Archive for February, 2012

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 for consumer testing

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Microsoft on Wednesday let consumers start trying out its upcoming touch-based Windows 8 operating system, which aims to power a new wave of computer tablets and traditional PCs designed to counter Apple’s big gains in the market through its Macs and iPads.

The test “beta” version of the revamped system was introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the planet’s largest cell phone trade show, and borrows some of the look of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 software for Windows 8.

Windows 8 doesn’t have the traditional “Start” menu, and applications are spread across a mosaic of tiles in a design Microsoft calls “Metro” — seen as an attempt by the company as a scramble to preserve its market share. And executives said it powers up on PCs in eight seconds, much faster than the previous version.

The tiles, which resemble road signs, can be navigated with a finger swipe on the screen or with a keyboard and mouse. But those testing out the new operating system won’t be able to try out the finger swiping unless they already have systems enabled for touch use, and the system isn’t expected to make its official debut until September or October.

Microsoft executives in Barcelona showed off how users can use their fingertips to swipe in and out of applications, and tilt upright computer screens to a flat position so they can be used as two-person gaming boards or big drawing tablets. A slim laptop had a hinge allowing it to be turned inside out so it could be used as a tablet instead.

“It’s beautiful, it’s modern, it’s fast, it’s fluid,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft’s Windows division. “Windows 8 is a generational change in the windows operating system.”

Microsoft is also opening an Internet “Windows Store” where users can download applications for the operating system, but only if they have Windows 8. Applications are free for those testing out the beta version, but would include both free and paid versions after the operating system is released.

The test version was downloaded by people from more than 70 countries as Microsoft gave its presentation about Windows 8, but the company didn’t immediately disclose the number of downloads. The software can be downloaded at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview.

Apple is also moving features from its iPhone and iPad software over to its Mac software. That trend will be particularly visible in Mountain Lion, the new Mac operating system that’s expected to be released this summer.

Windows 8 will also be the first Microsoft software in a long time besides its cell phone software that will run on non-Intel style processors. The company is developing a version that will run on phone-style chips, such as those used in the iPad.

If Windows 8 is a hit, it could help struggling PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. Besides giving businesses and consumers a reason to consider new PC purchases, Windows 8 is expected to spawn a new breed of hybrid machines that will be part tablet computer and part laptop like the device that Sinofsky demonstrated.

If Windows 8 is a flop, however, it will increase the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. His 12-year reign has been marred by the company’s troubles adapting to an Internet-driven upheaval. As Microsoft has stumbled, faster-innovating companies such as Apple and Google have elbowed their way into a position to steer the direction of computing for the next decade or two.

Microsoft’s financial performance traditionally improves when it releases a new version of Windows. The last upgrade came in October 2009 when Windows 7 hit the market. The company has sold more than 525 million copies of Windows 7 since then. Part of Window 7′s success stemmed from pent-up demand; the previous version, Vista, was so clunky and buggy that many PC users stuck with the system they already had on their machines or switched to Apple’s technology on Mac computers.

Microsoft shares dipped 13 cents to close at $31.74 Wednesday after the new operating system was introduced. The stock has been hovering around its highest levels since April 2008.

Windows 8 is radically different from its predecessors, with its tiles that provide a glimpse at the activity occurring in applications connected to the Web, such as email.

The system also is expected to enable users to easily back up their pictures, movies, music and other files on a Microsoft storage service called SkyDrive, which will compete against Apple’s iCloud.

Julie Larson-Green, head of “Windows Experience” and responsible for delivering a new operating system that wows the world’s PC users, showed how documents and data can be stored in one device only to appear instantaneously in another.

“It will populate with everything you are used to using right away,” she said.

The operating system’s versatility means it can be used to power computer tablets, as well as traditional PCs.

Microsoft badly wants a piece of the tablet market that has been cutting into PC sales since Apple introduced the iPad two years ago.

In the quarter that included the holiday shopping season, Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads, more than doubling the volume from the same time a year earlier. Meanwhile, worldwide personal computer sales dipped slightly, and Microsoft’s revenue in its Windows division declined 6 percent. It marked the fourth time in the past five quarters that Microsoft’s Windows revenue has fallen from the previous year.

Reversing or slowing that trend is critical for Microsoft. It still relies on the PC industry for about 55 percent of its revenue, according to Nomura Equity Research analyst Rick Sherlund.

