INTEL PLANS TO EXPAND XEON CHIP LINE INTO BIGGER SERVERS

Mint Intel Corp. disclosed plans to take its Xeon chip line into bigger servers, posing stiffer competition for its own Itanium product line as well as technology offered by competitors. The company provided details of coming Xeon models that pack more electronic brains onto each piece of silicon and can be used in servers that use more chips. Intel, whose chips dominate low-end servers, hopes to take a much bigger share of larger systems. Intel’s new chips—expected to be available in servers early next year—are based on a design called...

NETBOOKS HURTING NOTEBOOKS?

LondonThe Asian Age Cannibalisation of laptop computer sales by lower-priced netbooks is currently about 20 percent, "less than speculation", Intel’s European sales chief said. Christian Morales said netbook sales were about 16 percent of all notebook sales globally, and a little higher in western Europe. In Britain and Italy they may account for as much as a quarter of all notebook sales, he said on Wednesday. Intel has for now cornered the fast-growing market for inexpensive netbooks, made for simple functions such as surfing the ...

SPANISH WIMAX COVERAGE TO BE EXPANDED

Cellular News Alvarion has won a contract from Spain's Iberbanda to expand the current WiMAX network at 3.5GHz in Catalonia. The expansion results from a tender won by Iberbanda to supply WiMAX services to the Government of Catalonia. As a result of this deployment, these provinces will double their broadband capacity, specifically in rural areas. Using Alvarion’s innovative technology, Iberbanda will double the offered throughput to its end users. “This contract is another key milestone in our long standing partnership with Alvarion....

US TAX PLAN: ACCENTURE TO MOVE IRELAND

New York/Los AngelesThe Times of India Technology outsourcing and consulting firm Accenture Ltd plans to change its place of incorporation to Ireland from Bermuda, following an exodus of large multinational companies to Europe as the US government plans to tighten tax rules. Accenture said on Tuesday it does not expect any material change in its financial results or tax treatment, but said Ireland will provide economic benefits. Its board unanimously approved the move. "A member of the European Union, Ireland offers a sophisticated,...

IT GOES GREEN IN GUJ

Chitra Unnithan, Mumbai/Ahmedabad Business Standard The Information Technology (IT) sector in Gujarat has been witnessing a lot of green initiatives in the recent past. Green IT has become a major buzzword today with Gujarat-based companies working towards sustainable designs and processes in order to promote energy efficient services and products. Green IT is no different from green initiatives elsewhere. For the IT sector, green is about using scarce resources wisely; in this case the hardware, software, and electricity needed to power...

DIVERSITY IS THE NEW BUZZ WORD

Sangeetha Chengappa, BengaluruThe Asian Age The onset of globalisation has resulted in multinational IT corporations embracing a culture of ‘inclusion’ where diversity is clearly valued. A workplace where employees understand and accept multiple cultures and perspectives. While all this sounds good on paper, most corporations have made a beginning with ‘gender inclusion’. They are inducting more women into a male dominated workplace. Diversity is a much broader issue and includes issues of ethnicity, religion, disability, socio-economic...

FOUR SOFT’S SOFTWARE GETS NOD FROM THE NETHERLANDS CUSTOMS

Ashutosh Kumar, Saikat Neogi qThe Financial Express Four Soft, which provides software solutions and IT consultancy services exclusively for the freight, transportation, logistics and supply-chain management market has announced that its web-based software solution 4S eCustomsTM SAGITTA has been certified by the Netherlands customs authorities. All the modules of the software are designed to meet the national and local proactive regulatory customs filing, compliance and documentation requirements of freight forwarders, logistics providers,...

SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES SOLID EDGE WITH SYNCHRONOUS TECHNOLOGY 2

New DelhiThe Financial Express Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announces Solid Edge software with Synchronous Technology 2. This release is the second version of Solid Edge to incorporate Siemens PLM Software’s breakthrough synchronous technology, the first history-free, feature-based modeling capability that serves as a fundamental tool in helping customers react to the market faster. “We...

