Toronto-based Panda Robotics launches PandaBot Home 3D printer on Kickstarter

The Revolutionary Becomes the Everyday: Panda Robotics launches PandaBot Home 3D printer on Kickstarter

TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Panda Robotics introduces the PandaBot Home 3D Printer, a truly affordable, accessible and elegant 3D printer. Designed for the desktop of the architect, artist, student, parent, and teacher this is cutting edge technology built for everyday life.

"The PandaBot, is the first 3D printer that you will actually want on your desk or in your house," said Kelly John Rose, CEO of Panda Robotics. "We're breaking new ground in print automation, robustness and size. The architecturally inspired design is truly beautiful and at $800, is priced to inspire a new generation of creativity."

Rose also announced other breakthrough innovations for the PandaBot, including a capacitive sensing build bed to allow for automatic calibration, a 2 piece assembly that quickly snaps together, and a fully custom software package to create the first 3D printer queue. All this means that 'the revolutionary' now comes with the ease of use of 'the everyday'.

The PandaBot, which is featured in today's Financial Post, can be found at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pandarobotics/pandabot-a-friendly-affordable-3d-printer

Starting at just $800, this innovative Canadian machine will change the home offices, classrooms and studios of Canadians from coast to coast.

WHAT'S NEW WITH PANDABOT HOME 3D PRINTER

  • 0.1mm Layer Resolution -- The high resolution setting on the PandaBot Home 3D Printer easily delivers high quality results for all users.
  • Large Build Volume -- A build volume of 1331 cubic inches (11" L x 11" W x 11" H) provides enough space to create truly useful and delightful art and home objects.
  • Automatic Calibration - Panda Robotics' unique innovation of a capacitive sensing build bed provides real time awareness of the position of the extruder, allowing for automatic calibration and eliminating tedious and complex hand calibration required by other 3D printers

Panda Robotics: 3D Printing for Everyone. Founded in 2012, Toronto-based Panda Robotics (www.pandarobotics.com) designs and manufacturers 3D printers that lead the market in affordability, robustness, and beauty.

SOURCE: Panda Robotics, Inc.

For further information:

Graeme Hein
Product Manager
Panda Robotics Inc.
647-638-4104,
ghein@pandarobotics.com
































































Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Complete Strategic Partnership in New Subsidiary: NOOK MEDIA LLC

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Complete Strategic Partnership in New Subsidiary: NOOK MEDIA LLC

Includes Barnes & Noble’s NOOK® Digital and College Businesses as well as Microsoft Investment to Advance Digital Reading Experience

NEW YORK & REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS ) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT ) today announced the completion of their previously announced strategic partnership in NOOK Media LLC, a recently formed Barnes & Noble subsidiary and a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets. Microsoft and Barnes & Noble’s strategic partnership in NOOK Media LLC will enable the companies to advance world-class digital reading experiences to the hundreds of millions of customers they jointly serve.

NOOK Media LLC comprises the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble and will continue to have a very close and mutually beneficial relationship with Barnes & Noble’s retail stores. The partnership includes a $300 million investment from Microsoft in NOOK Media LLC.

“As demand for digital content continues to increase, we are focused on bringing ground-breaking reading and learning content and technologies to more people in more formats than ever before, including the imminent launch of our exceptional NOOK reading application for Windows 8,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “We look forward to working closely with our new partner Microsoft to add value to their innovative new platform by bringing great reading experiences and one of the world’s preeminent digital bookstores to millions of Windows 8 users.”

“NOOK Media is a leader in developing the next generation of digital reading and we look forward to the company bringing one of the world’s largest digital libraries to Windows 8 devices via their upcoming Windows 8 app,” said Andy Lees, President at Microsoft. “We are also excited by NOOK Media’s product roadmap and expansion into markets around the world as demonstrated by their recent launches in the United Kingdom.”

Microsoft made its $300 million investment in NOOK Media LLC at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake, with Barnes & Noble owning the remaining shares.

As previously announced,there is no set timetable for Barnes & Noble’s review of strategic options for its investment in NOOK Media LLC. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company. Barnes & Noble does not intend to comment further regarding the review unless and until a decision is made.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS ) , the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, operates 689 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 667 college bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through BN.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than 3 million titles in its NOOK Bookstore™ (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK® eReading product offering, customers can buy and read digital books and content on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK devices, partner company products, and the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software. Barnes & Noble is proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and is one of only 50 U.S. companies so named. Barnes & Noble.com is ranked the number one online retailer in customer satisfaction in the book, music and video category and a Top 10 online retailer overall in customer satisfaction according to ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition).

