Adding higher calibre bullets to its server gun pointed at Sun Microsystems Inc., IBM Corp. has announced it is bringing its high-end AIX clustering software, referred to as Blue Hammer, over to work under Linux.
Backing up that announcement, IBM also said that its Beaverton, Ore.-based Linux laboratories plan to piece together customized Intel-based Linux clustering solutions for targeted markets, including ISPs/ASPs and the life sciences. The company hopes to start delivering such solutions sometime this summer.
Lion worm targets Linux
Security experts associated with the SANS Institute have discovered a dangerous computer worm dubbed “Lion” that spreads through Linux computers.
The worm is capable of scanning the Internet to look for Linux computers with the known vulnerability in the BIND Domain Name Server. After the worm has infected a machine and installed itself, it steals password files and transmits them to the China.com Web site. It also installs other hacking tools, making the machine available for further compromise. Allan Paller, director of the institute, cautions that although the China.com appears to be receiving stolen passwords, the possibility exists that China.com has been compromised by someone.
CRM to take off
The North American market for customer relationship management (CRM) software is expected to grow from US$3.9 billion last year to US$11.9 billion in 2005, according to a recent study by Datamonitor PLC, a London-based business information firm.
The market for CRM application service providers is expected to grow 128 per cent in the next five years, climbing to US$431 million, the study found.
