Thursday, April 30, 2015
Dell Software Boosts Data Protection Capabilities with Enhancements to DR Series | Dell
Dell Software today announced the launch of a major update to its award-winning DR Series of deduplication appliances, including a host of performance and scalability upgrades, as well as the addition of encryption at rest capabilities, and VTL and NDMP backup support. As organizations of all sizes are tasked with protecting an ever-growing volume of data in a faster, safer and more efficient manner, the need for data protection solutions that save time and reduce risk is more important than ever. The latest update to the Dell DR Series of deduplication appliances gives customers the enhanced security, improved performance and increased flexibility needed to meet this challenge while implementing a comprehensive backup and recovery strategy.
Dell Software Boosts Data Protection Capabilities with Enhancements to DR Series | Dell
Dell Software Boosts Data Protection Capabilities with Enhancements to DR Series | Dell
Google Tackles Phishing With New Chrome Plugin | Fortinet Blog
Though not a phishing cure-all, it’s a good sign that Google is bringing this issue front and center for millions of Chrome users.
Google Tackles Phishing With New Chrome Plugin | Fortinet Blog
Google Tackles Phishing With New Chrome Plugin | Fortinet Blog
AVT-PR-Chris Farrow Accelerates Cloud Services Vision for Avnet Technology Solutions, Australia and New Zealand
SYDNEY - Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), has appointed Chris Farrow to the role of business manager, Cloud Services, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) as part of the company’s local growth strategy. Within this role, Chris is responsible for driving Avnet’s Cloud Services vision, focusing on evolving and strengthening the company’s cloud offerings for partners.
For more than 30 years, Chris has cultivated a successful career in IT, holding a number of senior and executive roles in sales, professional services and product development. During 26 years at IBM, Chris undertook a variety of roles across Australia, Asia Pacific and globally. More recently, Chris was the national business development manager, cloud, at Data#3, and worked with a number of cloud-based start-up organisations.
AVT-PR-Chris Farrow Accelerates Cloud Services Vision for Avnet Technology Solutions, Australia and New Zealand
For more than 30 years, Chris has cultivated a successful career in IT, holding a number of senior and executive roles in sales, professional services and product development. During 26 years at IBM, Chris undertook a variety of roles across Australia, Asia Pacific and globally. More recently, Chris was the national business development manager, cloud, at Data#3, and worked with a number of cloud-based start-up organisations.
AVT-PR-Chris Farrow Accelerates Cloud Services Vision for Avnet Technology Solutions, Australia and New Zealand
Accident Scam Waiting to Happen
It’s bad enough that most of us are often at risk of some sort of motor accident, but it’s seriously annoying that such accidents (real or fabricated) attract so many scammers.
This site mentions five scams commonly associated with actual accidents:
Accident Scam Waiting to Happen
Smart technology could give hackers key to the city
The adoption of smart technology to power city services could leave urban areas “wide open” to being hacked on a mass scale, according to a cybersecurity expert with history of exposing citywide vulnerabilities.
Last year, Argentine Cesar Cerrudo demonstrated how hackers could bring metropolitan areas to a halt by overriding traffic control sensors, yet 12 months later the same system in San Francisco has still not been encrypted. According to the New York Times, Cerrudo is increasingly uncovering flaws in so-called ‘smart cities’, with software bugs and, in some cases, a complete lack of protection leaving vital services open to attack.
Smart technology could give hackers key to the city
Sprint and Boingo Bring Seamless Wi-Fi to Millions of Sprint Travelers | Sprint Newsroom
Strategic Agreement Enables Access to Boingo Wi-Fi Networks in 35 Major U.S. Airports
Sprint and Boingo Bring Seamless Wi-Fi to Millions of Sprint Travelers | Sprint Newsroom
Sprint and Boingo Bring Seamless Wi-Fi to Millions of Sprint Travelers | Sprint Newsroom
Connecting Customers to the Best Available Network | Sprint Newsroom
Seamless cellular and WiFi connectivity integral to Sprint’s network strategy
Connecting Customers to the Best Available Network | Sprint Newsroom
NetSuite Appoints Mike Arntz as Senior Vice President of Sales Americas
Longtime Oracle Veteran Brings Vertical, Enterprise Expertise to Cloud Leader
NetSuite Appoints Mike Arntz as Senior Vice President of Sales Americas
NetSuite Appoints Mike Arntz as Senior Vice President of Sales Americas
IDS, Firewall and Antivirus: what you need to have installed?
Often when we talk about the protective measures installed in devices to ensure safety, we have a wide variety of options from manufacturers and providers. Among them are three that appear to be the most frequently mentioned: IDS, firewall and antivirus.
But for many users, the variety of tools is often confusing, leaving them with questions. Which should they use? For this reason, it is important to know what each tool is, their differences and how they complement each other.
IDS, Firewall and Antivirus: what you need to have installed?
Hand implant chip lets hacker attack Android phones via NFC
A security expert has had a computer chip designed for tracking cows implanted into his hand by an ‘unlicensed amateur’ to hack phones from underneath the skin, reports Gizmodo.
The hand implant chip allows him to hack Android phones by opening up a malicious link sent via an embedded NFC chip. Once the link is open and the file is installed, the phone connects to a remote computer allowing the hacker to carry out further exploits.
Hand implant chip lets hacker attack Android phones via NFC
The Google Answer Box Now Comes With a Price to Pay
It’s no secret that Google wants to monetize the search results page as much as possible. So Google is always experimenting to see what parts of the SERPs can be commercialized without severely compromising the user experience. In what appears to be its latest test, Google is playing around with providing users with commercial results in the Google Answer Box.
