- Varonis adds Unix to data governance product
- IBM opens PLM centers
- Sun adds to startup program
- Sun bolsters Solaris Developer Edition
- Amazon Web Services seeks start-ups
- IBM offers AIX beta program
- Red Hat launches Global Desktop
- Black Duck checks code
- Micro Focus touts application portfolio manager
- BEA touts Web 2.0 products
February 11, 2008 | Comments: (0)
Varonis adds Unix to data governance product
Varonis Systems Monday announced DatAdvantage version 3.5, providing data governance for Unix.
Previously available for Windows, DatAdvantage provides visibility, auditing and recommendations to ensure unstructured Unix data is accessible for business needs. A single user interface for DatAdvantage shows both Windows- and Unix-based unstructured data. Varonis defines unstructured data as data residing outside of a database, such as image files or video.
"Our product helps identify who has access as well as who should have access," to data, said Raphael Reich, senior product marketing manager at Varonis.
Posted by Paul Krill on February 11, 2008 07:02 AM
November 15, 2007 | Comments: (0)
IBM is unveiling nine "Product Lifecycle Management centers" Thursday designed to help customers launch new products in less time.
The intent is to leverage proven business methodologies and software development models, IBM said. Clients get access to IBM experts to help integrate processes and transactions typical of a product lifecycle. PLM best practices are applied to new product development initiatives. Featured are value creation seminars, enterprise workshops, interoperable software technologies and business process management modules.
The centers will offer expertise in areas such as SOA and Web 2.0, PLM process transformation and application integration. Also part of the effort is a "Proof-of-Concept Factory," featuring software developers. PLM emerging technologies are highlighted such as mobile 3D viewers that render three-dimensional models on Linux-based PDAs and Pocket PC devices.
The centers are located in Nice-La Gaude, France; Beijing; Bangalore; New Delhi; Boeblingen, Germany; Yamato, Japan; Montreal; Hawthorne, N.Y. and Dallas.
Clients already benefiting from early visits to the centers include Harley Davidson and Canadian-based transportation solution manufacturer Bombardier, IBM said.
Posted by Paul Krill on November 15, 2007 07:09 AM
October 18, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Sun Microsystems is announcing Thursday enhancements to its Sun Startup Essentials program for startup companies, including the addition of a "camp" in New York City.
"The goal of the program is to make it easy for a startup to get off the ground quickly," said Juan Carlos Soto, Sun vice president of market development. There have been 1,000 participants in the program since it was begun in November 2006.
Participants get access to Sun's Solaris OS but also can run Linux or Windows.
Startup Camp, which is being held in New York City October 22-23, brings entrepreneurs and vendors together to network and learn from the experiences of other startups, venture capitalists and technology companies, Sun said. Participants also can win prizes in a contest called "Speed Geeking," for startups to hone their business pitch. Prizes include a Sun Fire X4200 computer, hosting services and an Apple iTouch.
Another part of the event is "Startup University," featuring speakers from companies such as Microsoft.
Sun is announcing an incubator initiative providing office space and hardware infrastructure support for startups. Plug and Play Tech Center has joined the Sun initiative, providing support and discounts on Web hosting, office space and managed services.
Also, Sun is expanding its hosting program to include Web hosting partner Layered Technologies, which will offer low-cost infrastructure and services for startups for on-demand hosting and utility computing.
Web 2.0 has been a focus of many of the participating companies, presenting many opportunities for entrepreneurs. But monetizing these efforts can be a challenge.
"Right now, a lot of the Web 2.0 business models are unproven, frankly," Soto said. Some seek advertising revenues but they all want to be the next YouTube, he said.
Posted by Paul Krill on October 18, 2007 01:00 PM
September 24, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Sun bolsters Solaris Developer Edition
Sun Microsystems is announcing Monday new support subscriptions and enhanced graphical user interfaces for its Solaris Express developer Edition, as part of version 9/07.
The changes are intended to make it easier to install and use the product.
