Oracle Unveils Enhancements to Oracle WebCenter

Oracle Unveils Enhancements to Oracle WebCenter

New Release of Oracle WebCenter Sites Enables Organizations to Transform Online Experiences, Increasing Customer Acquisition, Brand Loyalty and Business Success

REDWOOD SHORES, CA--(Marketwire - May 1, 2012) - Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL)

News Facts

  • To help organizations transform the online experiences they can offer to their customers, Oracle today announced a new release of Oracle WebCenter Sites.
  • The new release of Oracle WebCenter Sites helps organizations drive customer acquisition and brand loyalty by simplifying the creation, management and optimization of interactive and social experiences.
  • Oracle WebCenter Sites is a best-in-class web experience management solution that is part of Oracle WebCenter. Oracle WebCenter offers capabilities for engaging customers and enabling and empowering employees and partners, including web experience management, portals, enterprise content management and enterprise social collaboration technology.

Driving Business Success with Online Customer Engagement

  • The new release of Oracle WebCenter Sites includes features that help organizations optimize customer engagement via web, mobile and social channels.
  • New authoring capabilities include:
    • A new business-user web site authoring environment that provides a modern interface with intuitive tools and drag-and-drop capabilities that fit the way marketers and line-of-business teams work today.
    • Rich search functionality and visual search results that simplify the authoring experience by making it easy for users to locate the content they wish to use, and place it into the context of the webpage.
  • Social login, social sharing and user-generated content enhancements include:
    • Out-of-the box integration with more than 20 social networks, including Facebook Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google, which removes barriers to site visitor registration and facilitates social interaction by enabling visitor authentication based on social network credentials.
    • The integrations also provide social sharing capabilities that help organizations extend the reach of their brands and promote engagement by making it easy for site visitors to automatically disseminate site content of interest to their Facebook page, Twitter feed, or more than 20 other social networks.
    • New user-generated content (UGC) capabilities that make it quick and easy for marketers to create and deploy polls on their websites or add new ratings widgets such as Thumbs Up/Down, Like It or Recommend, and more. These additions complement an already strong offering in the product for UGC including comments, ratings, reviews, and blogs, all with leading enterprise moderation capabilities.

Supporting Quotes

  • "Acquiring new customers and sustaining their loyalty over the long term is increasingly dependent upon an organization's ability to deliver rich and engaging online customer experiences," said Kumar Vora, senior vice president, Product Development, Oracle WebCenter. "With the new release of Oracle WebCenter Sites, Oracle is putting powerful tools in the hands of business users and marketers for creating online experiences that are relevant, social and interactive for site visitors. Oracle WebCenter continues to lead the way in helping organizations to engage customers and empower their business through its combination of web experience management, enterprise content management, portal and collaboration technologies."
  • "Our web site is the heart of our business," said Blane Nelson, systems architect, Ancestry.com. "The latest enhancements to Oracle WebCenter will make it easier for our business to deliver an engaging and interactive experience for our customers that we hope will exceed their expectations and keep them coming back to make more discoveries in their family's history."
  • "As the web becomes a core aspect of an organization's business strategy, marketers increasingly need tools that help them use the web to engage customers with targeted and social experiences that reach from the company's web presence to the social networks on which individuals choose to spend their time," said Melissa Webster, vice president, Content and Digital Media Technologies, IDC.

Supporting Resources

About Oracle
Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center. For more information about Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL), visit http://www.oracle.com.

Trademarks
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Information

Contact Info

Greg Lunsford
Oracle
+1.650.506.6523
Email Contact

Simon Jones
Blanc and Otus
+1.415.856.5155
Email Contact

IBM Introduces New Foundation for Mobile Computing

IBM Introduces New Foundation for Mobile Computing

Comprehensive Platform of Software and Services Advances IBM's Mobile Capabilities; Helps Clients Embrace Growing Mobile and Cloud Computing Business Opportunities

LAS VEGAS - 30 Apr 2012: IBM (NYSE:IBM) today unveiled its first ever Mobile Foundation, a comprehensive portfolio of software and services designed to help organizations capitalize on the proliferation of mobile environments -- including laptops, smartphones and tablets. (#IBMmobile)

Building on its recent acquisition of Worklight, the new foundation further expands IBM's strategy to provide clients with a mobile platform that spans application development, integration, security and management.  

