Todd R. Weiss

Just as it was preparing for the busy Valentine's Day holiday, flower retailer FTD Inc.'s Web site had a security flaw that allowed some online customers to view information about other customers as they ordered on the FTD.com Web site.

The first Linux- and Java-equipped cell phone and personal digital assistant (PDA) from Motorola Inc. will be released later this year, ushering in a new generation of phones based on the open-source operating system.

Like a 1960s hippie who now wears a conservative business suit and works for a big investment firm, Linux has matured from a cult-embraced operating system to a real-world, cost-saving option for business.

The widespread use of Linux on the desktop hasn't caught on so far. But don't count it out quite yet: A new group, the Linux Desktop Consortium, is being formed by a growing number of Linux and application vendors to promote the use of the open-source operating system on corporate and home desktops.

In the past 18 months, the vision of Linux on enterprise desktops has gained ground as full-featured office productivity software has become a reality and welcome improvements have been made to the Linux kernel and to installation and administration tasks.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is stepping up its campaign urging businesses to adopt free software that allows IT departments to turn on built-in energy-saving features in desktop systems across an enterprise.

Trust services vendor VeriSign Inc. last week unveiled a new online identity verification service that allows Web customers to positively establish their identities with online merchants.

Fresh from a financial restructuring last month, outsourcing vendor Electronic Data Systems Corp. is now pursuing a five-year, US$100 million plan to grow its business by standardizing its global call centres and support centres.