Managed Services & Outsourcing

As the trend of IT outsourcing continues to grow, organizations may find themselves traversing a tightrope between their customers and cross-cultural considerations.

Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) unveiled a new Web services management platform last month, marking the Islandia, N.Y.-based company's first offering in the Web...

After a three-year roller-coaster ride, the IT industry settled down a bit in 2003. The year seemed to provide a respite from megamergers, monopoly-busting, history-making corporate scandals, and the exhilarating but scary boom-and-bust cycle. Not that anyone was operating on cruise control. IT managers faced continual assault from a variety of nasty worms, handled user demands for wireless access and figured out how to work 64-bit computing technology into their systems.

Companies looking to conduct complex business transactions might expect Web services to enable those efforts. But along the way, they might find some business partners adamant about using another technology for the same purpose, electronic business with XML.

As W32.blaster, Sobig, and earlier virus threats have shown, the Internet is not a terribly safe place to connect your PC.

Aiming to sell more of its business integration software into international markets and the small- and medium-sized business segment, Microsoft Corp. said its forthcoming BizTalk Server 2004 will support more languages and more connections in the less expensive editions.

Remote access software maker Citrix Systems Inc. is making a splashy play to move beyond the enterprise market, announcing Thursday an agreement to buy Web-based desktop access developer Expertcity Inc. in a US$225 million cash-and-stock deal. Pending regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to close in early 2004.

Bell Canada's parent company wants to be the number-one IP provider, but one industry observer says it's already playing catch-up.