The IBM Mobile Foundation is targeting $22B market opportunity that is expected to grow to $36B in 2015.1 In an IBM survey of more than 700 CIOs, three quarters said they are embracing a mobile strategy because a flexible workplace delivers a 20 percent improvement in employee productivity. The CIOs said they are significantly reducing the cost of doing business by decreasing dependence on email, improving social collaboration and adopting cloud technologies to reach mobile workers.2  

IBM has been steadily investing in the mobile space for more than a decade, both organically and through acquisitions: building a complete portfolio of software and services that delivers enterprise-ready mobility for clients. Increasingly, enterprises are reaching beyond their traditional IT boundaries by consuming new Cloud services and creating new mobile applications for employees and customers for broad consumption by customers, partners and developers. As a result, the new IBM Mobile Foundation offers organizations the following core capabilities: 

·        Connect Cloud & Mobile Environments: As the adoption of mobile computing continues to create increased demands for cloud services, IBM WebSphere Cast Iron is a crucial element of the new foundation. Now, clients will be able to easily connect mobile applications to a variety of Cloud and back-end systems.  

·        Build and Connect Mobile Applications: A new set of development and integration tools from IBM Worklight will enable clients for the first time to develop mobile applications and their supporting infrastructures for a variety of platforms just once and run them on any mobile platform - including Apple iOS and Google Android, and RIM Blackberry. Through new resources provided on developerWorks at no charge, IBM is also providing the technical skill building information developers need to start building secure mobile solutions ranging from simple applications to integrated web-based and native architectures. 

·        Manage and Secure Mobile Environments: In an effort to help organizations manage the Bring Your Own Device or “BYOD” trend, the foundation includes new software from IBM Endpoint Manager to help customers deliver a single solution that effectively manages and secures all endpoints. For example, this allows organizations to wipe enterprise data and applications from endpoints when needed.  These unified capabilities extend from servers and laptops, to smartphones and tablets. 

·        Extend Existing Capabilities and Capitalize on New Business Opportunities:  A new set of services, such as the IBM Quick Win Pilot, can assist clients with their mobile strategy and deployment. At the end of the 10 week pilot, clients are able to implement a defined use case with IBM Mobile technology and achieve tangible results. Additionally, new capabilities in the IBM DataPower appliances can now help IT organizations quickly and securely expose their enterprise data and services to mobile devices.  

“It's no secret that throughout the last decade, the most successful organizations have been quick to leverage new technology for business advantage,” said Marie Wieck, General Manager, IBM Application and Integration Middleware. “Over this time, we have evolved our market-leading portfolio to meet our client’s needs to extend their reach through new channels like mobile and cloud computing. Our latest offerings are yet another step in this direction and will provide customers with everything they need to support mobile devices in their business and use them to transform the way they interact with customers, partners and employees.”  

TBC Corporation Uses IBM Mobile Capabilities to Creates a New Customer Experience for the Automotive Aftermarket

TBC Corporation will use mobile computing as a major strategy to accelerate the company’s already rapid expansion into auto services. The nation's largest reseller of tires for the automotive replacement market, TBC is also a major force in retail automotive services for cars and trucks with more than 3,000 service outlets across the USA.

Using IBM Worklight, TBC is kicking off a major mobile initiative starting with a store locator much requested by customers. Soon to follow will be applications that provide automatic service status updates, allowing customers to approve repairs by text, and give customers anytime/anywhere access to service records for their car or truck.

The goal is to supply customers with a completely transparent and easy auto service experience, says John Capriotti, Vice President, Web and Ecommerce for TBC. Today, maintaining a car or truck is complex.  People have to remember service intervals, engage in complicated interactions and manage and file reams of paperwork. With TBC’s new online and mobile strategy, this all goes away. Auto maintenance will be seamless and simple.

This year’s IMPACT conference features more than 8,500 attendees and hundreds of client testimonials, presentations, workshops and product demos. For more information, visit: http://www.ibm.com/press/us/en/presskit/37590.wss 

For more information on how IBM is helping clients and partners make smarter, faster decisions and increase their business, visit: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet  

### 

(1) According to IBM studies.

(2) IBM research paper: Achieving success with a flexible workplace. Publish date, May 2012. 

IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com, WebSphere, SmartSOA, Smarter Planet and the planet icon are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. For a current list of IBM trademarks, please see www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml  

All other company, product or service names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of others. Statements concerning IBM's future development plans and schedules are made for planning purposes only, and are subject to change or withdrawal without notice. Reseller prices may vary.

Contact(s) information

Faye Abloeser
IBM Media Relations
1 (908) 770-0762
abloeser@us.ibm.com

Chris Rubsamen
IBM Media Relations
1 (914) 319-8156
rubsamen@us.ibm.com

Samsung Canada Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade

Samsung Canada Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade

Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.
4/30/2012 11:33 AM EDT

Now available in Canada for Select Samsung GALAXY devices

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 30, 2012 /CNW/ - Samsung Electronics Canada is pleased to announce the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for Samsung GALAXY devices. The upgrade will be available today on select devices in Canada and will continue rolling out to devices and carriers throughout the quarter.

