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News

• HP opens attack on Cisco certifications

  HP this week unveiled a training and certification program for IT personnel converging enterprise infrastructure and rearchitecting data centers.

• Microsoft takes aim at Google Apps with Office 365

  Microsoft is trying to combat Google with new cloud computing packages incorporating all of its productivity software, but is stopping a bit short of going "all-in." 

• Gartner warns of emerging 'super vendors'

  ORLANDO - Gartner Inc. analysts Monday warned that the tech industry is caught in a "vortex of insatiable mergers and acquisitions" that is creating a category of "super vendors" selling highly integrated offerings.

• Survey: Costs of Office Communications Server too great for some organizations

  Microsoft's Office Communications Server (OCS) is perceived as too expensive to deploy and too complicated to manage, and many businesses lack the in-house expertise to handle it, according to a survey.

• Don't expect to peer into Google cloud services security

  Customers of Google cloud services who are concerned about security better get used to being unable to check out first-hand how well their data is being protected, a Google spokesman told a high-tech leadership council recently.

• Finding lost IT with RFID

  LAS VEGAS -- Vendors are increasingly trying to sell users on the idea that they need to stick RFID tags on IT equipment to keep track of it. Users are interested in this technology because they would much rather automate inventory tracking then go server-to-server with a bar code scanner and clipboard.

• Cisco expands 11n Wi-Fi line, mobile VPN client

  Cisco Tuesday unveiled new additions to its mobility product lines, including an entry-level 802.11n Wi-Fi access point, a mobile VPN client, and the first step toward extending virtual desktop environments to mobile devices in the field.

• Cisco launches high-end security appliance

  Cisco today announced a multi-function security appliance that combines a firewall with VPN support, plus an intrusion-prevention system (IPS), to reach speeds up to 20 Gbps with 10,000 VPN connections and 350,000 connections per second. Apple posts Cisco’s iPhone AnyConnect iPhone SSLVPN client to the App Store.

• Cloud computing in the U.S. shows momentum

  How widespread is business use of cloud computing? The results of one survey published Tuesday suggest use of both public and private clouds has real momentum in the United States, with private cloud computing appearing to be more popular.

• HP branches out

  HP this week rolled out new and enhanced products and services across its networking, security and computing portfolios designed to improve the performance and delivery of application services to businesses.

• Microsoft updates SQL Server 2008 with new SharePoint integrations

  Microsoft released the second service pack for SQL Server 2008 this week, with support for up to 15,000 database partitions, updates to reporting and management tools, and integration with SharePoint 2010.

• Apple iPhone app manages mainframe

  Network management vendor William Data Systems says it has created an iPhone app that lets users manage IBM's z/OS mainframe environment.

• With Lync, Microsoft lowers price of Office Communications Server

  Microsoft has announced that enterprise client access licenses (CAL) for Lync Server will cost $107, a price cut of $32 per user over the previous version of Microsoft's communications software.

• OCZ invents drive interface 3X faster than SAS

  OCZ Technology, today unveiled a proprietary drive interface called "High-Speed Data Link" (HSDL) that's expected to boost I/O for solid-state drives (SSDs) in high-performance computing environments.

• Cisco expects BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to do well

  Cisco expects RIM's new BlackBerry PlayBook to do well among businesses moving toward tablets, and help to augment customer demand for Cisco's WebEx service and Unified Communications Manager platforms.