The Google Answer Box Now Comes With a Price to Pay
The Google Answer Box Now Comes With a Price to Pay
Brocade | Brocade Redefines Networking for IP Storage
Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) today announced it is redefining networking for IP storage systems with the industry's first purpose-built storage connectivity portfolio for both data center and disaster recovery applications to help enterprise IT teams manage growth, mitigate risk, and reduce costs. EMC will continue to work to integrate new IP storage technology features to the EMC® Connectrix® family of network switches and management software.
Brocade | Brocade Redefines Networking for IP Storage
Brocade | Brocade Redefines Networking for IP Storage
Twitter Chat Looks at EMV Chip Card Revolution
EMV chip cards are coming as a replacement for traditional magnetic strip cards.
What does this mean for your business? Well, for one thing, it means your customers will soon be presenting a different kind of card of payment
Twitter Chat Looks at EMV Chip Card Revolution
Dridex’s Macro Downloader | Fortinet Blog
Modern malware use every possible vector of attack to infect a system. Emails, which are available to almost everyone, are common carriers. In this type of attack, attackers try to lure users to open malicious attachments that look like documents, but have multiple file extensions, such as “financial.doc.exe”. Most of the time, the user only sees the “financial.doc” filename without the ".exe" extension, which makes it easy to assume that it is a Microsoft Word document. Once the file is clicked and executed, the executable can download the rest of its malicious components.
Dridex’s Macro Downloader | Fortinet Blog
Dridex’s Macro Downloader | Fortinet Blog
Interop in Las Vegas: interconnecting everything post-PC
The Interop event has been around for more than 25 years and way back Interop was all about getting Mac to talk with PC and PC to talk to mainframes; but now it’s all about the network. And it’s not about what screen you’re typing, tapping or texting on, it’s how we get them all to talk together with a seamless interface, hopefully securely. Tapping away on your tablet, after all, is just as likely to represent a lion’s share of your workload nowadays as a PC, but keeping up with capacity (and securing that capacity) is no trivial task.
From test stations with do-it-yourself fiber optic termination classes for show-goers, to patch panels, which no longer have CAT6 cables but instead flocks of fiber, we’re drowning in data. And this data will need to ooze around us and be displayed seamlessly on any piece of glass you look at. Whether that data was originally generated by Windows, Mac, Android, or web app seems to matter less at this show, and fortunately, how to secure it all seems to be on everyone’s mind.
Interop in Las Vegas: interconnecting everything post-PC
Dell Software Extends Analytics Momentum with Datawatch Partnership | Dell
Dell Software today announced a new partnership with Datawatch Corporation (NASDAQ: DWCH), continuing the growing momentum of its analytics business by integrating highly interactive visualization and dashboarding capabilities directly into its Statistica advanced analytics platform. Already known for its robust offering of more than 16,000 analytical options, Statistica now will empower line of business users to stream data into compelling and interactive visual representations to better facilitate the sharing of information and discovery of hidden patterns.
Statistica delivers a full range of advanced and predictive analytics tools that help organizations predict future trends to identify new customers and sales opportunities, forecast industry shifts, explore "what-if" scenarios, and reduce the occurrence of fraud and other business risks. Datawatch provides an ideal complement by enabling self-service data preparation from structured and multi-structured sources such as PDF and log files, as well as real-time streaming data, and delivering this into rich visualizations. As a result of the new partnership, Datawatch’s technology will serve as the permanent visualization engine for the Dell Statistica platform, with its visual discovery and dashboarding capabilities available natively to Statistica users, without the need for additional software licenses from Datawatch. The new Statistica visualization and dashboarding functionality is available to users in version 12.7, now generally available.
Dell Software Extends Analytics Momentum with Datawatch Partnership | Dell
Statistica delivers a full range of advanced and predictive analytics tools that help organizations predict future trends to identify new customers and sales opportunities, forecast industry shifts, explore "what-if" scenarios, and reduce the occurrence of fraud and other business risks. Datawatch provides an ideal complement by enabling self-service data preparation from structured and multi-structured sources such as PDF and log files, as well as real-time streaming data, and delivering this into rich visualizations. As a result of the new partnership, Datawatch’s technology will serve as the permanent visualization engine for the Dell Statistica platform, with its visual discovery and dashboarding capabilities available natively to Statistica users, without the need for additional software licenses from Datawatch. The new Statistica visualization and dashboarding functionality is available to users in version 12.7, now generally available.
Dell Software Extends Analytics Momentum with Datawatch Partnership | Dell
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Introducing FortiOS and FortiClient v5.4 Beta 1! | Fortinet Blog
Today Fortinet is excited to announce the availability of Beta versions of FortiOS v5.4, FortiClient EMS and FortiClient v5.4.
Introducing FortiOS and FortiClient v5.4 Beta 1! | Fortinet Blog
Introducing FortiOS and FortiClient v5.4 Beta 1! | Fortinet Blog
Yes, We Still Need Client Antivirus | Fortinet Blog
Traditional client AV has been plagued with problems relating to performance, updates, and effectiveness. A new generation of endpoint protection is changing the game.