Ice Cream Sandwich brings a fresh look and feel to Android. It has a new user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, a full Web browsing experience and innovations such as Face Unlock, which uses the front facing camera for facial recognition to unlock the smartphone.

"We are passionate about providing the best possible mobile experience to Canadians and the upgrade to Android 4.0 will offer an improved user experience for Samsung GALAXY devices," said Paul Brannen, Vice President, Mobile Communications at Samsung Canada. "We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade and we remain committed, alongside our carrier partners, to satisfy our customer needs".

Devices eligible for an ICS upgrade include:

  • GALAXY S II
  • GALAXY S II LTE
  • GALAXY S II LTE HD
  • GALAXY S II X
  • GALAXY Note
  • GALAXY Tab 7.0
  • GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus
  • GALAXY Tab 8.9
  • GALAXY Tab 10.1

Recently introduced to the Canadian marketplace, Samsung GALAXY S II X and Samsung GALAXY S II LTE HD are NFC enabled, which enables consumers to utilize Android Beam™. Android Beam allows users to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping two phones back-to-back. Users can even use fun effects while shooting video or video chatting with Google Talk™.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers' requirements. For carrier specific details, please visit your nearest carrier retailer. For more information on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, please visit www.samsung.com.

Android Beam, Google Talk and YouTube are trademarks of Google Inc.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Canada delivers unrivalled consumer experiences. Samsung enables Canadians to pursue their passions by offering a broad range of award-winning digital consumer electronics, IT, telecommunications and home appliance products. The Canadian arm upholds Samsung's global mission to provide consumers with innovative digital convergence products that possess exceptional technology, quality, features, performance and value. As a result of its commitment to innovation and unique design, Samsung has become one of the most decorated brands in the electronics industry. The company was ranked #17 in BusinessWeek/Interbrand "100 Best Global Brands" and was named as one of Fast Company's "50 Most Innovative Companies of 2011."

For more information, please visit www.samsung.ca.

You can also Like Samsung on facebook.com/SamsungCanada or follow Samsung on twitter @SamsungCanada. For customer service inquiries, please call 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864).

SOURCE Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.

Toronto's JOLT joins Global Accelerator Network and announces call for applications

JOLT joins Global Accelerator Network and announces call for applications

Posted on April 30, 2012 by


Partnership to give JOLT startups access to extensive benefits and connections outside Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, April 30, 2012 – JOLT (www.joltco.ca), a new technology accelerator for high-growth web and mobile startups in Canada, announced today that it is now a member of the Global Accelerator Network (GAN), an alliance championed by TechStars and originally created as part of the White House’s Startup America Initiative. The Global Accelerator Network includes many of the strongest and most successful independent startup accelerators from across the US and around the world. JOLT also announced that it is now taking applications for its summer 2012 cohort.

“The Global Accelerator Network is excited to welcome JOLT as its newest member,” said Patrick Riley, Executive Director of the Global Accelerator Network. “The members in the Network include many of the top accelerators in the world. We believe JOLT is a great addition to this prestigious group as one of the best options for entrepreneurs seeking mentorship, funding, connections and resources. I look forward to seeing all the future successes of JOLT graduates.”

In exchange for a small amount of equity, selected JOLT companies receive $30,000 in initial financing, office space in the MaRS Commons, and access to a diverse mentor network of 80+ entrepreneurs, business experts, creative thinkers, designers, technologists, product builders and investors. In addition, through the GAN membership, JOLT offers startups access to nearly $100,000 in free perks from over 25 of the best vendors in the world, including Amazon, Rackspace, PayPal and more.

"We are extremely pleased to be joining forces with one of the leading accelerator programs in the world," says Susan McGill, Executive Director of JOLT. "One of the biggest challenges for early-stage companies is customer traction. Through our partnership with Global Accelerator Network, JOLT startups gain access to an international network of world-class mentors and peers with solid connections and relationships on a global scale. While investment is the lifeblood of startups, mentors with the right connections offer a direct path to customers, partners and growth."

JOLT is looking for exceptional entrepreneurs who are building high-growth web and mobile companies that promise to transform the way consumers and enterprises connect, work and play. Startups accepted into JOLT will progress through an intense, four-month program that will prepare them to secure customers and attract the next round of capital. Upon completion, these startups will be given the opportunity to pitch to some of the top angel and venture capital investors in the industry. JOLT graduates will also receive ongoing support from MaRS, one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and building Canada’s next generation of high-growth companies.

