What does the failure of the UN telecom treaty mean for Canada?


Media advisory - What does the failure of the UN telecom treaty mean for Canada?


CIRA's CEO offers first-hand insight

OTTAWA, Dec. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Byron Holland, President and CEO of The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (www.CIRA.ca), is available today to put into perspective the outcome of last week's World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) and explain its significance to Canadians.

From December 3 to 14, the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU), hosted in Dubai delegates from more than 190 nations to revise the standards that govern communications around the world. This process was last carried out in 1988, when the Internet was still in its infancy and few could predict the impact it would have on global society.

While the purpose of WCIT-12 was to create a new treaty to manage the international interconnection and interoperability of information and communication services, it was Internet governance and regulation that took the spotlight. A group of ITU member states that included China, Russia and Algeria proposed provisions to the treaty that have been perceived as a means for individual governments to gain greater control over the Internet. These provisions were opposed by an alliance that included Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and other nations. Consequently, a new telecom treaty was not approved.

According to a statement released Thursday by Canada's Industry Minister, Christian Paradis:

"Canada endeavoured to reach consensus on new ... regulations that recognized advances in telecommunications while maintaining an open, accessible Internet. The final treaty text tabled in Dubai included provisions that threaten these freedoms and, as a result, Canada and many other nations were unable to sign on to these new regulations."

Holland was part of the Canadian delegation to WCIT-12 and observed the proceedings. As a result of his unique perspective in Dubai, he can discuss:

  • How Internet governance and regulation came to dominate the conference.
  • Why a new treaty was rejected by the alliance that included Canada.
  • What this outcome means for the future of the Internet.
  • Why these issues are critical to Canadians.

Holland has a wealth of experience in Canadian and international Internet governance. He is vice-chair of the Country Codes Name Supporting Organization (ccNSO), the body that represents the interests of all country code top-level domains and leads policy development initiatives at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Holland is also an active participant in the United Nations co-ordinated Internet Governance Forum, and other Internet governance fora.

To arrange an interview please contact Tanya O'Callaghan or Leo Valiquette at the coordinates below.

About CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the Member-driven organization that manages Canada's .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada's Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally.

SOURCE: Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

For further information:

Tanya O'Callaghan
Communications Manager, Canadian Internet Registration Authority
(613) 237-5335 ext. 262
tanya.ocallaghan@cira.ca

Leo Valiquette
inmedia Public Relations
(613) 769-9479
lvaliquette@inmedia.ca

CIOs Reveal First-Quarter Hiring Plans: Robert Half Technology Survey Finds Increased IT Hiring Projections


CIOs Reveal First-Quarter Hiring Plans: Robert Half Technology Survey Finds Increased IT Hiring Projections


TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Technology executives expect information technology (IT) hiring to increase in the first quarter of 2013, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 15 per cent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 1 per cent expect cutbacks, for a net 14 per cent projected increase in hiring activity. This is up two points from the previous quarter's projections. Eighty-three per cent of CIOs plan to maintain their current staffing levels.

The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CIOs from companies across Canada with 100 or more employees. Executives are asked whether their companies plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time IT personnel on their staff during the coming quarter. The survey is conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half has been tracking IT hiring activity in Canada since 1995.

Key Findings

- The net 14 per cent increase in anticipated IT hiring activity is up two points from the net 12 per cent increase in hiring activity projected last quarter. - Eighty-three per cent of CIOs plan to maintain their current staffing levels. - IT security professionals, help desk/technical support professionals, and applications development professionals are the most challenging to find, according to survey respondents. - Forty-five per cent of CIOs said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled professionals today. - Eighty-four per cent of CIOs are somewhat or very confident in their companies' growth prospects in the next three months. - Sixty-five per cent of technology executives expressed confidence that their firms will be investing in IT projects in the first quarter.

"As the employment market for IT professionals continues to remain active, there is a real uptick in demand for those with skills in areas such as IT security and technical support," said Lara Dodo, regional vice-president of Robert Half Technology in Canada. "The new year, especially, is a time for many companies to re-assess their budget, and hire additional staff in support of critical IT projects that may have been put on hold in the past."

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments

Eighty-four per cent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the first quarter of 2013.

Sixty-five per cent of CIOs also said they are confident that their firms would invest in IT projects in the first quarter of 2013; 29 per cent are not very or not at all confident.

Skills in Demand

The functional areas in which executives said it is very challenging to find skilled IT professionals are IT security (15 per cent), help desk/technical support (13 per cent) and applications development (7 per cent).

Network administration and desktop support are the skill sets in greatest demand, each cited by 64 per cent of CIOs. Wireless network management and Windows administration were next, with 54 per cent and 53 per cent of the response, respectively.

Industries Hiring

Executives in the finance industry expect the most IT hiring in the first quarter. A net 26 per cent of CIOs in this sector plan to add to their IT departments. This was followed by the construction industry, with a net 17 per cent of technology leaders anticipating hiring increases. Wholesale was next, with a net 16 per cent of executives in this industry planning to add staff.

