dating back to the security innovation in its mainframe systems. 

About Q1 Labs

Q1 Labs has more than 1,800 clients globally, including healthcare providers, energy firms, retail organizations, utility companies, financial institutions, government agencies, educational institutions, and wireless service providers. 

Q1 Labs software collects and analyzes information from hundreds of sources across an organization such as the network, applications, user activity, mobile endpoints, and physical security devices such as badge readers — including both cloud-based and on-premise sources.  Its security information and event management (SIEM) software also helps IT staff and auditors manage the tracking of security incidents and model risk to better protect customers, while giving executives insight into the security and risk posture of the organization.  

Q1 Labs’ employees are located in Waltham, Mass.; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and will become part of IBM Software Group. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2011 and is subject to regulatory review and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. 

For more information on IBM security, please visit: www.ibm.com/security

Footnote:

 (1) SOURCE: June 2011 Ponemon Institute report

Contact(s) information

Colleen Haikes
IBM Media Relations
415-545-4003
chaikes@us.ibm.com

Tod Freeman
IBM Media Relations
415-320-5893
tefreema@us.ibm.com

New Report Commissioned by the CIC Calls for Canada to Harness its Intellectual Property Resources

New Report Commissioned by the CIC Calls for Canada to Harness its Intellectual Property Resources

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 10/03/11 -- A new report released today by the Canadian International Council (CIC), Rights and Rents: Why Canada Must Harness its Intellectual Property Resources, argues that Canada is paying a steep price for its short-sighted approach to intellectual property (IP).

Research conducted on behalf of the CIC shows that international buyers are targeting Canada's IP-rich start-ups. 58% of new Canadian firms were taken over by foreign investors from 2006-10, yet these acquisitions siphoned off more than 66% of the IP developed by such firms (much of that IP subsidized by taxpayers).

While the strategic sale of start-ups is a popular strategy among investors, Canadian firms must seek more effective ways of leveraging their intellectual property to foster growth-creating jobs and anchoring more of these long-term assets within Canada.

"While Canada has devoted considerable attention to such issues as competitiveness, productivity and innovation, the role of IP in a national innovation strategy has yet to receive similar scrutiny," according to Jennifer Jeffs, President of the CIC. The report identifies and addresses a gap in Canada's innovation strategy by analyzing complex issues facing Canadian companies. These include global patent wars and the challenges of technology transfer-notably the conversion of inventions on university campuses into products that can be commercialized by industry.

Canada's IP policies and practices are affecting its economy. While other competitors bring in billions of dollars by selling or leasing their IP, Canada runs a significant technology deficit-more than $4.5 billion U.S. in 2009 (among the largest shortfalls in the industrial world, according to the World Bank). Canada invests heavily in its own R&D, much of which leaks out; then it spends heavily on acquiring technology from outsiders. Canada needs new thinking on innovation-an approach that includes consideration of IP.

Like real estate, IP is either owned or rented. Only possession can guarantee absolute control. Yet Canada is fast becoming a nation of renters of intellectual property.

This trend, if it continues, could have a significant impact on Canada's economic prospects. "The world's ability to grow crops more efficiently under tougher climate and soil circumstances, provide clean water to rich and poor alike, and unlock new renewable energy sources depends on its ability to acquire knowledge and develop increasingly sophisticated technology," says Dr. Jeffs. "This requires strategic management of Canadian intellectual property."

The report strongly urges the Canadian government to integrate a national IP strategy into an overall innovation framework. Among the report's recommendations: Canada should undertake a broad review of its current patent policy; address barriers that hold Canadian companies back; create a central office for intellectual property reporting directly to the prime minister; launch a separate division of the federal court to deal with intellectual property; and open regionally-focused technology transfer offices.

The report was authored by Karen Mazurkewich, former Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent and business writer.

The report can be downloaded at: www.opencanada.org.

The Canadian International Council (CIC) is an independent, member-based council established to strengthen Canada's role in international affairs. The CIC reflects the ideas and interests of a broad constituency of Canadians who believe that a country's foreign policy is not an esoteric concern of experts but directly affects the lives and prosperity of its citizens. The CIC uses its deep historical roots, its cross-country network and its active research program to advance debate on international issues across academic disciplines, policy areas and economic sectors. The CIC's research program is managed by the national office in Toronto. Its 16 branches across Canada offer CIC members speakers' programs, study groups, conferences and seminars.