"At zero acquisition cost, and featuring easy installation on most x86 computers, Solaris Express Developer Edition is the modern, integrated platform for developing Solaris applications," said Marc Hamilton, vice president of Solaris Marketing for Sun Microsystems, in a statement released by the company.
"With the new installer, we're offering developers a significantly streamlined installation experience. The new service offering extends the value of that offering by now including install/configuration assistance for Solaris Express Developer Edition, just as we do for Solaris 10."
Also new is D-Light, a GUI front end tool for the Solaris dynamic tracing capability, known as DTrace, which measures system level performance.
Also, customers can get installation and configuration support for Solaris Express Developer Edition and Solaris 10 n a single subscription, at the Basic level of support for Solaris subscriptions with no additional cost.
An improved development environment for laptops n the product features wireless drivers and support for Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology, which provides a power management infrastructure.
Solaris Express Developer Edition is downloadable here.
Posted by Paul Krill on September 24, 2007 06:00 AM
September 12, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Amazon Web Services seeks start-ups
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is launching Wednesday the Amazon Web Services Start-Up Challenge, a contest in which start-up ventures leveraging Amazon's in-the-cloud services compete based on originality and promise.
Contestants also will be evaluated on the degree to which the business leverages pay-as-you-go technology solutions offered by AWS. The contest is for entrepreneurs and software developers, with the winner to receive $50,000 in cash, $50,000 in AWS credits, mentoring sessions and an investment offer from Amazon.com. Four second-place winners will receive $5,000 in AWS credits.
AWS provides businesses access to services based on Amazon technology infrastructure, including Amazon Simple Storage Service and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, which enable businesses to scale to the level of major Internet players without having to provide their own infrastructure, AWS said. Web services technology such as SOAP is used.
"We provide a suite of infrastructure services like storage in the cloud and compute capacity in the cloud enabling developers and startups to build their businesses without worrying about a lot of the back-end infrastructure," said Adam Selipsky, vice president of product development and developer relations at AWS.
More about the contest can be found on this Web page. Entries are due by October 28, with winners to be announced in December.
Amazon also is producing its Startup Project, which is a traveling seminar to bring hundreds of startups and venture capitalists together to hear about what is happening at AWS, Selipsky said.
Participants in the Startup Project have included companies such as Blingee, which boosts online presence for MySpace users. Another AWS customer has been SmugMug, a photo-sharing and photo management site.
Posted by Paul Krill on September 12, 2007 08:38 AM
July 12, 2007 | Comments: (0)
IBM announced Thursday an open beta program for AIX, the company's Unix operating system.
Version 6 of AIX exploits the Power 6 microprocessor, which offers advances in energy conservation and virtualization, IBM said.
AIX runs on IBM System p Unix servers. Featured in the new OS are capabilities for security, virtualization, near-continuous availability and manageability, the company said.
A workload partitions capability in version 6 provides for software-based virtualization reducing the number of OS images that have to be managed. Another feature, live application mobility, relocates a running workload.
Role-based access control in version 6 is a security enhancement enabling administrators to grant authorization for management of specific AIX resources to users.
IBM plans to make AIX 6 generally available in the fourth quarter of this year.
To participate in the beta, current AIX clients can visit IBM here and follow links to the open beta Web page here.
Posted by Paul Krill on July 12, 2007 07:34 AM
May 10, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Red Hat launches Global Desktop
Red Hat at the Red Hat Summit conference in San Diego this week unveiled several initiatives, including a client product for small business users and plans to build a virtual appliance OS.
A new client product, Red Hat Global Desktop, provides a modern user experience with an enterprise-class suite of productivity applications, Red Hat said. The offering is intended for local government and small business customers. Red Hat worked with Intel to develop Global Desktop.
Meanwhile, Red Hat and Intel will deliver a Red Hat-branded software platform that supports desktop PCs with the Intel vPro processor. The collaboration between Red Hat and Intel will bring hardware-assisted virtualization to business desktop computing, Red Hat said.
