Made in IBM Labs: IBM Lights Up Silicon Chips to Tackle Big Data

Made in IBM Labs: IBM Lights Up Silicon Chips to Tackle Big Data

• From the Lab to the Fab: Technology Breakthrough Demonstrates Feasibility of Silicon Nanophotonics for Chip Manufacturing
• Light Pulses Can Move Data at Blazing Speeds to Help Solve Bandwidth Limitations of Servers, Datacenters and Supercomputers
• After More Than a Decade of Research, Silicon Nanophotonics is Ready for Development of Commercial Applications

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - 10 Dec 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today a major advance in the ability to use light instead of electrical signals to transmit information for future computing. The breakthrough technology – called “silicon nanophotonics” – allows the integration of different optical components side-by-side with electrical circuits on a single silicon chip using, for the first time, sub-100nm semiconductor technology.

Cross-sectional view of an IBM Silicon Nanophotonics chip combining optical and electrical circuits

An IBM 90nm Silicon Integrated Nanophotonics technology is capable of integrating a photodetector (red feature on the left side of the cube) and modulator (blue feature on the right side) fabricated side-by-side with silicon transistors ( red sparks on the far right).

Silicon Nanophotonics circuits and silicon transistors are interconnected with nine levels of yellow metal wires.

Silicon nanophotonics takes advantage of pulses of light for communication and provides a super highway for large volumes of data to move at rapid speeds between computer chips in servers, large datacenters, and supercomputers, thus alleviating the limitations of congested data traffic and high-cost traditional interconnects. 

“This technology breakthrough is a result of more than a decade of pioneering research at IBM,” said Dr. John E. Kelly, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research. “This allows us to move silicon nanophotonics technology into a real-world manufacturing environment that will have impact across a range of applications.” 

The amount of data being created and transmitted over enterprise networks continues to grow due to an explosion of new applications and services. Silicon nanophotonics, now primed for commercial development, can enable the industry to keep pace with increasing demands in chip performance and computing power. 

Businesses are entering a new era of computing that requires systems to process and analyze, in real-time, huge volumes of information known as Big Data. Silicon nanophotonics technology provides answers to Big Data challenges by seamlessly connecting various parts of large systems, whether few centimeters or few kilometers apart from each other, and move terabytes of data via pulses of light through optical fibers. 

Building on its initial proof of concept in 2010, IBM has solved the key challenges of transferring the silicon nanophotonics technology into the commercial foundry. By adding a few processing modules into a high-performance 90nm CMOS fabrication line, a variety of silicon nanophotonics components such as wavelength division multiplexers (WDM), modulators, and detectors are integrated side-by-side with a CMOS electrical circuitry. As a result, single-chip optical communications transceivers can be manufactured in a conventional semiconductor foundry, providing significant cost reduction over traditional approaches.  

IBM’s CMOS nanophotonics technology demonstrates transceivers to exceed the data rate of 25Gbps per channel. In addition, the technology is capable of feeding a number of parallel optical data streams into a single fiber by utilizing compact on-chip wavelength-division multiplexing devices. The ability to multiplex large data streams at high data rates will allow future scaling of optical communications capable of delivering terabytes of data between distant parts of computer systems.  

Further details will be presented this week by Dr. Solomon Assefa at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in the talk titled, “A 90nm CMOS Integrated Nano-Photonics Technology for 25Gbps WDM Optical Communications Applications.” Additional papers being presented by IBM at IEDM can be seen here

Additional information on the project can be found at http://www.research.ibm.com/photonics.

Commissioner Cavoukian to launch joint Privacy by Design paper on information security in the health sector

 

Media Advisory - Commissioner Cavoukian to launch joint Privacy by Design paper on information security in the health sector


Encryption by Default and Circles of Trust:
Strategies to Secure Personal Information in High-Availability Environments

TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - In the past, doctors, hospitals, and other medical professionals had to contend with stacks of paper-based medical records which are now increasingly moving onto removable portable storage devices. Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, believes that now is the time to address potential security breaches and additional concerns about privacy by making strong encryption the default practice, ensuring data security in large complex institutions at the outset before any damaging and costly privacy breaches occur.

Commissioner Cavoukian is taking a proactive approach on this matter by launching a new joint Privacy by Design paper on December 14, 2012 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The paper entitled, Encryption by Default and Circles of Trust: Strategies to Secure Personal Information in High-Availability Environments, addresses such key issues as:

  • How privacy and security methods need to keep pace with changes in business processes, technologies, risks, and challenges.
  • How we can address the growing challenge of lost or stolen portable end-point devices and storage media containing personal information while recognizing the need for reliability, and access in high availability environments.
  • How large health care facilities are embracing the need to encrypt by default thus protecting sensitive information, while making it readily accessible for caregivers with in their "Circle of Trust".

The paper was co-authored with Sam Marafioti, V.P., CIO, and Jeff Curtis, CPO of Sunnybrook and Nandini Jolly, President and CEO of CryptoMill Technologies Ltd., all of whom will be speaking at the event and answering questions from the audience.

