IBM Press Release:

Good Samaritan Society Transforms Care for Senior Citizens Using IBM Big Data and Analytics

- IBM solution helps seniors live more independently in their homes

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ARMONK, N.Y. - 30 Jul 2014: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is using IBM Big Data and Analytics technology to transform health and wellness services for seniors so that they can live safely and more independently in their homes.

Today, 80 percent of older Americans suffer from one or more chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma[1].  Managing these complex illnesses is costly both to patients and to healthcare systems, and as life expectancy rises, there is an urgent need for affordable healthcare options.

The Good Samaritan Society is partnering with IBM to better manage services for clients enrolled in its LivingWell@Home program.  LivingWell@Home uses sensor technology to promote wellness and safety for clients in their homes, helping identify developing medical conditions before they become problems. The sensor devices, no more noticeable than a light switch, can detect how active someone is, their sleep patterns, or if they’ve had a fall – highlighting critical risk factors or condition deterioration – enabling Good Samaritan to respond and provide better care.

Using IBM’s Big Data and Analytics software, the program consolidates sensor information along with clinical and operational data on patients. This data is gathered 24/7 and delivered securely online via an integrated dashboard to a licensed nurse who reviews it daily. Staff at The Good Samaritan Society can then check for changes in a client’s normal routine that might indicate a developing medical condition or a safety concern so issues can be addressed in real time before they become problems.

The solution enables Good Samaritan Society caregivers to proactively monitor, manage and collaborate to ensure successful home-based eldercare for their clients. The program’s wellness plans are web-based and EMR neutral, and can be used regardless of care setting by clients, doctors and family members. Over time, the Good Samaritan Society plans to add IBM predictive analytics to allow clinicians to predict when someone might be at risk for a health event and take steps to intervene prior to the event actually occurring.

“Partnering with IBM, we’re working to enable our clients to take control of their health and make the choice to safely stay in their homes, preventing or delaying the need for a higher level of care,” said Rustan Williams, VP & CIO at The Good Samaritan Society. “For many, this is a more affordable option and provides a much better quality of life.”

The Good Samaritan Society will also use IBM software for its bundled payments and Client Advocate program. The Society will combine information captured by the client advocate and care costs from other applications and sources. In the future, analytics will be used for variousdiagnosis-related groups, modes of care, and other services to help Good Samaritan define additional cost effective care solutions to prevent readmissions and other potentially negative outcomes.

“Using IBM Big Data and Analytics, the staff at Good Samaritan Society can now spend more time focusing on what’s most important -- improving the quality of life for their clients,” said Doug Hunt, General Manager of Enterprise Content Management at IBM. “Being able to capture and analyze data from multiple sources such as medical devices and sensors is going to help transform the kind of care that seniors can receive.”

IBM has established the world’s deepest portfolio of Big Data and Analytics technology. Today, more than 400 IBM mathematicians and 6,000 industry solution business partners are helping clients use big data to transform their organizations. Additionally, IBM secured 1,500 Big Data and Analytics-related patents in 2013 alone, and continues to engage and build solutions and skills across a broad community of 1,000 university partnerships, 135,000 Big Data University enrollments and a worldwide network of nine Analytic Solutions Centers. IBM has made a multi-billion dollar investment in big data and analytics -- $24 billion since 2005 thru both acquisitions and R&D -- to extend its leadership position in the strategic market for business analytics.

About Good Samaritan

Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and well-being services. It operates in 240 locations, serving approximately 27,000 people throughout 24 states. The society’s more than 20,000 employees provide a wide range of elder care services including rehabilitation/skilled care, senior living, and home care.

Good Samaritan relies on IBM Enterprise Content Management and IBM Case Manager running on IBM Power AIX.

For more information about IBM Big Data & Analytics, visit http://ibm.co/bigdataanalytics 

Follow IBM Big Data & Analytics on Twitter @IBMbigdata and @IBMAnalytics.  

For more insights on Big Data & Analytics visit IBM’s Smarter Planet blog. 