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company’s corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

NOOK®, NOOK® HD, NOOK® HD+, NOOK Tablet™, NOOK Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™, NOOK Simple Touch™, NOOK Color™, Reader’s Tablet™, Best-Text™ Technology, VividView™, PagePerfect™, NOOK Store™, NOOK Bookstore™, NOOK Book™, NOOK Newsstand™, NOOK Magazine™, NOOK Newspaper™, NOOK Apps™, FREE NOOK Reading Apps™, NOOK Kids™, NOOK Digital Shop™, NOOK Cloud™, NOOK® for Web, Read In Store™, More In Store™, LendMe®, NOOK Books en español™, NOOK Study™, NOOK Library™, Lifetime Library™ and Read What You Love. Anywhere You Like™ are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. Other trademarks referenced in this release are the property of their respective owners.

Follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter (www.bn.com/twitter), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/bnstudio).

About Microsoft

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

Microsoft Acquires PhoneFactor

Microsoft Acquires PhoneFactor

Today I am excited to announce that we are welcoming PhoneFactor to the Microsoft family. For those of you not familiar with PhoneFactor, they are an industry leader in phone-based multi-factor authentication (MFA) and their solutions bring a unique blend of security and convenience to our developers, partners and customers.

People are connecting to critical applications and services through an ever-growing number of devices – corporate PCs, business or personal laptops, personal phones, and more. These applications and devices are generally only secured using single factor authentication (i.e. passwords).  As many are aware, single-factor authentication can often be insufficient, which is why leading businesses around the world are turning to MFA to enhance security in a multi-device, mobile, and cloud-centric world. Typical MFA solutions require the user to have something they know (like their password) and something they physically possess (a device of some kind like a smartcard) – and the result is often too complex or hard to use.  MFA is meant to provide enhanced security, but for it to be effective it must also be convenient.  PhoneFactor is popular because its solutions interoperate well with Active Directory so users don’t have to learn new passwords and IT administrators and application developers can use infrastructure and services they already know.  Also, perhaps most importantly, PhoneFactor is popular because it conveniently relies on a device that most users already have with them – their phone.

PhoneFactor’s solutions can be implemented to help Microsoft customers protect data in SharePoint, on their file servers and with their critical business apps running on-premises. In addition, they can be used to enhance the security of applications running in the cloud. To learn more about PhoneFactor and what our MFA solutions can do for you – today – please visit: www.PhoneFactor.com.

As we bring PhoneFactor onboard, we will drive further integration with key Microsoft technologies like Active Directory, Windows Azure Active Directory and Office 365, making it even easier for customers to protect their on-premises and cloud assets. Of course, we will continue to work with other security partners in the industry to offer a broad array of multi-factor and strong authentication solutions to best meet the wide-ranging and unique security requirements of our customers.

I am thrilled to welcome PhoneFactor to Microsoft and I look forward to sharing more about our plans in the near future.

    - Bharat Shah, Corporate Vice President, Server and Tools Division.

New Gender Benchmarking Study Finds Numbers of Women in Science and Technology Fields Alarmingly Low in Leading Economies

New Gender Benchmarking Study Finds Numbers of Women in Science and Technology Fields Alarmingly Low in Leading Economies

Numbers of women in engineering, physics and computer science are on the decline

New York, October 3, 2012 – In the first study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world’s leading economies, and are actually on the decline in others, including the United States.  The study maps the opportunities and obstacles faced by women in science across the US, EU, Brazil, South Africa, India, Korea and Indonesia. It was conducted by experts in international gender, science and technology issues from External link  Women in Global Science & Technology and the External link  Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, and funded by the External link  Elsevier Foundation.

Despite efforts by many of these countries to give women greater access to science and technology education, research shows negative results, particularly in the areas of engineering, physics and computer science. Women remain severely under-represented in degree programs for these fields—less than 30% in most countries. In addition, the numbers of women actually working in these fields are declining across the board. Even in countries where the numbers of women studying science and technology have increased, it has not translated into more women in the workplace.

“These economies are operating under the existing paradigm that if we give girls and women greater access to education they will eventually gain parity with men in these fields,” states Sophia Huyer, the lead researcher and founding executive director of Women in Global Science & Technology. “This has dictated our approach to the problem for over a decade and we are still only seeing incremental changes. The report indicates that access to education is not a solution in and of itself. It’s only one part of what should be a multi-dimensional policymaking approach. There is no simple solution.”

The data show that women’s parity in the science, technology and innovation fields is tied to multiple empowerment factors, with the most influential being higher economic status, larger roles in government and politics,  access to economic, productive and technological resources, quality healthcare and financial resources. Findings also show that women have greater parity in countries with government policies that support childcare, equal pay, and gender mainstreaming.  One of the main findings is that few countries collect consistent and reliable sex-disaggregated data in all of these areas, which inhibits their ability to implement effective enabling policies and programmes.