“The launch of Windows 8 should provide a few years of robust growth and opportunity for Microsoft to reposition itself to better defend its position against challengers,” Sherlund wrote in a note after Microsoft reported the latest erosion in its Windows division.

Besides spurring more sales of the new operating system, Windows 8 is likely to drive demand for the next generation of the Office suite, another major moneymaker for Microsoft. In the demonstration in Barcelona, Office looked just like it normally does — but can be opened with a finger swipe.

Windows 8 could inspire more PC makers to design machines that combine the convenience of tablets with the utility of a notebook computer. These devices would be similar to the so-called “ultrabook” computers that offer a Windows-based version of Apple’s lightweight MacBook Air machines.

Once Windows 8 is available, the ultrabook line could be expanded to include machines equipped with a screen that swivels off the keyboard to take advantage of the system’s touch controls and provide a tablet-like experience.

___

Liedtke reported from San Francisco.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-unveils-windows-8-consumer-165602853.html

Computer Security News

• UK government staff caught snooping on citizen data
  Don't worry about hackers illegally accessing government systems. It turns out government workers and civil servants who are trusted with private citizen data are more likely to access your data illegally. […]
• social network makes stock market debut – live blog
  Zuckerberg appears to confirm in one message that he secretly hacked into the website of the Harvard University newspaper, the Crimson, by guessing the emails and passwords of two people in the college database."So I want to read what they said about me before the article came out and after I complained," he told a friend. […]
• Police Blotter: Phone Hacker Makes Overseas Calls
  ALCOHOL Sungjoon Um, 22, of the 20800 block of Elizabeth Avenue, Lincolnshire, was charged with driving under the influence and speeding at 2:25 a.m. May 17 on westbound Lake-Cook Road from Milwaukee Avenue. […]
• Who Did the WikiLeaks DDoS Attack?
  Free Email Newsletters Sign Up for free email updates from PCMag: Daily news, new products, security, deals, DIY, and more Whistleblowing site Wikileaks is up and running again after a massive DDoS attack knocked it offline for three days. […]
• Android Hackers Hone Their Skills in Russia
  The malware business growing around Google Android -- now the leading smartphone operating system -- is still in its infancy . […]
• Mac-based Flashback click fraud campaign was a bust
  The hackers in charge of the Flashback botnet managed to generate $14,000 from their click fraud campaign, but have not been paid, Symantec said today. […]
• House Intel Chairman Predicts Major Cyber Attack on US
  Cadets engaged during the annual Cyber Defense Exercise at West Point. Established in 2001 by West Point in collaboration and support from the National Security Agency the exercise challenges each team to design, build and configure a real-world computer network and simulates a deployed joint service command. […]
• Hacker steals card details with Call of Duty virus
  Hacker Lewys Martin, 20, offered a "patch" to users of the popular video game Call Of Duty - but secretly hid a trojan horse virus inside. […]
• Bulgaria's Transport Minister: Phishing Accounts for 46% of Cyber Attacks
  Hotels 5* Hotels 4* Hotels 3* Apartment Houses Restaurants Rent-a-car Casino Golf Resorts Mountain resorts Sea resorts Entertainment Shopping Health Clinics Public Safety Vaults Beauty Salons In 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, 46% of attacks on network infrastructure were phishing , according to Ivaylo Moskovski , Minister of Transport , ... (more) […]
• Revenge Porn Kingpin Hunter Moore Is Under Investigation By the FBI [Is Anyone Up]
  We've been waiting for the other shoe to drop in the bizarre shuttering of revenge porn site Is Anyone Up last month, and here it is: Hunter Moore, the site's shithead owner, is being investigated by the FBI . […]

Microsoft releases Windows 8 preview

BARCELONA, Spain (CNNMoney) — Microsoft gave consumers their first opportunity to download and play around with the company’s new Windows 8 operating system.

It’s still only in “preview” mode, which means it’s likely bug-ridden and comes with no customer support. But it gives testers a view of how Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) envisions the future of computing.

Windows 8 is very different from the many operating systems the software giant has launched since 1995. In some ways, Windows 8 represents even more of a sea change for Microsoft and the personal computer than did Windows 95.