 

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[1] http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/aging/mental-health.aspx

Cisco Schedules Conference Call for Q4 Fiscal Year 2014 Financial Results - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site

SAN JOSE, Calif, --- July 30, 2014  --- Cisco has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday, August 13, 2014, at 1:30 PM (PT) to announce its fourth quarter fiscal year 2014 financial results for the period ending Saturday, July 26, 2014.

Financial results will be released over Marketwired via US National, European Technology Trade Media and Western Europe distribution circuits, after the close of the market on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.

Cisco Schedules Conference Call for Q4 Fiscal Year 2014 Financial Results - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site

Network Trailblazer: A Conversation with Jeremiah Owyang - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site

The founder of the Crowd Companies Council talks about the evolution of the collaborative economy.

Network Trailblazer: A Conversation with Jeremiah Owyang - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site

July 30, 2014 - Akamai Reports Second Quarter 2014 Financial Results

July 30, 2014 - Akamai Reports Second Quarter 2014 Financial Results

Tor 'unmasked' - but who is at risk?

Users of the online privacy service Tor – designed to allow users to access hidden sites anonymously – may have been unmasked after an attack lasting as long as five months, crafted to de-anonymize traffic on the service, according to the BBC’s report.

Tor is a browser which allows users to access “hidden” sites, with the .onion suffix, which cannot be accessed via other browsers. It’s used by political activists – but also said to host child pornography, and illegal markets in everything from drugs to weaponry.

Tor 'unmasked' - but who is at risk?

Malware: Every USB port is "defenseless" against new scam

Almost all desktop and laptop computers can be overtaken and stripped of data via malicious devices inserted into the USB port – a technique which bypasses all current security measures, and is described as “almost like a magic trick” by Karsten Nohl of Berlin’s SR Labs.

By inserting a control chip into a device’s USB connector (ie when plugging in a modified keyboard) an attacker could gain complete control of a machine, spy on a user using malware, and steal data. No current security measures could even detect the attack – which Wired described as having the potential to cause an “epidemic.”

Malware: Every USB port is "defenseless" against new scam

The Advantages of Ethernet Over T1 Connections

You look at your outdated laptop with disgust as you try to work, only to find it takes FOREVER to do anything. It ran fine five years ago when it was the latest-greatest. Now, it boots up slowly and runs even slower with all the RAM-hungry software you want to use on it today.

That’s the problem with staying in the dark ages. Maybe you are saving money by not updating your laptop to a newer generation model, but you sacrifice performance. And in the end it could cost you money because of slowness, freezes, crashes and unexpected failure.

The Advantages of Ethernet Over T1 Connections

TriQuint - Reach Further, Reach Faster™ - RFMD and TriQuint Schedule Shareholder Meetings for September 5, 2014

GREENSBORO, NC and HILLSBORO, OR, July 31, 2014 -- RF Micro Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq:RFMD) and TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (Nasdaq:TQNT) announced today that they have each scheduled special shareholder meetings for September 5, 2014, in relation to the previously announced business combination between RFMD and TriQuint. The meetings are being held to seek shareholder approval of the proposed merger of equals under a new holding company, currently named Rocky Holding, Inc., and other matters.



TriQuint - Reach Further, Reach Faster™ - RFMD and TriQuint Schedule Shareholder Meetings for September 5, 2014

NetSuite Announces New Customers Upgrading from Sage to the NetSuite Cloud

SAN MATEO, Calif.—July 31, 2014—NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), the industry's leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP and omnichannel commerce software suites, today announced continued strong momentum among organizations converting from on-premise Sage ERP systems to NetSuite's cloud business management suite. Fast-growing companies such as UK-based Seraph Science, Ireland-based SLA Mobile, and US-based Hub Pen Company, SIGNWarehouse and United Exchange Corporation are among the more than 500 organizations to abandon Sage for the greater business agility, visibility, flexibility and scalability for growth that is possible with NetSuite's integrated suite for financials / ERP, CRM, ecommerce and professional services automation (PSA). To learn more about what NetSuite offers to Sage users, please visit:http://www.netsuite.com/portal/solutions/sage.shtml.