“We found that the absence of any one of these elements creates a situation of vulnerability for economies that want to be competitively positioned in the knowledge economy,” Huyer says. “No one country or region is ticking off all the boxes, and some are falling dismally short. This is a tremendous waste of resources. We are wasting resources educating women without following through, and we are missing out on the enormous potential that women represent.”

“This broad and ambitious assessment is a critical starting point for measuring the participation of women and girls in science, technology and innovation in emerging and developing worlds,” said David Ruth, Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation, “This study identifies key areas of national strength and weakness, and we hope it will help form the basis of evidence-based policy making and aid going forward.”

Spearheaded by External link  Women in Global Science & Technology and the External link  Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, the report was funded by External link  The Elsevier Foundation, which provides grant programs targeting women scientists in the early stages of their careers. It was also supported by External link  futureInnovate.net, a non-profit that supports initiatives that strengthen innovation systems in Canada and around the world.
 

# # #

Notes for editors
The full study, External link  the Gender Equality and the Knowledge Society Scorecard, key findings, and graphical External link  scorecards for each participating country, can be found at External link  www.wigsat.org. Please contact Emma Knott (emma.knott@kaizo.net) for more information or to arrange an interview with researchers Sophia Huyer and Nancy Hafkin.

About the Researchers
As founding executive director of Women in Global Science & Technology, Sophia Huyer has published and spoken widely on international gender, science and technology issues policy, including Information Communications Technology (ICT) and social development. She is also research director of the Gender Advisory Board of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and has acted as Senior Advisor to the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World.

Recently inducted into the Internet Society’s External link  Internet Hall of Fame, Nancy Hafkin played a key role in developing Africa’s ICT infrastructure through her work with the UN Economic Commission for Africa.  She also worked with the Association for Progressive Communications to provide email connectivity to more than 10 countries there. In 2006 she co-edited “Cinderella or Cyberella: Empowering Women in the Knowledge Society” with Sophia Huyer, and in 2012 she authored a chapter on gender issues for “Accelerating Development Using the Web: Empowering Poor and Marginalized Populations,” edited by George Sadowsky.

About OWSD
The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is an international sister organization of TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world. OWSD is headed by eminent women scientists from the south, consisting of more than 3,000 members. The central role is to promote women’s access to science and technology, enhancing their greater involvement in the decision-making processes for the development of their countries and in the international scientific community. Created in 1989, OWSD overall goal is to work towards bridging the gender gap in science and technology. OWSD uses its forum for intellectual discussions to assist in the development of national capabilities to evolve, explore and improve strategies for increasing female participation in science.

About WISAT
WISAT is a consulting group which promotes innovation, science and technology strategies that enable women, especially those living in developing countries, to actively participate in technology and innovation for development. Women should be able to benefit from the advantages of technological development equally with men, including access to and use of technologies and full participation in innovation systems. External link  www.wigsat.org  

About The Elsevier Foundation
The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate charity funded by External link  Elsevier, a global provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to knowledge centered institutions around the world, with a focus on developing world libraries, nurse faculty and scholars in the early stages of their careers.  Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 60 grants worth millions of dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. External link  www.elsevierfoundation.org

Media contact
Emma Knott
Emma.knott@kaizo.co.uk
+44 20 3176 4715





































































Accuvant’s New Compliance Program for VMware Helps Organizations Meet Business Compliance Needs

Accuvant’s New Compliance Program for VMware Helps Organizations Meet Business Compliance Needs

BusinessWire · Oct. 4, 2012  

Accuvant, the only research-driven information security partner delivering alignment, clarity and confidence to enterprise and federal clients, today announced a new end-to-end set of capabilities designed to help clients achieve business compliance in cloud and virtual environments. Accuvant’s Compliance Program for VMware directly supports VMware’s Compliance Reference Architectures, a set of resources including solution guides and design architectures intended to simplify compliance for business-critical applications in the cloud era.

“VMware recognizes that security and compliance are critical areas that must be addressed by all organizations,” said Parag Patel, vice president, Global Strategic Alliances, VMware. “By standardizing an approach and including services from key partners like Accuvant, we are providing a solution that enables customers to address their compliance needs. This approach offers management, IT architects, administrators and auditors a degree of transparency into risks, solutions, and mitigation strategies for moving critical applications to the cloud in a secure and compliant manner.”

Accuvant’s Compliance Program for VMware Includes Four Key Components:

1. Compliance-Specific Consulting – As a leading QSA, Accuvant has embraced VMware’s compliance strategy and PCI guidance to deliver virtualization and cloud-specific services such as gap assessments, validations, audits, and remediation. Accuvant capabilities extend into other compliance areas such as HIPAA/HITECH, ISO, GLBA, and FISMA, among others.