About the Survey

The quarterly IT Hiring Index and Skills Report was developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. First published in 1995, the study is based on more than 270 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of Canadian companies with 100 or more employees. In order for the study to be statistically representative and ensure that companies from all segments were represented, the sample was stratified by industry and number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper number of employees within each industry. The margin of error for this study is +/- 5.0 per cent at the 90 per cent level of confidence.

About Robert Half Technology

With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at www.rht.com. Visitors can also request a copy of the Robert Half Technology 2013 Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions.

SOURCE: Robert Half Technology

For further information: TO SPEAK WITH A LOCAL EXPERT, CONTACT: Robert Half Technology, Contact: Nadia Santoli, (416) 350-2330, nadia.santoli@rhi.com

Microsoft Increases Production and Expands Retail Distribution for Microsoft Surface With Windows RT

Microsoft Increases Production and Expands Retail Distribution for Microsoft Surface With Windows RT
Dec. 11, 2012
Makes Surface available at additional retailers, extends successful Microsoft holiday stores into new year.

REDMOND, Wash. — Dec. 11, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to make Microsoft Surface available at additional retailers as soon as mid-December. In addition, the company announced the extension of the Microsoft holiday stores, including the transition of several of the stores into permanent Microsoft retail outlets.

“The public reaction to Surface has been exciting to see. We’ve increased production and are expanding the ways in which customers can interact with, experience and purchase Surface,” said Panos Panay, general manager, Microsoft Surface.

As early as mid-December, consumers will be able to go to retail stores in the United States and Australia to purchase a Surface with Windows RT. Additional availability will be added in a number of countries in the coming months.

“Our plan has been to expand the retail presence for Surface after the first of the year. Based on interest from retailers, we are giving them the option to carry Surface with Windows RT even earlier,” said Steve Schueler, corporate vice president, Microsoft Retail Sales and Marketing.

Surface will continue to be available for purchase at all Microsoft retail stores in the United States and Canada and online in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Based on the success of the Microsoft holiday stores, the company will extend all of these locations into the new year. These stores will transition into either permanent brick-and-mortar retail outlets or specialty store locations.

Microsoft stores will continue to offer best-in-class technology and a premium retail experience, allowing customers to interact with Microsoft products that impact the way people live, work and play. All Microsoft stores provide consumers with the same excellent choice, value and service in an engaging way to experience the best of Microsoft products.

Starting at US$499, Surface combines the functionality of a laptop with the portability of a tablet. From the fun and unique touch cover that provides a super-thin, spill-resistant keyboard in a variety of vibrant colors to the integrated kickstand that enables hands-free entertainment, Surface stands out while delivering value and performance like nothing else on the market. With Windows apps, SkyDrive cloud connectivity, HD video, Xbox Music, games, a full-size USB port, a microSD card slot and the productivity of Office Home & Student 2013 RT, Surface with Windows RT brings work and play together in style. 

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

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

Read More: Microsoft Surface

Privacy and Security as the Default Standard for the Health Sector

Privacy and Security as the Default Standard for the Health Sector


Commissioner Cavoukian urges the health care professionals to secure all portable storage devices - encrypt by default and avoid the harm

TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - As portable storage devices become increasingly prevalent in the health care sector, concerns also arise regarding the privacy and security of personal health information (PHI). Medical professionals in high-availability data environments, from family doctors to large hospitals, need to ensure data security and protect information through encryption as the default, as the potential for privacy breaches that can be costly and cause lasting damage to their reputation. Taking these steps provides a positive-sum, Privacy by Design approach which benefits both patients and caregivers.

That is why Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, is taking a proactive approach and launching a new joint paper on December 14, 2012 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre co-authored with Sam Marafioti, V.P. and CIO, and Jeff Curtis, CPO, of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Nandini Jolly, President and CEO of CryptoMill Technologies Ltd. The paper introduces the "Circle of Trust" concept, modeled by CryptoMill Technologies after PHIPA's "Circle of Care," which refers to the mobile encryption deployment scenarios and role-based access that enables the free flow of PHI among authorized health-care providers as needed, while at the same time, ensuring PHI remains encrypted and inaccessible to everyone else.

The paper entitled, Encryption by Default and Circles of Trust: Strategies to Secure Personal Information in High-Availability Environments, seeks to stimulate discussion of the challenges and opportunities for assuring PHI security beyond the current state of adoption within health care. In the past, doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals had to deal with stacks of paper-based medical records which are now increasingly moving onto portable storage devices. Commissioner Cavoukian emphasizes the message that, "now is the time to address potential security breaches and additional concerns about privacy. Whether you are a large hospital, a small clinic, a research facility, public service institution, or a private-sector contractor, the message remains the same - encrypt by default and avoid the harm of a privacy breach."