EVENT DETAILS

Date & Time:     Friday, December 14, 2012, 9:30 a.m.
   
Location:      Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
McLaughlin Auditorium
E-Wing - Ground Floor
2075 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario.

 

SOURCE: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario

For further information:

Members of the media wishing to attend are kindly asked to please register with the contact below.
Media contact:
Trell Huether
Media Relations Specialist
Desk: 416-326-3939
Cell: 416-873-9746
Toll-free: 800-387-0073
media@ipc.on.ca


Top 10 Rules for Streamlining Windows 7/8 Migrations

Top 10 Rules for Streamlining Windows 7/8 Migrations

Quest Software enables application compatibility, automation and virtualization to reduce migration time, cost and risk

Date : 10/12/2012
California

Media Contact
Jennifer Bernas
Dell | Global Communications, Quest Software
+1 949 754 8241
jennifer_bernas@dell.com

Quest Software, Inc. (now a part of Dell) enables organizations to clear significant hurdles associated with Windows 7/8 migrations by identifying the top rules for streamlining the process, while reducing costs and corporate risk. Companies often underestimate the major obstacles caused by application compatibility issues brought on by Windows migrations, which can involve laborious, time-consuming manual processes. While every organization—regardless of size—has different variables that can affect migrations, a core set of requirements for preparing, planning, organizing, and implementing the process remains the same. As a leader in application compatibility and a known, trusted partner in Windows 7/8 migrations, Quest has drawn upon its extensive experience in performing migrations worldwide, to develop 10 rules for avoiding undue cost and risk by leveraging best practices for application compatibility, automation and virtualization.

Ten Rules for a Streamlined Windows 7/8 Migration:

  1. Plan the migration ─ Scope and assess the project to get a clear understanding of cost, resources and time required.
  2. Rationalize the application list ─ Retiring older, incompatible versions and consolidating where possible means IT doesn’t spend valuable resources migrating what isn’t needed.
  3. Don’t forget the “unmanaged applications” ─ they can be the silent killers of any migration.
  4. Conduct application compatibility assessment as early as possible; accurate results help ensure that rationalization decisions are sound.
  5. Automate where ever possible ─ Don’t assume all steps in the migration will be performed in one clean swoop; automation is the only way to ensure that any step that is repeated is consistent, which can save up to 50 percent in time and costs needed for migrations.
  6. Don’t neglect Web applications ─ More and more mission-critical apps depend on Web applications. Since Windows includes Internet Explorer, successful migrations require the resolution of any issues around Web-based applications early.
  7. Build automated application assessment into the existing packaging service so new apps will stream in throughout the migration, improving user experience significantly while saving weeks to months on the migration project, as well as needed budget.
  8. Virtualize applications ─ Usable apps are portable apps, so, in today’s mobile and remote work environment, applications should be virtualized to ensure they are available when and where users need them.
  9. Be prepared for multiple build changes ─ Know that as the migration project progresses, the Windows build will undergo change. This understanding will enable greater agility and responsiveness to change, which leads to faster, smoother migrations.
  10. Have a plan for how to complete User Acceptance Testing (UAT) ─ Leveraging desktop virtualization speeds and streamlines user acceptance testing, which results in more satisfied users and IT organizations, alike.

Leveraging Application Compatibility Assessment and Automation to Shave Migration Time and Cost

  • By adding automation and broad platform support, organizations are able to effectively adopt technology that lets them turn virtually endless cycles of change into key opportunities to introduce new efficiencies and better business alignment.
  • Quest ChangeBASE™ now delivers a market-leading ability to reduce the risks associated with Windows 7/8, Office 2010, Windows Server 2008/2012, IE 9/10 or Firefox, and virtualized application migration by allowing organizations to leverage faster application compatibility assessment, automated testing, remediation and packaging, and seamless application virtualization.
  • New features of the latest version include:
    • More automated conversion to virtual applications ─ New extended capability allows easy conversion of EXE/MSI applications to virtual applications on App-V 5.0 and Citrix XenApp Streaming Profiler. ChangeBASE now supports conversion to all major application virtualization solutions (App-V, SWV, ThinApp and XenApp Streaming Profiler).
    • More supported platforms for conversion of applications on virtual machines ─ Simplifies and speeds conversion of applications into virtual applications or MSI on all main platforms, including Hyper-V and VMware Workstation
    • Extended support of automated imports using SCCM 2012- - Speeds and simplifies import of applications into ChangeBASE via the latest corporate-wide Configuration Manager supplied by Microsoft.

• Supporting Quote:
Ann Maya, senior product manager, User Workspace Management business unit, Quest Software
“There is no denying the opportunity for cost savings and improved user productivity afforded by Windows migrations; but, Windows 7 and 8 migrations can be prolonged and difficult if they aren’t handled correctly. The need for simplicity and speed in these projects is felt by companies worldwide. Quest has taken everything we’ve learned from years of experience assisting with hundreds of migration projects, plus our expertise in application compatibility, to create this set of rules for making Windows 7 and 8 migrations faster and easier. The newest version of our ChangeBASE application compatibility tool further facilitates ease and speed in Windows migration projects with the injection of unique automation and platform support.”

