ECT News Network Broadcast

The Over/Under on Cloud Security

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:10:40 PST

Ever since the term "the cloud" came into use, security has been one of the subject's most hotly debated topics. Is it riskier from a security perspective to conduct operations and store data outside a business' own four walls? Or can security actually be better in the cloud, in the same way a safe deposit box may be a safer place to store valuables than one's own home?

Apple Wanders Into Mountain Lion Territory

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:18:30 PST

In this episode: Apple releases information about Mountain Lion, the next version of OS X expected to launch this summer; social network Path quickly changes course after it's discovered that its mobile app rifles through users' private address books; Google puts a temporary freeze on Wallet after surprisingly easy security workarounds are published; Google gets the go-ahead to buy up Motorola Mobility; AT&T customers discover there are actually limits to their unlimited plans.

ACTA Action, Part 1

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:14:32 PST

ACTA is gaining support from countries around the world. But opponents to the agreement have been vocal as well. There also exist some common misconceptions about ACTA. "One thing people think ACTA does is it compels countries to force their ISPs to basically snoop on their users, to snitch on them, to give up details to rights holders who launch civil suits," said journalist David Meyer. "That's not actually true."

The Rise of the International Cybervillain

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:41:13 PST

The evolution of today's threat landscape didn't happen overnight. Shady alliances between government agencies, for-profit cybercrooks, politically minded hackers and organized crime have formed over the years to create the situation we see today. In fact, "they do capitalism better than we do," said Financial Times correspondent Joseph Menn.

The Whens, Whats and Hows of iPad 3

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:26:15 PST

In this episode: A report pinning the introduction of the iPad 3 to the first week of March stirs up more speculation about Apple's next tablet; Sprint's quarterly report reveals the pain of carrying the iPhone; EPIC takes the FTC to task over the changes Google has planned for how it handles user data; Google introduces a security guard for its Android Market; Anonymous hackers release Symantec source code to the wild after ransom negotiations fall through.

Building the Data Center on Small Victories

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:01:11 PST

Keeping an operating budget in place can be a lot easier when you have something to show for it. Sometimes that requires strategy. IT managers can keep the cash flowing by setting themselves up for quick wins and small victories. "We've seen that when a customer is successful in breaking down a large project into a set of quick wins, there are some very positive outcomes from that," said HP's Duncan Campbell.

Facebook to Investors: You Like What You See?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:22:13 PST

In this episode: Hoping to raise $5 billion, Facebook takes the plunge and files with the SEC for an initial public offering; Samsung takes a beating in Europe as investigators decide whether it misused some of its key patent holdings; critics lash out at Twitter as it announces a new system for blocking tweets; Symantec zeros in on a new wave of Android malware; RIM's latest social media marketing schtick flops.

When Data Met Processing

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:52:18 PST

There's a fundamental change going on in how we approach the data that's coming from IT systems in order to get a better monitoring and analysis capability. "The data has to be analyzed in real-time," said AccelOps' Mahesh Kumar. "By 'real-time,' I mean in streaming mode before the data hits the disk."

Apple Does the Money Dance

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:12:08 PST

In this episode: Apple posts a record-setting quarter, thanks to its latest iPhone and holiday sales; RIM ousts its coCEOs and cochairmen, although their replacement does little to settle investors' nerves; developers from rival social networks take Google to task over Search Plus Your World; Google makes moves to consolidate the user data its services save; a U.S. federal judge rules disk encryption isn't protected by the Fifth Amendment.

Virtualization and the Always-On Education Environment

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:06:19 PST

Avon Community Schools in Avon, Ind., has been experimenting with bring-your-own-device and desktop virtualization, and it has recently embarked in a wider deployment for both this school year. �We�re finding that we can get applications out quicker with more quality control, as far as knowing exactly what�s going to happen inside of the VM when you run that application,� said Avon's Jason Lantz.

SOPA Shellacked, PIPA Plastered

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:17:15 PST

In this episode: SOPA and PIPA lose significant support in congress following a day of Internet protests that included site blackouts, information campaigns and millions of petitioners; Apple dips its toes into textbooks with new apps and tools; Jerry Yang exits Yahoo, giving up his seat on the board of the company he helped found; Netflix shareholders file a class-action suit accusing the company's executives of withholding information; hackers steal info on 24 million Zappos customers.

Limbering Up for a Data Center Makeover

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:25:03 PST

The pitfalls of data center transformation can be avoided by balancing long-term goals with short-term flexibility. Be ready to constantly evaluate based on metrics and to reassess execution plans as DCT projects unfold. Clinging too tightly to long-term plans and roadmaps could potentially cause you to lose sight of how actual progress is being made -- or not.

Google's Nettlesome Search Gambit

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:03:55 PST

In this episode: Google overhauls its search engine, but privacy and antitrust advocates don't like the results; Google takes another swipe at Google TV after last year's efforts fell flat; Eric Schmidt takes issue with the word "fragmentation" to describe Android; Intel gets set for a big drive into mobile; Razer warms up a tablet designed for PC gaming.