Antivirus software has not exactly been a favorite of either users or administrators for some time. Consumer PCs usually come with at least a trial of antivirus software but BYOD and a growing number of mobile endpoints has left IT in a pinch: How do you ensure that every employee’s phone, laptop, tablet, and/or desktop is adequately protected, especially when they aren’t sitting behind a firewall? More to the point, how do you install and update anti-malware software on heterogeneous clients, many of which are actually owned by end users?
Yes, We Still Need Client Antivirus | Fortinet Blog
New LG G4 Smartphone Upgrades Camera and Adds Luxury
The successor of the G3 is boasting some nice upgrades from it’s predecessor. A beefed up camera and real leather back are some of the changes customers can expect to see.
New LG G4 Smartphone Upgrades Camera and Adds Luxury
AVT-PR-Avnet Technology Solutions Expands Cloud Solutions Portfolio with CenturyLink Cloud
Avnet partners can address their customers’ cloud IT challenges and grow their businesses in the U.S. and Canada as CenturyLink Cloud value-added resellers
AVT-PR-Avnet Technology Solutions Expands Cloud Solutions Portfolio with CenturyLink Cloud
Unboxing Linux/Mumblehard: Muttering spam from your servers
Today, ESET researchers reveal a family of Linux malware that stayed under the radar for more than 5 years. We have named this family Linux/Mumblehard. A white paper about this threat is available for download on WeLiveSecuriy.
There are two components in the Mumblehard malware family: a backdoor and a spamming daemon. They are both written in Perl and feature the same custom packer written in assembly language. The use of assembly language to produce ELF binaries so as to obfuscate the Perl source code shows a level of sophistication higher than average.
Unboxing Linux/Mumblehard: Muttering spam from your servers
Enabling the Hybrid WAN | Fortinet Blog
Each year it seems internet prices come down and speeds go up, at least in urban markets where there is sufficient competition. What a great value, right? Unfortunately, a lot of this value has been limited to consumers. Business users haven’t been so lucky. There may be a few price decreases and deals every so often, especially when you pick up the phone and threaten to go to another carrier to replace your MPLS network, assuming you work somewhere without a telecom monopoly. Although there are often more options for business-class connectivity, the options are generally slower (like the incredible 1.5 Mbps a T1 can offer) and prohibitively expensive, especially for smaller organizations. Oh…that T1 generally goes for around $350 a month, in case you were wondering.
Faster Metro Ethernet options are phasing out older T1s and DS3s, but they generally go for around $30/megabit of bandwidth. Do you need 100 Mbps of bandwidth? No problem - that will be around $3,000 to $3,500 a month depending on the carrier and the availability in your area.
Enabling the Hybrid WAN | Fortinet Blog
Macro malware attacks on the rise, says Microsoft
Macro malware attacks are on the rise, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, Microsoft has reported in a blog post.
The software giant reported that in recent months they have “seen an increasing macro downloader trend that affects nearly 501,240 unique machines worldwide.” Macro malware typically gets into the computer by way of a spam attachment, where the user will open it via social engineering techniques, enabling the macro inside the document. From there, the macro will download additional payloads and the computer is compromised.
Macro malware attacks on the rise, says Microsoft
Orange County Utilities Reduces Abandoned Calls by 75 Percent and Offers Customers an Improved One-Minute Speed-to-Answer Time
Oracle Press Release
Orange County Utilities Reduces Abandoned Calls by 75 Percent and Offers Customers an Improved One-Minute Speed-to-Answer Time
Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing solutions provide the foundation for the utilities’ 20-year IT automation plan
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.—April 27, 2015—A utility’s success depends on meeting the needs of its customers. Orange County Utilities, which provides drinking water, wastewater treatment and reuse, garbage disposal, and recycling services to more than 210,000 residents and businesses in Orlando, Florida, deployed Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billingsolutions to enable its staff to deliver superior customer service by decreasing the average speed-to-answer time and reducing the number of monthly abandoned calls.
“We operate in an industry that is constantly transforming, making it imperative that we continuously improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency,” said Rosemary Whitacre, program development supervisor, Orange County Utilities. “Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing helps us to accomplish these goals by enabling us to swiftly evolve our business to meet market demands, reduce risk, boost customer satisfaction, and maximize revenues.”
Orange County Utilities deployed Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing as part of its 20-year plan to fully automate its IT infrastructure. The utility chose PwC—a Diamond-level member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN)—as its systems integrator. PwC, with its program designed specifically for customer care and billing implementations and upgrades, adhered to a rigorous schedule to bring the solution live in 14 months.
Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing solutions enabled the utility to deploy a comprehensive customer information system (CIS) to provide a complete view of consumer data for water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and solid-waste services, helping to streamline billing processes and provide more-responsive customer assistance.
The CIS provided call center staff with a 360-degree view of customers, eliminating the need to toggle back and forth between multiple systems and enabling faster responses to inquiries. As well, abandoned calls were reduced by nearly 75 percent, average call handling time improved by 50 percent, and the average answer speed (the amount of time the customer holds for a representative) accelerated from four minutes to one. Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing also helped decrease call resolution down to three minutes from the previous six or seven minutes. An integrated voice response system and self-service website provides clients with alternative resources for information, ultimately lowering the customer query volume by 28 percent.
“Today’s utilities are faced with a rapidly changing industry and increasing expectations from their customers. To improve customer service and remain competitive, Oracle worked with Orange County Utilities to modernize its customer information system with Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing,” said Rodger Smith, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Utilities. “With better access to customer data and resources, Orange County Utilities can speed up customer response time and is poised to exceed customer expectations now and into the future.”