Supporting Resources:

About Quest Software (now a part of Dell)
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Quest, now a part of Dell’s Software Group, provides simple and innovative IT management solutions that enable more than 100,000 global customers to save time and money across physical and virtual environments. Quest products solve complex IT challenges ranging from database management, data protection, identity and access management, monitoring, user workspace management to Windows management. For more information, visit http://www.quest.com or http://www.dell.com.

About Dell Software
Dell Software helps customers of every size take advantage of new technologies and address organizational challenges to grow their businesses and remain competitive. For more than a decade, Dell has been making strategic software acquisitions and partnering in the industry to support and enable the hardware and services solutions it provides to customers. In 2012, Dell formed a dedicated software division to extend its capabilities in software IP and total solutions offerings. Dell security, systems management, business intelligence and application software draw on the strength of Dell’s distribution capabilities and reputation to help clients in every industry achieve better business outcomes.

Dell Announces Dell World: Live Online - Virtual Access to Dell World 2012

Dell Announces Dell World: Live Online - Virtual Access to Dell World 2012

Dell World 2012

ROUND ROCK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dell today unveiled Dell World: Live Online, a virtual experience for those unable to physically attend Dell World 2012. At Dell World this year, technology professionals will discover their own power to do more by learning from one another as well as identifying opportunities presented by the key forces changing business today. Dell World 2012 will address challenges in making the right technology choices and highlight solutions available for a wide range of industries.

Dell World: Live Online provides full access to keynotes, sessions and in-depth coverage and interviews from the Austin Convention Center. This online event gives attendees the opportunity to participate and be a part of the Dell World experience – no matter their location.

As virtual attendees, participants will gain access to:

  • Live streams of all the keynote speeches and select super sessions, including the opening keynote from Michael Dell. All other super sessions will be available on demand after the event.
  • Real-time Q&A with session speakers
  • Live streaming of exclusive interviews and Solutions Showcase booth coverage
  • Mobile reporting from around the event
  • Conversations with subject-matter experts

Dell World: Live Online attendees will be able to join a virtual community of thousands of peers through Dell World Connect. This is a network within the online event where participants can connect with other attendees with similar interests, discover the most-watched sessions and participate in the conversation.

For additional information and to register, please visit www.DellWorldLiveOnline.com.

Additional information:

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

Join us at Dell World 2012 – The Power to Do More. Technology professionals will learn from one another and identify key challenges and opportunities connected to the top forces changing business today. Learn more at www.DellWorld.com or follow #DellWorld on Twitter.

Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

Contacts

Dell Inc.
Media Contacts:
Emily Laderman, 512-728-4845
emily_laderman@dell.com
or
Katie Schaeffer, 512-728-3812
katie_schaeffer@dell.com
or
Industry Analyst Contact:
Frank Smith, 512-761-2809
frank_e_smith@Dell.com
or
Investor Relations Contact:
Robert Williams, 512-728-7570
robert_williams@dell.com

Xerox Selects Cisco Unified Computing System to Deliver Its Cloud-Based Global Managed Print Services

Xerox Selects Cisco Unified Computing System to Deliver Its Cloud-Based Global Managed Print Services

SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/04/12 -- Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO)

With businesses of all sizes looking at every part of their IT infrastructure to find cost savings, managed print services (MPS) has emerged as a new opportunity to improve overall productivity and reduce operational costs by an estimated 30 percent. As more and more organizations sign on for Xerox's market-leading MPS offering, they benefit from faster access to information about their global print operations -- delivered by the Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®) and data center infrastructure, which supports hundreds of thousands of transactions per second on behalf of Xerox.

Last year Cisco and Xerox formed an alliance to deliver cloud-based services and technology solutions that combine network intelligence and print, and today, Xerox uses Cisco data center solutions so its global delivery centers can meet the fast-growing demand for cloud-based MPS. The Cisco data center environment gives Xerox's global MPS offerings room to expand by providing a smaller footprint that also saves power and meets cooling requirements.

To support the double-digit growth predicted for the MPS market year-over-year, Xerox's global network of MPS delivery centers hosts a suite of more than 100 applications, including ticketing systems, help desk, inventory, and financial reporting. The volume of performance data generated is massive, highlighting everything from print usage and performance trends, to equipment maintenance requirements and other critical issues. The compilation and analysis of Big Data, hosted on the Cisco data center infrastructure, allows Xerox to continually refine its services while providing valuable information to customers to help simplify and improve print resources and costs.

