*CA Technologies has announced the acquisition of
privately-held 4Base Technology, a virtualization and cloud infrastructure
consulting firm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 4Base will become
the CA Virtualization and Cloud Strategy group, a competency practice within
the CA Services division. With experience in more than 300 engagements, 4Base
will help customers move quickly, pragmatically and successfully from
virtualization to cloud by providing strategic advice and implementation
expertise. With 4Base, CA Technologies customers can access proven approaches,
skills and experience as they begin or continue on the virtualization-to-cloud
journey, significantly reducing risk and accelerating returns.
*Symantec Corp. has completed its acquisition of
VeriSign’s identity and authentication business, which includes the Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) and Code Signing Certificate Services, the Managed Public
Key Infrastructure (MPKI) Services, the VeriSign Trust Seal, the VeriSign
Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service and the VIP Fraud Detection
Service (FDS). Symantec has begun the process to transition to a new corporate
identity incorporating the VeriSign check mark. The external global roll-out
will begin in the December quarter. Integration efforts are expected to provide
VeriSign’s SSL Certificate Services with Symantec Critical System Protection
through the sales channel and align the VeriSign SSL and client PKI authentications
services with Symantec Protection Center (SPC). Symantec aims to strengthen
user access security by expanding Symantec’s Data Loss Prevention solutions and
Data Insight technology with VeriSign’s identity security services. VeriSign’s
identity and authentication business will become part of the Enterprise
Security Group, led by Francis deSouza
*McAfee Inc. unveiled its McAfee Threats Report:
Second Quarter 2010, which uncovered that malware has reached its highest
levels, making the first six months of 2010 the most active half-year ever for
total malware production. At the same time, spam leveled out with only 2.5 per
cent growth from Q1 2010. There were 10 million new pieces catalogued in the
first half of this year. Consistent with last quarter, threats on portable
storage devices took the lead for the most popular malware, followed by fake
anti-virus software and social media specific malware. With approximately
55,000 new pieces of malware that appear every day, globally AutoRun malware
and password-stealing Trojans round out the Top Two malware threats. Attackers
leveraged major events such as the World Cup and Middle East conflicts to
poison Internet searches, however the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was
surprisingly absent from the Top 20 toxic search terms.
*Avnet has announced its fourth quarter and 2010
fiscal year-end results. Avnet reported record revenue and earnings per share
results in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010, fueled by the sharp cyclical
recovery in the technology markets. The company emerged from the global
recession stronger, and with increased scale and scope. Avnet’s quarterly
revenue increased 38.5 per cent year over year to a record US$5.21 billion,
with fiscal year 2010 revenue growing by 18.1 per cent year over year to a
record US$19.16 billion. From an Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) perspective,
the technology refresh cycle continued to drive better-than-normal seasonal
growth. ATS sales grew double digits year over year for the third consecutive
quarter, and in all three regions. Growth was driven by servers, storage and
networking products. Operating income margin increased 31 basis points
sequentially and 46 basis points year over year, and return on working capital
was up 844 basis points over the year-ago quarter and was well above Avnet’s
stated target for ATS.
New Products
*OtterBox has released a protective case for the
Apple iPad as part of its Defender Series and Commuter Series cases. The
Defender Series case for the iPad combines a two-piece polycarbonate shell lined
with soft felt, silicone outer skin and a self-adhering screen protector for
rugged protection. An additional polycarbonate cover snaps over the face to
protect the Multi-Touch display or can function as a built-in stand while
browsing the web or watching a video. Silicone grip pads on the bottom of the
case prevent the iPad from sliding when sitting on a flat surface. The case
also accommodates the optional dock accessory. The OtterBox Commuter Series
case is another option. Starting with a self-adhering screen protector, the
device is then wrapped in durable silicone and fortified with a one piece
custom molded polycarbonate shell that snaps perfectly over the outside. Layers
not only safeguard the iPad from unsightly scratches and dings, but also make
it easy to slide out of any backpack or briefcase. The case also features
snap-off access to the optional iPad dock.
*VMware Inc. launched the Zimbra Collaboration
Suite Appliance, an enterprise-class e-mail and collaboration solution
delivered as a virtual appliance. Designed to run on the VMware vSphere
platform, the Zimbra Appliance helps reduce the cost and complexity of
infrastructure management. In addition, VMware announced that Zimbra, which it
acquired in February 2010, is now fully integrated within VMware. All Zimbra
products are now available via VMware’s sales and channel partner ecosystem,
providing VMware customers and partners full access to Zimbra’s e-mail and
collaboration product suite. The Zimbra Appliance leverages the virtualization
capabilities of the VMware vSphere platform to enable dynamic provisioning and
scalability, high availability, backup, and disaster recovery. As a result,
customers can improve service levels by reducing the impact of planned and
unplanned hardware downtime. The Zimbra Appliance also features integrated
security technologies including a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spam solutions.
*Symantec Corp. has announced new product updates
to its data protection solution, Backup Exec 2010. The latest version enables users to reduce
installation time through improved Wizards, delivers new in-product guidance
for optimal Windows data recovery, and provides additional platform support,
including Microsoft SharePoint 2010. Customers can now install and set-up
Backup Exec up to 20 per cent faster through streamlined installation and
backup wizards. Backup Exec 2010
provides reliable recovery for Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Exchange 2010 SP1,
SQL 2008 R2, Mac OS X 10.6, VMware vSphere 4.1 and enhanced NDMP support. A Product Recommendation Engine alerts
customers to gaps in their backup practices for SQL Exchange, SharePoint,
Hyper-V, and Active Directory environments to provide more reliable recovery. And
an integrated RSS reader and in-product renewal assistant provides critical and
timely product updates to ensure Symantec customers have the best set of tools
to easily tune and support their backup environment.
*Innergie, a provider of power adapters, announced that
its complete line of power adapters for use with most consumer electronic
products will be readily available to consumers in Canada, both online and
through AVS Technologies. Designed for consumers looking to minimize the number
of power adapters needed to charge several devices, business travelers with
limited space to carry multiple chargers, students, and today's mobile consumer
will all benefit from Innergie’s products. For example, Innergie's mCube
Pro all-in-one universal laptop adapter can charge nearly any laptop, Netbook
or portable device while on the plane, in your car, or just about anywhere
else. Using just the mCube Pro will reduce the number of electronic
cables and components necessary to keep you connected. Innergie’s complete
line of power adapters will help consumers customize their power supply needs
while reducing power consumption.