Entrepreneurs interested in JOLT can apply online until May 30, 2012. Up to eight companies will be selected to participate in the summer 2012 cohort.

About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com) (Twitter: @MaRSDD) is a mission-driven innovation centre located in Toronto. MaRS works with partners to catalyze, accelerate and amplify innovation. MaRS supports entrepreneurs building Canada’s next generation of growth companies.

About JOLT

JOLT (www.joltco.ca) (Twitter: @joltco) is a Toronto-based startup accelerator dedicated to building high-growth Canadian web and mobile companies focused on startups in the IT, communications and entertainment industries. JOLT offers these selected companies working space in the MaRS Commons, seed financing and mentorship, as well as access to seasoned partners and some of the top angel and venture capital investors in the industry. By combining the expertise of its numerous partners in the creative arts, design and technology sectors with MaRS’ business-building experience, JOLT provides the selected companies with business validation, streamlined market entry and a greater opportunity for success.

About Global Accelerator Network

The Global Accelerator Network (www.globalacceleratornetwork.com) consists of almost 40 high quality independently owned and operated organizations from around the world that utilize a mentorship-based startup accelerator model. It provides networking opportunities, training, special perks, and ongoing support for members of the network. TechStars led the effort to form the Global Accelerator Network in 2010 as part of the White House’s Startup America Initiative. In the spirit of supporting more entrepreneurs around the world, the Network’s mission is to ensure that 5,000 successful and experienced entrepreneurs and investors will mentor and support 6,000 promising young entrepreneurs. The goal is to increase their success rate tenfold and create 25,000 new jobs by 2015 as well as a sustained engine for growing these figures over time.

For more information, contact:

Chris Stevenson

Director, Communications

(416) 673-8104

cstevenson@marsdd.com

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Form Strategic Partnership to Advance World-Class Digital Reading Experiences for Consumers

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Form Strategic Partnership to Advance World-Class Digital Reading Experiences for Consumers
April 30, 2012
Newly Formed Subsidiary to Include NOOK® Digital and College Businesses.

NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — April 30, 2012 —
 Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced the formation of a strategic partnership in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which will build upon the history of strong innovation in digital reading technologies from both companies. The partnership will accelerate the transition to e-reading, which is revolutionizing the way people consume, create, share and enjoy digital content.

The new subsidiary, referred to in this release as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores. Barnes & Noble has not yet decided on the name of Newco.

One of the first benefits for customers will be a NOOK application for Windows 8, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-Books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally.

The inclusion of Barnes & Noble’s College business is an important component of Newco’s strategic vision. Through the newly formed Newco, Barnes & Noble’s industry leading NOOK Study software will provide students and educators the preeminent technology platform for the distribution and management of digital education materials in the market.

“The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the NOOK business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business.” 

“The shift to digital is putting the world’s libraries and newsstands in the palm of every person’s hand, and is the beginning of a journey that will impact how people read, interact with, and enjoy new forms of content,” said Andy Lees, President at Microsoft. “Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them. We’re at the cusp of a revolution in reading.”

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have settled their patent litigation, and moving forward, Barnes & Noble and Newco will have a royalty-bearing license under Microsoft’s patents for its NOOK eReader and Tablet products. This paves the way for both companies to collaborate and reach a broader set of customers.

Newco

On January 5, Barnes & Noble announced that it was exploring the strategic separation of its digital business in order to maximize shareholder value. Barnes & Noble is actively engaged in the formation of Newco, which will include Barnes & Noble’s digital and College businesses. The company intends to explore all alternatives for how a strategic separation of Newco may occur. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company, and there is no set timetable for this review. Barnes & Noble does not intend to comment further regarding the review unless and until a decision is made. 

Additional information will be contained in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Barnes & Noble.

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft will host an investor call and webcast beginning at 8:30 A.M. ET on Monday, April 30, 2012. To join the webcast, please visit: 

.

Media Contacts

For Barnes & Noble:

Mary Ellen Keating, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

Barnes & Noble, Inc.

(212) 633-3323 mkeating@bn.com

For Microsoft:

Rapid Response Team

Waggener Edstrom Worldwide

(503) 443-7070 rrt@waggeneredstrom.com

Investor Contact

For Barnes & Noble:

Andy Milevoj, Director of Investor Relations

Barnes & Noble, Inc.

(212) 633-3489 amilevoj@bn.com

About Barnes & Noble, Inc. 

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 691 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 641 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 two 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 Associated 2012 Customer Service Champion and is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named.