Xerox also works with Cisco to deliver cloud services using the Vblock platform, which combines Cisco UCS with EMC storage and VMware for virtualization, as well as Cisco Intelligent Automation software, to deliver Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud capabilities and Cisco Hosted Collaboration services. Xerox Cloud Services support clients of all sizes from facilities in the U.S., UK and Kuala Lumpur, and use Cisco Hosted Collaboration Services to provide a range of advanced communication and collaboration services, including integrating IP Telephony, single number reach, instant messaging. In the future, the offering will incorporate Cisco Jabber® and Cisco WebEx® solutions.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Xerox global MPS delivery network includes Cisco UCS servers and Cisco Nexus® switches to improve scalability to support rapid growth, enhance performance of Big Data analytics, and accelerate server-to-server and server-to-storage communications for faster, more reliable delivery of MPS. The MPS business is hosted on two data centers located in separate cities in the U.S. The secondary site is a mirrored, disaster recovery site for the primary.
  • Xerox selected Cisco UCS as the core server for its global MPS delivery centers, and built several server profiles based on different UCS models to perform various roles in its data center. Cisco UCS B200 Blade Servers handle administrative and infrastructure functions that help the entire data center run smoothly. Cisco UCS B230 Blade Servers support basic application and virtualization functions. Finally, higher-performance applications, including SQL databases, run on Cisco UCS B440 Blade servers and Cisco UCS C460 Rack-Mount Servers.
  • With Cisco UCS Manager, Xerox can also use service profiles to quickly deploy both physical and virtual servers. With the rapidly increasing demand for services, Xerox needed to apply service profiles quickly, and get new servers and applications running, without rebuilding environments every time. Cisco UCS has reduced the number of service profiles that need to be managed by 80 percent.
  • Cisco's Nexus family of switches, including Nexus 5000, Nexus 2000, and Nexus 1000V, as well as the Cisco MDS 9000 Series Storage switches, provide 10-gigabit connections as part of the Cisco Unified Fabric. The Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches also support unified ports with fibre channel over Ethernet (FCoE) that enables Xerox to connect to EMC storage over a single, converged network.
  • The new global delivery center deployment has resulted in accelerated performance of applications for MPS, improving response times; streamlining the environment by reducing the number of server service profiles by as much as 80 percent; and improved staff productivity by 20 percent.
  • Xerox Cloud Services has deployed Vblock 700 Series platforms to power cloud facilities in global locations. Multitenant and private cloud nodes are offered to both internal Xerox groups and external clients.
  • Xerox Cloud Services chose the Cisco Process Orchestrator for IT process automation. This automation has allowed Xerox to speed the deployment of application environments and reduce cost by eliminating manual processes. The Cisco Process Orchestrator is part of the Cisco Intelligent Automation software portfolio.

SUPPORTING QUOTES

"As the worldwide market leader for MPS, we're continually looking for ways to bring new benefits to our customers. By using Cisco UCS to support our global MPS delivery network, we can quickly respond to the changing needs of our customers and offer them simplified data, new applications, and faster service. Cisco's UCS is critical to managing the growing global demand for MPS," said Andrew Morrison, senior vice president, Xerox MPS Business.

"The Vblock platform is an efficient vehicle for rapidly deploying multitenant and private cloud nodes worldwide as Xerox Cloud Services grows," said Steve Houser, CTO, Xerox Cloud Services. "The integrated service, powered by Vblock with UCS, provides performance and flexibility with the assurance of tight integration and rapid deployment."

Additional Resources

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

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/rss-feeds

About Xerox
With sales approaching $23 billion, Xerox (NYSE: XRX) is the world's leading enterprise for business process and document management. Its technology, expertise and services enable workplaces -- from small businesses to large global enterprises - to simplify the way work gets done so they operate more effectively and focus more on what matters most: their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Xerox offers business process outsourcing and IT outsourcing services, including data processing, healthcare solutions, HR benefits management, finance support, transportation solutions, and customer relationship management services for commercial and government organizations worldwide. The company also provides extensive leading-edge document technology, services, software and genuine Xerox supplies for graphic communication and office printing environments of any size. The 140,000 people of Xerox serve clients in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit http://www.xerox.com, http://news.xerox.com or http://www.realbusiness.com. For investor information, visit http://www.xerox.com/investor.

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Cisco Press Relations: Sandra Livinghouse 408-358-4709 slivingh@cisco.com Xerox Press Relations: Becky Dziedzic 585.423.2623 Becky.Dziedzic@xerox.com

Source: Cisco

New BlackBerry 10 Ready Program to Help BlackBerry Enterprise Customers Leverage Existing Investments

New BlackBerry 10 Ready Program to Help BlackBerry Enterprise Customers Leverage Existing Investments

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM, TSX: RIM) today announced the BlackBerry® 10 Ready Program. The program is designed to address the needs of BlackBerry enterprise customers as they prepare their environments for the launch of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10, RIM’s powerful new multiplatform enterprise mobility management solution. The program will be introduced in a phased approach with four components. Two of the components - The BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer and the BlackBerry 10 Ready Webcast Series - are available today. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up and BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services components will be available ahead of the global BlackBerry 10 launch on January 30, 2013.