By bringing touch, an entirely new user interface, and a new chip architecture to the Windows platform, Microsoft has opened the door for hardware and software makers to change the definition of what makes a PC.

“We live in a world where tablets are about touch, and PCs about the keyboard and mouse, but what happens when you revisit those assumptions?” asked Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft’s president of Windows, at a presentation at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. “Touch is just another point in Windows 8 where you get to pick ‘and.’ It’s not about ‘or’ anymore.”

Microsoft showed off about a dozen reference designs that PC manufacturers made for developers to test Windows 8 on. Many were tablets, others were touch-enabled laptops. One was a giant 50-some-odd inch interactive display. Another was a touch screen monitor that swiveled to become a drafting table or a table top.

Microsoft first unveiled Windows 8 to the world in its developer preview in September. Since then, the company said it has made more than 100,000 changes to its software code.

The visible differences are in speed, the availability of a robust Windows app store, and a new feature that allows users to sign into any Windows 8 computer using a their Windows Live ID and automatically view their desktop image, preferences and apps.

Microsoft also tweaked its user interface a bit, most noticeably by getting rid of the Start button from the desktop application.

Microsoft said its primary aim was to make Windows 8 both “fast and fluid.” But the company also wanted to make it accessible to both casual users and power users.

To accomplish that, Microsoft made its new “Metro” tile-based user interface fully accessible with a keyboard and mouse. And the traditional desktop — for those who prefer that experience — can be accessed by clicking on the desktop application tile or with a keyboard shortcut. The desktop, in a sense, becomes just another app with Windows 8, and it can be viewed side-by-side with a video, game, or any other Metro-style application.

With the new user interface comes a whole slew of new commands that Windows users will have to learn.

The lock screen in Windows 8 shows users icons that say how many e-mails, messages and notifications are waiting for them. With a swipe up, the user is taken to a lock screen, which can be logged into with a Windows ID and password or by replicating pre-recorded gestures on a photo.

Windows 8 also allows users to pinch to zoom, rotate with two fingers to turn, and tap and hold to drag.

It’s a lot to learn, but the company thinks that everything new will be intuitive.

“Windows 8 will be fun and come naturally to people,” said Sinofsky. “To say we’re excited about this development is an understatement.”

Windows fans are excited as well. The preview had been released at the start of the hour-and-a-half-long presentation Wednesday and had already been downloaded in 70 countries by the end. If you’re brave enough, you can try it out too at preview.windows.com.

Microsoft gave no hints about when it would release a final version of Windows 8, but CEO Steve Ballmer hinted several months ago that it would be coming out at some point in 2012. 

Article source: http://money.cnn.com/rssclick/2012/02/29/technology/windows_8_consumer_preview/index.htm?section=money_latest

Microsoft releases Windows 8 for public testing

BARCELONA/SEATTLE (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp released an incomplete version of Windows 8 for the public to download and try out on Wednesday, looking to rev up excitement for the slick, new-look operating system that it hopes will restore its fading tech supremacy.

Windows 8, as the first Microsoft operating system compatible with low-power microprocessors designed by ARM Holdings Plc, will run on tablets as well as desktops and laptops, in an effort to counter the runaway success of Apple Inc‘s iPad.

“It’s an even better Windows than Windows 7,” said Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft’s flagship Windows unit, as he demonstrated the new system at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Windows 7, Microsoft’s last operating system, was its fastest-selling ever, racking up 525 million sales in less than three years. But Microsoft has found itself sidelined in the rush toward mobile computing by Apple, Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc.

“It’s incredibly fast and fluid to just navigate this UI (user interface)”, said Sinofsky, showing off Windows 8 on a tablet and an ultra-thin laptop at the event in Barcelona.

Anyone can download the new version of Windows, but it will only work on PCs and laptops running standard Intel Corp x86 chips. Consumers will have to wait longer to try out the full experience on ARM-compatible tablets.

It is available for download at http://preview.windows.com.

Sinofsky said people from 70 countries had already downloaded the software on Wednesday morning, but he did not give exact numbers.

Microsoft says it is aiming to get machines running on both the ARM and Intel platforms into the market at the same time, but has not set a target date. The world’s largest software company generally tries to bring out a new version of Windows every three years, so that would indicate a full release date around October this year, in time for the holiday shopping season.