Additionally, Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing enabled the utility to automate billing for 150 solid-waste–hauling accounts—which previously required separate processing from the company’s other accounts—eliminating 72 hours of manually intensive billing tasks each month. Orange County Utilities could also ensure timely revenue flow by completing night-batch billing processes 43 percent faster, and reducing report production by 41 percent through the use of streamlined dashboards that show revenue trends by time period (such as year over year) and by segment (residential or commercial).
Additional Information
To learn more about Oracle Utilities, follow @OracleUtilities on Twitter and join the Oracle Utilities community on Facebook.
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 oracle.com.
Trademarks
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
NuDock Charging Lamp: Charge Your Apple Watch, iPhone and More
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the new Apple Watch.
This anticipated wearable device has been in high demand and companies are already jumping on the Apple Watch bandwagon.
NuDock Charging Lamp: Charge Your Apple Watch, iPhone and More
Tattoos may stop Apple Watch from working - Apr. 29, 2015
Your mother hates your tattoos. So does your Apple Watch, apparently.
Tattooed wrists can prevent the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor from functioning properly, according to some customers.
Tattoos may stop Apple Watch from working - Apr. 29, 2015
Tattooed wrists can prevent the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor from functioning properly, according to some customers.
Tattoos may stop Apple Watch from working - Apr. 29, 2015
Myth-busting: White-box Switches are No Bargain | The Network
Cisco President Rob Lloyd and SDN expert Frank D'Agostino debunk the myth that white box switches save money.
Myth-busting: White-box Switches are No Bargain | The Network
Tags: .#tech .#technews .#cisco
Accenture Helps Kia Motors Double Impact of Social Media Marketing at Less Than Half the Cost
Accenture #News Release:
SEOUL, Korea; Apr. 27, 2015 – Kia Motors has been working with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to develop and execute a strategy to significantly increase the effectiveness of its social media marketing. The new strategy has raised the engagement of followers and influencers with the Kia brand and optimized Kia's social marketing spend – with results showing more than twice the level of positive interactions with followers at less than half (47 percent) the cost.
Accenture used its proprietary Social Media Diagnostic solution provided by Accenture Interactive Research & Development to identify Kia’s social media strengths and areas of improvement. Accenture clustered Kia’s social media followers based on analysis of Kia’s data on user engagement in social channels, using different car models and different post types as the criteria. This is allowing Kia to more precisely target paid posts to social media users who are most likely to engage with the content.
“We‘ve been very successful in growing our base of fans and followers on social channels to approximately 21 million, which has made a huge contribution to our rapidly expanding brand value for the past several years,” said Soon-Nam Lee, VP of Overseas Marketing Group, Kia Motors. “With the help of Accenture, Kia is now taking social media marketing in the automotive industry to the next level with increased customer engagement that ensures we are best placed to meet consumers’ changing requirements. We will continue our efforts to provide more personalized and relevant messages for our customers.”
New Accenture research shows that 80 percent of car buyers are now using some form of digital technology to research their purchase. Chief marketing officers in the automotive industry rank social media as a top priority for marketing investment, according to another survey from Accenture Interactive.
“Digital technologies such as social media are transforming marketing from something you do to consumers to something you do with them – and for that you need to really know their likes and needs,” said Hyun-Jung Kim, managing director of Accenture’s Products practice in South Korea. “Original equipment manufacturers and dealers have to focus on engaging the ‘connected customer’ by establishing a pervasive digital presence, engaging customers through all available digital channels with car-buying information that will take into consideration customer sensitivity and be relevant to their particular car-buying needs.”
She added: “They also need to establish and sustain a seamless, integrated customer experience, combining the physical touch points of auto retailing with those of the evolving digital marketplace, maintaining the integrity of a meaningful car-buying experience.”
About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Over 3 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in 10 manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 150 countries. Kia today has around 49,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of nearly US$45 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About Accenture Interactive
Accenture Interactive, part of Accenture Digital, helps the world’s leading brands drive superior marketing performance across the full multichannel customer experience. Accenture Interactive offers integrated, industrialized and industry-driven digital transformation and marketing solutions. To learn more follow us @AccentureSocial and visithttp://www.accenture.com/interactive.
April 27, 2015
Accenture Helps Kia Motors Double Impact of Social Media Marketing at Less Than Half the Cost
SEOUL, Korea; Apr. 27, 2015 – Kia Motors has been working with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to develop and execute a strategy to significantly increase the effectiveness of its social media marketing. The new strategy has raised the engagement of followers and influencers with the Kia brand and optimized Kia's social marketing spend – with results showing more than twice the level of positive interactions with followers at less than half (47 percent) the cost.
Accenture used its proprietary Social Media Diagnostic solution provided by Accenture Interactive Research & Development to identify Kia’s social media strengths and areas of improvement. Accenture clustered Kia’s social media followers based on analysis of Kia’s data on user engagement in social channels, using different car models and different post types as the criteria. This is allowing Kia to more precisely target paid posts to social media users who are most likely to engage with the content.
“We‘ve been very successful in growing our base of fans and followers on social channels to approximately 21 million, which has made a huge contribution to our rapidly expanding brand value for the past several years,” said Soon-Nam Lee, VP of Overseas Marketing Group, Kia Motors. “With the help of Accenture, Kia is now taking social media marketing in the automotive industry to the next level with increased customer engagement that ensures we are best placed to meet consumers’ changing requirements. We will continue our efforts to provide more personalized and relevant messages for our customers.”