"The legacy desktop falls short in its ability to provide a secure, reliable and manageable environment," said Brian Stevens, CTO at Red Hat, in a statement released by the company. "Intel vPro technology combined with a Red Hat Virtual Appliance OS will allow customers to create a rock-solid foundation that can then provision, manage and secure the PC. This technology will reduce operational costs and increase operational flexibility. We are delighted to partner with Intel on this project."
Also, IBM and Red Hat announced an effort to encourage growth of Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM System z mainframes. A program has been set up to assist companies in evaluation, deployment and support.
Red Hat in the future plans to unveil a new model for protecting the privacy of critical data, to meet the needs of users in areas such as financial services, the company said.
Red Hat on Thursday announced availability of Red Hat Exchange (RHX), a service that extends the company's Open Source Architecture strategy to include business applications from open source partners built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and JBoss platform software. Users can access solutions from 14 Red Hat software partners with offerings ranging from business intelligence to customer resource management and messaging.
Partners include companies such as Alfresco, Scalix and SugarCRM.
Posted by Paul Krill on May 10, 2007 12:21 PM
May 09, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Black Duck Software is announcing transactIP, a hosted solution to evaluate the integrity of software code before the software is purchased.
Built on top of Black Duck's protexIP platform for managing software code requirements, transactIP addresses due diligence requirements. It provides a snapshot of whether code is in compliance with legal obligations and license terms.
Due diligence information is provided to the acquirer of software without showing source code or other intellectual property. TransactIP relies on the protexIP Knowledge Base, which features a catalogue of open source projects and code components.
Posted by Paul Krill on May 9, 2007 06:05 AM
May 02, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Micro Focus touts application portfolio manager
Micro Focus launched on Tuesday its Enterprise View product, for application portfolio management.
The product combines technologies from Micro Focus and Hal Knowledge Systems, which was acquired by Micro Focus last year. Customers can build a detailed view of an application portfolio to ensure that application modernization projects are completed in accordance with business needs.
Featured is automated collection of data about enterprise applications and their value to a business. A framework is provided to support modernization initiatives such as off-shoring, out-sourcing and post-merger and acquisition consolidation.
Posted by Paul Krill on May 2, 2007 06:39 AM
March 28, 2007 | Comments: (0)
BEA Systems this week detailed three products that the company said are geared to Web 2.0 and social computing in the enterprise.
These include the Pages, Ensemble and Pathways products from the BEA AquaLogic line. They are intended to provide for user participation in the workplace while giving IT management and governance control.
Ensemble, formerly known as Project Runner, is infrastructure software for developers and IT operations to develop and manage enterprise mashup applications. Pages, which had been known as Project Builder, lets users surface enterprise data and build simple Web applications for day-to-day business situations.
Pathways, formerly known as Project Graffiti, provides for collaborative information discovery and expert identification. It combines social book-marketing and tagging with search and activity analytics. Users can discover and share information through social networks.
The three products are expected to ship in the second quarter of this year.
Posted by Paul Krill on March 28, 2007 12:04 PM
March 16, 2007 | Comments: (0)
OpSource bolsters SaaS platform
OpSource, which provides SaaS (Software as a Service) delivery services to software companies, announced this week its Optimal On-Demand 2.0 platform.
OpSource offers mission-critical application components such as hosting while letting software companies focus on solutions. The company has developed Optimal Services Bus to allow on-demand applications running on Optimal On-Demand to take advantage of OpSource and third-party application components. A Web-based development environment for SaaS and Web companies is planned.
Optimal Insight, which is available now, offers insight into the business and operational health of applications. In April, OpSource plans to introduce integrated, on-demand end user billing services, known as Optimal Billing, to Optimal On-Demand. Afterward, OpSource intends to introduce Optimal Research, providing market research capabilities for On-Demand customers.
Posted by Paul Krill on March 16, 2007 07:06 AM
March 08, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Hands-on: Ghost 2.0 so useful for Vista upgrades, it's spooky
Ask just about any IT person what tool has saved their bacon more than any other, and they will probably say a disk imaging utility. One of the most widely used disk imaging tools out there is Symantec's Ghost, recently updated and released as Ghost Solution Suite 2.0.