The paper also examines the challenges of encrypting numerous portable devices in a large and complex health care institution such as Sunnybrook - one of Canada's largest hospitals, with a world-class reputation for research, innovation and patient care. While Sunnybrook's current policy is to "encrypt by default," it is not always easy to ensure in such a large and dynamic operating environment. However, Sunnybrook has shown its leadership in privacy and security practices by understanding the message that health care can benefit from improvements in security technologies and access to information without significant user or institutional burden.

"Electronic health information improves the quality of health care by enabling informed decision-making wherever the information is needed, but mobile devices have to be kept safe," says Sam Marafioti, Vice President Development and Corporate Strategy and Chief Information Officer, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.  "At Sunnybrook, encryption technology is mandatory for all portable storage devices to ensure that personal health information is kept safe and secure wherever these devices go, allowing our health care teams to do what they do best: care for patients." 

Nandini Jolly, President and CEO of CryptoMill Technologies, explains that, "At CryptoMill we take a proactive approach to protecting data and preserving privacy - the very basis of Privacy by Design principles. The necessity to make privacy the default while ensuring a win-win outcome is exactly what we want to achieve by establishing a Trust Boundary solution -- Protect Data, Prevent Accidental breaches and allow for Easy Group Sharing."

Event Details:

Date & Time: Friday, December 14, 2012, 9:45 a.m.
   
Location:   Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  McLaughlin Auditorium
  E-Wing - Ground Floor
  2075 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario

Presenters include:

  • Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ontario, Canada
  • Sam Marafioti, V.P. and CIO, Sunnybrook
  • Jeff Curtis, CPO, Sunnybrook
  • Nandini Jolly, President and CEO, CryptoMill Technologies Ltd.

Members of the media wishing to attend are kindly asked to please register with the contact below.

About the IPC

The Information and Privacy Commissioner is appointed by, and reports to, the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and is independent of the government of the day. The Commissioner's mandate includes overseeing the access and privacy provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, as well as the Personal Health Information Protection Act, which applies to both public and private sector health information custodians. The Commissioner's mandate also includes helping to educate the public about access and privacy issues. 

 

 

 

 

SOURCE: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario

For further information:

Media contact:
Trell Huether
Media Relations Specialist
Desk: 416-326-3939
Cell: 416-873-9746
Toll-free: 800-387-0073
media@ipc.on.ca

Avaya Drives the Industry's Most Comprehensive, Easy to Use Video Collaboration Solutions for the Mobile Enterprise

Avaya Drives the Industry's Most Comprehensive, Easy to Use Video Collaboration Solutions for the Mobile Enterprise


For Immediate Release:12 Dec 2012

  • Provides 'no drama'  video solutions designed for simplicity and mobile collaboration
  • Delivers affordable, high performance video collaboration solutions for SMEs and Enterprises
  • Features integration and interoperability with Avaya and multi-vendor video conferencing platforms enabling streamlined, open collaboration 
Avaya Evolutions - San Mateo, Calif. -- Avaya today announced the next wave of innovation to its unified communications and collaboration portfolio with a family of people-centric video solutions for the mobile enterprise. Featuring new and expanded capabilities, Avaya's video collaboration solutions deliver easy access to a comprehensive set of video capabilities for face to face collaboration from the broadest range of mobile consumer devices, desktop and room-based systems. 
 
Avaya's highly flexible, affordable video collaboration infrastructure, applications and clients are solidly differentiated by their simplicity, performance, scalability and broad interoperability with multi-vendor video conferencing solutions and devices. Building on Avaya's acquisition of Radvision in June, 2012, these open, standards-based solutions deliver low total cost of ownership and allow customers to protect existing investments in unified communications and video conferencing while evolving to next-generation, real-time collaboration. 
 