“We remain committed to our enterprise customers and want to provide them with a head start on understanding the power of BlackBerry 10 and preparing their existing environments for the new mobile computing platform,” said Bryan Lee, Senior Director, Enterprise at RIM. “The BlackBerry 10 Ready Program gives customers access to a variety of services, information, tools, and special offers to help ease their transition to BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.”

BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer

BlackBerry customers with BlackBerry Technical Support at the Advantage level or higher are eligible to receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone.* Customers will need to install and run BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion (which will be succeeded by BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10), and successfully complete an exclusive online learning course to qualify.  Upon the launch of BlackBerry 10, the organization will receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone. 

BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series

The weekly BlackBerry 10 webcast series is designed to share information, answer questions about RIM’s enterprise product portfolio, and prepare enterprise customers with the tools they need ahead of launch. The webcasts will be supported in multiple languages.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up

RIM will be offering customers who purchase BlackBerry 10 smartphones the ability to trade up their existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses on a one for one basis for free, until December 31, 2013.** The license trade up offer will allow customers to secure and manage their BlackBerry 10 smartphones with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. Customers will be able to access an online tool for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up in January 2013.

BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services

This set of services will provide customers with a smooth migration path to BlackBerry 10. Change management and planning migration tools, and application development services will be available in January 2013. For more details customers can email BB10EnterpriseServices@rim.com.

For more information about the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberry10ready.

To register for the BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series, and to get a complete list of dates and times, please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberry10webcasts.

* Offer available while supplies last.  Limit one (1) device per company.  Offer currently only available for customers in North America. (Additional countries are expected to follow with similar offers.) Offer deadline: February 28, 2013.    For complete details see Terms and Conditions: http://www.blackberry.com/business/blackberry-10-ready/free-blackberry-10-device/terms-and-conditions.html 

** Offer applies to BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses only; not applicable for BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express licenses. Additional Terms and Conditions apply.  

About Research In Motion

Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.



















































































































































Dell Launches Social Media Services

Dell Launches Social Media Services, Empowering Organizations to Improve Customer Loyalty, Brand Awareness and Business Result

Date : 05/12/2012
Round Rock, Texas












 


  • Real-world social media experience, expertise and services capabilities make Dell uniquely capable to provide a new line of services.
  • Dell’s Social Media Listening Command Center and services will be in action at Dell World next week.

Today Dell announced Social Media Services to help organizations across a variety of industries develop real-time customer insights, engage audiences and better understand their customers and the market. Dell Social Media Services are built on the company’s own leadership and experience using social media to listen to and engage with its customers, and coupled with a deep understanding of customers’ business needs and enterprise IT environments.

The suite of social media services, developed by social media experts from a cross-functional team in Dell Marketing and Dell Services, incorporates feedback from several early adopter customers.

For example, the American Red Cross and Dell launched a Digital Operations Center or “DigiDOC” earlier this year, the first social media-based operation devoted to humanitarian relief. Dell also partnered with Clemson University to launch their Social Media Listening Center or “SMLC” as the first academic organization to adopt this technology and approach.

Laura Howe, Vice President, Public Relations at the American Red Cross said, “The use of social media during disasters has grown exponentially in recent years, and this partnership with Dell enables us to better understand and anticipate disaster needs and help connect people with the resources they need during emergencies. With recent disasters like Hurricane Isaac and Hurricane Sandy, we’ve been able to monitor social media conversations in order to help allocate resources to the places where people are in need.”

“Clemson University teamed up with Dell to create a social media resource that is used for both teaching and research,” said Jim Bottum, CIO and Vice Provost at Clemson University. “Our students have been able to monitor thousands of online conversations to understand how marketing is changing, and to use as research for their own individual projects in other subjects. This really puts us ahead of the curve in recruiting new students and talent into our university.”

Dell’s Social Media Services offerings include:

  • Listening command center build-outs - Dell works with the customer to design, build and operate a social media command center integrating it across the business as a foundational listening function for all customer facing departments.
  • Advisory services – This hands-on strategy planning includes an assessment of a customer’s current capabilities and critical needs. Recommendations, timing and goals are provided in an effort to align the social media programs to the corporate strategy.
  • Listening and insights services – Conversations are monitored on a customer’s behalf—for brands, industry or competitors. Reports are then provided with key data insights allowing the customer to take action.
  • Best practice seminars – Participants learn from Dell’s experience on topics such as gaining executive support, building a training program, embedding listening across business units, experiencing a day in Dell’s Social Media command center.

“Organizations of all types and sizes recognize the value of integrating social media into their enterprise processes, but implementation of social media can be very different for each company,” said Allison Dew, vice president, global corporate & consumer marketing, Dell. “We work with our customers to understand their needs and challenges and design an approach that is right for them, whether they need consultation, tools and solutions, or simply want Dell to manage it for them.”