This release includes new features destined to keep it in the front of the CD wallet with full support for Windows Vista, 64-bit operating systems, centralized console for all migration tasks, and migration support for the latest software releases.
I've been a long-time user of Ghost, using it exclusively to image customer hard drives during upgrades or repairs. Working from within the Ghost management console was a real eye-opener for me, however. With Solution Suite 2.0, I could inventory my client PCs (for installed hardware and software), image clients in the background, create a report based on hardware type, and then push out software changes or updates to multiple computers simultaneously based on the results from the report. Deploying new applications or OS updates was never easier. The big red mark on my forehead was from me smacking myself for not using the suite sooner.
What I was most interested in was Ghost's ability to image and deploy Windows Vista upgrades to target PCs. I tested this by pushing the Ghost agent out to a Windows XP Pro PC and a Windows Vista PC from the management console. I created base images of each and stored them on my local hard drive. I then pushed the Vista image out to the XP Pro PC. After about 45 minutes, I had a fully restored Vista computer up and running. (If you do this, make sure you use the Microsoft's sysprep utility to detect the new hardware on the re-imaged PC as well as the SID Change option in the Ghost management console.)
Ghost Solution Suite 2.0 provides a wealth of functionality and flexibility for time-strapped IT. Admins can keep an eye on the hardware and software assets on the network and easily maintain those assets from one handy console. I really like how easy it was to image and deploy Vista to different hardware, and the reporting
Bottom Line:
Ghost Solution Suite 2.0
Platforms: Client: Windows 95b/98 SE, Windows NT 4.0 (SP4), Windows 2000 Pro, Windows XP Pro, Windows XP Tablet Edition, and Vista (Windows ME and XP Home are not supported); Server: Windows 2000 (all versions), Windows XP Pro, Windows Server 2003 (all versions), Vista
Cost: $39.20 for 10 to 24 licenses
Verdict: Ghost Solution Suite 2.0 is a veritable Swiss army knife of useful management tools for small networks or large. The hardware and software inventory function is very useful for tracking just what is on the network, and its support for 64-bit Windows and Vista leaves no Windows system unmanaged. This is one tool that no admin should be without.
Posted by Keith Schultz on March 8, 2007 12:36 PM
October 30, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Serena touts mainframe-change management
Serena Software on Monday is announcing availability of Serena ChangeMan ZMF version 5.6, for controlling software change on mainframes.
Version 5.6 features ease of use, extended application lifecycle support and team collaboration. Users can visualize the impact of proposed changes before they are put into effect. Responses to changes also can be readied. Change policies and processes can be enforced to enable enterprise security, consistency and compliance.
Integrated support for the IBM WebSphere Developer for z/Series developer environment enables ease of use and productivity, Serena said. Also, through enhancements to the ChangeMan ZMF Windows Explorer interface, developers working on mainframe applications can do so from their Windows environment with the same capabilities featured in the mainframe's Interactive System Productivity Facility.
Version 5.6 also exposes its API through Web services, enabling the tool to be used with the Eclipse Application Foundation Lifecycle Framework and exposing ALF-compliant events through a log-based notification mechanism. This technology is used to alert the Serena TeamTrack product of activities such as 'create package" and promotion events.
By integrating TeamTrack with ZMF, the Web-based process modeling and enforcement of TeamTrack is delivered on the mainframe.
Auditing, manageability and traceability also are improved in Version 5.6.
Posted by Paul Krill on October 30, 2006 10:54 AM
September 07, 2006 | Comments: (0)
GNOME v2.16 brings more features, fewer bugs
The GNOME Project has released Version 2.16 of its multi-platform desktop environment, delivering several new features and fixes for hundreds of reports bugs.
Among its reported improvements are:
- tools for managing laptop battery, UPS, and wireless peripheral
- a new quick-note-taking application called Tomboy
- an improved menu editor called Alacarte (which Ubuntu users should recognize)
- a disk-usage-analyzer called Baobab
- enhancements to the Totem video player; and an improved bug-reporting features.
GNOME is part of The GNU Project, and is free software.