Contacts:
For further information or interviews please contact:
Karen Mazurkewich (author)
416.978.4348 or Mobile: 416.726.4404
kmazurkewich@opencanada.org

Laura Sunderland (publicity)
416.946.7071
lsunderland@opencanada.org

Savvis Launches Cloud-Based Database Platform

Savvis Launches Cloud-Based Database Platform

Symphony Database Brings Advantages of Cloud to Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server Environments

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3, 2011 /CNW/ -- Savvis, a CenturyLink company (NYSE: CTL), today announced the launch of Savvis Symphony Database, a cloud-based database platform. Symphony Database, which was unveiled at Oracle Open World 2011 in San Francisco, brings the advantages of cloud computing to Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server environments.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090803/PH55929LOGO )

With just a few clicks, Symphony Database provisions everything needed for a complete, secure database solution. Client advantages include no software licensing or hardware provisioning. Performance levels can be scaled -- both up and down -- based on business needs, without any downtime, providing performance guarantees and reduced costs compared to hosted database solutions.

"Symphony Database offers the agility that enterprises require of their database solutions, including the ability to burst both performance levels and infrastructure to accommodate the varying demands placed on the database environment," said Brent Juelich, senior director, managed services at Savvis. "Unlike traditional database offerings, Symphony Database does not require hardware provisioning and software licensing, freeing enterprises from long-term contracts and expenses."

Users can select from Oracle Enterprise 11G RAC or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 for the underlying technology.

Infor, a leading provider of business application software with operations serving more than 75,000 clients, was an early trial user of Symphony Database and currently employs Symphony Database to support its Workforce Management platform offering.

"The cost savings, speed-to-market, scalability and solid features of Symphony Database not only meet business demands but also deliver a rich user experience," said Rakesh Moddi, director of technology services at Infor. "The market for cloud-based platforms continues to grow. We've found that many of our enterprise clients are looking for flexible application deployment options."

Symphony Database joins the Savvis Symphony suite of enterprise cloud solutions. For more information, visit http://cloud.savvis.com.

Oracle Open World Sponsor

Savvis, which is sponsoring Oracle Open World 2011 in San Francisco, is demonstrating Symphony Database from its exhibit at Booth 540 in the South Exhibition Hall at the Moscone Center. For more information on Symphony Database or any other Savvis product, visit the Savvis exhibit or call 1-800-SAVVIS-1 (1-800-728-8471).

About Savvis

Savvis, a CenturyLink company, is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises. Nearly 2,500 unique clients, including more than 30 of the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500, use Savvis to reduce capital expense, improve service levels and harness the latest advances in cloud computing.

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink is the third largest telecommunications company in the United States. The company provides broadband, voice and wireless services to consumers and businesses across the country and advanced entertainment services under the CenturyLink(TM) Prism(TM) TV and DIRECTV brands. In addition, the company provides data, voice and managed services to business, government and wholesale customers in local, national and select international markets through its high-quality advanced fiber optic network and multiple data centers. CenturyLink also is recognized as a leader in the network services market by key technology industry analyst firms, and is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises through Savvis, a CenturyLink company. CenturyLink's customers range from Fortune 500 companies in some of the country's largest cities to families living in rural America. Headquartered in Monroe, La., CenturyLink is an S&P 500 company and is included among the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations. For more information, visit www.centurylink.com.

For more information, visit www.savvis.com or www.centurylink.com.