HP EYES LOW-COST PCS TO HELP GAIN CHINA MARKET SHARE

Beijing Mint Hewlett-Packard Co on Wednesday said it was focusing on increasing market share in China as the world’s largest PC maker rolled out a new line of low-cost computers, including the global launch of a netbook. HP is a latecomer to netbooks — stripped down notebooks optimised for the Internet — which it began to sell only last year after the global netbook market began to soar, even as the overall PC market remained flat or shrank. But the low prices have also contributed to declining profit margins for the PC makers that...

EUROPE'S FASTEST SUPERCOMPUTER UNVEILED IN GERMANY

BerlinBusiness Standard A new supercomputer with the power of 50,000 home PCs -- the fastest in Europe and the third worldwide -- was unveiled today in Germany. The "Jugene", capable of 1,000,000,000,000,000 calculations per second, ranks behind the "Roadrunner" and "Jaguar" computers in the United States, said Kosta Schinarakis from the Juelich research centre, where the computer is located. Jugene will be used for a wide variety of operations, including research on fuel cells for electric cars, weather forecasting and the origins...

FACEBOOK'S $200 MILLION INVESTMENT VALUES COMPANY AT $10 BILLION

New YorkThe Economic Times Facebook has received a $200 million investment from a Russian Internet investment firm that values the social networking site billion, seeking a cash buffer as it grows rapidly through the recession. Digital Sky Technologies, which has invested in leading Russian web properties like Mail.ru and Vkontakte.ru, will take a 1.96 percent stake in Facebook in exchange for preferred stock, the two companies said on Tuesday. Digital Sky also plans to buy at least $100 million of Facebook common stock from existing...

DELL TO ENTER INFRA MANAGEMENT

Writankar Mukherjee, Kolkata The Economic Times (Kolkata edition) In a bid to shore up its presence in IT services, Dell India is making a foray into infrastructure management services. The company is building a crack team and expects to launch the business in six months. Dell’s infrastructure management service will target both enterprise and small and medium businesses (SMBs). The company plans to take the modular approach to sell its offering since it believes such a model will lend flexibility to clients amid the slowdown. The USP...

TIME TO CLEAN UP THE CAPITAL’S CAR MESS

Atul Mathur, New DelhiHindustan Times (Delhi edition) Carpools may not have succeeded in Delhi so far but their benefits can’t be disputed. In an attempt to decongest city roads, the Delhi government plans to promote carpools in a big way. In a first of its kind attempt, the government wants to introduce smart card-based carpools in Delhi. But before that, the government wants to know how receptive Delhiites are to the idea. The transport department is posting a questionnaire on its website to find out if its concept would attract...

IBM UNVEILS DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE LAB IN PUNE

New DelhiThe Financial Express The Hindu Business Line The Indian Express IBM unveiled its first of a kind indigenous Dynamic Infrastructure Lab in Pune - India set up using the skill-base from its India workforce. The lab, located at the IBM Software Lab in Pune, showcases state-of-the-art technologies to address clients’ business challenges and brings more intelligence, automation, integration, and efficiencies to the digital and physical worlds. As a result, it will enable businesses and governments better respond to and manage...

SOFTWARE MAY LEAD HARDWARE INDUSTRY SOON

New DelhiThe Asian Age The software industry could take a lead over hardware industry in India, as being a new sector it didn’t have to deal with old policies like those in manufacturing sector, according to Neil Gregory, senior executive, International Finance Corporation (IFC). Gregory is one of the co-authors of the book New Industries From New Places: The Emergence of the Hardware and Software Industries in China and India, which was released here on Tuesday. "Software was a new industry so polices were starting from a new clean...

OFFSETTING E-BLUES WITH GREEN TECHNOLOGIES

Pravin MehtaThe Economic Times As an emerging force in the global IT and telecom field, India produces and uses a huge volume of electronic equipment. And, the subsequent technological obsolescence, degradation and failure generate large quantities of waste. It has been estimated that manufacturers and assemblers of electronic equipment in India alone generate about 1200 tonnes of electronic waste per year. India’s burgeoning scrap business also attracts substantial amount of degraded components from the developed countries, which adds...