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

NOOK®, NOOK Tablet™, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight™ , NOOK Simple Touch ™, NOOK Color™, Reader’s Tablet™, Best-Text™, NOOK Store™, NOOK Bookstore™,NOOK Magazines™, VividView™, NOOK Newspapers™, FREE NOOK Reading Apps™, NOOK Kids™,NOOK Digital Shop™, Read In Store™,More In Store™,LendMe®,NOOK Library™,NOOK Books en español™, NOOK Study™, 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.

Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Reveals Significant Increase in Malicious Attacks


Annual Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Reveals

81 Percent Increase in Malicious Attacks

 

TORONTO, ON. – April 30, 2012– Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced the findings of its Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17, which shows that while the number of vulnerabilities decreased by 20 percent, the number of malicious attacks continued to skyrocket by 81 percent.  In addition, the report highlights that advanced targeted attacks are spreading to organizations of all sizes and variety of personnel, data breaches are increasing, and that attackers are focusing on mobile threats.

 

Read more detailed blog posts:

·         The 2011 Internet Security Threat Report – There Is No Panacea to Protect Against All Attacks

·         Keep Your SMB Safe from Internet-Based Threats

 

Malicious Attacks Continue to Grow Rapidly

Symantec blocked more than 5.5 billion malicious attacks in 2011, an increase of 81 percent over the previous year.  In addition, the number of unique malware variants increased to 403 million and the number of Web attacks blocked per day increased by 36 percent.

 

At the same time, spam levels fell considerably and new vulnerabilities discovered decreased by 20 percent.  These statistics, compared to the continued growth in malware, paint an interesting picture. Attackers have embraced easy to use attack toolkits to efficiently leverage existing vulnerabilities.  Moving beyond spam, cyber criminals are then turning to social networks to launch their attacks.  The very nature of these networks makes users incorrectly assume they are not at risk and attackers are using these sites to target new victims.  Due to social engineering techniques and the viral nature of social networks, it’s much easier for threats to spread from one person to the next. 

 

Advanced Targeted Attacks Spread to Organizations of All Sizes

Targeted attacks are growing, with the number of daily targeted attacks increasing from 77 per day to 82 per day by the end of 2011.  Targeted attacks use social engineering and customized malware to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.  These advanced attacks have traditionally focused on public sector and government; however, in 2011, targeted attacks diversified.

 

Targeted attacks are no longer limited to large organizations.  More than 50  percent of such attacks target organizations with fewer than 2,500 employees, and almost 18 percent target companies with fewer than 250 employees. These organizations may be targeted because they are in the supply chain or partner ecosystem of a larger company and because they are less well-defended. Furthermore, 58 percent of attacks target non-execs, employees in roles such as human resources,, public relations, and sales.  Individuals in these jobs may not have direct access to information, but they can serve as a direct link into the company.  They are also easy for attackers to identify online and are used to getting proactive inquiries and attachments from unknown sources. 

 

Rise of Data Breaches, Lost Devices Concern for the Future

Approximately 1.1 million identities were stolen per data breach on average  in 2011, a dramatic increase over the amount seen in any other year.  Hacking incidents posed the greatest threat, exposing 187 million identities in 2011—the greatest number for any type of breach last year.  However, the most frequent cause of data breaches that could facilitate identity theft was theft or loss of a computer or other medium on which data is stored or transmitted, such as a smartphone, USB key or a backup device. These theft-or loss-related breaches exposed 18.5 million identities.  

 

As tablets and smartphones continue to outsell PCs, more sensitive information will be available on mobile devices.  Workers are bringing their smartphones and tablets into the corporate environment faster than many organizations are able to secure and manage them.  This may lead to an increase in data breaches as lost mobile devices present risks to information if not properly protected.   Recent research by Symantec shows that 50 percent of lost phones will not be returned and 96 percent (including those returned) will experience a data breach.

 

Mobile Threats Expose Businesses and Consumers

Mobile vulnerabilities increased by 93 percent in 2011. At the same time, there was a rise in threats targeting the Android operating system.  With the number of vulnerabilities in the mobile space rising and malware authors not only reinventing existing malware for mobile devices, but creating mobile-specific malware geared to the unique mobile opportunities, 2011 was the first year that mobile malware presented a tangible threat to businesses and consumers. These threats are designed for activities including data collection, the sending of content, and user tracking. 