New Accenture research shows that 80 percent of car buyers are now using some form of digital technology to research their purchase. Chief marketing officers in the automotive industry rank social media as a top priority for marketing investment, according to another survey from Accenture Interactive.
“Digital technologies such as social media are transforming marketing from something you do to consumers to something you do with them – and for that you need to really know their likes and needs,” said Hyun-Jung Kim, managing director of Accenture’s Products practice in South Korea. “Original equipment manufacturers and dealers have to focus on engaging the ‘connected customer’ by establishing a pervasive digital presence, engaging customers through all available digital channels with car-buying information that will take into consideration customer sensitivity and be relevant to their particular car-buying needs.”
She added: “They also need to establish and sustain a seamless, integrated customer experience, combining the physical touch points of auto retailing with those of the evolving digital marketplace, maintaining the integrity of a meaningful car-buying experience.”
About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Over 3 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in 10 manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 150 countries. Kia today has around 49,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of nearly US$45 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About Accenture Interactive
Accenture Interactive, part of Accenture Digital, helps the world’s leading brands drive superior marketing performance across the full multichannel customer experience. Accenture Interactive offers integrated, industrialized and industry-driven digital transformation and marketing solutions. To learn more follow us @AccentureSocial and visithttp://www.accenture.com/interactive.
# # #
Accenture and Oracle Form New Business Group to Help Customers Achieve Digital Transformation Goals in the Cloud
Accenture #News Release:
NEW YORK and REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.; April 27, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) have launched a new business group to jointly help customers embrace the cloud to achieve their digital transformation goals. Through the group, Accenture and Oracle will deliver industry-specific solutions built on the Oracle Cloud to help clients realize the benefits of the cloud faster and with reduced risk. The Accenture Oracle Business Group brings together the leading technology, skills and experience from each company to offer businesses the ability to implement cloud solutions quicker and easier than previously possible.
The Accenture Oracle Business Group simplifies and streamlines the buying process for Accenture solutions based on Oracle Cloud technologies. As a result, customers can more nimbly react to changing business and economic conditions by leveraging end-to-end solutions that address their specific business and industry requirements. The new group will bring breakthrough solutions to market across a range of industries, with an initial focus on the public, financial and hospitality services sectors.
“Building on our 23-year alliance relationship, the Accenture Oracle Business Group combines Accenture’s deep industry and technology experience with Oracle’s expansive set of cloud solutions to deliver client value not found elsewhere in the market today,” said Stephen Rohleder, group chief executive for North America, Accenture. “This is part of our strategy to take advantage of Oracle’s leading technologies and build our business together for the future. It is a game-changer for our clients, Oracle, and Accenture.”
“For the first time, customers have the opportunity to use accelerators, prebuilt adapters and industry-specific extensions with Oracle’s software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service offerings to accelerate cloud migration, simplify cross-pillar integration and achieve enterprise transformation,” said Thomas Kurian, president, Product Development, Oracle. “By providing a single process to implement end-to-end mission- critical services, the Accenture Oracle Business Group is ideally positioned to help our customers realize the true benefits of cloud computing.”
The group solutions will be built using Oracle’s software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service solutions delivered via the Accenture Foundation Platform for Oracle, a multi-component development and integration accelerator running in the Oracle Cloud. Offerings consist of:
Accenture is a Diamond-level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork
Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized is the latest version of Oracle's partner program that provides partners with tools to better develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN Specialized offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to differentiate through Specializations. Specializations are achieved through competency development, business results, expertise and proven success. To find out more visitoracle.com/partners.
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 oracle.com.
Trademarks
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
April 27, 2015
Accenture and Oracle Form New Business Group to Help Customers Achieve Digital Transformation Goals in the Cloud
NEW YORK and REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.; April 27, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) have launched a new business group to jointly help customers embrace the cloud to achieve their digital transformation goals. Through the group, Accenture and Oracle will deliver industry-specific solutions built on the Oracle Cloud to help clients realize the benefits of the cloud faster and with reduced risk. The Accenture Oracle Business Group brings together the leading technology, skills and experience from each company to offer businesses the ability to implement cloud solutions quicker and easier than previously possible.
The Accenture Oracle Business Group simplifies and streamlines the buying process for Accenture solutions based on Oracle Cloud technologies. As a result, customers can more nimbly react to changing business and economic conditions by leveraging end-to-end solutions that address their specific business and industry requirements. The new group will bring breakthrough solutions to market across a range of industries, with an initial focus on the public, financial and hospitality services sectors.
“Building on our 23-year alliance relationship, the Accenture Oracle Business Group combines Accenture’s deep industry and technology experience with Oracle’s expansive set of cloud solutions to deliver client value not found elsewhere in the market today,” said Stephen Rohleder, group chief executive for North America, Accenture. “This is part of our strategy to take advantage of Oracle’s leading technologies and build our business together for the future. It is a game-changer for our clients, Oracle, and Accenture.”
“For the first time, customers have the opportunity to use accelerators, prebuilt adapters and industry-specific extensions with Oracle’s software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service offerings to accelerate cloud migration, simplify cross-pillar integration and achieve enterprise transformation,” said Thomas Kurian, president, Product Development, Oracle. “By providing a single process to implement end-to-end mission- critical services, the Accenture Oracle Business Group is ideally positioned to help our customers realize the true benefits of cloud computing.”