In both versions, Windows 8 features a completely new interface, borrowed from what Microsoft calls the “Metro” style of the current Windows Phone software. It features blocks or “tiles” that can be moved around the screen or tapped to go straight into an application.

The latest version of Windows 8 unveiled on Wednesday has better performance, quality and reliability than the version it released to developers last autumn.

For the first time, this version of Windows 8 includes the Windows Store, where users can download and try out apps and get access to cloud storage with the ability to move content across a range of devices including Windows phones. It also uses a test version of Microsoft’s newest browser, Internet Explorer 10.

The Windows Store has a range of apps including a reader for Gannett Co Inc’s national newspaper USA Today, games such as Cut the Rope, and other titles compatible with Microsoft’s Xbox video game system. But it is still tiny in comparison with the 140,000 apps available for the iPad. Users need to sign on with a Microsoft account to download apps, which are all free during the test period.

The test version of Windows 8 has mail, calendar and messaging apps, but no evidence of Office, Microsoft’s dominant suite of work applications. Sinofsky said earlier this month that a version of Office would be included in Windows 8 for ARM tablets.

Microsoft’s shares fluctuated on the Nasdaq, but briefly hit a new four-year high of $32.00 in early trading. The shares were down 17 cents at $31.70 in afternoon trading.

(Reporting By Georgina Prodhan in Barcelona and Bill Rigby in Seattle; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-opens-windows-8-public-testing-165705658.html

Sprint Enhances 3G Network Coverage in Atlanta

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Amid the rainbow of azaleas and dogwoods dotting the streets and
neighborhoods of metro Atlanta this spring are 3G capacity enhancements
from Sprint (NYSE:S), designed to give customers greater speeds and a
richer, seamless voice experience.

From the Fountain of Rings at Centennial Olympic Park to the hills of
Stone Mountain, Sprint customers in Atlanta should expect faster data
speeds, fewer dropped calls and confidence that Sprint is committed to
investing in Georgia and keeping pace with the ever-increasing demand
for data.

Over the past year, the Atlanta area has seen its Sprint 3G capacity
increase by more than 17 percent. In the past 90 days, Sprint has
implemented 100 network capacity upgrades in the Atlanta metro area,
with 122 planned for the next 90 days. Marietta? You’re covered. College
Park? We got you. Flowery Branch? Morrow? Done and done. These network
upgrades encompass all aspects of a customer’s wireless experience,
including voice, data and in-building solutions. These enhancements to
the Sprint 3G Network also should serve to bolster performance of the
company’s no-contract brands, including devices operating on the Sprint
network from Boost
Mobile and Virgin
Mobile USA.

“Sprint is pleased to offer its customers products and services to
enhance their business and personal lives,” said Jeff Bennett, regional
vice president, consumer. “Atlanta is a non-stop, first-class city, and
Sprint is keeping up with our customers’ lives and data demands with our
cutting-edge network plans, including these 3G enhancements and our
upcoming 4G LTE service.”

Atlanta, along with five other cities, also is expected to benefit from
Sprint 4G LTE by mid-year, which is expected to provide even faster
speeds for data applications. All of these plans are part of Sprint’s
Network Vision program.

Nationwide, Sprint is overhauling its entire network and replacing
existing equipment with the newest, most advanced equipment available in
the industry through the Network Vision program.

Announced in December 2010, Network Vision is planned to consolidate
multiple network technologies into one seamless network with the goal of
increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and
data speeds for customers. Smartphone penetration is expected to double
over the next four years.* With Network Vision, Sprint is making it
easier for data to travel so smartphone customers – who average 10 times
more data use than feature phone customers* – can use their devices the
way they were meant.

Network Vision and the recent upgrades reflect Sprint’s commitment to
customer service. Sprint is unbeaten among all national carriers and
most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, over
the past three years, according to the 2011
American Customer Satisfaction Index. The survey showed Sprint as
the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all
industries, over the past three years.

As Sprint adds capacity across the country on the existing network –
28,513 in 2011 – Network Vision work on 38,000 cell sites is underway.
For a detailed look at capacity upgrades in different markets, visit www.sprint.com/network.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline
communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers,
businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 55
million customers at the end of 2011 and is widely recognized for
developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including
the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United
States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid
brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance
Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities;
and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No.
3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest
companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn
more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com
or www.facebook.com/sprint
and www.twitter.com/sprint.