2. State-of-the-Art Security and Compliance Lab for VMware – Accuvant’s Security and Compliance Lab for VMware is designed to 1) assist VMware in building compliance reference guides, architecture and toolkits; 2) enable vendors to validate virtual and cloud products and provide reference for how they fit into VMware’s architecture; and, 3) allow clients to test technology and architectures in a pre-production environment to speed up implementation, reduce costs, and mitigate risk.

3. A Broad Array of VMware-Specific Security and Compliance Tools and Technologies – Accuvant today announced a new partnership with HyTrust to become its primary enterprise security integrator. Accuvant combines premier partnerships with leading secure virtualization and compliance manufacturers such as HyTrust, which provides a very important tool set for VMware compliance, with security-specific and virtualization expertise. As a result, Accuvant leads the industry in depth and breadth of skill in all of the relevant technical solutions and controls necessary for any compliance environment.

4. Compliance Alliance Program for VMware – Also today, Accuvant announced a new partnership with Coalfire Systems, Inc. Clients often need more than one player to achieve their PCI goals. This strategic alliance between Accuvant and Coalfire brings together two leaders in the compliance space around the VMware framework, and provides clients with a total solution that addresses auditing, validating and assessment, as well as the design and implementation of technical controls.

“Compliance and security continue to be top concerns for organizations that plan to move their environments to cloud computing,” said Steve Perkins, director of security virtualization for Accuvant. “VMware’s compliance program represents an important step forward for clients to build and maintain compliance covering business-critical applications deployed to and operated by VMware-based cloud IT environments. Accuvant is pleased to partner with VMware, HyTrust and Coalfire to make secure virtualization and cloud a reality.”

About Accuvant

Accuvant is the only research-driven information security partner delivering alignment between IT security and business objectives, clarity to complex security challenges and confidence in complex security decisions.

Based on our clients’ unique requirements, Accuvant assesses, architects and implements the policies, procedures and technologies that most efficiently and effectively protect valuable data assets.

Since 2002, more than 4,500 organizations, including half of the Fortune 100 and800 federal, state and local entities, have trusted Accuvant with their security challenges. Headquartered in Denver, Accuvant has offices across the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit www.accuvant.com, follow us on Twitter: @Accuvant, or keep in touch via Facebook: http://tiny.cc/facebook553.

© 2012 Accuvant, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “Accuvant” is a registered trademark of Accuvant, Inc. VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.

Contacts

Accuvant
Susan Vaillancourt, 603-459-8906
svaillancourt@accuvant.com













































































HP Advances Software-Defined Networks with Integrated Infrastructure, Controller and Application Solutions

HP Advances Software-Defined Networks with Integrated Infrastructure, Controller and Application Solutions

New offerings increase agility through “single control plane” to abstract, program and automate the entire network

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 2, 2012

Related Links

» View the press kit

HP today announced the industry’s first open-standards-based software-defined network (SDN) technologies to span infrastructure, control software and application layers with a “single control plane” that enables enterprises and cloud providers to simplify and maximize agility across data center, campus and branch networks.(1)

“To solve the challenges created by legacy networks, organizations need the ability to automate the network from end to end by leveraging SDN to abstract the control plane from the physical infrastructure,” said Joe Skorupa, vice president and distinguished analyst, Gartner. “For maximum performance, utilization and simplicity, customers must ensure that there is a suite of SDN technologies across the entire network—from the hardware infrastructure to the control plane to the applications, and also from the data center to the desktop—in order to move beyond today’s complexities and improve business agility across the enterprise.” 

As companies move to cloud and other computing environments, manual configuration of networks through command-line interface (CLI) coding has proven to be error prone, as well as time and resource intensive. SDN overlay-point products offer a centralized control plane, but fall short by not enabling automated configuration of network infrastructure or providing SDN applications to roll out new services for campus and branch networks. This incomplete approach creates complexity and unnecessary manual coding requirements. 

The new HP technologies announced today cover all layers by including an SDN controller, and SDN applications, services and solutions that further strengthen HP’s Virtual Application Networks strategy. As a result, clients can achieve the full potential of SDN technologies through the abstraction, programming and automation of their network to improve scalability and agility, while simplifying the deployment of applications and services. 

“In the cloud era, clients need a single point of control for the entire network, which enables them to deploy any application or service directly to the user within minutes,” said Bethany Mayer, senior vice president and general manager, Networking, HP.  “Only HP provides clients with a complete software-defined network solution that automates manual configuration tasks across hardware, software and applications and from data center to desktop through a single control plane.” 

Industry’s first complete SDN solution to increase network agility

HP is the first to offer SDN technologies for all three critical layers—infrastructure, control software and application—to simplify networks and improve agility across the enterprise. These layers create a complete, open SDN hardware and software solution that provides a single point of control for the entire network.

The infrastructure layer delivers open programmable access through OpenFlow, a networking protocol that automates hardware configurations.