BELKIN LAUNCHES LAPTOP COOLING SOLUTIONS

New DelhiThe Financial Express Belkin India, the leading global provider of interconnectivity solutions across computing and consumer electronic devices, launched its latest laptop cooling hub and cooling pad in India. The laptop Cooling products will enable consumers to prevent laptops from overheating. Belkin Laptop cooling pad enable use of laptops while sitting anywhere at home or office. Belkin laptop cooling hub is elevated by a flip-out stand in the back, and slip-resistant rubber pads that cover the laptop contact points...

MICROSOFT SAYS 3 MILLION TRYING OUT WINDOWS 7

Financial Chronicle Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, said more than three million customers are currently trying out its Windows 7 operating system software. Customers who downloaded the pre-release version of the operating system or installed it from a compact disc have provided a list of 175 points for the company to review, Eddie Wu, general manager for Microsoft’s Original Equipment Manufacturing division in Asia, said in Taipei on Monday. Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, said May 11 it will release Windows...

GOOGLE IDENTIFIES FACEBOOK AS GROWING COMPETITOR IN SEARCH

TokyoThe Economic Times Google has identified social networking sites like Facebook as growing competitors in search, a company spokesman said on Monday. Internet users are increasingly looking for answers to their search questions, not just a list of sites in response to a query. They also expect something personal from the Internet _ and they're increasingly turning to it to answer more personal questions, which daycare to choose and what restaurant to go to, said Google Group Product Manager Ken Tokusei. Social networking sites...

BRAZIL TO OPEN NEW WINDOWS FOR INDIAN INFOTECH FIRMS

Chennai The Financial Express With the bilateral trade between Brazil and India poised to touch $ 35 billion in 3 to 4 years from now, the South American country presents a huge IT opportunity to Indian infotech companies in sectors like banking and financial technology, said Rakesh Vaidyanathan, management consultant, Jai group in his address on increasing bilateral trade possibility between India and Brazil at a recent seminar here. Speaking more on unfolding opportunities in IT, he said when banking system of Brazil was battered by...

A CONFLUENCE OF PRIVATE & PUBLIC R&D

Jaideep MishraThe Economic Times There’s much mention these days of the need to revamp education, training and skill upgradation in the opinion pages. A recent IIM Ahmedabad working paper looks at higher education and the high-tech industries in India. The study finds that when it comes to the linkages between tertiary education and the high tech sector, the connections outside the labour market are seen as “weak.” Such a state of affairs is attributed to an outdated regulatory structure that effectively places research and fact-finding...

ECS LAUNCHES CUSTOMER LOYALTY MGMT SOLUTION FOR BARCLAYS BANK

MumbaiBusiness Standard ElectraCard Services today launched an electra loyalty management system for Barclays Bank. ElectraCard Services (ECS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Opus Software Solutions. With this new service, Barclays customers can now benefit from various unique loyalty programs and get rewards across multiple banking channels, a statement issued here said. "In a dynamic business environment like todays, customer expectations are to be met before they realise it themselves. Barclays loyalty management program is designed...

SMART INFOCOMM TO MARKET HYUNDAI PRODUCTS

KochiThe Hindu Business Line Smart Infocomm has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with Hyundai Corporation to bringing in an array of 3-D surround sound speakers for IT and electronics segment for selling Hi-Fi home theatre, computer speakers and headphones under the brand Hyundai. The products would be manufactured under the supervision of both the companies and imported to India. According to the agreement, branding, sales and marketing, after-sales and manpower will be the handled by Smart Infocomm in India. Hyundai is planning...

INTEL STARTS PROCESSOR RATING

Dilip Maitra, BangaloreDeccan Herald Intel has recently unleashed its advertising campaign that rates its processors from 5-star (at the top end) to 1-star (at the bottom). These ratings, however, exclude Intel’s cheapest processor Atom used in notebooks, a device mainly used for Internet browsing. The Intel processor ratings are designed to help customers decide which processor is best for his or her needs. The consumer need may vary from high-end graphics processing, heavy gaming capability or simple data processing with multi tasking...

MS WORKING ON HANDS-FREE VIDEO GAMES

LondonThe Hindu Business Line The ultimate computer game that banishes handheld controls and allows players' gestures to dictate the action on screen is to be launched by Microsoft. The Microsoft Xbox 360 uses 3-D camera technology, and is aimed at challenging the dominance of the Nintendo Wii, reports The Times. Allowing users to kick a virtual football, drive a car or practise dance moves with a computer-generated partner simply by monitoring an individual's movements, the entertainment system will become a must-have for any child or even...