“As a practitioner in the social media space for several years, we are in a unique position to help enterprises develop and manage their social media initiatives with our innovative solutions for specific business needs,” said Raman Sapra, Executive Director & Head of Strategy, Technology Themes & Consulting, Dell Services. “Our offers have foundational relevance for all industries and our experience allows us to tailor them to various vertical needs.”

Dell World – December 11-13, Austin
Dell’s annual customer conference in Austin, Texas next week will feature a Social Neighborhood where Dell will host two fireside chats with the American Red Cross, Clemson University, Gage Marketing Group, AMD and the American Heart Association regarding the social media work they’ve done with Dell, their strategic approach, lessons learned, and vision of what’s next in social media.

Contact SMServices@dell.com for more information.

About DELL
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Dell Services develops and delivers a comprehensive suite of services and solutions in applications, business process, consulting, infrastructure and support to help customers succeed. Learn more at www.dell.com.

Media Contacts

  • Corie Pierce
  • Dell | Services Communications
  • Plano, Texas
  • +1 972.577.3430
  • +1 214.458.7614
  • corie_pierce@dell.com

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American Red Cross Digital Operations Center

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Clemson Social Media Listening Center

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IBM Expands the Power of Social Business with New Cloud, Mobile Advances

IBM Expands the Power of Social Business with New Cloud, Mobile Advances

University of Texas at El Paso taps cloud-based, business-grade social networking to help academics collaborate

ARMONK, N.Y. - 06 Dec 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced new social business software to help enterprise clients collaborate easily and securely in the cloud using the broadest range of mobile devices. The new IBM SmartCloud services include new social networking features and the release of IBM SmartCloud Docs, a cloud-based office productivity suite, which allows users to simultaneously collaborate on word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents to improve productivity.

According to Forrester Research, cloud computing will grow from a $41 billion business in 2010 to $241 billion in 2020*. At the same time, social networking is on the rise. According to Forrester Research, the market opportunity for social enterprise apps is expected to grow at a rate of 61 percent through 2016, reaching $6.4 billion**.

While many firms have adopted cloud, mobile and social networking, IBM is helping clients, including the University of Texas at El Paso, capitalize on the convergence, making it safe for the enterprise.

To help organizations address this growing opportunity, IBM is announcing IBM SmartCloud Docs and new services in its IBM SmartCloud for Social Business portfolio allowing clients to collaborate both inside the organization and externally with partners, clients or suppliers. For example, when working on a document in the cloud, the presence awareness and instant messaging capabilities allow users to see if a document co-editor is online and available to chat in real time. The new features join IBM's SmartCloud for Social Business portfolio which includes business-grade file sharing, access to communities, online meetings, instant messaging, email and calendar in the cloud.

IBM SmartCloud Docs

IBM SmartCloud Docs, a cloud-based office productivity suite, which allows users to simultaneously collaborate on word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents to improve productivity. (Credit: IBM)

"As the mobile workforce moves beyond gaining access to email and calendars to collaborate and generate new ideas and be more efficient anytime, anywhere, on any device, the intersection of social, mobile, and cloud becomes even more critical," said Alistair Rennie, general manager, social business, IBM. "Social and mobile are driving business transformation, helping all aspects of an organization from marketing, human resources, sales and customer support and development leverage social concepts in their business processes. The power of cloud helps to amplify this by delivering enterprise strength computing power where and when you need it."

Clients Getting Social in the Cloud

IBM is also announcing clients who are at the forefront of this transformation embracing social in the cloud, including the University of Texas at El Paso, Colleagues In Care (CIC), Centrax TCL, NEC Corp., the Victoria Implementation Center and Netkom iBPM LLC.

At the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), faculty and researchers are using the IBM SmartCloud for Social Business to track the status of research projects and help facilitate knowledge sharing across campus. The IBM SmartCloud provides a cost-effective, easy-to-use cloud solution that allows faculty and researchers to share resources and track progress of research projects without clogging up their email in-boxes while aiding in the ever challenging "version control" process for collaborative documents.

UTEP has recently expanded its use of the IBM SmartCloud for Social Business to collaborate with universities across North America who are involved in CASHI, the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions. CASHI aims to increase the number of Hispanic students who pursue and complete baccalaureate and advanced degrees in the computer and information sciences and engineering. UTEP uses the IBM SmartCloud to collaborate with faculty at other universities, invite users from the other universities at no cost as guests to work on projects together. They can share files, manage projects, assign work, and comment directly on posted documents.

"Going to one place to find materials and being able to track the progress and status of projects has been a major benefit," said Dr. Ann Gates, Chair of the Computer Science Department at UTEP. "Before IBM SmartCloud for Social Business, email was the default way of communicating. Now I don't have to manage a lot of emails, I can go back and look at the status of projects and what people are working on quickly and easily. We're using the portfolio to boost brainstorming sessions across campus, sharing information immediately, saving time and resources for the university."