  • New SDN functionality in the infrastructure layer enables clients to simplify network configuration. HP today announced nine additional switch models providing OpenFlow-enabled support for HP FlexNetwork architecture, offering clients a flexible and programmable standards-based interface. The addition of the new HP 3800 switch series to the 16 existing models in the product portfolio reaffirms HP as the only major networking vendor with more than 15 million installed OpenFlow-enabled ports.(1)  

The control-software layer creates a centralized view of the network.

  • Within the control layer, the new HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller abstracts the physical hardware from the logical deployment, providing a centralized view and automating network configuration of all devices in the infrastructure. By eliminating thousands of manual CLI entries, the controller enables network administrators to easily and flexibly program and scale their network environment for single-touch automated applications. It also provides application program interfaces (APIs) to third-party developers to integrate custom enterprise applications.

“We recognized the need to scale our perimeter firewall capacity to cope with the increase of internet traffic,” said Jean-Michel Jouanigot, communication systems group leader, IT Department, CERN. “In the framework of the CERN openlab R&D collaboration, we are developing with HP’s software defined network technologies a load-balancing application for the Virtual Application Networks SDN controller to distribute network traffic across multiple devices including firewalls and servers, increasing simplicity while reducing cost and bandwidth bottlenecks.”

The application layer delivers open programmable interfaces to automate applications across the network.

  • New HP Virtual Cloud Networks software enables cloud providers to deliver automated and scalable public cloud services to enterprises. Using this software, enterprises can create an isolated virtual cloud network environment through a self-service public cloud infrastructure, providing them complete control for introducing new services and applications to their users.
  • Also at the application layer, the new HP Sentinel Security software application automates network access control and intrusion prevention security for enterprise campus networks with existing OpenFlow-enabled switch hardware through HP’s controller. As a result, clients can eliminate the complexity and expense of dedicated networking hardware appliances, while achieving scalable security needed for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives.

“With the growing demand for digital creation and distribution of our content, we recognized the need to enable scalable security across HBO’s entire network infrastructure without investing in additional equipment,” said Walter Kerner, vice president, Network Services and IT Security, HBO. “To do so, we began working closely with HP on their breakthrough software-defined network-based Sentinel Security application, which delivers security across our existing hardware infrastructure and gives us a better view of security inside the network instead of just at the edge, while improving business agility with simple network automation.”

Industry’s first SDN services portfolio focused on people, process and technology

New offerings from HP Technology Services guide clients through SDN roadmap development, architecture creation, governance preparedness and proof of concept.  These include services to design, deliver and implement on the promise of HP Virtual Application Networks. New SDN services include:

  • HP Transformation Experience Workshop provides insight into SDN transformation benefits and IT implications from the perspective of people, process and technology.
  • HP Network Provisioning Baseline Assessment Service assesses the current network resource provisioning time required to deploy applications.
  • HP SDN Proof of Concept Service assesses and reports provisioning time improvements achieved with HP Intelligent Management Center (IMC) and HP Virtual Application Networks technologies.

HP at Interop New York 2012

HP is demonstrating new software solutions for HP Virtual Application Networks, as well as products in the FlexNetwork architecture and services, at Interop New York 2012 October 1-5, at the Javits Center in booth 407.

Bethany Mayer, senior vice president and general manager, Networking, HP, will deliver a keynote address at 9 a.m. ET, on Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Javits Center, Special Events Hall, First floor. The live webcast will be available at http://interop.com/live.

Pricing and availability

  • HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller is expected to be available worldwide by the second half of 2013.
  • HP Virtual Cloud Networks Application is expected to be available worldwide by the second half of 2013.
  •  HP Sentinel Security Application is currently available as an early access program to select customers.  
  • OpenFlow support is currently available on HP Networking switches as a software upgrade.  
  • HP SDN services will be available worldwide early 2013. Pricing varies according to location and implementation.

HP’s premier Europe, Middle East and Africa client event, HP Discover, takes place Dec. 4-6 in Frankfurt, Germany.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

Lenovo to Open Computer Manufacturing Line in the United States

Lenovo to Open Computer Manufacturing Line in the United States

World’s second-largest PC company to create 115 electronics manufacturing jobs in North Carolina

 

Research Triangle Park, N.C. – October 2, 2012 – Defying a trend that has seen electronics manufacturing jobs migrate overseas for more than two decades, Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) announced today that it will start up a U.S. personal computer production line in Whitsett, N.C., near Greensboro.  The company anticipates that the move will create 115 new manufacturing jobs in North Carolina, where the workers will build Think-branded notebook and desktop PCs, tablets, engineering workstations and servers for sale to domestic businesses, government and education customers, as well as consumers.