CARTIER SUES APPLE OVER TRADEMARK

New YorkThe Hindu Business Line Luxury watchmaker Cartier International has sued Apple Inc., saying the electronics giant is offering software that infringes on its designs without authorisation. The trademark lawsuit was filed on Friday in federal court in Manhattan. It sought a stop to the practice and unspecified damages. Cartier said in the lawsuit that Apple is offering for sale, via its iTunes store, products that use the Cartier trademarks. It said the applications enable customers to display time on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The...

GOOGLE WORLD'S TOP EMPLOYER FOR MBAS: FORTUNE

New YorkThe Economic Times Internet search giant Google has emerged as the world's top employer for MBA graduates for the third year in row, according to the Fortune magazine. Google has been ranked at the first place in the list of top 100 employers for B-school graduates, with over 20 percent MBA graduates wishing to work at the firm for its stellar reputation and innovative work environment. The Top 100 MBA employers' list, comprising of firms where B-school students most want to work, was compiled by Fortune.com based on an exclusive...

Novatium targets 2L customers

Chennai, Financial Chronicle Managed computing services provider Novatium Solutions has expanded its presence to 12 cities in the country. It has tied up with Tata Teleservices apart from its existing partners BSNL and MTNL. Novatium is targeting two lakh customers by the end of this financial year. The company has pioneered the concept of pay-per-use home computing service. With a broadband connection and an access device called Nova Navigator, users can access operating systems and work on applications such as MS Office on a monthly...

Spice plans Rs 500 cr education initiative

Kirtika Suneja / New Delhi Business StandardThe BK Modi-promoted Spice Group is planning to launch a Rs 500-crore e-education initiative for lower middle and middle-class sections of the country. As part of the initiative, the group will launch around 100 courses, both professional and vocational, to cater to people in small cities. The company hopes that the initiative, which is at the planning stage currently, would begin by the year-end. The group has identified a centre in Noida where content for the courses and softwares would...

AKRUTI CITY ANNOUNCES 900 CRORE INVESTMENT IN CITY

Nilanjana Ghosh Choudhury DNA (Pune edition) Mumbai-based Akruti City Ltd on Thursday announced that the company would invest Rs 900 crore in different commercial, residential and IT park projects in Pune. Akruti City Ltd business unit (sales) chief Mayur Shah said that its proximity to Mumbai and being an integral part of the knowledge corridor, Pune was a vibrant place to be in. "Akruti's unique design elements and its eye for detail has found wide acceptance among the discerning people of Pune," he said. In the residential category,...

Growth will come from internet on mobile

Aseem Thapliyal The Financial Express Adobe seems to be banking on creativity to sail out of recession and stand out from the crowd. Revenue targets might prove to be a struggle, but the company is working hard to identify new growth markets. And India offers a land of opportunities, according to Abode Asia Pacific head of Creative Professions platform, Michael Stoddart. In an interaction, Stoddart narrates the company’s long-term strategies and gives an insight into the Web market, which is moving deeper into mobile phones. Excerpts:...

INTENSE TECH EYES RS 30 CRORE REVENUES IN FY10

K Rajani Kanth, Chennai, HyderabadBusiness Standard Intense Technologies Limited, a Hyderabad based enterprise agility software products company, projects revenues for the current financial year to be at over Rs 30 crore and an uptick of about 40 percent in net profit in the current financial year. This will primarily be driven by repeat demand from existing customers in the telecom space and incoming demand from new customers from newer geographies that it intends to tap into through strategic partners. Making a turnaround, the 12-year-old...

MOBILE MANIA WILL DRIVE GROWTH

Ujjval Jauharri, Mumbai DNA Geodesic Ltd, formerly Geodesic Information Systems Ltd, has been an innovator in software products focused on information, communication, and entertainment for mobile phones and desktop computers. It offers applications under the brand name 'Mundu' for retail segment and is also the owner of Chandamama, the library of 15,000 exclusive stories. The company has offices in Mumbai and Bangalore in India, Silicon Valley in the US, Sweden, Germany and UK in Europe besides Hong Kong. It also has presence in South...