*Source: Mobile Access 2010, PEW INTERNET AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT)

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995

* This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the securities laws. The statements in this news release
regarding network performance, coverage and capabilities, business and
network efficiencies, migration of services new technologies, timing of
deployment, and products and services, as well as other statements that
are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words
“estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” intend,” “expect,” “believe,”
“target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are estimates and
projections reflecting management’s judgment based on currently
available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
suggested by the forward-looking statements. With respect to these
forward-looking statements, management has made assumptions regarding,
among other things, development and deployment of new technologies;
efficiencies and cost savings of multimode technologies; customer and
network usage; customer growth and retention; service, coverage and
quality; availability of devices; the timing of various events and the
economic environment. Sprint Nextel believes these forward-looking
statements are reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations
and speak only as of the date of this release. Sprint Nextel is not
obligated to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking
statements to reflect events after the date of this release. Sprint
Nextel provides a detailed discussion of risk factors in periodic SEC
filings, including in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
Dec. 31, 2011.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-enhances-3g-network-coverage-180000036.html

Briefly: Marvel comes to iBooks, Smart Baby Monitor in US

Smart Baby Monitor launched in US

On Tuesday Marvel begin offering a number of its graphic novels in Apple’s iBook Store. Titles include Civil War, Spider-Man, House of M, Captain America, New Avengers, and more, with prices ranging from free up to $25. The publisher has promised to add new titles to the store each week, all of which will be viewable on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Furthermore, Marvel is also currently offering New Avengers Vol.1: Breakout as a free download.

Withings has announced the US launch of its Smart Baby Monitor

Withings has announced that its Smart Baby Monitor for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is now available in the US. The monitor is capable of detecting sound, movement, temperature and humidity levels, and features a 3MP camera with an extra wide view lens and night vision with infrared LEDs. The monitor is also equipped with a two way microphone that allows parents to both hear their child, as well as interact with them when not physically in the room. The Smart Baby Monitor can be purchased online for $300.

by MacNN Staff

Share the Article

Article source: http://www.macnn.com/articles/12/02/29/smart.baby.monitor.launched.in.us/

Police: Teen cuts off monitor

A 19-year-old felon who evaded capture for nearly two months after tossing his court-ordered ankle bracelet last year is on the run again, this time after cutting off the bracelet during a court recess, police said.

Tomonta Quantez Simmons was scheduled to appear in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on Wednesday on charges that he’d violated his probation on convictions for safecracking, breaking and entering a vehicle, larceny of guns and drug possession.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said he came to court but left during a lunch recess. Then he cut off his electronic monitor near Interstate 85 and Sugar Creek Road in northern Charlotte, police said.

Sgt. David Scheppegrell, who heads the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s electronic monitoring program, said investigators believe Simmons ran off from court because he saw that offenders ahead of him in the courtroom were getting active prison sentences for their probation violations.

“The handwriting was on the wall,” Scheppegrell said.

Simmons pleaded guilty to felony charges in December 2010 and was placed on probation. As part of a pilot program for “priority offenders” between the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the N.C. Department of Community Corrections, Simmons was ordered to wear an electronic monitor.

About a year later, on Nov. 9, 2011, Simmons cut off the monitor and was on the run until officers arrested him Jan. 4. He was jailed but then released earlier this month – again with the monitor – after posting $36,500 bond.

“If we’d had our wishes, he would have stayed in jail,” Scheppegrell said.

But suspects charged with crimes are presumed innocent and are given bonds, he said. If they post that bond, authorities can’t keep them in jail.

Police said Simmons is the fourth person to cut of his CMPD electronic monitor so far this year. Simmons is now wanted on outstanding warrants for interfering with an electronic monitoring device and multiple counts of felony probation violations.

Anyone with information about Simmons’ whereabouts is asked to call 911 or CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team at 704-336-VCAT.

Article source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/02/29/3057169/police-teen-cuts-off-monitor-again.html

ADR Software Adds Manpower Load Compliance Tracker to Workforce Monitor's Project Dashboard

New feature gives general contractors, sub-contractors and owners a real-time comparison of actual workforce on site compared to projected, or scheduled workforce load planned.