The group solutions will be built using Oracle’s software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service solutions delivered via the Accenture Foundation Platform for Oracle, a multi-component development and integration accelerator running in the Oracle Cloud. Offerings consist of:
- Pre-integrated enterprise-class cloud solutions and a robust service catalog to help simplify migration to the cloud and accelerate overall innovation
- Dedicated Accenture and Oracle resources, including 52,000 Oracle-skilled consultants globally, with an additional 20,000 Java-skilled professionals. This can help enable end-to-end delivery and maintenance of hardware, middleware and software solutions, helping customers architect a path to the cloud
- Accelerators such as cloud readiness assessments and data migration, testing and training tools which can help reduce the time and risk associated with implementation and shift the focus to innovation and growth
- Vertical solutions and extensions designed to reduce the need for customization while addressing industry and customer requirements
Accenture is a Diamond-level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork
Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized is the latest version of Oracle's partner program that provides partners with tools to better develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN Specialized offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to differentiate through Specializations. Specializations are achieved through competency development, business results, expertise and proven success. To find out more visitoracle.com/partners.
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 oracle.com.
Trademarks
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
# # #
Accenture Expands Duck Creek Global Alliance Partner Program as Deloitte Consulting LLP Becomes Newest Property & Casualty Insurance Software Implementation Services Partner
Accenture #News Release:
CHICAGO; Apr 27, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has added Deloitte Consulting LLP as the newest member of the Accenture Duck Creek Global Alliance Partner Program. The exclusive program is comprised of 24 members across three partner categories – Delivery, Solution, and Technology – that play a key role in providing complementary software services and solutions to insurers of all sizes. As a delivery partner, Deloitte Consulting LLP now offers transformation implementation, systems integration, maintenance and upgrade services related to theAccenture Duck Creek Suite. This was announced at Accenture Duck Creek’s premier property and casualty (P&C) insurance software event, FORMATION15.
“Our network of alliances is essential to delivering successful solutions to our clients and we are thrilled to welcome Deloitte Consulting LLP as our newest member,” said Mike Jackowski, global managing director, Accenture Duck Creek. “As a leader in providing actuarial, business and technology consulting services, we value their experience and the service options they offer to insurers that want to transition to a comprehensive core insurance system that better supports their business.”
“Collaborating with Accenture Duck Creek allows us to combine their modern event-architecture and product configuration capability with our insurance acumen and extensive network to meet the needs of property and casualty insurers of any size, for any line,” said Neal Baumann, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Insurance Sector leader. “We look forward to the new opportunities this collaboration will bring to our clients.”
The Accenture Duck Creek Global Alliance Partner Program was established to provide insurers with access to a network of business, integration, and implementation services that offer the following benefits:
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
Accenture Duck Creek is a software suite offering comprehensive, full-featured property & casualty insurance software and SaaS solutions. Its configurable solutions are designed to work as a full end-to-end suite or as individual standalone components that adapt quickly and seamlessly to handle the unique needs of insurers of all sizes. Duck Creek software enables carriers to make better decisions in a real-time environment, streamline operations and improve their level of customer service. For more information, visitwww.accenture.com/duckcreek.
April 27, 2015
Accenture Expands Duck Creek Global Alliance Partner Program as Deloitte Consulting LLP Becomes Newest Property & Casualty Insurance Software Implementation Services Partner
CHICAGO; Apr 27, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has added Deloitte Consulting LLP as the newest member of the Accenture Duck Creek Global Alliance Partner Program. The exclusive program is comprised of 24 members across three partner categories – Delivery, Solution, and Technology – that play a key role in providing complementary software services and solutions to insurers of all sizes. As a delivery partner, Deloitte Consulting LLP now offers transformation implementation, systems integration, maintenance and upgrade services related to theAccenture Duck Creek Suite. This was announced at Accenture Duck Creek’s premier property and casualty (P&C) insurance software event, FORMATION15.
“Our network of alliances is essential to delivering successful solutions to our clients and we are thrilled to welcome Deloitte Consulting LLP as our newest member,” said Mike Jackowski, global managing director, Accenture Duck Creek. “As a leader in providing actuarial, business and technology consulting services, we value their experience and the service options they offer to insurers that want to transition to a comprehensive core insurance system that better supports their business.”
“Collaborating with Accenture Duck Creek allows us to combine their modern event-architecture and product configuration capability with our insurance acumen and extensive network to meet the needs of property and casualty insurers of any size, for any line,” said Neal Baumann, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Insurance Sector leader. “We look forward to the new opportunities this collaboration will bring to our clients.”
The Accenture Duck Creek Global Alliance Partner Program was established to provide insurers with access to a network of business, integration, and implementation services that offer the following benefits:
- Trained and certified resources that ensure comprehensive product knowledge and delivery consistency
- Use of numerous third-party project accelerators and pre-configured capabilities that streamline the deployment process
- Field-tested service methodologies that incorporate industry implementation best practices to reduce system integration time, risk, and costs
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
Accenture Duck Creek is a software suite offering comprehensive, full-featured property & casualty insurance software and SaaS solutions. Its configurable solutions are designed to work as a full end-to-end suite or as individual standalone components that adapt quickly and seamlessly to handle the unique needs of insurers of all sizes. Duck Creek software enables carriers to make better decisions in a real-time environment, streamline operations and improve their level of customer service. For more information, visitwww.accenture.com/duckcreek.