Virtualization Meets City Hall

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:10:10 PST

Virtualization is bringing new levels of service to the city of Fairfield, Calif. Important systems for the "police center and also our fire staffing system were high on the list for protecting," said Eudora Sindicic, a senior IT analyst for Fairfield. "Those are tier-one applications that we want to be able to recover very quickly. We thought the best way to do that was to virtualize them and set us up for future business continuity and true failover and disaster recovery.

Barnes & Noble's Nook: Life Preserver or Dead Weight?

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:11:01 PST

In this episode: Bookseller Barnes & Noble mulls whether to spin off its Nook tablet and e-reader line; a report on Google's intentions regarding a branded Android tablet raises questions about content and price; Yahoo ends a four-month-long search for a new CEO by hiring former PayPal boss Scott Thompson; plans may be in place to relieve RIM's two top executives of their cochairman positions; Google whips itself after it's discovered violating its own paid link regulations.

The Sky-High Expectations Surrounding Mobile Networks

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:18:17 PST

Users today want to be able to access more services using more devices. They want coordination across all the platforms they use, they want security and privacy, and they want the full support of their IT departments. It's all a very tall order, and networks will need to adjust rapidly or the latency and hassle of access and performance issues will get in the way of users, their new expectations, and their behaviors.

Verizon and Google Enter Holiday Party Late and Sulky

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:45:27 PST

In this episode: Verizon's Galaxy Nexus arrives in the U.S. at an odd moment in the holiday retail season; webOS is released from HP's dungeon and sent to freely roam the world of open source; Microsoft and Nokia pick the unassuming Lumia 710 as the first Nokia Windows Phone handset to arrive in the U.S.; AT&T's bid to acquire T-Mobile starts to cool off; the U.S. NTSB calls for a nationwide ban on using most personal gadgets -- including headsets -- while driving.

Strong Medicine for Complex IT Security Maladies

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:53:27 PST

The number of attacks on enterprise systems continues to climb, as does the cost of protecting them. The path to reducing risks, even as the threats escalate, is to confront security at the framework and strategic level, and to harness the point solutions approach into a managed and ongoing security enhancement lifecycle.

Twitter Rolls the Dice

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:34:56 PST

In this episode: Twitter takes a gamble on a major redesign that will give users more options but could strike some as overly complicated; RedBox reportedly teams up with Verizon to build Zoetrope, a video streaming and download service; RIM renames its upcoming OS "BlackBerry 10" after a setback in its fight for the name "BBX"; Google pulls Wallet functionality from the Verizon edition of the hotly anticipated Galaxy Nexus phone; websites of all varieties snap up .xxx domains the moment they go on sale.

How Enterprise App Stores Are Whipping Up Productivity, Read a full podcast transcript at http://briefingsdirect.blogspot.com, or download a copy at http://interarborsolutions.books.officelive.com/default.aspx. More podcasts at http://www.briefingsdirect.com. Sponsor: Embarcadero Technologies.

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:56:05 PST

As new devices like smartphones appear in users' hands, enterprise IT needs to find new techniques for application delivery. Enterprise app stores have proven to be an effective way to track, manage and distribute software. What are the steps businesses can now take to build and develop their own enterprise app store?

Tinkerer, Carrier, Rootkit, Spy

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:35:32 PST

In this episode: Software maker Carrier IQ becomes the focus of a privacy firestorm when a security researcher digs up a hidden application that could be recording the activities of millions of smartphones; AT&T pulls its merger proposal from FCC consideration, but that doesn't prevent the commission from publicly ripping it to pieces; unconfirmed reports suggest Facebook plans to go public in the second quarter of 2012; a settlement with the FTC makes future Facebook privacy changes opt-in; security gurus make an alarming discovery about printers.

The Politics of Taxing E-Commerce, Part 2

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:20:42 PST

The state of Indiana has become a focal point in the battle over e-commerce sales-tax collection. That's the home of retail property owner Simon, which has sued the state over what it calls an unconstitutional subsidy benefitting Amazon. "Indiana has its own unique situation, but I think it's reflective of what's gone on across the country," said statehouse reporter Maureen Hayden.

The Winds of Radical Application Transformation

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:25:01 PST

It's clear that radical, not incremental, adjustment is in order to make sure that the cloud and mobile era is a gained opportunity and not a fatal or devastating misfire for IT operators and business strategists. "We have to go through a radical transformation now in terms of our applications," said HP's Paul Evans. "I don't use these words lightly."

The Politics of Taxing E-Commerce, Part 1

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:54:28 PST

State taxes on out-of-state purchases has been a contentious issue for decades, and it's only been exacerbated in recent years by the rise of e-commerce. Various changes in law are happening, though, and they could both simplify and further entangle an already thorny situation.

Virtualization and Cloud Technologies: A Prescription for Healthcare

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:16:40 PST

CharterCare Health Partners has implemented a tag team of cloud technologies and virtualized desktops to give healthcare professionals access to the data they need when they need it, regardless of what device they happen to be using. The successful infrastructure modernization effort has also helped CharterCARE move to electronic health records.

Tempering the Supply Chain With Dynamic Discounting

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:36:53 PST

In a long-term slack economy, finding new business efficiencies is difficult. Strategies for tightening up the supply chain can go a long way. "Dynamic discounting is really a win-win," said Ariba's Drew Hofler. "There is value to both sides [of purchasing relationships], and it's not just one imposing their will on the other in order to make their company better at the expense of the other."