Reston, VA (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

ADR Software, LLC today announced the release of Workforce Monitor Dashboard 2.0, an enhancement to its all web-based Workforce Monitor application. The new Dashboard adds a schedule compliance meter to the existing workforce-deployed and workforce-on-site meters already in place. By entering projected manpower into the Workforce Monitor application, general contractors, sub-contractors and owner users can track and monitor the actual workforce on site as compared to the projected workforce required to meet the schedule. This feature, presented in an easy to understand, visually appealing graphical format, gives project managers the ability to foresee manpower issues proactively and intervene as necessary to prevent costly delays and disputes.

“This is an exciting addition to the Workforce Monitor application,” said Bruce Labovitz, ADR‘s co-founder and President. “The ability to identify, assess and react to schedule issues in the field is critical to the success of any construction project. The addition of the schedule display on the Workforce Monitor Dashboard creates significant additional value to our subscriber customers.”

Workforce Monitor is a service of ADR Software, LLC. General contractors, owners, project managers and sub-contractors use the service to empower real-time workforce decision making, to provide invaluable project workforce documentation, to improve safety awareness and response readiness and ultimately to manage risk.

Workforce Monitor utilizes RFID tags, embedded in stickers affixed to hard hats and ID badges, to monitor workforce traffic without delays, interruptions or intrusions. Workforce Monitor is currently monitoring over 15,000 workers at numerous construction sites throughout the United States.

###

Bruce Labovitz
ADR Software LLC
703.230.2588
Email Information

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/adr-software-adds-manpower-load-compliance-tracker-workforce-230304364.html

cPacket Networks Partners with Riverbed to Provide Enhanced Network Visibility and Analysis Capabilities

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Today, cPacket Networks announced integration of its hardware
timestamping solutions with Riverbed® Cascade® application-aware network
performance management (NPM) solution. The new joint solution provides
accurate timestamping and traffic analysis for fast troubleshooting of
network and application performance problems in enterprise and financial
industry IT environments. By combining the Riverbed Cascade and
cPacket’s cVu Traffic monitoring switches, data center and IT operation
teams benefit from high precision timestamping to obtain real-time
visibility and enable troubleshooting of business critical services and
performance-sensitive applications like automatic trading systems.

“Application and network-performance problems can have substantial
negative impact on business operations,” said Rony Kay, founder and CEO
of cPacket Networks. “Embedding cPacket’s high precision timestamps into
the Riverbed Cascade NPM solution enhances monitoring accuracy and helps
solve IT performance issues quickly.”

cPacket products provide highly accurate hardware timestamps and clock
synchronization combined with complete packet inspection and filtering
at full line rate under any traffic conditions. Riverbed Cascade
provides cost-effective, application-aware network performance
management that enables end-to-end visibility into the performance of
critical business applications.

With a solution that combines the Riverbed Cascade Shark and cPacket’s
hardware timestamps, customers can benefit from detailed and accurate
application transaction and packet analysis. This level of insight is
necessary to maintain the competitiveness of fast, complex networks,
such as those in high performance global enterprises, financial
services, high-frequency trading, and many other industries. All of
these need accurate forensic analysis and trending, root-cause analysis
with fine-grained history, post-event troubleshooting, and application
performance analysis.

“Monitoring and troubleshooting many of today’s mission-critical
financial applications requires precise and accurate nanosecond-level
visibility into application traffic,” said Dmitri Vlachos, senior
director of marketing and product management, Cascade Business Unit at
Riverbed. “cPacket’s cVu Traffic monitoring switches provide Cascade
with hardware timestamps to aid in highly accurate measurements.”

About cPacket

cPacket Networks is the emerging leader in systems and technologies for
Pervasive Network Intelligence. Utilizing its unique cPacket chip and
software architecture, cPacket provides network monitoring and response
solutions at a fraction of the complexity, power, and cost of
preexisting approaches. The exploding use of 10 Gbps networks and beyond
to support a relentless growth in media-centric applications, cloud
applications, and data centers makes the availability of truly pervasive
network intelligence timely and critical.

cPacket is located in Mountain View, CA. For more information, visit www.cpacket.com.

Editors, note: All trademarks and registered trademarks are those of
their respective companies.