“Lenovo is establishing a U.S. manufacturing base because we believe in the long-term strength of the American PC market and our own growth opportunities here,” said Yuanqing Yang, chairman and CEO, Lenovo. “As Lenovo expands globally, we are establishing even deeper roots in each major market.  In addition to localized sales and marketing teams, in our major countries we are establishing an even stronger manufacturing footprint, investing in R&D and ensuring that we hire top local talent.  This global reach with local excellence helps us become even faster, more innovative and more responsive to our customers around the world.”
 
“Lenovo’s decision to create electronic manufacturing jobs in North Carolina is a tremendous vote of confidence in the great skills and productivity of our state’s workforce,” said Gov. Perdue.  “We have a strong track record of commitments to education, training and economic policies that promote growth in our state’s manufacturing sector. This decision by Lenovo clearly demonstrates that North Carolina is an attractive place where leading global businesses can thrive.”
 
 “I am very pleased with this announcement, and I congratulate Lenovo on their growth and on making the wise decision to invest in North Carolina and in our state’s workforce,” said U.S. Senator Richard Burr.  “The trend lately has been for manufacturing jobs to be created abroad, but some of the brightest and best trained talent in these high-tech fields can be found right here in America.  I am proud of Lenovo for recognizing the talent and the potential here in North Carolina, and I look forward to even more growth in this sector in the years to come.”
 
The new U.S. PC manufacturing line currently is under construction and scheduled to open early in 2013.  It will reside within Lenovo’s recently expanded 240,000-square-foot U.S. distribution center in Whitsett, N.C., approximately 10 miles east of Greensboro.  Hiring for the 115 manufacturing and related positions should begin later this year.
 
The U.S. manufacturing line will be capable of turning out some of Lenovo’s newest and most innovative products, such as the recently announced ThinkCentre M92p Tiny desktop and ThinkPad Tablet 2.  Lenovo believes that having a manufacturing capability in the U.S. can provide the capability to deliver products to customers even more quickly and reliably in many situations, while offering an even broader and more valuable set of PC-related services.
 
The U.S. PC production line is the latest investment in Lenovo’s aggressive strategy to expand its in-house manufacturing capabilities around the world, which the company believes will speed product innovation and support rapid business growth.  Over the past two years, Lenovo has invested in new plants and manufacturing joint ventures in China, Brazil and now the United States to produce PCs and mobile Internet devices such as smartphones.
 
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), the world’s second-largest PC vendor, is a $US30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile Internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.
 


Gartner Identifies Three Growth Opportunities in the Server Market Through 2015

Gartner Identifies Three Growth Opportunities in the Server Market Through 2015

Key Issues Facing the Server Market to Be Examined at Gartner Data Center Summit

STAMFORD, Conn., October 4, 2012—

Three key server segments — hyperscale data centers, hosted virtual desktop (HVD) workloads and extreme low-energy (ELE) servers — will offer opportunities for growth through 2015, according to Gartner, Inc. Servers represent the control points of hardware infrastructure in data centers, where workloads and applications reside, and Gartner analysts estimate that end-user spending on servers accounts for about 60 percent of overall data center hardware.

"The server market was worth $52.8 billion worldwide in 2011, and although it's mature, it will offer considerable growth opportunities in the coming years," said Kiyomi Yamada, principal research analyst at Gartner. "These opportunities will arise as demand for certain types of workloads increase and use of servers shifts to very large data centers, virtualization and energy-efficient products."

"Currently, the server market is highly competitive, and despite its size, offers only small profit margins," said Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice president at Gartner. "The prevalence of standardized (x86) platforms also makes it hard for companies to differentiate their products. In response, server providers, aiming for higher profit margins, have been making more effort to create fabric-based infrastructure and converge around integrated systems. To succeed in the server market in the next few years, companies must innovate and respond quickly to shifts in demand.

Opportunity 1: Increasing Demand for Hyperscale Data Centers Creates an Opportunity for Providers to Boost Server Shipments

Companies such as Google, Amazon and Facebook have huge data centers that serve external customers. These data centers need large numbers of servers and are called hyperscale data centers. The hyperscale/cloud data center segment already accounts for about 11 percent of server shipments and Gartner expects the segment to continue to experience strong growth, making it about 17 percent of the total x86 server market in unit terms by 2015.

"The hyperscale data center market is a big one, but limited, with only a few dozen — albeit, large — potential customers," said Ms. Yamada. "This strong, concentrated buying power inevitably means intense competition and lower margins, as well as fluctuating demand. Order schedules are more likely to be unpredictable, aligning with these companies' infrastructure build-out phases, which depend on each company's business plan. In order to be successful in this opportunity, organizations must offer custom design, manufacturing, installation and support capabilities that specifically target the segment."