For further information: Justin Lopinot, +1-314-628-7053 [office], +1-314-791-2941 [mobile], justin.lopinot@savvis.com Web Site: http://www.savvis.com

Avnet Technology Solutions Introduces Sales Toolkit To Go for Oracle Solution Providers in the U.S. and Canada

press release

Oct. 3, 2011, 11:01 a.m. EDT

Avnet Technology Solutions Introduces Sales Toolkit To Go for Oracle Solution Providers in the U.S. and Canada

Avnet's mobile-enabled toolkit allows Oracle solution providers to easily enhance their sales capabilities while traveling and at customers' offices

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 03, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Oracle Open World 2011 -- Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and operating group of Avnet, Inc. /quotes/zigman/218726/quotes/nls/avt AVT -3.83% , today announced the availability of a new mobile-enabled "sales toolkit to go" for its Oracle hardware and software solution provider partners in the U.S. and Canada. Developed by Avnet, the sales toolkit is available to Avnet's Oracle partners and is designed to help sales teams close data center solutions focused deals easily and more efficiently. It features a broad range of product, market and best practice information that can be accessed from any mobile device, including smartphones and tablets, with Web browsing capabilities.

"Today's technology sales teams are road warriors and regularly conduct business while at airports, customer sites, conferences, and a wide-variety of other locations outside of their offices," said Chris Swahn, vice president and general manager for Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas' Oracle Solutions group. "We wanted to provide them with valuable information as we always have, but in a format that was easier to access for sales teams on the go. Avnet's new mobile-enabled toolkit is a natural sales companion that provides complete data center solutions information and helps our customers conduct business easily from any location. By creating this mobile-enabled toolkit, partners can access Avnet and Oracle expertise wherever and whenever they need it in a way that is both highly informative and portable."

The Avnet exclusive mobile-enabled sales toolkit allows Oracle partners to consult, document and reinforce solutions sales strategy throughout every stage of the sales process from virtually any location. With the toolkit, partners will go to meetings more prepared and knowledgeable about Oracle-based data center solutions and will be able to act as trusted advisors to their customers.

"We worked with Avnet to develop this mobile-enabled toolkit because we know Avnet understands how to help partners become data center solutions sales experts and has the innovative skills to adapt their unique solutions sales methodology to a truly mobile platform," said Jim Standard, group vice president, Global Channel Sales for Oracle. "Whether solution providers are waiting to catch a flight or doing final prep work in a customer's lobby, we wanted to make sure they had the resources at their fingertips that they need to close the deal. This toolkit exemplifies how Oracle is working with Avnet to develop an ecosystem of highly-trained and knowledgeable solution providers who serve as true extensions of our sales force."

The toolkit features all of the sales enablement information partners have come to expect from Avnet. Partners will also be able to access customer role profiles with information about concerns and sale points; feature and benefit specifications on different Oracle hardware and software products that can be used to build complete solutions; objection handling resources; and a comprehensive Avnet and Oracle glossary. It is easy to access and is available on any phone or tablet with Internet access. Each module of the toolkit also comes with training to help partners maximize their use of the tool and the resources it contains.

"Mobile devices have become a way of life for our sales team as they conduct daily business and prepare for sales calls," said Rob Wetterer, director of Enterprise Architecture for Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions (CBTS), an Avnet partner. "With this new toolkit from Avnet, our sales team can quickly brush up on the solutions offered and hone their solutions-selling abilities, so they are better armed when they walk in a customer's door or pick up the phone for a sales opportunity. We know this toolkit will help our sales team competitively differentiate themselves and close deals faster because they will approach every opportunity better informed and well prepared to meet customers' business needs."

In addition to the mobile-enabled toolkit, partners can further develop their solutions selling capabilities by specializing high-growth vertical markets through Avnet's SolutionsPath(R) vertical market practices focused on the energy, finance, government, healthcare and retail markets. Avnet can also help partners increase their data center expertise in technology specialization areas related to cloud computing, mobility, networking, security, storage and virtualization.

Avnet is a Platinum member in Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN).

Follow Avnet Technology Solutions, North America, on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AvnetAdvantage

About Avnet Technology Solutions

As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions collaborates with its customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the business needs of their end-user customers locally and around the world. For fiscal year 2011, the group served customers in more than 70 countries and generated US $11.5 billion in annual revenue. Avnet Technology Solutions ( www.ats.avnet.com ) is an operating group of Avnet, Inc.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc. /quotes/zigman/218726/quotes/nls/avt AVT -3.83% , a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended July 2, 2011, Avnet generated revenue of $26.5 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com .