Posted by Ted Samson on September 7, 2006 10:05 PM
September 05, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Test Center Tracker: Varying views of Vista
More Vista details: The Vista view is getting brighter as Vista RC1 sees the light of day. Test Center Executive Editor Doug Dineley got the low-down from Christopher Flores, Microsoft's Group Product Manager, Windows Marketing Communications and compiled a long list of improvements and new features, while Online Editor Mike Barton likes the cleaner install (and posted a few screen images for your viewing pleasure). But Contributing Editor Sean McCown had a less-than-enjoyable upgrade experience, as detailed on Database Underground. Keep watching this blog and the InfoWorld site - we have a review of Vista RC1 coming soon.
Open Source as innovation incubator: Community-driven software may have more benefits than it's oft-stated flexibility and low price. Dropping the proprietary fences encourages sharing, experimenting, and innovating, from messaging products to Java innovations. Find out more in this week's special report, and check out some of our open-source product reviews, including open-source PBXes, AJAX app dev toolkits, virtualization/emulation tools, or Linux e-mail platforms (or learn to build your own open-source messaging server).
Then again, there's always Tom Yager's take: that Linux will be driven underground by Apple UNIX. Agree? Disagree? Post your comments to our Talkback forum.
Blog roll call: Tom Yager's Mac is totally hot... in a Dell-inferno kind of way thanks to CPU-sizzling Office updates. The Enterprise Mac blog post has all the details.
Victor Garza reminds everyone that "buyer beware" advice also applies to any dealings with hackers in Zero Day Security.
Posted by Stephanie McLoughlin on September 5, 2006 10:20 AM
September 01, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Test Center Tracker: A pricey third eye for admins
Fresh from the Test Center: Senior Contributing Editor and networking guru Paul Venezia recently braved Entuity's Eye of the Storm, a Web- and Java-based network monitoring package designed to get deep inside a network's routers and switches, inspecting device metrics and port data. He concludes that despite some rough edges, it's a solid solution that can give some valuable insight to admins of large networks -- as long as they can convince the accounting department to sign off on the $50,000 price tag. Click here for a peek at the Eye's UI
Burning firewall love: When Security Adviser Roger Grimes is this gaga for a firewall, you can bet the server farm that it's worth checking out. The object of Grimes' affection: Juniper Networks NetScreen firewall. Adjectives such as "excellent" and "versatile" spring up, not to mention compliments for stellar documentation and tech support.
Microsoft Virtual Server evolves: As virtualization garners increasing interest throughout the IT world, the technohemoth of the Northwest has injected greater functionality into the beta version of Virtual Server. Available for download now, VS Beta 2 features support for AMD's virtualization technology, integration with Active Directory, and a Volume Shadow Service, which improves the server backup process.
Blog roll call: Geek in Paradise Brian Chee is wowed by DD-WRT, an open-source access point combining Linux and a Linksys WRT-54G that enables a bushel full of enterprise features.
Dave Rosenberg dabbles in some cross-platform fun in Open Sources, running three OSes on a single (yet stressed) PC.
Finally, David Marshall investigates virtualization support for the Mac Pro tower in the InfoWorld Virtualization Report.
Posted by Ted Samson on September 1, 2006 06:00 AM
August 30, 2006 | Comments: (0)
RIP, ProdBlog; long live Test Center Daily!
Die-hard fans of the InfoWorld ProdBlog may have been a little bit confused to discover that it's been replaced by the Test Center Daily. Well, fear not, productphiles: Think of this as ProdBlog Deluxe. Or maybe ProdBlog 2.0. ProdBlog Reloaded?
Wait. Just forget the name ProdBlog. This is the Test Center Daily, and it's going to give you not only the important product announcements you crave, but also analysis and daily updates on what the InfoWorld Test Center crew is working on.
First off, go fetch yourself some popcorn and Raisinettes (or Goobers), turn down the lights, and watch Test Center Lead Analyst Jon Udell's latest screencast over in his Screening Room. Today's feature: IronPython 1.0, not to be confused with "Snakes on a Plane." "As IronPython 1.0 nears final release, we got together to review the synergies that emerge from deep integration between Python and .NET," Udell writes.