NetSuite Announces New Customers Upgrading from Sage to the NetSuite Cloud

Brocade | Brocade Receives High Acclaim for Efforts in NFV and Enterprise Networking

SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/31/14 -- Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) today announced it has received industry recognition for its leadership in enterprise networking and contributions to Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) from two prominent industry organizations, Infonetics Research andInternet Telephony Magazine. Brocade has earned a high standing in the 2014 Infonetics Research Annual Enterprise Networking and Communication Vendor Scorecard, ranking second overall, and has been named a winner of the 2014 Internet Telephony NFV Pioneer Award presented by Internet Telephony Magazine.



Brocade | Brocade Receives High Acclaim for Efforts in NFV and Enterprise Networking

Facebook privacy - the 20,000 who just logged out (and why)

“I have had emails from all around the world – and they are all positive,” says Dutch Merijn Straathof, head of a project encouraging people to leave Facebook, in the wake of the recent privacy uproar over the site’s psychological experiment on its users.

The 99 Days project aims to work out a more profound question: does the site make us happy? Users are encouraged to change their profile to a countdown and not log in at all for the duration.

Facebook privacy - the 20,000 who just logged out (and why)

Virgin Mobile USA Launches Virgin Mobile Custom – Fully Customizable Cell Phone Plan with Rich Parental Controls | Sprint Newsroom

WARREN, N.J. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 30, 2014 - Just in time for the back-to-school season,Virgin Mobile USA introduces Virgin Mobile Custom™, a no-annual-contract offer with unique parental controls and the ability for customers to build personally tailored rate plans. Virgin Mobile Custom will be available exclusively to Walmart customers at select stores beginning Saturday, Aug. 9. With the Virgin Mobile Custom personalized experience, no one plan is the same: customers can choose from a wide range of calling, texting and data options to suit individual needs while avoiding annual contracts.



Virgin Mobile USA Launches Virgin Mobile Custom – Fully Customizable Cell Phone Plan with Rich Parental Controls | Sprint Newsroom

Canva Button: What it Means and Why You'll Be Seeing it More

If you’re stuck with a boring website design and don’t have the technical skill to improve it, the new Canva Button may be an option.

The Canva Button allows website owners to quickly design their own site elements like headers and banner ads using drag and drop technology. If you don’t have a lot of graphic design experience – and your website shows it – a tool like Canva Button could save you hours of frustration and add a little more visual appeal to your site.

Canva Button: What it Means and Why You'll Be Seeing it More

17 Smart Office Solutions for Making Your Office "Smarter"

Having a small business does not mean you cannot have all the latest tech. You can move your small business or home office into the future by installing some of these WiFi devices.

Begin making your work life easier by making your office smarter with these smart office solutions below.

17 Smart Office Solutions for Making Your Office "Smarter"

Linear Technology PR: LTM8046 UL60950 Recognized 2kVAC, 2.5W Isolated µModule Converter in 9mm x 15mm x 4.92mm BGA

Linear Technology PR: LTM8046 UL60950 Recognized 2kVAC, 2.5W Isolated µModule Converter in 9mm x 15mm x 4.92mm BGA

Internet of things - tests show almost all devices “riddled” with flaws

Isolated flaws in “connected” devices such as Wi-Fi lighting systems make headlines – but the problem is far deeper than thought, with 70% of the most popular such gadgets having serious security flaws according to a report by HP.



Internet of things - tests show almost all devices “riddled” with flaws

Bolt, Instagram's answer to Snapchat, is here - Jul. 30, 2014

If you can't buy them, copy them.

That's the approach Facebook (FB, Tech30) and Instagram are taking with Snapchat, the self-destructing photo- and video-sharing app.

Bolt, Instagram's answer to Snapchat, is here - Jul. 30, 2014

Joy Ride: NVIDIA Interns Build Bikes for Low-Income Kids

Smartphones. Remote controlled cars. Digital music players. Every kid loves electronics.

Ask kids what they want most, however, and the answer is almost always the same. They want bicycles, Robyn Bartkowski, a program manager with TurningWheels For Kids, a non-profit that distributes bikes to low-income kids in the San Francisco Bay Area, told a group of NVIDIA interns gathered at our Santa Clara campus Thursday.

Joy Ride: NVIDIA Interns Build Bikes for Low-Income Kids

Twitter Ad Sales Are At $277 Million, 81 Percent From Mobile

For those who wondered whether advertising on Twitter was a good bet, this may settle the question.