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

SOURCE: Avnet Technology Solutions

Brodeur Partners, for Avnet  Marcia Chapman, 480-308-0284  mchapman@brodeur.com
Copyright Business Wire 2011

Gartner Survey Reveals 95 Percent of Respondents Expect to Maintain or Grow Use of SaaS

Press Release

Gartner Survey Reveals 95 Percent of Respondents Expect to Maintain or Grow Use of SaaS

Key Issues Facing SaaS Industry to Be Discussed During Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011

STAMFORD, Conn., October 3, 2011— 


           More than 95 percent of organizations expect to maintain or increase their investments in software as a service (SaaS) and more than one-third have migration projects under way from on-premises to SaaS, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.

In June and July 2011, Gartner surveyed 525 organizations in nine countries spanning 12 vertical industries to understand their usage patterns and key trends for SaaS in the enterprise.

"Respondents cited ease and speed of deployment and cost-effectiveness as the top two reasons for adoption. Leading uses of SaaS were either replacements for on-premises applications or net-new SaaS solutions," said Sharon Mertz, research director at Gartner. "This represents a shift from previous Gartner surveys where more respondents indicated SaaS was being used as an extension to an existing on-premises application.

Nearly 70 percent of organizations have used SaaS for less than three years, also indicating a continuing stream of net-new users for this deployment model. More enterprises are renegotiating contracts early not only to satisfy demands for more functionality and an expanding user base, but also to take advantage of improved financial terms as downward pricing pressures continue in the wake of economic turbulence and increasing vendor competition.

"Although adoption trends are generally positive, SaaS is not without its challenges," Ms. Mertz said. "More than one-third of respondents indicated issues with their SaaS deployments, citing limited integration with existing systems, network instability, and longer-than-anticipated implementation cycles as the highest-ranked challenges during deployment.

"In addition, most respondents still indicate that no policies have been instituted to govern the evaluation and use of SaaS, suggesting that little progress has been made since the previous survey in developing governance processes. The importance of governance mechanisms will continue to increase as SaaS becomes a larger element of a company's overall sourcing strategy."

A comparison of Gartner SaaS user-survey results from 2008 and 2010 indicate that the percentage of decisions made at the executive level is increasing. The latest survey results show that the decision process is shifting to a joint decision between the business and IT.

Analysts found that deployments of both horizontal and vertical-specific SaaS solutions (VSS) vary greatly by industry, as do planned deployments for 2012 and those considered beyond. Many industries that have not pursued SaaS in the past are beginning to do so.

Currently, communications (52 percent), utilities (51 percent), and banking and securities (49 percent) industries rank highest with respect to SaaS deployed across the horizontal and vertical-specific categories sampled. In 2012, those industries ranking highest with respect to their plans to use SaaS include federal government (33 percent), banking and securities (22 percent) and wholesale trade (20 percent). Beyond 2012, top industries considering SaaS are manufacturing and natural resources (37 percent), wholesale trade and retail (each 29 percent).

When respondents' 2012 deployment plans are combined with those considering SaaS beyond the coming year, federal government ranked highest (60 percent), followed by manufacturing and natural resources (50 percent), wholesale trade (49 percent) and retail (46 percent).

"The survey illustrates how some industries lagging in past SaaS deployments are currently poised to use and consider it going forward and a remarkably strong upward trajectory with respect to the consideration of SaaS is occurring," said Robert Anderson, research vice president at Gartner. "Providers seeking to target industries with horizontal and vertical-specific SaaS applications should first analyze overall trends as to current deployments, 2012 plans and other longer-term considerations to improve the timing and prioritization of their rollout strategies."

Similarly, opportunities for vertical-specific SaaS solutions vary across and within the industries surveyed. Healthcare, insurance and retail industries currently have the highest level of SaaS-based VSS already deployed. Healthcare (49 percent) is also ranked by respondents as the top industry planning to consider SaaS in the future, followed by banking and securities (45 percent) and federal government (42 percent). Popular VSS solutions where SaaS will be considered going forward in these industries include medical coding/transcription and physician electronic medical health records in healthcare, core banking and related services in banking and securities, and case and records management in federal government.