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Dell SonicWALL TZ Series are the fastest, small form-factor, business-class deep packet inspection | Dell
Dell today announced the release of the new SonicWALL TZ Series firewalls. Featuring a dramatic increase in network performance to support faster Internet speeds, the ability to analyze encrypted SSL traffic, and an integrated wireless controller, the new solutions deliver enterprise-class security at a price point that is attractive for small businesses and large, multi-site distributed organizations.
Dell SonicWALL TZ Series are the fastest, small form-factor, business-class deep packet inspection | Dell
Dell SonicWALL TZ Series are the fastest, small form-factor, business-class deep packet inspection | Dell
Dell Introduces New Server Powerhouse to Accelerate Most Demanding Enterprise Applications | Dell
Dell today announced an expansion of its 13th generation PowerEdge servers including the PowerEdge R930, Dell’s most powerful server specifically designed for the most demanding enterprise applications such as in-memory databases, customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Once the domain of UNIX systems, these enterprise applications are increasingly shifting to x86 platforms for increased innovation, additional capabilities and lower total cost of ownership.
Dell Introduces New Server Powerhouse to Accelerate Most Demanding Enterprise Applications | Dell
Dell Introduces New Server Powerhouse to Accelerate Most Demanding Enterprise Applications | Dell
Dell SecureWorks Wins Best Managed Security Services for Seventh Time | Dell
Dell SecureWorks, an information security services provider that consistently receives the highest ratings from industry analysts, was recognized by a panel representing the audience of SC Magazine, as the top solution in the Reader Trust Award Best Managed Security Service category at the 2015 SC U.S. Awards. The announcement was made April 21, 2015, at the SC Awards Gala in San Francisco.
Dell SecureWorks Wins Best Managed Security Services for Seventh Time | Dell
Dell SecureWorks Wins Best Managed Security Services for Seventh Time | Dell
OFAC! An acronym that cybersecurity professionals need to know
Calling all CISOs and CISSPs, all of you CCNAs, GIACs and CEHs: do you need another acronym to remember, along with HIPAA, FISMA, COBIT, GLBA, FERPA and PCI? Probably not! But try this one on for size: OFAC, as in Office of Foreign Assets Control. Let’s allow their website to describe what this office does and then I will explain how it relates to cybersecurity:
“The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States.”
OFAC! An acronym that cybersecurity professionals need to know
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Is WordPress the Best Site Builder for Small Business?
If you’ve ever wondered what market domination looked like, here it is:
- 4 percent of all the current websites online built using site builders were built using WordPress.
- 8 percent of all the current websites online were built using WordPress.
- The numbers for second place? 2.8 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
Given these statistics, you may draw the conclusion that WordPress is the best thing since sliced bread. However, is WordPress really the best site builder for small business? Let’s find out.
Is WordPress the Best Site Builder for Small Business?
White House Email Breach - One More Call To Arms | Fortinet Blog
The White House acknowledged over the weekend that a breach of its unclassified email servers was worse than previously disclosed. It’s time for a change.
Late last year, the White House acknowledged that it had detected a breach in the unclassified Executive Office of the President network. This weekend, sources close to the administration explained that the breach was "far more intrusive and worrisome than has been publicly acknowledged". Russian hackers apparently were able to read emails received from President Obama, both by individuals inside and outside the White House, potentially exposing schedules, high-level diplomatic correspondence, and more.
White House Email Breach - One More Call To Arms | Fortinet Blog
AVT-PR-Avnet’s Lynn Torrel and Wade McDaniel to Present at ISM2015 Annual Conference
Torrel to Deliver Session on Supply Chain Partnerships, McDaniel to Present on Supply Chain Segmentation
AVT-PR-Avnet’s Lynn Torrel and Wade McDaniel to Present at ISM2015 Annual Conference
The curious case of the ex-hacker "banned from the internet"
What kind of punishment best fits a convicted hacker? Jail time for serious computer crimes is almost a certainty, but for one ex-hacker, Higinio Ochoa, the terms of his parole also include being “banned from the internet”.
A life without internet means a life without hacking, but it also means a life without a smartphone, email or even, say, Netflix. In an increasingly connected society, avoiding the internet altogether is no easy feat, but for Ochoa so much as opening Facebook could land him back in jail.
The curious case of the ex-hacker "banned from the internet"
Zero-day lets hackers hijack WordPress through rogue comments
A vulnerability in the WordPress blogging platform has been uncovered which allows hackers to hijack websites with a comment containing malicious JavaScript, The Hill reveals.
The exploit was discovered by Finnish security firm Klikky Oy, and allows hackers to push malicious code in the comments section of a website. Attackers need to leave a long comment (over 64kb) containing malicious JavaScript. The length of comment required (65,535 ‘A’ characters, Forbes reckons) is necessary as that is what would trigger the error that allows the code to be displayed.
Zero-day lets hackers hijack WordPress through rogue comments
Can the Samsung Galaxy S5 Let Hackers Steal Your Fingerprint?
Your fingerprint is unique to you.
The fingerprint scanner for added security on your smartphone makes sense, right?
Can the Samsung Galaxy S5 Let Hackers Steal Your Fingerprint?
New Migration Manager for Enterprise Social enables organizations to consolidate Jive content | Dell
Dell Software today announced the release of Migration Manager for Enterprise Social, the market’s first enterprise social migration solution, which will be showcased at Microsoft Ignite 2015. Organizations seeking better communication, collaboration, productivity, and employee engagement have driven the rapid adoption of a variety of enterprise social networks like Microsoft Yammer, Jive Software, Salesforce Chatter and others. Migration Manager for Enterprise Social allows organizations to consolidate Jive content into Yammer, eliminating the cost and burden of supporting multiple social networks and enabling organizations to maximize their investment in Office 365 and Yammer.