With today's announcements, Avaya offers new video collaboration capabilities to enterprises and SMEs with the following: 
  • Avaya Aura® Conferencing with Avaya Flare® Experience 1.1 adds video collaboration capabilities to enable unified voice, video and web collaboration from anywhere using PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Avaya Aura Conferencing supports up to 7,500 concurrent sessions - or up to 75,000 users - on a distributed SVCi-based switched video architecture that delivers very high quality, high scale video collaboration that utilizes up to 25 percent less bandwidth than solutions from other vendors.
  • Scopia XT5000 room system now offers an embedded four or nine-port MCUii and SIP integration with Avaya IP Office. An affordable, all-in-one, room-based system, the XT5000 also offers an optional package for SMEs and workgroups that provides both Scopia Desktop and Scopia Mobile.  
  • Scopia Mobile expands to Android™ devices in addition to Apple iPhones and iPad tablets and is a free download from the Google Play and Apple App stores. Scopia Mobile was the first standards-based mobile video application to enable HD video conferencing, data collaboration with review capabilities, conference call control, moderation, and administration through an intuitive user interface.
  • Scopia XT Executive 240 Desktop is an all-new high performance, executive desktop video conferencing system with an optional embedded MCU. The XT Executive 240 will be the industry’s most affordable, desktop system offering simultaneous high definition live video and content sharing utilizing H.264 SVC and H.264 High Profile for quality, high scalability and bandwidth efficiency.
  • Scopia TIP Gateway enables three-screen support for audio, video and data-sharing in a Cisco telepresence environment. The Scopia TIP Gateway supports large enterprise customers with existing telepresence suites as well as service providers offering telepresence exchange networks. The solution rounds out Avaya’s ability to fully interoperate with all standards-based telepresence systems including those from LifeSize, Polycom, and Tandberg. 
  • Scopia Management System now features a simple browser-based interface for easy management of a video collaboration deployment from PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets. The interface incorporates Google Maps providing a global geographic view of the collaboration topology along with additional enhancements such as multi-tenancy, concierge services, and massive scalability of up to 400,000 users for service providers and large enterprises.
  • Avaya Client Applications with Microsoft Lync, Outlook and Office integrationutilizes Avaya Aura® to provide point-to-point and point-to-multi-point communications and interoperability with multi-vendor video conferencing solutions, including those from Avaya-Radvision, LifeSize and Polycom. Avaya Client Applications is a portfolio of plug-ins for real-time collaboration from Microsoft desktop applications such as Lync/OCS, Office, Internet Explorer and Dynamics (CRM) as well as from IBM Sametime and Salesforce.com (CRM).
Avaya Aura Conferencing, Avaya Flare Experience and the Scopia enterprise solutions are supported by or interoperable with Avaya Aura, the company’s open, standards-based platform for real-time collaboration. Avaya recently announced Avaya Aura Virtual Environment (Avaya Aura VE), which enables Avaya Aura unified communications and contact center applications to run on VMware® virtualization solutions. Avaya Aura VE allows enterprises to accelerate deployment of mobile collaboration applications across their organization, including those announced today. 
 
Quotes
"At Talon Air, we rely on Avaya IP Office for effective and efficient communications. Video conferencing has increasingly become an important part of our day-to-day operations. I can collaborate with my employees regardless of where I am -- even at 30,000 feet above ground. Now, with the direct integration of the Scopia XT5000 SMB and Avaya IP Office, our communications are more streamlined than ever before. The combination of Avaya and Radvision has definitely helped us achieve our business goals."
--Adam Katz, CEO, Talon Air 
 
"In our industry, reliable communication is mission-critical, and Avaya and Radvision play an integral role in our real-time communication strategy. We’re delighted to see these two companies, both of which have demonstrated a clear commitment to high-quality, open standards, and interoperability come together as one. Video conferencing plays a key role in our R-TeleMed program, and the promise of a fully integrated voice, video and data offering will simplify our IT decisions moving forward."
--Kirk Gillis, Vice President, Renown Health
 
"The Avaya Flare Experience Cloud Service has just been launched by Orix in Japan this week. As one of the world's first to provide Avaya Flare Experience as a cloud based offer, the service enables employees to easily engage in video, web an audio collaboration sessions from anywhere, whenever its needed with the flexibility required by mobile enterprises."
--Masayuki Okamoto, President, ORIX Rentec
 
"The combination of Avaya and Radvision is offering immediate benefits to customers and the partner community alike. The newest enhancements to its Scopia video conferencing solution will help address market needs across the board – from SMEs to large and service provider customers. The integration of the Scopia XT5000 – a system that is already in a class of its own - with Avaya IP Office demonstrated the company's commitment to delivering fully integrated unified communications and collaboration to the marketplace."
--Roopam Jain, Industry Director, Conferencing & Collaboration, Frost & Sullivan 
 
"Agile organizations that can react quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs are garnering a disproportional share of growth and profits. These organizations are advancing their communication and collaboration systems to drive these results. With the innovations announced today, Avaya is delivering on the promise of the real-time mobile enterprise, where organizations collaborate faster, to make smarter decisions and drive better business results."
--Brett Shockley, Senior Vice President and GM, Applications & Emerging Technologies, Avaya
 
Additional Resources
Avaya Video Collaboration Solutions for Enterprises 
Avaya Video Collaboration Solutions Media Kit  (whitepapers, fact sheets videos, photos, etc)  
 
Tags: Avaya, Radvision, Avaya Aura, Scopia, business collaboration, unified communications, video conferencing, business communications, mobile collaboration, video collaboration conferencing
 
About Avaya
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, data solutions and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visitwww.avaya.com
 
Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "should" or "will" or other similar terminology. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to Avaya's filings with the SEC that are available at www.sec.gov/ . Avaya disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
             
*iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc. Lync and Microsoft Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 
All trademarks identified by ®, TM, or SM are registered marks, trademarks, and service marks, respectively, of Avaya Inc.or Radvision, an Avaya company. Avaya and other parties may also have trademark rights in other terms used herein.
 
iScalable video coding (SVC) – an industry standard that helps ensure a quality experience while managing packet loss to reduce the bandwidth required. 
iiMCU = Multipoint Conferencing Unit, the bridge that enables multiple people to participate in a video conference.

