Bell Mobility says now it’s personal
Bell Mobility and MobileQ hope to take wireless portal creation and management to the next level with MyScape 2.0, the latest version of MobileQ’s technology. This recent release of the company’s wireless portal creation software offers customizable settings and interfaces peculiar to each employee user group, be it human resources, research and development or sales. MyScape 2.0 gives employees access to corporate e-mail, directories and customer relationship management info among other things. This new version lets users control portal settings, while administrators have access to a new security model to better control content. Based on MobileQ’s XMLEdge platform, the product also provides drag-and-drop editing features for IT administrators.
My own private IBM
IBM has teamed up with the likes of the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission to develop privacy and data-protection technology. In what the company called the Privacy Institute and an accompanying Privacy Management Council, IBM proposes to create “privacy-enabling and data protection technologies for companies,” such as distribution protocols for clients and control functions for end users. The institute purports to be a “lab-to-marketplace” initiative, which works in conjunction with the Privacy Management Council – a collection of mandarins and executives in finance, healthcare and government among with other sectors. The institute will also look to an international external privacy board for guidance. IBM said it’s high time someone takes a serious look at privacy concerns held by enterprises and users alike. The institute plans to turn all of this advice into software through its Tivoli subsidiary.
Cisco connects the dots in wireless security
In an attempt to shore up security flaws inherent in 802.11b technology, Cisco Systems Inc. said this month that it has expanded protective features and improved ease-of-use in its Aironet 350 wireless LAN products. With enhancements designed to guard against passive attacks, maliciously altered data packets and other unwanted intrusions, Cisco said customers can deploy wireless networks with less fear of compromised security. As well, the company offers a set of blueprints designed to show network managers how to keep their charges free of intruders. These “safe” security diagrams for wireless networks suggest security options for remote, small, medium and enterprise networks. Cisco will make the blueprints available in December at http://www.cisco.com/go/safe. The security improvements for the Aironet Access Point with software version 11.10 and the Client Adapter with software version 8.0 will be available for free at the Cisco Software Center at http://www.cisco.com.
HP to say goodbye to e3000 server line
Hewlett-Packard Co. plans to phase out its e3000 server and is advising users to switch to alternate platforms. The phase-out is a long-term plan, as the e3000 will ship until late 2003, HP announced Wednesday. The company will continue to provide service and support for another five years. HP blamed poor sales and less interest from third-party developers for the phase-out of the platform, but observers also add to that list the fact that HP is committed to moving all of its systems over to the Itanium processor and industry-standard technologies over the next few years. The e3000 runs HP’s proprietary MPE/iX operating system, a version of its Multi Programming Executive (MPE) that supports Posix-compatible applications. HP is officially saying that its decision to jettison the e3000 has nothing to do with its planned merger with Compaq Computer Corp., but shortly after the merger announcement was made in September, analysts predicted the demise of the platform.
Handspring springs into enterprise
Device maker Handspring Inc. is trying to spring into the enterprise market. This month, the company unveiled efforts to enlist vendors of handheld and wireless software to adapt to the company’s Visor PDA and recently released Treo Communicator. Handspring licenses the PalmOS to run in its devices. The partners will work with Handspring to set up joint marketing efforts and ensure that their products work together to solve a specific customer problem.