Supporting and maintaining multiple enterprise social platforms is a drain on resources and budget. As individual departments within an organization deploy a social platform to meet their specific needs, the company over time finds itself supporting multiple, disparate social networks with redundant functionality and content. This creates silos of content and collaboration that are difficult for IT to govern and control, and also frustrating to users who have to log into multiple systems with no easy way to share content.
New Migration Manager for Enterprise Social enables organizations to consolidate Jive content | Dell
BlackBerry would team with Apple on security - Apr. 27, 2015
Apple dominates the smartphone world that BlackBerry helped create, but maybe the two tech rivals can safely work together in the future.
BlackBerry (BBRY, Tech30) may be a shell of its former self, but one area it still wields significant sway is security. The Defense Department uses BlackBerry devices for its security advantages, and President Obama even has his own super-charged BlackBerry.
BlackBerry would team with Apple on security - Apr. 27, 2015
BlackBerry (BBRY, Tech30) may be a shell of its former self, but one area it still wields significant sway is security. The Defense Department uses BlackBerry devices for its security advantages, and President Obama even has his own super-charged BlackBerry.
BlackBerry would team with Apple on security - Apr. 27, 2015
Uh Oh. Facebook Is Restricting Data on Other Platforms
If your small business has a presence on Facebook, and it certainly ought to, you should know about a pending policy change set for this week.
On April 30, Facebook will no longer allow third-party apps to export your data — including your Facebook contacts, profile photos and messages — into other applications.
Uh Oh. Facebook Is Restricting Data on Other Platforms
New Samsung Gear VR Looks Like Something Out of Sci-Fi
Samsung’s Gear VR headset, compatible with both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, is now available for pre-order on Best Buy’s website.
By attaching one of the two mobile devices to the front of the headset, a user can be immersed into a dramatic panoramic virtual reality to experience not just games but also video and images too.
New Samsung Gear VR Looks Like Something Out of Sci-Fi
Social Media Security and You - Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater? | Fortinet Blog
Organizations often allow the use of social media on their networks, but RSAC is buzzing about the risks.
Social Media Security and You - Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater? | Fortinet Blog
Social Media Security and You - Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater? | Fortinet Blog
Monday, April 27, 2015
IBM Extends Application Infrastructure and Middleware Leadership with 29.1 Percent Market Share
IBM #News Release:
"This market has changed dramatically over the past 14 years, and we feel that has increasingly played to IBM’s advantage given our technical expertise, investments and restless reinvention,” said Marie Wieck, general manager, IBM Middleware. "With the emergence of hybrid cloud, mobile, Internet of Things, and analytics – IT leaders are realizing that success starts with having an open platform built for digital transformation and future workloads, yet delivering value today.”
IBM Extends Application Infrastructure and Middleware Leadership with 29.1 Percent Market Share
- IBM Cites Demand for Hybrid Cloud, Analytics, Mobile and SaaS As Fuel for its Leadership Position
- Report Marks 14 Consecutive Years of Market Share Leadership
- Report Marks 14 Consecutive Years of Market Share Leadership
ARMONK, N.Y., - 24 Apr 2015: IBM‘s (NYSE: IBM) share of application infrastructure and middleware market share is 29.1 percent, extending the company’s leadership position for the 14th year in a row and outpacing the competition by more than two times, according to Gartner based on total worldwide revenue for 2014.
According to the Gartner report, “Market Share: All Software Markets, Worldwide, 20141,” IBM leads in nine of the 12 application infrastructure and middleware markets. We believe this leadership is a result of the company’s technology breakthroughs in WebSphere®, IBM MQ, and Business Process Management solutions. Based on IBM client feedback, there is a demand for organizations to link together Big Data, mobile, cloud and social computingtechnologies into core enterprise software systems.
The worldwide application infrastructure and middleware software market grew 8.8 percent to $23.8 billion, according to Gartner.
Within the application infrastructure and middleware portfolio, IBM was once again ranked the number one vendor in Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) software with 28.5 percent share, nearly three times that of its closest competitor. BPMS software helps improve business growth and agility, including enabling employees to work together using mobile technology. IBM held its number one position in Mobile Application Development software with 15.2 percent share and growing six points faster than the market.
IBM was also ranked the number one vendor in Application Development for the 13th consecutive year, which IBM believes is a result of a continued focus on helping clients leverage application development and delivery towards achieving better business outcomes with data, cloud and mobile technologies. As software has become a major driver of innovation, IBM has helped developers use new approaches like DevOps that apply lean and agile principles across the development life cycle to speed delivery and improve customer responsiveness.
Gartner also ranked IBM number one in other noteworthy segments such as Message Oriented Middleware, a key enabler for mobile computing, with 75 percent share, more than 10 times its closest competitor. IBM also leads Transaction Processing Middleware with 85 percent share, which supports mobile and cloud-based commerce.
IBM is also ranked #1 in Enterprise Service Bus Suites with 29 percent share, and Managed File Transfer Suites with 31.3 percent share, both solutions which help clients with secure, reliable delivery of data between people, process and systems.
Footnote
1. Market Share for All Software Markets, Worldwide, 2014 by Bianca Francesca Granetto et al, 31 March 2015, Report #G00273284
For more information on IBM's application infrastructure and middleware software portfolio visit:www.ibm.com/software
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