 

Click to Tweet: Symantec blocked more than 5.5 billion attacks in 2011: http://bit.ly/K8NeJ8

Click to Tweet: #ISTR 1.1 million identities stolen per breach last year: http://bit.ly/K8NeJ8

Click to Tweet: Hackers exposed 187 million identities in 2011: http://bit.ly/K8NeJ8

Click to Tweet: Mobile vulnerabilities increased by 93% in 2011, #ISTR: http://bit.ly/K8NeJ8

Click to Tweet: Advanced targeted attacks spread to organizations of all sizes and information workers: http://bit.ly/K8NeJ8

                                                               

Quote

 

“In 2011 cybercriminals greatly expanded their reach, with nearly 20% of targeted attacks now directed at companies with fewer than 250 employees,” said Stephen Trilling, Chief Technology Officer, Symantec.  “We’ve also seen a large increase in attacks on mobile devices, making these devices a viable platform for attackers to leverage in targeting sensitive data.  Organizations of all sizes need to be vigilant about protecting their information.”

 

Multimedia:

·         Video: Did You Know: Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17

·         Podcast: Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Volume 17

·         Webcast: Threat Update:  Top Trends to Focus on for 2012

·         SlideShare: Symantec Internet Security Threat Report 2011, Volume 17, April 2012  

·         Infographic: 2011 in Numbers  

·         Infographic: 2011 by Month

 

Resources:

·         Full Report Home Page: Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17

·         Internet Security Threat Report Press Kit

·         Build Your Own Customizable Version of the Internet Security Threat Report

·         Blog Post: The 2011 Internet Security Threat Report – There Is No Panacea to Protect Against All Attacks  

·         Blog Post: Keep Your SMB Safe from Internet-Based Threats

·         The Symantec Smartphone Honey Stick Project

 

Connect with Symantec

 

About the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report

The Internet Security Threat Report provides an overview and analysis of the year in global threat activity. The report is based on data from the Global Intelligence Network, which Symantec’s analysts use to identify, analyze, and provide commentary on emerging trends in attacks, malicious code activity, phishing, and spam. 

 

About Security Technology and Response

The Security Technology and Response (STAR) organization, which includes Security Response, is a worldwide team of security engineers, threat analysts and researchers that provides the underlying functionality, content and support for all Symantec corporate and consumer security products. Symantec has established some of the most comprehensive sources of Internet threat data in the world through the Symantec Global Intelligence Network, which is made up of more than 64.6 million attack sensors and updates several thousand times every second.  This network monitors attack activity in more than 200 countries and territories and tracks more than 47,000 vulnerabilities affecting more than 40,000 products from more than 15,000 vendors.  Spam, phishing and malware data is captured through a variety of sources, including the Symantec Probe Network, Skeptic, Symantec.cloud and a number of other Symantec security technologies. The team uses this vast intelligence to develop and deliver the world’s most comprehensive security protection.

 

About Symantec

Symantec’s Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver.  For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, access Symantec’s Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

                                                                                                  

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Gartner Says Security Software Market Grew 7.5 Percent in 2011

Gartner Says Security Software Market Grew 7.5 Percent in 2011

Key Issues Facing Security Industry to Be Examined at Upcoming Gartner Security & Risk Management Summits 2012 in Maryland, Sydney and London

STAMFORD, Conn., April 26, 2012—

              Worldwide security software revenue totaled $17.7 billion in 2011, a 7.5 percent increase from 2010 revenue of $16.4 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. Small or midsize business (SMB) demand, advanced persistent threats and compliance were among the main drivers.

"Growth in the 2011 security market reflects a continuation in demand for consumer and enterprise security tools," said Ruggero Contu, research director at Gartner. "However, despite overall solid growth, some regions did not experience the high-double-digit growth of emerging Asia/Pacific and Eurasia, which has been driven by 'greenfield' projects and buoyant economies. Western Europe remained the laggard because of the region's uncertain economic situation."

The security software market continued to show resilience at a time of IT budget restrictions and despite Intel writing down considerable revenue following its McAfee acquisition, which prevented the market from reaching double-digit growth. McAfee was acquired by Intel on 28 February 2011, and the company's significant decline in revenue in 2011 was due to the fact that, as a result of normal purchase accounting rules, Intel was required to write down approximately 30 percent of McAfee's $1.4 billion of deferred revenue.

Retaining its market share lead in both the consumer and enterprise security space, Symantec recorded an annual growth rate of 17 percent, reaching $3.7 billion in 2011 (see Table 1). Symantec has continued to expand is offering beyond the traditional endpoint security market by leveraging its competency and mind share in the storage/data backup space and by putting a new focus on securing data, both at rest and in motion, through its data loss prevention (DLP) and encryption products.