At Colleagues In Care (CIC), a non-profit dedicated to improving healthcare delivery in Haiti, medical workers and volunteers from around the globe are using the IBM SmartCloud for Social Business to access critical data and information for the current healthcare needs of the Haitian citizens. The new IBM SmartCloud Docs feature is allowing the network of healthcare volunteers to collaboratively edit materials resulting in a first-of-a-kind certification program and professional development curricula for emergency medical obstetrics professionals.

"The Emergency Medical Obstetrics Certification Program will address how a physician, a nurse, or an auxiliary could stabilize and keep a patient from dying, at locations where drugs and resources are unavailable," said Marie L. Kenerson, Chief Collaboration and Learning Officer, Colleagues In Care. "In record time using IBM SmartCloud Docs, the international team is able to upload medical protocols and educational course content, co-edit the documents, and even co-create appropriate original materials making up the EMO curriculum."

IBM SmartCloud for Social Business now meets both Switzerland and European Union Safe Harbor privacy principle standards regarding the collection, handling and access to personal information, furthering the opportunities for European organizations to embrace social business in the cloud.

New Services Make the Cloud Enterprise Ready

• Access documents anytime, anywhere -- the new IBM SmartCloud Docs cloud-based office productivity suite allows users to simultaneously collaborate on word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents in the cloud to improve productivity. IBM Docs authors can store documents in IBM SmartCloud, co-edit documents in real time easing the management of multiple revisions from multiple authors in team-based documents.

• Sharing insight and data in real time -- the new IBM Connections capabilities in the cloud allow users to embrace business-grade social networking between employees, partners and suppliers to find and share the right insight when needed. New community based blogs, wikis, idea-generation blogs and file viewers will spur creativity and drive innovation across teams.

• Meet and chat on the fly -- the new e-meeting service allows teams to meet on the fly, using instant messaging chats, screen sharing to share information and presentations, and includes a new chat room feature to communicate with colleagues, partners and clients in real time.

• Unlimited access -- chat with guests regardless of their instant messaging platform, share files and invite guests to participate in e-meetings at no additional charge.

• Improved mobile device management -- new software to help business partners organize and secure cloud-based IBM email on mobile devices allowing organizations to extend their current business capabilities to mobile devices, while capitalizing on the new opportunities that mobile devices uniquely provide.

Pricing and Availability

IBM SmartCloud Docs is available now for no additional charge in IBM SmartCloud Engage Advanced service. IBM SmartCloud Docs is also available for purchase as a service add on for IBM Connections and IBM SmartCloud Engage Standard for $3 per user, per month.

To participate in a live webcast on December 13, 2012, on how to enhance the workforce with socially enabled office productivity applications in the Cloud, register at http://tek.io/TIuCDy. To hear first hand from clients using social applications in the cloud, register for IBM's premier social business conference in January 2013 at www.ibm.com/connect.

For more information, please visit ibmcloud.com/social.

*Source: Forrester Research Inc., "Sizing The Cloud, Understanding And Quantifying The Future Of Cloud Computing, by Stefan Ried, Ph.D., Holger Kisker, Ph.D., April 21, 2011.

**Source: Social Enterprise Apps Redefine Collaboration," Forrester Research, Inc., November 30, 2011.

Ontario Technology Corridor Briefs Brazil's IT Industry Advisors on Canada Versus U.S. as Export Gateway Into North America

Ontario Technology Corridor Briefs Brazil's IT Industry Advisors on Canada Versus U.S. as Export Gateway Into North America

Canada's Financial Stability, Best Educated Workforce in North America Among Reasons to Choose Ontario

MarketwirePress Release: Ontario Technology Corridor – 10 hours ago

SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL--(Marketwire - Dec 6, 2012) - When export-oriented Brazilian information technology companies consider expansion into North America, the typical choices are Miami, New York or Silicon Valley. A delegation from Ontario Technology Corridor cities is working to change that perception with an "advise the advisors" tour that takes Ontario's technology opportunity message this week to Brazilian IT associations and Brazilian-based companies in Florianopolis, Campinas, and Sao Paolo looking to expand outside the country's $212 billion information technology market that exports only $2.65 billion of products and services, according to Brasscom, the Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communication Companies.

Ontario is Canada's largest province, and is home to the highest concentration of leading IT companies in Canada. Employing nearly 260,000 people among 6,400 companies within Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors, the Ontario Technology Corridor encompasses the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa Region, Waterloo Region, City of London and the Niagara Region. Through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Ontario-based technology companies have long-term access to North America's $17.6 trillion (GDP) economy and 450 million consumers.

"Brazil has fantastic technologies and products that can change the world," said Gérson Schmitt, President of Brazilian software association ABES, and CEO of ClicBusiness Software S/A - Grupo Paradigma. "The Ontario Technology Corridor value proposition has already attracted companies like Cisco, Google, Huawei, IBM, Microsoft and Ubisoft to expand there, and we know we can represent, partner and collaborate with hundreds of export-oriented Ontario startups and Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The global-first export orientation of Ontario's homegrown companies like RIM and OpenText, and a deep base of senior executives with Silicon Valley and other global experience is also something our companies can take advantage of." 