"There are significant variations of VSS SaaS deployed both across and within industries surveyed. Many that have delayed consideration of SaaS for VSS until now, such as federal government and banking and securities, plan to use it in the future," Mr. Anderson said. "Providers planning to target VSS SaaS opportunities should analyze current and planned future deployments across and within industries, as experience and interest levels vary and are shifting rapidly."

Additional information is available in the Gartner report "User Survey Analysis: Software as a Service, Enterprise Application and Vertical Software Markets, Worldwide, 2011." The report is available on Gartner's website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1801814. This report is the first of a series of detailed hortizontal and vertical analysis reports based on the survey results that will be delivered by Gartner.

Gartner analysts will provide more detailed analysis on the key issues around SaaS during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011.

About Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011
Gartner Symposium/ITxpo is the world's most important gathering of CIOs and senior IT executives. This event delivers independent and objective content with the authority and weight of the world's leading IT research and advisory organization, and provides access to the latest solutions from key technology providers. Gartner's annual Symposium/ITxpo events are key components of attendees' annual planning efforts. IT executives rely on Gartner Symposium/ITxpo to gain insight into how their organizations can use IT to address business challenges and improve operational efficiency.

Ontario Technology Corridor at Interop New York 2011 to Attract New/Expanding Information Communications Technology (ICT) Companies

press release

Oct. 3, 2011, 9:15 a.m. EDT

Ontario Technology Corridor at Interop New York 2011 to Attract New/Expanding Information Communications Technology (ICT) Companies

Ontario Home to $40 Billion of ICT Revenue From the Province's Top 250 Companies -- More Than All Other Provinces Combined. Two Fine Examples: Huawei and FileCatalyst

NEW YORK, NY, Oct 03, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- INTEROP NEW YORK -- Executives from the Ontario Technology Corridor are attending Interop New York this week to show ICT companies from around the world that Ontario is the best place in North America to expand or relocate their businesses. According to Branham Group Inc.'s report entitled Canada's ICT Industry: A National Perspective released in August, The Canadian province is home to the highest concentration of leading ICT companies in Canada. 52.4% of Canada's top 250 companies are in Ontario. Those companies contribute more revenue than all other provinces in Canada combined, with $41.1 billion coming from the top 250.

Larry MacKinnon, Director of Business Development for Technology in London, Ontario and member of the Ontario Technology Corridor at Interop, says, "Ontario continues to offer the talent and targeted financial incentives that make our region such a strong part of the ICT industry. Our job at Interop is to add to our tremendous group of companies and help demonstrate that Ontario is a prime destination in North America for ICT investments."

Federal and Ontario provincial research and development tax credits combine to give Canada the most favorable tax treatment among G-8 countries -- giving Ontario innovation companies the ability to cut R&D expenditures by up to 63%.

Representatives from Huawei Canada will be at Interop New York 2011 to discuss their investments in the Ontario Technology Corridor. Huawei established a Canadian Headquarters in Markham, Ontario in 2008, and has since grown to 385 employees in both Markham and Ottawa.

A major part of Huawei's investment in Canada has been a commitment of $67 million in R&D spending, with the establishment of a Research & Development Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The facility, one of 20 in Huawei's global network, opened in May of 2010, and has grown to over 120 employees.

The Ontario Government provided a grant of $6.5 million in support of the facility as part of the "Open Ontario Plan" program, and Huawei committed at the time to create 164 jobs over the next 5 years. The facility is on track to exceed that target and more over the next 12 months -- well ahead of schedule.

An example of one of the Ontario Technology Corridor's homegrown success stories is Unlimi-Tech Software, with FileCatalyst. Clients using FileCatalyst include Sega of America, Eurovision and Sandia National Labs. With 50% growth over the past two years, the company is bringing FileCatalyst Direct 3.0 to Interop. This product marks a world first in file transfer speeds, allowing large international enterprises to transfer files at full line speed over an encrypted 10Gbps connection, using machines built with commodity hardware. The FileCatalyst protocol can send a Blu-ray disc worth of data (24GB) in under 30 seconds, potentially thousands of times faster than other methods.