The microblogging platform got a surprise 30 percent boost in stock value following the announcement of $283 million in sales, $277 million from Twitter Ad sales, on Tuesday. That’s a 129 percent increase in ad revenue compared to a year ago. The growth was better than projections.

Twitter Ad Sales Are At $277 Million, 81 Percent From Mobile

Android security flaw gives bad apps super-powers

A new Android flaw potentially affecting up to 80% of current handsets could leave users vulnerable to rogue apps – leapfrogging the defenses used to ensure malicious developers cannot sneak malware onto Android devices, according to the BBC’s report. 



Android security flaw gives bad apps super-powers

MiCamp Merchant Services Gives Credit to RingCentral Mobility

MiCamp Merchant Services is one of the nation’s leading credit and debit card processing providers. MiCamp Merchant Services provides services for all types of businesses, offering the best processing options for retail stores, E-commerce and restaurants. The company also offers a wireless merchant function, accounts designed for mobile merchants, as well as companies who process credit card information over the phone. MiCamp Merchant Services has 41 employees and was founded in 2006, their headquarters are located in Phoenix, AZ.



MiCamp Merchant Services Gives Credit to RingCentral Mobility

Oracle Press Release

Expiration Date of Tender Offer for MICROS Systems, Inc. Shares Extended to August 15, 2014

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – July 29, 2014

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) announced today that, in accordance with the terms of its merger agreement with MICROS Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRS), Rocket Acquisition Corporation, a subsidiary of OC Acquisition LLC, a subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, has extended its all-cash tender offer for $68.00 per share for all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value of $0.025 per share (the “Shares”), of MICROS Systems, Inc. to 12:00 Midnight, New York City time, at the end of August 15, 2014, unless further extended. The tender offer was previously set to expire at 12:00 Midnight, New York City time, at the end of July 31, 2014.

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company LLC, the depositary for the tender offer, has indicated that as of 12:00 Midnight, New York City time, at the end of July 28, 2014, approximately 74,902,285 Shares were issued and outstanding, and 1,896,113 Shares have been tendered into and not properly withdrawn from the tender offer.

About Oracle

Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.


This document is for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into a contract or agreement.

Thune at Commerce on Wireless Phone Bill Cramming - YouTube

Video (10:46)



Thune at Commerce on Wireless Phone Bill Cramming - YouTube

Microsoft and Akamai join forces in first cybersecurity-focused accelerator in Israel

Microsoft News Release:

Microsoft and Akamai join forces in first cybersecurity-focused accelerator in Israel

July 29, 2014

The partnership strengthens the existing collaboration between Microsoft and Jerusalem Ventures Partners.

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TEL AVIV, Israel — July 29, 2014 — Microsoft Corp. and Akamai Technologies, a leading provider of cloud services for delivering, optimizing and securing online content and business applications, have announced that, together with leading venture capital (VC) firm Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), they are working on a unique accelerator in the field of cybersecurity. The program is located at the Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in Tel Aviv, and interested entrepreneurs and startups can apply now athttp://www.microsoftventures.com/accelerators/telaviv. Startups accepted into the program will be announced Aug. 24, 2014, and the class will run through January 2015.

“Tech startups have the potential to shape the future of cybersecurity,” said Zack Weisfeld, head of Microsoft Ventures Europe. “Akamai is the perfect partner to join Microsoft in delivering unparalleled access and value to startups joining the accelerator. Like us, Akamai is a big proponent of secure computing with a massive reach. We are eager to partner with Akamai to spur the success of cybersecurity innovation based on our respective insights and learnings gained over the years.”

This collaboration strengthens Microsoft’s already solid partnership announced a leading VC, JVP. Participants will gain professional sessions and active mentoring from JVP, which will be an active participant in the startups selection process and will offer a $1 million investment in one of the cybersecurity startups at the end of program. 

The participants will also receive free tools, top-quality mentorship, and other resources designed to help them successfully grow their business. In addition to making available its respected Web-security expertise, Akamai is offering to invest up to $25,000 with each cybersecurity startup accepted into the program through the purchase of convertible notes. Mentoring and introductions to relevant partners and customers will also be offered. 