Deloitte Poll: Do Legal and IT Speak the Same Language?

Deloitte Poll: Do Legal and IT Speak the Same Language?

Collaboration is Key to Evidence Collection for Regulatory Investigations, Litigation

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Although more than one-third (35.5 percent) of corporate legal and information technology (IT) teams say they are working to improve communication across departmental lines, a mere 8.1 percent of executives believe their company teams fully understand each other, according to a new Deloitte poll.

"Legal and IT teams have been working together more closely each year, responding to litigation or regulatory investigations.  These fast-paced, complex efforts to locate, collect, preserve and analyze electronic data—evidence, really—are crucial to defending corporate reputations, legal claims and more," said Mark Michels , a director in the discovery practice for Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP. 

Michels adds, "Unfortunately, each year there are cases that hit the headlines in which poor legal and IT cross-team communication and collaboration results in electronic discovery omissions."

Nearly 1-in-5 respondents (19.3 percent) says their organizations' IT and legal teams do not collaborate well. 

"Sometimes the first step to improving legal and IT teams' collaboration is simply to network within your organization," continued Michels.  "In my experience, finance, risk and compliance teams who work with legal and IT separately can really help the two groups bridge the organizational gap between them. Teaming with other departments can be invaluable in shifting discovery efforts away from fire-fighting mode into a streamlined, repeatable process."

When asked whether the experience of a chief information officer (CIO) and general counsel (GC) enabled them to bridge the gap, 20.2 percent of respondents report that their company CIO and GC do not understand each other's field. However, 16 percent indicated they have experience in each other's fields; 4.5 percent report their CIO has some knowledge of the law and 5.9 state their GC has some knowledge of technology.

"Industry aside, in-house legal teams commonly rely on IT leaders as expert witnesses in court or regulatory hearings to describe how electronic evidence was located, collected, preserved and analyzed," continued Michels.  "Having these teams work together now can only benefit everyone involved."

About Deloitte's E-Discovery Poll  
Deloitte polled more than 990 business professionals from industries including financial services, consumer and industrial products and technology, media and telecom during a recent webcast titled, "Legal and IT: Opportunities for Collaboration."

About Deloitte Discovery   
Deloitte Discovery is a one-stop service that provides corporate legal departments and counsel with assistance for discovery-related issues including designing and implementing e-discovery readiness plans, performing data collection, data filtering, processing, hosting, document review and production, and utilizing advanced analytics to help improve efficiency and defensibility.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.  Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

Contact:




Shelley Pfaendler

Maggie Edinger

Public Relations

Hill + Knowlton Strategies

Deloitte 

+1 212 885 0370

+1 212 492 4484

maggie.edinger@hkstrategies.com 

spfaendler@deloitte.com


SOURCE Deloitte


PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1wRmY)

Gartner Says Worldwide External Controller-Based Disk Storage Market Grew 3.6 Percent in the Third Quarter of 2012

Gartner Says Worldwide External Controller-Based Disk Storage Market Grew 3.6 Percent in the Third Quarter of 2012

STAMFORD, Conn., December 13, 2012—     Worldwide external controller-based (ECB) disk storage vendor revenue totaled $5.3 billion in the third quarter of 2012, a 3.6 percent increase from revenue of $5.1 billion in the third quarter of 2011, according to Gartner, Inc. The third quarter of 2012 was the 12th consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth. 

"Reflecting the weak global macro economy, revenue growth in the third quarter of 2012 was the lowest annual growth rate over the past seven quarters, down 3.1 percentage points and 4.4 percentage points respectively from the second quarter 2012 and first quarter 2012 growth rates," said Roger Cox, research vice president at Gartner. 

While not as robust as in the past, the network-attached storage (NAS) segment grew 10.9 percent. The block-access segment composed of storage area network (SAN) and direct-attached storage (DAS) increased only 1.6 percent in third quarter 2012. The block-access SAN/DAS market segment represented 76.2 percent of the total ECB disk storage market in the third quarter of 2012. The NAS segment gained 1.5 points of share to represent 23.1 percent of the total ECB disk storage market in the third quarter of 2012.

Four vendors — Hitachi/Hitachi Data Systems, Fujitsu, EMC and NetApp — outgrew the market in the third quarter of 2012 (see Table 1). Hitachi/Hitachi Data Systems' high-end VSP offering exhibited particular strength, while its midrange platforms achieved positive year-over-year growth for the first time in 2012. Fujitsu continued to emphasize its high-end and midrange Eternus brand storage platforms, gaining share in Europe, as well as in Japan. Even in a down market, EMC's broad ECB disk storage portfolio enabled it to realize the greatest year-over-year market share gain. Recovering from a poor performance in the second quarter of 2012, NetApp showed signs of regaining its footing as market traction for its Cluster-Mode Data ONTAP and FlexPod offerings increased.