FileCatalyst technology has been developed entirely in Ontario. Many graduates from several Ontario universities are among the firm's employees. The company's Ottawa location attracts talent from across the country and internationally. The lab equipment used to develop FileCatalyst's 10Gbps transfer technology was also funded in part through the Ontario Innovation Tax Credit, available to companies engaged in experimental development.

In addition to Huawei Canada and Unlimi-Tech Software, firms including Google, IBM, OpenText, RIM, Adobe, Cisco, and Microsoft take advantage of a motivated, loyal and ethnically diverse workforce. 55% of Ontario residents aged 25-64 have advanced education certificates, diplomas or degrees -- compared to 51% for Canada as a whole and 39% for the U.S.

About the Ontario Technology Corridor Employing nearly 260,000 people among 6,400 companies within Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors, the Ontario Technology Corridor includes the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa Region, Waterloo Region, City of London and the Niagara Region. The Corridor also welcomes in partnership the Province of Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade as well as the federal government's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

The Ontario Technology Corridor is supported by the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), Canada's Technology Triangle, the London Economic Development Corporation and the Niagara Economic Development Corporation. For more information, go to www.ontariotechnologycorridor.com .

Ontario Technology Corridor contacts:  Larry MacKinnon Director of Business Development for Technology London Economic Development Corporation Cell phone: 519-630-6835 Email: Email Contact  Jill McCubbin Conversation Architect market2world communications inc. Phone: 613-256-3939 Email: Email Contact

SOURCE: Ontario Technology Corridor

Kaseya Automates Third Party Software Deployment - Monday's Press Release

Kaseya Automates Third Party Software Deployment Easing Burden on IT Organizations

 

 

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – 

October 3, 2011 — Kaseya®, the leading global provider of automated IT systems management software, today announced the new Kaseya Software Deployment and Update module that allows IT organizations to deploy, update, and manage common third party software by policy to remote distributed computers.  The latest module from Kaseya enables service providers and enterprise IT departments to regularly deploy and update popular desktop productivity programs such as Adobe Reader, Firefox, Flash, Java, Skype and internal software applications effortlessly from the Kaseya administrative portal.

These days updating popular third party applications is just as important as keeping your operating system software up to date.  Hackers now target common third party applications with zero-day exploits just as often as they target core Windows operating systems.  Kaseya helps IT departments and managed service providers maintain security and compliance by keeping all software on the corporate network up to date.  Before Kaseya Software Deployment, and Update module (KSDU), IT administrators would have the time consuming job of manually monitoring for software updates, creating complex installation scripts across a variety of operating systems, deploying them across a distributed network and hoping for the best.

“Keeping third party software automatically updated is simple, now with the new Kaseya Software Deployment and Update module,” said Ted Swanson, CEO of IT Solutions Consulting. “Just select the software product within the profile, check the automatic update box and you’re done. This module minimizes the impact of software installation to our clients as well as alleviates the burden of updates for our IT department.”

The KSDU module includes the ability to configure policies with pre-approval to install the latest versions of common third party applications to remedy any outstanding vulnerability, meet organizational and external compliance as well as regulatory requirements.  With the new module, there are no packages to maintain, command switches, versions to find, or files to track as Kaseya maintains all of these requirements automatically within the software catalog.  The catalog provides a categorized list of supported software along with the software title, version and language.  For added flexibility, the new module also offers custom Windows-based software installers for line of business applications, custom applications or other software that can be added to the software catalog.

The new Kaseya Software Deployment and Update module fills a long-time need for us:  how to patch and/or update non-Microsoft applications. But it does a whole lot more than just patch Adobe Reader, said Jim Lancaster, CTO of Sagiss, LLC“The new module gives me the ability to install and maintain just about any application of my choosing.  It extends the policy-based management found in other modules, and re-uses familiar screens—like the scheduler—while adding new features to them like ‘named schedules’.”  

 

Deployment Schedule

In order to minimize the impact of software installation to the end user, IT administrators can define named schedules per profile with a wide range of scheduling settings including:

-       Recurrence – Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly

-       Daily Schedule –including time, distribution window and daily interval

-       Start/End – including start date and optional end date

 

 

 

 Dashboards and Alerts

A built-in dashboard provides key metrics and alerts for administrators to monitor software and deployment status.