“Akamai’s globally distributed computing platform was designed from day one to be as safe and secure as possible, and we have continued to make investments in this area,” said Stuart Scholly, senior vice president and general manager, Security Business Unit, Akamai. “And yet, the computer security landscape continues to evolve with new threats emerging every day. We believe that supporting security innovation, not only at Akamai, but also through promising entrepreneurs, is of true benefit to our customers and any company doing business on the Internet.”

Microsoft’s collaboration with Akamai and JVP is intended to provide startups with mentorship and market expertise that can help them accelerate their business and create breakthroughs in cybersecurity. 

About Akamai 

Akamai® (Nasdaq: AKAM) is the leading provider of cloud services for delivering, optimizing and securing online content and business applications. At the core of the Company's solutions is the Akamai Intelligent Platform™ providing extensive reach, coupled with first class reliability, security, visibility and expertise. Akamai removes the complexities of connecting the increasingly mobile world, supporting 24/7 consumer demand, and enabling enterprises to securely leverage the cloud. To learn more about how Akamai is accelerating the pace of innovation in a hyperconnected world, please visit www.akamai.com or blogs.akamai.com, and follow @Akamai on Twitter.

About Jerusalem Venture Partners

Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) is a leading Israeli venture capital firm dedicated to building world class companies. With a 20 year track record spanning over a hundred investments, JVP is also viewed as Israel’s largest early stage cyber security investor having built up such companies as CyberArk Software, Navajo Systems (acquired by SalesForce), Magnifire (acquired by F5 Networks), as well as numerous originating from the firms JVP Cyber Labs, the first cyber security incubator in Israel. 

About Microsoft Ventures

Microsoft Ventures is a global initiative to help entrepreneurs build great companies. Working with startups at every stage of maturity, the initiative provides tools, resources and expertise to help startups succeed. Visit Microsoft Ventures at http://www.microsoftventures.com to learn more about how Microsoft is helping the next generation of smart companies take flight.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

IBM News Release:

IBM Elects Two New Members to its Board of Directors

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ARMONK, N.Y. - 29 Jul 2014: The IBM (NYSE: IBM) board of directors today elected Alex Gorsky and Peter R. Voser to the board.  Alex Gorsky, 54, is chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), and his election to the board will take effect on September 1, 2014.  Peter R. Voser, 55, a Swiss national, is the retired chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A).  His election to the board will take effect on January 1, 2015.

Ginni Rometty, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer, said:  “We are delighted that Alex and Peter will be joining the IBM board of directors.  Both are accomplished international business leaders.  Alex and Peter each have deep and successful experience running information-intensive global enterprises and both are well known as pacesetters in innovation.  Their expertise and insights will be extremely beneficial to IBM and our shareholders.”

After the elections of Mr. Gorsky and Mr. Voser take effect, the IBM board will have a total of 14 members.

Alex Gorsky

Mr. Gorsky is chairman of the board of directors, chief executive officer and chairman of the executive committee of Johnson & Johnson.  Mr. Gorsky was named Johnson & Johnson’s chief executive officer, chairman of the executive committee and joined its board of directors in April 2012.  He was later named chairman of the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson in December 2012.  Prior to being named chief executive officer, Mr. Gorsky held multiple executive positions with Johnson & Johnson, including company group chairman for Ethicon, worldwide chairman of the Surgical Care Group, and worldwide chairman of the Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group. 

Mr. Gorsky also serves on the boards of the Travis Manion Foundation and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation.

Mr. Gorsky holds a bachelor’s of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. and a master’s in business administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Peter R. Voser

Mr. Voser is retired chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global energy and petrochemicals company headquartered in the Netherlands and incorporated in the United Kingdom.  Mr. Voser joined Royal Dutch Shell in 1982 and subsequently held various executive positions until 2002.  Between 2002 and 2004, Mr. Voser served as chief financial officer and executive committee member of the Asea Brown Boveri Group of Companies, headquartered in Zurich.  Mr. Voser returned to Royal Dutch Shell in 2004, holding the position of chief financial officer from 2004 to 2009 and chief executive officer from 2009 until his retirement in 2013. 