Table 1
Worldwide ECB Disk Storage Vendor Revenue Estimates for 3Q12 (Millions of U.S. Dollars)

 

Company

3Q12

Revenue

3Q12 Market Share (%)

3Q11

Revenue

3Q11 Market Share (%)

3Q11-3Q12

 Change (%)

EMC1

1,788.0

33.6

1,652.3

32.1

8.2

IBM

632.6

11.9

665.6

12.9

-5.0

NetApp3

574.0

10.8

551.7

10.7

4.0

Hitachi/Hitachi Data Systems2

563.4

10.6

476.9

9.3

18.1

HP

478.0

9.0

536.8

10.4

-10.9

Dell

384.9

7.2

401.0

7.8

-4.0

Fujitsu4

129.6

2.4

119.7

2.3

8.3

Oracle

74.1

1.4

89.7

1.7

-17.4

Others

701

13.2

648.8

12.6

8.1

Total

5,325.6

100.0

5,142.3

100

3.6

Note 1: EMC revenue excludes OEM revenue from Dell and Fujitsu Technology Solutions.
Note 2: Hitachi/Hitachi Data Systems revenue excludes OEM revenue from HP.
Note 3: NetApp revenue excludes ONTAP OEM revenue from IBM and Engenio OEM revenue.
Note 4: Fujitsu's branded revenue does not include products sold under the EMC and NetApp brands.
Source: Gartner (December 2012)

Dell, HP, IBM and Oracle face difficulties beyond global macroeconomic issues. Lack of significant presence in the high-growth NAS market segment, in conjunction with the abrupt Compellent Storage Center and EqualLogic PS Series revenue shortfall, the latter apparently due to changing go-to-market strategies resulting from executive leadership changes, contributed to Dell's third quarter 2012 annual revenue drop-off.

Beyond the turmoil surrounding HP's board of directors and associated corporate activities, HP faces additional headwinds. Over 43 percent of its ECB disk storage revenue comes from the weakest region: EMEA. In spite of the impressive 72 percent year-over-year increase in 3PAR StoreServ revenue, it alone is unable to offset the drag of legacy P9000 XP, P6000 EVA, P4000 SAN and P2000 MSA products, which collectively deteriorated 24.5 percent in the third quarter of 2012 compared with the third quarter of 2011.

Considering the breadth and competiveness of its ECB disk storage portfolio, IBM's third quarter 2012 annual revenue decline is attributed in part to faulty field operation strategy and execution, as well as to the fall off in DS8000 series which is closely aligned with System z and Power System server sales, and midrange DS5000/3000 and N series revenue.

Despite continued R&D investment by Oracle in its discrete ZFS Storage Appliance and Pillar Axiom storage platforms, users remain skeptical of Oracle's long-range commitment to its ECB disk storage business.

Rebounding from the March 2011 tsunami disaster, vendor revenue in Japan increased 11.2 percent, followed by North America, Asia/Pacific and Latin America with only 5.7, 4.8, and 1 percent year-over-year growth in the third quarter 2012, respectively. Displaying broad economic uncertainty, EMEA declined 2.2 percent.

Gartner ECB disk storage reports reflect revenue from new vendor-branded hardware only, as well as hardware revenue associated with financial leases and managed services. Optional and separately priced storage software revenue and storage area network infrastructure components and used ECB disk storage systems are excluded.

Additional information on the ECB disk storage market is available in Gartner's "Quarterly Statistics: Disk Array Storage, All Regions, All Countries, 3Q12 Update." The report includes vendor market share by data access method, price band, sales channel and operating-system segmentation. The report is available on Gartner's website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=2262515.

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.

2013 Lannick Technology Salary Report


2013 Lannick Technology Salary Report


Most IT job titles in GTA will enjoy a pay rise in 2013, but 27% may experience a decline

TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Lannick Technology announces today its new annual salary report and predicts most technology professionals can expect a pay raise in 2013, but not all job titles will enjoy a similar experience.

In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), six of 22 job title categories may experience a decrease in the mean salary average paid. Professionals in the remaining 16 categories can expect rises in 2013. Full details can be found in the attached Appendix.

"Information technology candidates that possess strong soft skills, including the ability to properly communicate with cross-functional teams, continue to be in high demand," said Igor Abramovitch, Director of Lannick Technology. "This includes the ability to translate technical jargon into laymen terms, listen well, accept criticism, and work well under pressure."