·      Application Status

·      Top Five Deployed applications

·      Deployments in the last 24 hours

·      Alerts – new module includes multiple alert templates

 

Manual Deployment

It’s not uncommon for IT professionals to receive requests for one-off deployments or updates of software applications or in worst case scenarios to install new software to help remediate an issue. Kaseya Software Deployment and Update module provides the ability to manually deploy software by computer or group of computers outside of the profile, by selecting software from the assigned profiles or the software catalog.

 

Pricing and Availability

Kaseya Software and Update Deployment will be available this month and will be sold as an add-on module for perpetual or subscription licensing on-a-per-seat basis.

 

Interact with Kaseya on the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Blog (http://blog.kaseya.com)

Twitter (http://twitter.com/KaseyaCorp)

Facebook (http://www.facebook..com/KaseyaFan)

LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/companies/kaseya)

YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/kaseyacorp)

 

About Kaseya
Kaseya is the leading global provider of IT Systems Management software. Kaseya solutions empower everyone –– from individual consumers to large corporations and IT service providers –– to proactively manage and control IT assets remotely, easily and efficiently from one integrated Web-based platform. Kaseya solutions are trusted by IT service providers, and in a wide variety of industries, including: banking, consumer packaged goods, education, financial services, government, healthcare, military, real estate, retail and transportation. The company is privately held with over 30 offices in 20 countries. To learn more, please visit http://www.kaseya.com.

# # #

 

Kaseya; the Kaseya k-bug logo; are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to Kaseya International Limited and/or its affiliates. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Heather C. Lowles

Kaseya Global PR Director

NEC Completes Installation of World's First 40Gb/s Capacity Upgrade for a Large Scale Submarine Cable Network in Asia Pacific

NEC Completes Installation of World's First 40Gb/s Capacity Upgrade
for a Large Scale Submarine Cable Network in Asia Pacific


Tokyo, September 30, 2011 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced today the successful completion of a multi-million-dollar contract with a purchasing consortium of 14 major telecom operators in the Asia Pacific region for the world's first 40Gb/s dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) capacity upgrade to an existing large scale submarine cable network.

The existing APCN2 (Asia Pacific Cable Network 2), with over 19,000 km of cable that connects 10 landing stations in the Asia Pacific region, was originally supplied by NEC in 2001 with a 10Gb/s DWDM system design. In response to the rising transmission demands in the region, NEC proposed its state-of-the-art 40Gb/s DWDM technology as a dramatic enhancement and expansion to the capacity of the existing 10Gb/s submarine cable network. NEC estimates that by adding 40Gb/s wavelengths the cable's capacity can be expanded by as much as 4 times its original ultimate design capacity of 2.56Tb/s.

"We have passed yet another significant milestone by becoming the first supplier to install a 40Gb/s DWDM system on a major large scale Submarine Cable Network that was initially designed for 10Gb/s DWDMs. We are honored that the APCN2 purchasing consortium has again selected NEC as their capacity upgrade supplier," said Yasuhiro Aoki, General Manager, Submarine Network Division.

Product Features
NEC NS Series T640SW Line Terminal Equipment
- A combination of 10Gb/s and 40Gb/s wavelengths are available
- Size and power consumption reduced by 50% as compared to previous models
- State-of-the-art technology, such as Tunable wavelength light sources (Tunable LD) and Tunable Dispersion Compensation per wavelength (TDCM), allow the highest system flexibility and availability

Benefits to the Customer
- Improve the value of existing assets by increasing ultimate design capacity by 4 times through state-of-the-art 40Gb/s DWDM technology
- Save on CAPEX and OPEX

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About the APCN2 Purchasing Consortium
The fourteen purchasing consortium members are AT&T Services Inc., China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Cable&Wireless Worldwide, KDDI, KT, NTT Com, PLDT, Reach, SingTel, Softbank Telecom, Starhub and TM.

About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. (C)2011 NEC Corporation.