Mr. Voser serves as a director of Roche Holding Ltd, a Swiss pharmaceuticals and diagnostics holding company, and has been appointed to the board of the Singapore-based investment company Temasek Holdings, effective January 1, 2015.  He is also a member of the Business Council USA and the board of directors of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.  Mr. Voser serves as chairman of the board of St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies and the chairman of Catalyst, a non-profit organization that aims to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women in business.

Mr. Voser holds a degree in business administration from the University of Applied Sciences, Zurich.

IBM News room - 2014-07-29 IBM Board Approves Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend - United States

IBM News room - 2014-07-29 IBM Board Approves Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend - United States

IBM News Release:

IBM to make free supercomputing power available to sustainability scientists

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ARMONK, N.Y. - 29 Jul 2014: In support of the updated Climate Data Initiative announced by the White House today, IBM (NYSE: IBM) will provide eligible scientists studying climate change-related issues with free access to dedicated virtual supercomputing and a platform to engage the public in their research. 

Each approved project will have access to up to 100,000 years of computing time at a value of $60 million.  The work will be performed on IBM’s philanthropic World Community Grid platform.

Created and managed by IBM, World Community Grid provides computing power to scientists by harnessing the unused cycle time of volunteers' computers and mobile devices.  Participants get involved by downloading software that runs when they take breaks or work on lightweight computer tasks, such as browsing the internet.  The software receives, completes, and returns small computational assignments to scientists. The combined power contributed by hundreds of thousands of volunteers has created one of the fastest virtual supercomputers on the planet, advancing scientific work by hundreds of years.

IBM invites researchers to submit sustainability project proposals to receive this free resource, and invites members of the public to donate their unused computing power to these efforts atworldcommunitygrid.org.

Through the contributions of hundreds of thousands of volunteers, World Community Grid has already provided sustainability researchers with many millions of dollars of computing power to date, enabling important advances in scientific inquiry and understanding.

For example, World Community Grid partnered with the University of Virginia on Computing for Sustainable Water, which studied the effects of human activity on the Chesapeake Bay watershed to understand what actions can lead to restoration, health and sustainability of this important resource.

Harvard University’s Clean Energy Project has identified more than 35,000 materials with the potential to double carbon-based solar cell efficiency, after screening and publicly cataloguingmore than two-million compounds on World Community Grid. This is believed to be the world's most extensive quantum chemical investigation to date. Until now, carbon-based solar cells were made from a handful of molecules that were painstakingly discovered one by one. With Harvard’s work, there’s thousands more to explore.

World Community Grid's partnership with the University of Washington on Nutritious Rice for the World modeled rice proteins and predicted their function to help farmers breed new strains with higher yields and greater disease and pest resistance, potentially providing new options forregions facing changing climate conditions. 

“Through his Climate Data Initiative, President Obama is calling for all hands on deck to unleash data and technology in ways that will make businesses and communities more resilient to climate change,” said John P. Holdren, President Obama’s Science Advisor. “The commitments being announced today answer that call by empowering the U.S. and global agricultural sectors with the tools and information needed to keep food systems strong and secure in a changing climate.”

World Community Grid is welcomed by researchers who don't have the funds or dedicated access to powerful supercomputers that can accelerate their simulations and virtual experiments. It has been used to facilitate research into clean energy, clean water and healthy foodstuffs, as well as cures for cancer, AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

"Massive computer power is as essential to modern-day scientific research as test tubes and telescopes," said Stanley S. Litow, IBM Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs and President, IBM International Foundation. "But due to scarce funding for research, pioneering scientists often don't have access to supercomputers vast enough to meet their research objectives. At IBM, we hope that the equivalent of 100,000 years of computing time per scientist will speed the next major breakthrough to help the world meet the challenge of climate change."

Nearly three-million computers and mobile devices used by over 670,000 people and 460 institutions from 80 countries have contributed power for projects on World Community Grid over the last nine years. Since the program's inception, World Community Grid volunteers have powered over 20 research projects, donating nearly a million years of computing time to scientific research and enabled important scientific advances in health and sustainability. 

For more information on World Community Grid, pease visit http://worldcommunitygrid.org/

For more information about IBM's philanthropic efforts, please visit www.CitizenIBM.com