Information technology positions and skills that will be in particular demand in the GTA during 2013 include:

  • Director of Application Development - 6% average salary increase
    Individuals possessing strong technical ability are currently in high demand, particularly as many companies are now embarking on developing custom internal software, or commercializing their existing code base into marketable products.
  • Business Analyst - 6% average salary increase
    These professionals are increasingly front and centre in many organizations as IT becomes, more than ever, "mission critical" and an element of competitive advantage.
  • Service Desk Analyst - 8% average salary increase
    This job has grown more complex as business teams maintain the trend of spreading around the globe and across multiple time zones, and more corporations introduce BYOD (bring your own device), involving a myriad of smart phones and other equipment.
  • Network Administrator - 9% average salary increase
    This position remains in demand, as firms continue to strive to extract as much value from their IT infrastructure as possible, in the face of ongoing technology advances. 

"I know for a fact the 'Lannick Technology Salary Report' is keenly appreciated by employers and job candidates alike," said," Steve Driz, Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Outside Intelligence. "The IT industry is in constant evolution, and the Salary Report is a key means by which to keep current of which technology professionals are most in demand at any point in time, enabling employers to build their recruitment and retention polices on a solid foundation."

While not intended to be a scientific survey, the "2013 Lannick Technology Salary Report" is based on a collection of more than 1,000 reported salary changes and job placements during the 12 months ending November 2012. Salaries forecasted for 2013 are primarily based on anticipated hiring demand and on the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey.

Survey Methodology:

  • Salaries were collected over a 12-month period (November 2011 to November 2012) throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
  • Figures are based on the collection of more than 1,000 reported salary changes and job placements within the information technology sector.
  • Salaries forecasted for 2013 are assumptions based on economic factors and the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey.
  • Compensation varies widely as a function of industry sector, risk and reward factors, and company size.
  • Salary trend is based on the salary data reported in the previous year.
  • Professional designations are assumed at the intermediate and senior level positions.
  • Figures do not include bonuses or benefits.

Appendix

Annual Average (Mean) Salary Comparison by IT Position (Greater Toronto Area)

Job Title 2012 2013 Trend
Service Desk Analyst 45,000 48,750 +
Technical Support Analyst 55,000 57,500 +
Social Media/ Mobile Developer 56,500 57,690 +
Systems Analyst 63,400 64,500 +
Web Application Developer 64,000 64,845 +
BI Analyst/ Report Writer 66,540 68,000 +
Database Analyst/ Developer 67,000 68,420 +
Business Analyst 65,900 70,255 +
Network Administrator 66,000 72,090 +
Quality Assurance Analyst 81,300 80,000 -
Database Administrator 83,500 82,430 -
IT Auditor 86,500 85,000 -
Project Manager 83,810 85,085 +
Service Desk Manager 90,240 85,835 -
BCP/DRP Analyst 87,500 87,000 -
Technical Writer 86,810 88,085 +
IT Security Analyst 88,500 91,000 +
Application Development Manager 91,000 92,000 +
IT Manager 93,240 95,500 +
Application Architect 101,500 104,000 +
Director of IT 122,500 120,375 -
Director of Application Development 123,000 130,000 +

About the Lannick Group of Companies

Founded in 1985, the Lannick Group of Companies has grown into the premier professional recruitment and staffing firm in the Greater Toronto Area. Lannick Group includes Lannick Finance & Accounting, which recruits finance & accounting professionals for mid- to senior-level permanent and contract roles; Pro Count Staffing, which places non-managerial to managerial-level finance & accounting professionals in temporary and permanent roles; and Lannick Technology, which specializes in providing technology professionals at all levels and roles on a contract, contract-to-hire and permanent basis. Lannick Group has been named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work® Institute since 2009. Learn more at www.lannickgroup.com.

Note to Editors: Lannick Group career and workplace experts are available for interview. See "2013 Lannick Finance & Accounting Salary Report" press release regarding the finance and accounting sectors.

 

 

SOURCE: Lannick Group of Companies

For further information:

Jim Dimovski, Director, Marketing & PR
416-343-3407jdimovski@lannickgroup.com


Bromont-based Cogiscan invests in technological innovation


Cogiscan invests in technological innovation


BROMONT, QC, Dec. 13, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Cogiscan, the leading provider of solutions for monitoring, control and traceability for electronic equipment manufacturers announces its partnership with the MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI).

The C2MI is an international research and development centre in microelectronics and advanced microsystems, located in the Bromont Scientific Park. The C2MI is a unique collaboration centre. In addition to state-of-the art equipment, the C2MI offers its members a true innovation ecosystem dedicated to the rapid commercialization of their prototypes.

Through this strategic alliance, Cogiscan is positioned to further accelerate the innovation and development of new products. The C2MI will enable Cogiscan to collaborate even more closely with some of their current clients and members of C2MI, including Teledyne and Varitron Technologies, as well as developing new partnerships with some of the largest manufacturers and suppliers in the world. In addition to having access to the C2MI installations to develop and test innovative solutions, Cogiscan will also gain a technological showcase that will allow concrete demonstration of the functioning and benefits of the solutions offered in a production environment.