Opportunity 2: Flexibility of HVDs Means More Enterprises Will Move Their Workloads, Increasing Demand for Virtualized Servers

Gartner estimates that by 2015, virtualized physical servers deployed for HVD workloads will reach about 368,000 units and will account for 16.7 percent of virtualized physical servers for all workloads. HVD workloads are among the fastest-growing server workloads. Users have taken to them quickly and in large numbers, chiefly because of the business continuity and operational efficiency they offer. Demand for HVDs will also be supported by organizations' increasing use of media tablets and use in enterprise data centers.

The main target for HVDs is large enterprises or public-sector organizations, but small or midsize businesses (SMBs) are also interested, and demand from this market segment has increased. There is also a good opportunity to offer optimized HVD solutions that cover servers, storage and networking.

Opportunity 3: Efficiency and Energy-Saving Factors Will Boost Demand for ELE Servers, Offering a New Opportunity for Providers to Diversify

This is a very new market, but Gartner estimates that ELE servers will replace about 2.4 percent of the total x86 market by 2015, as the need for power efficiency and greener IT solutions becomes more prevalent. ELE servers can be used to increase performance per watt for simple tasks such as static Web pages, streaming content, Web serving, Apache Hadoop analytics and memcached (a parallel database caching scheme), which can help to free power for conventional servers dealing with other workloads.

Although potentially lucrative, the ELE market isn't for everyone. Gartner believes that organizations need to investigate whether an investment in developing ELEs fits with their broader business goals. As very new servers, they require a large amount of R&D before products can be launched, so not only must companies be able to introduce low-power servers with small footprints, but they must also be willing to do the necessary development and testing.

Additional information is available in the Gartner report "Marketing Essentials: Three Growth Opportunities in the Server Market Through 2015." The report is available on Gartner's website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=2140215.

Additional analysis on the server market will be discussed at the Gartner Data Center Summit taking place November 27-28 in London and at the Gartner Data Center Conference, December 3-6 in Las Vegas. These events deliver a wealth of strategic guidance and tactical recommendations on the hottest issues, including servers, next-stage virtualization, the impact of cloud computing, mobility, storage, facilities, business continuity and disaster recovery.

For further information on the London Summit please visit http://www.gartner.com/technology/summits/emea/data-center/. Members of the media can register to attend the event by contacting rob.vandermeulen@gartner.com.

For information on the Las Vegas conference, please visit www.gartner.com/us/datacenter. Members of the media can register to attend the event by contact christy.pettey@gartner.com. Information from the event 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

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


About Gartner:
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is the valuable partner to clients in 12,000 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 5,000 associates, including 1,280 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries. For more information, www.gartner.com.

CRTC takes action against telemarketers offering anti-virus software

CRTC takes action against telemarketers offering anti-virus software

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, Oct. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) took enforcement action against two companies based in India for breaking Canada's telemarketing rules. The CRTC is requiring Pecon Software Limited and Avaneesh Software Private Limited to put a stop to their current telemarketing practices and to pay $495,000 and $12,000, respectively, in monetary penalties. The CRTC also conducted inspections as part of this ongoing investigation.

The CRTC found that these companies were making unsolicited telemarketing calls to Canadians who had registered their numbers on the National Do Not Call List. The caller would typically warn consumers that their home computer was infected with a virus and encouraged them to purchase online technical support or anti-virus software. In certain cases, the callers would request remote access to the computer.

"Foreign-based telemarketers have been put on notice that they must comply with our rules when calling Canadians," said Andrea Rosen, the CRTC's Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer. "Canadians who receive these types of unsolicited calls are encouraged to file a complaint and should never give an unsolicited caller access to their computers or personal information."
The CRTC's investigation was part of a broader strategy involving close collaboration with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Today, the FTC announced that it has filed a complaint in U.S. federal district court against the American office of one of the Indian companies involved in this investigation.

"We were pleased to work alongside the FTC during its investigation and we applaud its efforts to curb unsolicited calls from foreign-based telemarketers," Ms. Rosen added. "Tracking down individuals and companies who violate telemarketing rules is a global problem. The coordinated actions taken by our agencies today send a strong message that telemarketers cannot use national borders to evade detection or pursuit by enforcement agencies."

About the CRTC's enforcement measures
The CRTC applies the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules in order to reduce unwanted calls to Canadians. According to its enforcement process, the CRTC can take corrective action with telemarketers, issue warnings and citations, conduct inspections and issue notices of violation. To date, the CRTC's efforts have yielded over $2.5 million in penalties and over $740,000 in payments to post-secondary institutions.

The CRTC also serves as co-chair of the International Do Not Call Network. This network facilitates cooperation among its members, which consists of a dozen agencies that enforce telemarketing rules in their respective countries. Members meet annually to establish best practices and encourage the development of robust telemarketing laws around the globe.