"Forbes Magazine's most recent Best Countries For Business rating ranked Canada No. 5, ahead of the U.S. at No. 12," said Bill Elliot, the Ontario Technology Corridor representative who is also Integrative Trade Consultant with Canada's Technology Triangle Inc. in Waterloo Region. "Canada offers a less risky, more financial stable business environment, very low crime rates and a multi-cultural society, like Brazil's, that recognizes and builds on all ethnic backgrounds."

"When you add Ontario's strategic focus on IT and digital media, government incentives can cut R&D costs by up to 61% per cent, the fact we offer North America's most educated workforce, and fast-track policies that make it easy for companies to relocate key personnel as well as their spouses, the Ontario Technology Corridor is a very compelling choice for export-minded Brazilian IT companies," added Elliot.

In addition to industry-targeted tax credits in areas such as digital media, powerful R&D tax credits can be combined to further reduce overall cost to Brazilian companies that choose to expand in Ontario. For example, $100 in R&D expenditures can be reduced to about $57, or $39 for a small business in Ontario. A broader range of costs qualify for deductions than in many other jurisdictions, and R&D tax credits can be carried back for 3 years or forward for 20 years.

Ontario Technology Corridor's thriving IT industry chooses its new hires from 44 top-notch universities and colleges that produce thousands of graduates in specialized programs including 3D animation, film studies, advanced computer programming, math, and hardware engineering.

About the Ontario Technology Corridor

Employing nearly 260,000 people among 6,400 companies within Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors, the Ontario Technology Corridor encompasses the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa Region, Waterloo Region, City of London and the Niagara Region. The Corridor also welcomes the partnership of the Province of Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation as well as the federal government's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. The Ontario Technology Corridor is supported by the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), Invest Ottawa, Canada�s Technology Triangle, the London Economic Development Corporation and Niagara Economic Development. For more information: www.ontariotechcorridor.ca

Contact:
Ontario Technology Corridor contacts:

Bill Elliot
Integrative Trade Consultant
Canada's Technology Triangle Inc.
Cell phone: (289) 442-4074
Email: Email Contact

Jill McCubbin
Conversation Architect
market2world communications inc.
Phone: 613-256-3939
Email: Email Contact

KIXEYE Invades Canada, Opening a New Development Studio in Victoria, British Columbia

KIXEYE Invades Canada, Opening a New Development Studio in Victoria, British Columbia

Ex-Zynga Director of Development Appointed as General Manager for KIXEYE Canada

SAN FRANCISCO & VICTORIA, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KIXEYE, the leader in competitive online combat strategy games, announced today that it is expanding to Canada, and will be opening a new game development studio based in Victoria, British Columbia. This marks the third office for KIXEYE, and second international studio opened this year, previously announcing its expansion to Brisbane, Australia. KIXEYE Canada is actively staffing up to begin work on new special projects.

“Victoria is exploding with engineering talent and is one of the largest tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley, especially for game companies”

“Our search for top talent is not limited by international boundaries,” said Will Harbin, CEO at KIXEYE. “Victoria is a hotbed of technical talent and Clayton and his team have aggressive goals to expand KIXEYE Canada.”

Newly appointed General Manager, Clayton Stark, will lead the efforts to assemble a studio of top technical and creative talent in his hometown of Victoria. With over 20 years of experience in building powerhouse teams and delivering disruptive technology across numerous industries, Stark previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Mercurial Communications, which helped to develop and restart the 8.0 browser for Netscape, and was the Chief Technology Officer and VP of Engineering at Flock, which created "the social browser." Flock was later acquired by Zynga in 2010, and Stark stayed on to serve as their Director of Development.

“Victoria is exploding with engineering talent and is one of the largest tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley, especially for game companies,” said Stark. “It’s also consistently ranked among the most beautiful cities in the world, and we’re setting up KIXEYE Canada right along the inner harbor at Bastion Square. For developers, it doesn’t get any better than working on projects they’re super passionate about, and having an incredible amount of fun while doing it.”

KIXEYE currently has over 300 employees based in its San Francisco headquarters. Thinking about joining the KIXEYE team? Watch this: www.beawesomer.com, or visit our newly launched company blog at blog.kixeye.com.

To receive the latest news and updates about KIXEYE, LIKE us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kixeye or follow us on Twitter @KIXEYE.

About KIXEYE

Founded in 2007, KIXEYE is an online gaming company that plays to win. Responsible for popular titles like Backyard Monsters, Battle Pirates and War Commander, KIXEYE is redefining the intersection of game development and technology to create innovative browser-based experiences for competitive gamers. The company is based in San Francisco.

For Media:

To download the latest images and other assets, please visit:

www.kixeye.com/press

Contacts

KIXEYE
Bryan Lam, 510-685-1088
blam@kixeye.com
or
Double Forte, on behalf of KIXEYE
Susan Kramer, 415-500-0608
kixeye@double-forte.com