Table 1
Security Software Revenue Market Share Estimates, Worldwide, 2011 (Millions of Dollars)

Company

2011

Revenue

2011 Market

Share (%)

2010 Revenue

2010-2011

Growth (%)

Symantec

3,652.0

20.6

3,121.6

17.0

McAfee

1,226.0

6.9

1,691.6

-27.5

Trend Micro

1,205.1

6.8

1,082.5

11.3

IBM

930.1

5.3

814.7

14.2

EMC

716.1

4.0

626.6

14.3

Others

9,985.8

56.4

9,137.2

9.3

Total

17,715.1

100.0

16,474.2

7.5

Source: Gartner (April 2012) 

Gartner analysts said McAfee has a strong brand and market presence which originates from its primary focus and specialization on security, in both the consumer and enterprise markets. On the enterprise side, McAfee has been expanding its security software offering to network security following its acquisition of Secure Computing in November 2008. With its mother company Intel, McAfee aims to build on both companies' competencies and have better integration between hardware and security. The McAfee DeepSAFE, a new low-level security agent that runs below the OS on Intel Core I-series processors, is an example of the innovation that this new corporate entity aims to bring to the market.

Trend Micro was the other major market share leader in the security software market with a strong presence in both the consumer and enterprise security space. During 2011, Trend Micro grew 11 percent, generating $1.2 billion revenue, growth that unlike that of its main market competitors, was organic rather than from acquisitions.

"Products within the security market are undergoing rapid evolution, in terms of both new delivery models — with security as a service (SaaS) showing increasing popularity — and new technologies being introduced, often by startup companies," Mr. Contu said. "Key vendors continued to expand their product portfolios in 2011, buying companies where appropriate and expanding their reach into emerging markets. Merger-and-acquisition activity also has been an important factor in shaping the market landscape, at least during the past five years. "

Additional information is available in the Gartner report "Market Share Analysis: Security Software, Worldwide, 2011." The report is available on Gartner's website athttp://www.gartner.com/resId=1982317.

About Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2012
Gartner analysts will examine the key issues facing the security industry during the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit. The Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit features four programs focusing on security; risk management and compliance; business continuity management; and chief information security officer (CISO) roles to deliver detailed, role-specific content and networking. Each program offers a full agenda of analyst sessions, keynotes, roundtable discussions, case studies, workshops and more.

For further information about the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2012 taking place June 11-14 in Maryland, please visit www.gartner.com/us/itsecurity. Members of the media can register by contacting Christy Pettey atchristy.pettey@gartner.com.

The Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit  2012 in Sydney will be held July 16-17. More information is available at www.gartner.com/ap/security. Members of the media can register by contacting Susan Moore at susan.moore@gartner.com.

For additional details about the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2012 taking place September 19-20 in London, please visithttp://www.gartner.com/technology/summits/emea/security/. Members of the media can register by contacting laurence.goasduff@gartner.com.

Additional information from the event will be shared on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/Gartner_inc and using #GartnerSEC.

 

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 a valuable partner to 60,000 clients in 11,500 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 4,500 associates, including 1,250 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.

Trend Micro Announces Partnership with Facebook

Trend Micro Announces Partnership with Facebook Offering Users Protection for Their Digital Life
Facebook now offers safer social networking backed by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network

CUPERTINO, Calif., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated(TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704, #TrendMicro ), a global cloud security leader, today announced a strategic partnership with Facebook to help educate and protect users' digital life against malicious sites and malware. Facebook will support integration of the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ infrastructure, which uses cloud technology, threat correlation, and a global network of threat intelligence sensors to proactively stop malware and web threats before they reach the computer.  Facebook will utilize this technology to help block malicious links from their site.   

Facebook users can now benefit from the same protection that is employed by the world's largest businesses.  When a Facebook user, on a Mac, PC or mobile device, clicks on links that have been passed to them or posted on their friend's wall, that link will automatically (and behind the scenes) be first analyzed by Trend Micro's Smart Protection Network which will perform a real-time analysis of that URL and the content of that link to determine whether it's safe or not.  If that link is deemed unsafe, Trend Micro will warn the user that the link leads to malicious websites and malware sites.  Now incorporated within Facebook's database of external malicious URL intelligence providers, the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure delivers advanced protection from the cloud, blocking threats in real-time while processing more than 70 billion URL, email, and file queries daily. Every day, Trend Micro blocks over 1.4 billion threats and processes more than 300 million new URLs.

Trend Micro and Facebook will also be teaming up to promote and provide security education which will inform of the latest threat developments through on-going contributions to Facebook's Security page, e-guides, blog posts, quizzes, videos and more. 