About the National Do Not Call List
The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) was launched in 2008 to shield Canadians from unsolicited telemarketing calls and faxes. Canadians may register on the National DNCL at no charge or file a complaint about a telemarketer by calling 1-866-580-DNCL (3625) or visiting www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca. Once a number is added to the National DNCL, telemarketers have 31 days to update their calling lists. Over 11 million numbers are currently registered on the list.

Prepared remarks by Andrea Rosen
www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2012/r121003a.htm

Notices of Violation
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2012/vt121002.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2012/vt121002a.htm

The CRTC

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

Reference documents:

National Do Not Call List Video

Key facts for consumers

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1031.htm

Key facts for telemarketers

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1032.htm

How does the CRTC enforce the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules?

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1040.htm

These documents are available in alternative format upon request.

SOURCE: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

For further information:

Follow us on Twitter @crtceng

Media Relations:
communications@crtc.gc.ca
Tel: 819-997-9403, Fax: 819-997-4245

General Inquiries:
Tel: 819-997-0313, TDD: 819-994-0423, Fax: 819-994-0218
Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)    
TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)
http://crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E




































































Canada Post teams up with Shopify to create all-in-one e-commerce solution for retailers

Canada Post teams up with Shopify to create all-in-one e-commerce solution for retailers

OTTAWA, Oct. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - Today Canada Post announced that it is teaming up with Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform provider, to deliver a complete online retail solution for small businesses and retailers across Canada. Together, the companies have created an inclusive platform, complete with a fully integrated shipping solution, that will allow retailers to become online merchants almost instantly.

The Canada Post application combines Shopify's user-friendly e-commerce platform with a streamlined shipping process including easy-print labels, and automatically calculated shipping rates. Additionally, Shopify is offering all Canada Post VentureOne members the ability to set up an online store for free - with no bill to pay for three full months. The Shopify solution enables merchants to easily create a website and sell their products online. It takes only minutes to set up a store, display products and start selling.

"For centuries, Canada Post has been an enabler of trade and commerce in this country. And we will continue to play an even stronger role in this burgeoning digital economy," says René Desmarais, Senior Vice-president, Parcels at Canada Post. "And teaming up with leading e-commerce providers can only help to promote our country's digital economy in the long term."

"Starting an online store from scratch used to be a daunting experience for many," says Harley Finkelstein, Chief Platform Officer of Shopify. "Shopify streamlines the process and makes it easy for anyone with a product or service to launch, manage and grow their own online store." The all-in-one e-commerce solution allows Shopify merchants to:

  • Provide accurate Canada Post shipping rates to their shoppers during the checkout process.
  • Print and track shipping labels through a centralized interface that is directly integrated with their Shopify store.
  • Have custom control over label options, such as shipping method override, delivery confirmation required, insurance, ID on delivery, and more.
  • Streamline their order fulfillment process through automatic fulfillment of printed labels.
  • Send a custom tracking page to each shopper once their order is fulfilled.

"Nowadays, customers don't just want to be able to buy your product online - they expect it," says Finkelstein. "That's why this collaboration between Canada Post and Shopify is so important. We've made it possible for every Canadian business or entrepreneur to build an amazing online store, with little effort, and at no cost for three months." An estimated $8 billion worth of physical goods is ordered online in Canada each year for residential deliveries, and that figure is forecast to grow to more than $15 billion by 2016. Total expenditures on Canadian e-commerce business-to-consumer shipping services alone were more than $600 million in 2011. The Canada Post application for Shopify is available for download now at www.shopify.com/canadapost, or through the Shopify App store.

About Canada Post
Canada Post is the country's leading provider of business-to-consumer delivery. By reaching more than 15.1 million addresses, and operating the country's largest retail network of nearly 6,500 post offices, Canada Post is ideally positioned to offer affordable and reliable service, with convenient pickup and return options. Together, Canada Post, Purolator Inc. (Canada's largest logistics company) and SCI Logistics offer market-leading end-to-end solutions for e-commerce shippers by leveraging the assets and expertise of the Canada Post Group of Companies.

About Shopify:
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create awesome online stores. Shopify currently hosts more than 30,000 active online retailers, including: Gatorade, Amnesty International, General Electric, Tesla Motors, LMFAO, Foo Fighters, Encyclopædia Britannica, Tata Group, Evisu Jeans, DODOcase, Penny Arcade, CrossFit, GitHub, Evernote, and Epic Meal Time. Shopify was founded in 2004 by two snowboarding enthusiasts who wanted to create a better way to sell their snowboards online. Shopify has received $22 million in Series A and B funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Georgian Partners. For more information, please visit www.shopify.com.

SOURCE: Canada Post

For further information:

Media Relations, Canada Post
613 734-8888
medias@canadapost.ca

Mark Hayes, Public Relations, Shopify
1-888-746-7439 x 755
mark.hayes@shopify.com