Additional background information is available at www.roeder-johnson.com.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cpacket-networks-partners-riverbed-enhanced-140000681.html

Kentrox Introduces Power and Environmental Management Modules

COLUMBUS, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Kentrox^®, Inc., an innovator of site monitoring, management,
and control solutions, announces immediate availability of two new
modules for enhanced site management: power management and environmental
management. This announcement follows the release of the tower
management module in January 2012.

All networks require power. It can come from commercial service, solar
panels, generators, batteries, wind turbines, or hydrogen fuel cells,
but it must be provided 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, to ensure the
network availability that customers expect. The Kentrox power management
module provides the applications needed to help service providers
monitor and control multiple power sources at remote sites. The
applications use Optima and the Remote suite of products to monitor site
power by providing the following:

• Battery monitoring: monitors the voltage during float and discharge
  conditions and predicts the battery discharge time during outages.
• Rectifier monitoring: monitors detailed rectifier conditions (voltage,
  current, temperature, etc.) for supported rectifier systems.
• Generator management: monitors the generator status, initiates alarms
  when potential issues arise, and starts/stops supported generator
  systems.
• AC power monitoring: monitors power quality and energy usage including
  support for multi-tenant billing scenarios.
• Hybrid power management: monitors, manages, and controls power from
  multiple sources (commercial power, generators, batteries, wind
  turbines, solar panels, bio-fuel, hydrogen fuel cells, etc.).
• Fuel monitoring: monitors fuel consumption, initiates alarms for
  potential theft, and helps providers to prioritize fuel delivery based
  on information provided.

Maintaining critical infrastructure at remote sites requires strict
control over environmental site conditions. A failed Heating,
Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system or water exposure, for
example, can affect network availability and create unhappy customers.
The Kentrox environmental management module provides the applications to
monitor and control remote site conditions to ensure normal operation,
provide notification of poor conditions, and enable remote management to
reduce site visits. Required repairs or adjustments can be accomplished
before service is affected. The applications use Optima and the Remote
suite of products to provide the following:

• Environmental monitoring: monitors the indoor and outdoor temperature
  and humidity at the tower site and initiates alarms on conditions that
  are outside of a specified range. Monitors and reports on tower lights
  and alarms in any failure condition.
• HVAC management: centralizes control of HVAC conditions and initiates
  alarms on conditions outside of a specified range. Identifies sites
  where HVACs are under-performing or where systems can be replaced for
  better efficiency.
• HVAC energy monitoring: monitors real-time energy consumption of HVAC
  systems to verify efficiency of cooling systems. Provides valuable
  data for decision making of HVAC setpoints and future equipment
  purchases to obtain maximum efficiency.
• Hazardous gas monitoring: identifies presence of hazardous gases such
  as hydrogen, fuel vapor, or carbon monoxide and helps indicate where
  preventative maintenance may be required.

Each packaged module supports several applications and includes the
information, reports, measurements, network elements, alarms, and
sensors/controllers that are needed for each application. The modules
include a new Optima Live View showing the per site status overview of
the specific application’s alarms and key performance indicators (KPIs).
It provides auto-refresh and single click links to pre-defined reports,
alarms, analysis, and controls. The standardized reports are context
sensitive and provide a one click zoom to the selected alarms or KPIs to
better understand site status.

“Effectively and efficiently understanding site conditions in a cell
site, roadside cabinet, hut, vault, utility facility or any other type
of site, is critical to services providers’ success,” explains Ben
Stump, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Kentrox.
“The new power and environmental management modules enable providers the
ability to ensure remote sites are functioning correctly, notify
personnel of issues that arise or may arise, and most importantly,
monitor and control the site conditions, often remotely. This ultimately
reduces operating costs and improves network availability and
reliability.”

About Kentrox, Inc.

Kentrox is a world-class innovator of site monitoring, management, and
control solutions, enabling service providers to reduce network and
operating costs while improving network performance. With more than one
million products successfully deployed in carrier and enterprise
networks, Kentrox is a trusted partner of network operators and
enterprises worldwide. Kentrox has major operations in the metro areas
of Columbus, Ohio, Newark, New Jersey, and Johannesburg, South Africa,
and a strong network of global partnerships. For more information, visit www.kentrox.com.

Media Contact:
Lighthouse Marketing
Cathy McFadden, 971-226-8487
cmcfadden@lthmarketing.com

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kentrox-introduces-power-environmental-management-190000198.html

For folks in the IT department, is this legal to do? can you get caught doing this?