"Now that Facebook is a primary platform for communication, whether you're nine or ninety-nine, it's only become a bigger target for cybercriminals," said Carol Carpenter, general manager, consumer division at Trend Micro. "This is why we're thrilled to partner with Facebook to offer an additional layer of protection to users so they don't have to think twice when interacting with friends and uploading pictures from their weekend." 

"We are thrilled to be incorporating Trend Micro's Smart Protection Network to Facebook's existing database of malicious URLs, and the opportunity to offer Trend Micro software to our users," said Joe Sullivan, chief security officer at Facebook. "This partnership will better enable us to protect the people who use our service, no matter where they are in the web."

Additionally, Trend Micro is also offering Facebook PC users a free 6-month trial of Trend Micro™ Titanium™ Security Essentials, and for Facebook Mac users a free trial of Trend Micro™ Smart Surfing for Mac. Titanium™ Security Essentials and Smart Surfing for Mac provide vital protection for users who want to surf the Web hassle free.  Initially this is available for users in the US, Canada, UK and Australia.  To sign up, join Trend Micro's Fearless Web community on Facebook. "Like" Fearless Web to receive six months free of Trend Micro Titanium Security Essentials or Trend Micro Smart Surfing for Mac. This offer can also be accessed through Facebook's security page.

Trend Micro Titanium Security Essentials

  • Uses cloud technology to proactively stop threats before they reach you
  • Utilizes less than half the disk space and memory of other security products
  • Intuitive interface is easy to install and use
  • Top rated protection scores from AV Comparatives*

Trend Micro Smart Surfing for Mac

  • Protects against phishing scams and other online threats
  • Prevents malicious downloads from websites
  • Allows you to manage your children's online activities with parental controls
  • Free automatic updates
  • #1 best-selling Mac product in the US**

* Based on AV Comparatives Whole Product Dynamic "Real World" Protection test results from May – August 2011
** Based on twelve months of aggregated US retail sales data reported by the NPD Group in January 2012

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cloud security leader, creates a world safe for exchanging digital information with its Internet content security and threat management solutions for businesses and consumers.  A pioneer in server security with over 20 years' experience, we deliver top-ranked client, server and cloud-based security that fits our customers' and partners' needs, stops new threats faster, and protects data in physicalvirtualized and cloudenvironments. Powered by the industry-leading Trend Micro Smart Protection Network cloud computing security infrastructure, our products and services stop threats where they emerge – from the Internet. They are supported by 1,000+ threat intelligence experts around the globe. 

AMD Selects HP for Cloud Data Center

AMD Selects HP for Cloud Data Center

Standardizing with HP helps AMD reduce its data-center footprint by more than 50 percent

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 25, 2012

HP today announced that AMD (NYSE: AMD) has improved business efficiency and streamlined operations by consolidating its worldwide data centers and standardizing on HP Networking solutions. 
AMD’s innovative computing and graphics technologies run a wide range of computing devices – such as personal computers, game consoles and servers – all of which power internet and business operations spanning cloud computing and virtualization environments throughout the world.

With 18 data centers worldwide, AMD recognized the need to consolidate its infrastructure to optimize resources as well as improve power and cooling efficiency. AMD conducted a comprehensive testing and review process of solutions from multiple networking vendors before choosing HP. The HP 12500 Switch Series and HP 5820 Switch Series will be used in AMD’s newest private cloud data center, where the company makes heavy use of virtualization and cluster technologies.

“We were experiencing suboptimal business operations due to infrastructure sprawl,” said Farid Dana, director, IT, Global Infrastructure Services, AMD. “HP Networking’s open, standards-based architecture offered us the flexibility to easily integrate solutions and expand our infrastructure while leveraging existing investments.”

Additionally, AMD deployed HP server solutions, including HP ProLiant BL465c G7 servers with AMD Opteron 6200 Series processors, to help improve the compute power of its internal engineering cloud, which performs up to 40 million engineering simulations per month. The HP server platform supports AMD’s virtualized environment as well as the company’s business applications and services.

Implementing HP Networking and server technologies helped AMD reduce its data-center footprint by more than 50 percent while increasing network capacity and improving performance. AMD plans to upgrade other sites with HP Networking hardware in the near future.

  • AMD also engaged HP Critical Facilities Services (CFS) to build a new data center. HP CFS provides consulting, design and assurance services for building new or retrofitting legacy data centers. Working with HP CFS, AMD designed the data center from the ground up to meet changing business requirements with lower facilities capital and operating costs.
  • More information about HP Networking solutions is available at www.hp.com/networking.

HP’s premier client event, HP Discover, takes place June 4-7 in Las Vegas.

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 printingpersonal computingsoftwareservices and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.