Also, be sure to check out the latest Ahead of the Curve column by InfoWorld's Chief Technologist Tom Yager. Tom is never one to duck controversy. In fact, he has a flare for stirring it up, as evidenced by his prediction that Windows and Apple are going to shove Linux right out of the server and client space by the end of the decade.
That's not to say the Linux is going the way of the Atari 2600; he says it's going to fulfill its destiny and become the de facto embedded platform. "I believe Big Software vendors such as IBM and Oracle will use Linux to give unwieldy enterprise solutions the George Jetson treatment: Push a button, you've got an enterprise database, configured, loaded with sample data and listening for connections. Want a J2EE server with that? Flip this switch, it'll unpack itself, sniff out that database you installed and mate with it," Yager writes.
If Yager's comments push any of your buttons (or flip any of your switches), let him know in Talkback.
Posted by Ted Samson on August 30, 2006 11:28 AM
July 12, 2006 | Comments: (0)
After a five-month beta test program, VMware has released the final version of VMware Server, the free successor to the company's GSX Server virtualization product. VMware Server allows administrators to create multiple virtual machines running a variety of guest operating systems on x86 servers running either Windows or Linux.
The new product includes support for 64-bit guest OSes on 64-bit processors, as well as experimental support for 2-way virtual SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) and Intel's VT hardware virtualization support. In addition, the final version includes support for management via VMware's Virtual Center console product, providing an easy upgrade path to the company's enterprise-class Virtual Infrastructure product line.
Posted by Neil McAllister on July 12, 2006 10:11 AM
July 11, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Update: BEA bolsters customer support
BEA Systems this week is expanding its customer support program to provide indefinite support for major releases, the company said.
Improvements included in the newly introduced BEA Customer First support program include offering customers unlimited, 24/7 access to BEA support professionals either by phone or online. Customers also get unlimited access to updates and upgrades for as long as their business demands, BEA said.
"BEA is the only software vendor offering indefinite phone and Web-based support as long as the customer needs it," said Jim Rivas, BEA representative, in an email.
To assist with upgrades, BEA Customer First also provides bi-annual maintenance, update tools and migration assistance.
Posted by Paul Krill on July 11, 2006 01:34 PM
May 09, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Terracotta this week introduced a clustering solution for the Apache Tomcat application server.
Terracotta Sessions for Tomcat is a free offering providing load balancing for Tomcat application servers and eliminating performance tuning from the software lifecycle, Terracotta said. Terracotta Sessions for Tomcat will be available beginning on May 16.
The company also introduced Terracotta Sessions for WebLogic Server, which provides clustering in 30 minutes. Terracotta at the JavaOne conference next week, meanwhile, will introduce Terracotta 2.0, a clustered Java Virtual Machine that moves clustering and caching services to the Java runtime to simplify development, deployment, testing and maintenance, the company said.
Posted by Paul Krill on May 9, 2006 08:30 AM
May 01, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Apache offers updated HTTP server
The Apache Software Foundation has released version 2.2.2 of the Apache HTTP Server, known simply as "Apache."
The foundation and the Apache HTTP Server Project are announcing the release, which features improvements in areas such as error reporting and handling of passwords.
"We consider this release to be the best version of Apache available,
and encourage users of all prior versions to upgrade," the foundation and the project group said in a prepared statement.
The new release can be downloaded here.
Posted by Paul Krill on May 1, 2006 04:51 PM
March 23, 2006 | Comments: (0)
The second version of next-gen Samba 4, an open source product that lets Linux systems share Windows files and printers, has been released.
Samba wrote Thursday: "Samba 4 is currently not yet in a state where it is usable in production environments. Note the STATUS file, which aims to document what should and should not work."
But it said that with three years of development "it was felt that we should create something we could 'show off' to our users."
It is the second Technology Preview, aimed at allowing users, managers and developers to see how we have progressed, and to invite feedback and support, Samba said. S
Source code downloads can be had here.
Posted by Mike Barton on March 23, 2006 01:50 PM