Mr. Vincent Dubois, co-president at Cogiscan, commented the association of Cogiscan with C2MI: "This is another very significant step for Cogiscan. Our reputation is built on our ability to innovate. We believe this investment will allow us to offer products and services that are more efficient and responsive to the needs of our current and future customers."

Varitron Technologies, also a member at C2MI, has been a partner of Cogiscan for almost a year now in regards to the deployment of its TTC solution (Track Trace Control) in its plants. « The C2MI encourages and facilitates networking with key players in our industry and allows us to develop an even more specialized expertise, » stated Michel Farley, President at Varitron Technologies.

"The arrival of Cogiscan among the C2MI members considerably reinforces the services offered among the C2MI partners. The C2MI is indeed creating a complete ecosystem to allow all the innovation and supply chain contributors to work closely together. In this regard, the solutions offered by Cogiscan are essential to the optimisation of the manufacturing process of each member, regardless of their field of interest in the microelectronic industry." concluded Normand Bourbonnais, President and CEO at C2MI.

About Cogiscan
Cogiscan partners with leading equipment manufacturers and electronics assemblers, to create solutions that, while integrating current systems, bring factory-wide TTC solutions. Cogiscan is committed to continuously develop and improve Track, Trace and Control materials and tools on and off the floor. For more information, visit the website www.cogiscan.com.

About C2MI
The MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre is an international beacon in the field of packaging and microsystems. The C2MI is a centre of excellence for commercialization and research (CECR) whose role is to enable the production of prototypes driven by the markets needs in areas such as information and communication technologies, automotive, aerospace, environment and health in order to accelerate commercialization. The establishment of the C2MI has been made possible through contributions from Industry Canada, the ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation du Québec, l'Université de Sherbrooke, industrial partners and the city of Bromont. Visit www.c2mi.ca.

SOURCE: Centre de Collaboration MiQro Innovation (C2MI)

For further information:

Cogiscan Inc. 
François Monette 
fmonette@cogiscan.com
Tel.: +1 450-534-2644

C2MI
Vincent Fortin, Vice-President, Business Development
Vincent.fortin@c2mi.ca
Tel. : +1-450-534-8000 ext. 1003

This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd.
To discontinue this service, click here.

Ces renseignements vous ont été distribués par le Groupe CNW Ltée.
Pour mettre fin à ce service, cliquez ici.

© 2012 CNW Group Ltd, all rights reserved
© 2012 Groupe CNW Ltée, tous droits réservés

Mobile VoIP Users to Reach 1 Billion by 2017, or One in Seven Mobile Subscribers

Mobile VoIP Users to Reach 1 Billion by 2017, or One in Seven Mobile Subscribers

As Operators join rivals in offering OTT services . . . but monetisation still remains a key challenge

 

Hampshire, UK – 13th December 2012: Leading Hi-Tech analyst house Juniper Research forecasts that there will be over 1 billion users of over the top (OTT) mobile VoIP services by 2017, reflecting a dramatic shift in how voice traffic is carried over the next five years.

A ‘Second Wind’ for Mobile VoIP

Juniper’s new report found that  improvements in network technology, increased competition  and the move by telcos to join the OTT space will all come together to give the mobile “internet-voice” market a ‘second wind’.  However, as with Skype on the desktop, only a very small proportion will pay for the service, finds the report.

“Many subscriber sign up to an OTT service without ever planning to pay a cent for it, and some industry players do not have a short-term revenue model at all,” notes the report author, Anthony Cox.

Key Findings

The report notes, however, that leading mobile VoIP players are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their service offerings and are developing more ways to monetise their services.  

Further key findings from the Report, Mobile & Tablet Voice & Video Calling: Strategic Opportunities & Business Models 2012-2017, include:

  • Specialist mobile VoIP companies are opening their Application Programming Interfaces to third parties including MNOs to gain revenues.
  • The arrival of 4G will give further impetus to mobile VoIP take-up but potentially accelerate the decline in overall voice revenues.
  • Despite market challenges, mobile video calling market leaders are finally beginning to monetise the mobile video calling sector through advertising and premium services.
  • Circuit switched voice revenues will still continue to decline, but at the end of the forecast period will represent a substantial proportion of MNOs’ revenues

The report includes a comprehensive analysis of the current situation in the mVoIP and mobile and tablet video calling markets and contains five year forecasts for mVoIP and mobile video calling users and revenues.  It also contains mVoIP tablets forecasts as well as RCS and Circuit-Switched Forecasts.

The “mVoices of Reason” whitepaper and further details of the study: ‘Mobile & Tablet Voice & Video Calling – Strategic Opportunities & Business Models 2012-2017’ can be downloaded from www.juniperresearch.com.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Rebecca Holman – Press Relations
Juniper Research
T: +44(0)1256 830 001
E: rebecca.holman@juniperresearch.com