Year in review: September 2011

brian bloom

13 years ago

A judge overturns a $ 1.3 billion award given to Oracle Corp. for SAP Inc.’s illegal downloads of software and support material. The court agreed with SAP that a lower amount of $272 million was more appropriate in the circumstances, in which “hypothetical costs” had to be taken into account.

Yahoo Inc.’s CEO is fired and the top job given to an interim replacement, the company’s former CFO. The beleaguered internet giant had been losing ground since it partnered with Microsoft Corp. in 2009.

Microsoft Corp. releases a new version of Dynamics AX with a focus on usability. The software company says the new Dynamics 2010 ERP will offer 30 “role-based” UIs tailored to specific needs of personnel using the system.

Intel Corp. offers sneak peek at an upcoming Android tablet with new, low-power Atom chip. The hardware manufacturer says the new chip, codenamed Medfield, will give it a competitive edge in the smartphone and tablet market by reducing power consumption.

Microsoft Corp. releases a developer preview of Windows Server 8. Microsoft bills the new version as the “ultimate cloud OS” and says the update will help it continue to make the transition to a cloud services company.

Bell Mobility becomes the first Canadian carrier to offer LTE wireless service in Toronto, beating out rival Rogers Communications Ltd. Bell also announced LTE wireless data service in four other Canadian cities: Mississauga, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph.

Later in the month Rogers launches its LTE network in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The company says 5.5 million Canadians now have access to 4G wireless services.

South of the border, AT&T announces the launch of its LTE system in five U.S. cities, almost a year after competitor Verizon Wireless did so. The company will offer a plan with more data than Canadian counterparts Bell Mobility and Rogers Communications Ltd.

Research in Motion Ltd. disappoints investors in its second quarter, prompting company stock to fall more than 20 per cent on the TSX and a similar amount on the NASDAQ. RIM announces that its earnings have dropped by 58 per cent, while tablet shipments have dropped tremendously since its first quarter.

Broadcom Corp. buys NetLogic Microsystems for US $3.7 billion, aiming at expanding its line of communications processors. Analysts say the deal will help Broadcom improve its network profile and develop more “intelligent” chips with a range of applications.

Reeling from a deficit in smartphone sales, Nokia Corp. lays off 3,500 employees around the world, closing its operations in Bonn, Germany and Malvern, U.S. The announcement follows a company restructuring after it decided to focus efforts on the Microsoft Windows Phone operating system.

The federal government revamps a controversial copyright law, but wants to introduce new digital locks legislation. The new Copyright Modernization Act would make it illegal for Canadians to break copy protection on software and media they buy.

Another major IT firm makes the jump to cloud computing. Fujitsu gives up its legacy CRM system and replaces it with Salesforce.com. Fujitusu says the move towards using Software as a Service (SaaS) is the “right choice” for the company.