SSL Acceleration hardware market grows
SSL acceleration hardware revenues worldwide grew 50 per cent in the first half of 2001 and forecasts show 2002 could see even more growth, according to Infonetics Research. Revenues totalled US$34.5 million in the first half of this year and next year’s expectations exceed US$51 million. The service tracks and forecasts server peripheral cards, dedicated SSL devices and multi-purpose appliances with hardware-based SSL capabilities. Among the companies tracked in this research were Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Nortel Networks. For details visit www.infonetics.com.
Companies join to develop network identity solutions
American Airlines, Band of America, Bell, Cisco Systems and eBay are among a group of companies that recently joined to create Liberty Alliance Project and to represent a broad spectrum of industries hoping to enable ubiquitous single sign-ons, decentralized authentication and open authorization from any device connected to the Internet.
The Liberty Alliance Project plans to begin immediately in setting out a roadmap to address business practices, privacy, consumer adoption and technology evolution. For more information visit www.projectliberty.org.
Canuck schools receive Intel/HP systems
Hewlett-Packard Company and Intel Corp. have donated HP servers and workstations based on the Intel Itanium processor to 40 universities worldwide as part of a new, US$2.5 million grant program. The Itanium-Based Systems Grant Program invited universities throughout the world to propose how they would deploy the Itanium-based systems to strengthen their research. The universities will use the systems for research in subjects like bio-informatics, neural networks, computational science and scientific data mining. HP and Intel awarded grants to four Canadian universities: University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, McGill University and University of Guelph.
Cisco goes into Orbit
In an effort to extend its Canada-wide VoIP network into the U.S. market, Orbit Canada and Cisco Systems Canada announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate Orbit’s pursuit of innovative voice and data solutions based on Cisco’s technology and Orbit’s proprietary software and equipment. With the non-binding agreement, Orbit says it plans to add its service offerings by developing enhanced, next-generation IP services, including videoconferencing, VPNs and multi-protocol label switching VPNs.
All the BlackBerry that’s fit to print
BlackBerry users can anticipate the power of printing in the near future thanks to a recent venture by Mississauga, Ont.-based Hewlett-Packard Canada Ltd. and Waterloo, Ont.-based Research in Motion (RIM). In a recent announcement, the two companies said they plan to jointly develop mobile printing applications for RIM’s BlackBerry wireless e-mail solution and HP printers. Called the HP Mobile Enterprise Printing application, it will allow customers using BlackBerry wireless handhelds to print e-mails and e-mail attachments on network printers located within their intranets while they are away from their desk or office. The HP Mobile Enterprise Printing application is expected to ship in early 2002.
PowerLOC tracks its way to Canada
Last month, Toronto-based Microcell Connexions Inc. and PowerLOC Technologies announced an agreement in which PowerLOC will deploy its L-Biz GPS wireless satellite position and tracking solutions in Canada using Microcell Connexions’ Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network. Under the agreement, PowerLOC will offer its first generation VLD 104 GSM-based vehicle location devices in Canada based on wireless connectivity of Microcell’s GPRS network with roaming capabilities into the United States. The GPS-enabled VLD 104 mobile devices will offer a cost-effective way to track, locate and communicate with vehicles using Microcell’s short messaging service (SMS), the companies said.