APPLE WARNS OF 'SMALL ELECTRICAL SHOCKS' FROM IPOD, IPHONE

New YorkThe Economic Times Technology giant Apple has warned of possible small and quick electrical shocks from the headphones while using iPods and iPhones. According to the company, people could experience the electrical shock when they are using headphones to listen to these devices in areas where the air is very dry. "It's possible to receive a small and quick electrical (static) shock from your ear buds while listening to iPod or iPhone," Apple said in a statement posted on its website. The possible static shock could be experienced...

GOOGLE HINTS AT PARTNERSHIP WITH TWITTER: REPORT

London The Economic Times Internet search engine major Google may be looking at a partnership with micro-blogging site Twitter, says a media report. The Telegraph quoting Google's Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt has reported that a partnership of Google with Twitter could be on the cards. Schmidt hinted that a "partnership with Twitter could be close, although he dampened speculation that he is planning to buy the micro-blogging phenomenon," the daily said in a report published online. Attributing to Schmidt, the report noted...

MICROSOFT MAY UNVEIL NEW SEARCH ENGINE NEXT WEEK: REPORT

The Economic Times Bangalore Microsoft Corp is likely to show a new version of its Internet search engine publicly for the first time next week, a news paper said, citing people familiar with the matter. The software giant has been testing a new version of the service internally under the name of Kumo.com and it may become part of the firm's attempt to catch up with Internet search leaders Google Inc and Yahoo Inc. Microsoft has hired JWT, a unit of WPP Plc, to develop an advertising campaign for the product, the paper said, citing...

WIMAX BROADBAND SERVICES TO GENERATE $15BN BY 2014

Cellular News Mobile WiMAX networks are being rolled out more slowly than expected, meaning that service revenues will grow more slowly than forecast a year ago, a new study from Juniper Research concluded. The WiMAX broadband report found that revenues from WiMAX 802.16e broadband subscribers will exceed $15 billion globally by 2014. WiMAX will provide an improved experience for broadband customers who are receiving low speed DSL or cable modem services, or at the limit of DSL coverage. However, WiMAX is faced by spectrum auction...

YASH BIRLA MOVES INTO IT SECTOR

Mumbai Business Standard DNA The Economic Times Hindustan Times Financial Chronicle The Times of India (Bangalore edition) The Hindu Business Line The Rs 3,000-crore Yash Birla Group (YBG) marked its foray into the IT sector with the acquisition of Mumbai-based Melstar Information Technologies. Listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange, Melstar is a service provider of professional consulting and project services and solutions. “The Melstar acquisition fits into the Group’s ongoing thrust on growth and exploring...

SIX IT PROJECTS COMING UP IN JAIPUR

Jaipur, May 20The Hindu Business Line The Times of India Rajasthan is promoting six IT projects worth over Rs 200 crore at the Rajasthan Industrial and Investment Corporation's (RIICO) industrial park here, which would generate employment opportunities for nearly 1,600 persons. The corporation would promote six IT projects worth Rs 207.20 crore. These projects are being established in the RICCO's Export Promotion Industrial Park in the Sitapura industrial area here...

UST GLOBAL SEES MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IT SERVICE COS

Sankar Radhakrishnan, ThiruvananthapuramThe Hindu Business Line Despite the strained economic environment, the opportunities for IT service companies are immense, said Robert A. Dutile, General Manager — Strategy and Services — UST Global. Many large companies that have done only limited outsourcing in the past are now scaling up outsourcing, he said. These companies, many of which are based in the US and Europe, are looking for cost savings and global expansion, he said. Given its global reach and hybrid outsourcing model, UST Global,...

RS 900-CR EXPANSION PLAN FOR TECHNOPARK, INFOPARK

ThiruvananthapuramThe Hindu Business Line Technopark-Thiruvananthapuram and Infopark-Kochi have approved annual expansion plans envisaging budgets of Rs 650 crore and Rs 250 crore respectively for 2009-10. This was decided at general body meetings of the State’s two principal technology parks, the Chief Minister, V. S. Achuthanandan, announced here on Wednesday. Briefing newspersons on the decisions taken at the meetings, he said the Technopark would immediately start construction activities that would cost around Rs 100 crore. Construction...