Microsoft on Monday released a near-final version of its Windows Computer Cluster Server 2003–a version of its operating system tailored to allow powerful clusters of Windows-based machines to perform high-performance computing tasks.

Source: News.com

Telephone operator AT&T Inc. said on Monday it would offer new satellite-based fast Internet services in U.S. rural markets and expand its investment in emerging WiMax wireless connections.

“We are beginning to offer satellite-based broadband service in areas where our DSL service is not available today, giving more consumers a broadband choice,” AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Ed Whitacre said in a speech at the Detroit Economic club.

AT&T is partnering with satellite-based high-speed Internet provider WildBlue to provide the service.

Source: Reuters

Symantec has admitted it’s falling down on customer support for its e-mail archiving product.

The security services provider has been experiencing difficulties in support for Enterprise Vault, a data management product picked up in its acquisition of Veritas Software, CEO John Thompson told attendees at the company’s annual Vision customer conference here on Monday.

“We have struggled to ramp resources in support of the enterprise archiving product,” Thompson said, responding to a question from a disgruntled customer. “It’s not anything to do with funding issues, but finding the necessary skills in our support centers.”

Source: News.com

CyberAngel Security Solutions, Inc. (CSS, Inc.), a leader in computer Data Protection and Tracking & Recovery, is making headlines in Minnesota. On October 12th, a representative of Douglas County Hospital called and reported one of their laptop computers was missing. They use The CyberAngel Security Software on their laptops to provide Real-Time Data Protection and Recovery in the event of loss or theft.

On Monday, April 24th, that computer covertly contacted The CyberAngel Security Monitoring Center, reporting its location. CSS, Inc. immediately alerted local law enforcement authorities and provided them with the location information to be able to secure a search warrant. The Starbuck MN Police responded quickly, and had the victim’s computer in their hands within a few days.

Thanks to CyberAngel Security Solutions, we were able to retrieve approximately $7,000 worth of computer equipment,” said William Flaig, Administrator, Douglas County Hospital. “We were very impressed with the way that this technology helped us retrieve this valuable equipment so quickly.”

Verizon Communications warned the financial services industry may not get the secure networks it needs if Congress adopts laws governing high-speed Internet broadband networks, according to a company memo obtained by Reuters on Monday.

The financial services industry is weighing whether to wade into a fight over legislation on broadband service, known as “Net neutrality.” It fears that without safeguards on pricing for network access, the costs to financial institutions could rise.

Source: Reuters

Microsoft confirmed Friday that it plans to debut a new Windows Live service in the coming months that would allow users to ask questions and receive responses from fellow users. Additionally, the answers to these questions would be searchable.

Called Windows Live QnA, the service will allow for users to vote for the best answers and respondents, which would help users decide which answers are likely the most reputable and who has consistently provided high-quality answers.

Source: BetaNews

Yahoo Inc. is set to introduce on Monday a long-delayed upgrade to its Web search advertising system, setting the stage for a face off with Web search leader Google Inc. later this year.

The diversified Internet media company is looking to encourage both new and existing corporate advertisers to start working with its rebuilt search marketing system in preparation for full introduction during the third quarter of 2006.

Source: Reuters

“Only the paranoid survive,” eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman told analysts attending a presentation at the online auctioneer’s San Jose headquarters Thursday.

Whitman acknowledged the threat from Google’s growing online database of products, known as Google Base, and from the Mountain View company’s test of a payment service it calls the Google account. However, Whitman said eBay was competing from a position of strength.

Source: siliconvalley.com

U.S. newspaper circulation fell 2.6 percent as of the end of March, according to data released on Monday, the latest evidence that readers are defecting to the Internet and other media outlets.

Still, the online newspaper audience is rising, the Newspaper Association said. Newspaper Web sites averaged about 56 million readers, or 37 percent of all online users, during the first quarter of 2006, according to research firm Nielsen//NetRatings. That is an 8 percent increase over the same period a year ago, the association said.

Source: Reuters

Silicon Graphics announced Monday it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as the company seeks to reorganize and re-emerge from its financial woes.

SGI, a former high-flying server and workstation maker for Hollywood and the graphics industry, said it reached a voluntary agreement with its debt holders to simplify its capital arrangements and cut its debt by about $250 million under the reorganization plan.

Source: News.com

Recognizing a role for its big-iron boxes in contemporary SOA environments, IBM on Monday is unveiling tools and initiatives intended to give its mainframe more prominence in SOA.

The effort aims to help users handle the proliferation of business processes and applications that the company says is turning its System z mainframe into a global hub of Internet-based computing. The company expects the SOA trend to prompt a doubling of the number of transactions on mainframes before 2010.

Source: InfoWorld

Expedia Corporate Travel today announced its enhanced flight search platform enabling business travelers to search for flights with more targeted and detailed search criteria. Built on Expedia’s flight search technology, this new platform offers additional search feature tools to help business travelers find the precise combination of time, price and airline preference to fit within their specific parameters and company policy.

The new Expedia Corporate Travel flight tools that help keep business travelers on schedule and within budget include:

• Search tools targeting connection city, preferred number of connections, airlines within a frequent flier alliance and multiple traveler-preferred airlines all help travelers quickly zero in on the perfect flight
• Interactive tools, such as a graphical time slider enabling travelers to adjust flight departure times, let business travelers make adjustments to their search and see the resulting schedule and price changes in real-time
• Concise time windows that display relevant flights within two hours of a traveler’s desired flight time
• Traveler-friendly receipts for all online transactions can be accessed by both business travelers and corporate travel managers for on-demand, detailed documentation of recent trip activity

In addition to these powerful new features, intelligent policy support ensures that company policy is incorporated into travelers’ searches. This ensures consistent adherence to preferred vendor and cost policies, helping the traveler find the best flight for both their needs and the companies’ needs.