IT Executive news

• China tightens Internet control by blocking VPN services

  23-01-2015 23:00
  
  China is clamping down on unrestricted access to the Internet by blocking services that allow users to get around government censorship.Several foreign-based operators of virtual private network (VPN) services said Friday that access to their services in China had been disrupted as a result of the crackdown and users are facing a harder time getting to some foreign websites.Virtual private networks work by establishing an encrypted pipe between a computer or smartphone and a server in a forei
  
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• Obama, in India, Will Get Earful About the H-1B Visa

  23-01-2015 22:40
  
  In India, the H-1B visa is seen in an entirely different light than in the U.S. The visa is essential to free trade, and legislative moves by Congress to restrict it are called protectionist and a threat to India's IT industry.
  That's what President Barack Obama can expect to hear when he arrives Sunday in India for a three-day visit. White House officials, in a telephone briefing with reporters in advance of the visit, said top issues will be climate change, trade and regional security iss
  
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• All About QuickTricks, The Castro's Longtime Bridge Club - Hoodline

  23-01-2015 22:17
  
  Hoodline
  All About QuickTricks, The Castro's Longtime Bridge Club
  Hoodline
  Leuker, who was an IT executive, became so enthusiastic about the game that he changed careers and went on to be a professional player and teacher. He also founded the Center for Bridge Education, which has taught bridge to hundreds of San Francisco ...
  
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• State of the Union 2015: 5 Takeaways From the Most Tech Heavy Address in History

  23-01-2015 21:51
  
  The most tech heavy address in historyImage by REUTERS/Joshua RobertsMany of President Obama's proposals, which have languished in Congress for years but now garner wider support than ever given the consistent and high profile of breaches and cyber attacks, would impact the IT field. Here are the top five things to be on the lookout for in the year ahead.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Regulators push for open access to Africa's undersea cables

  23-01-2015 21:45
  
  Regulatory authorities in Southern Africa are pushing to open up access to undersea cables to all countries in the region in order to bring down the high cost of communications in the area.The Communication Regulatory Authorities of Southern Africa (Crasa) is spearheading the effort, aimed at giving all countries in the Southern African region equal access to the cables. Crasa’s legal and policy committee wants the region’s landlocked countries to have access to the region’s undersea ca
  
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• Microsoft Releases Big Update to Windows 10 Preview

  23-01-2015 21:35
  
  Microsoft today released the long-awaited consumer-centric preview of Windows 10, just two days after the company conducted a two-and-a-half-hour presentation that impressed analysts.
  "Hey #WindowsInsiders, who wants a new build today?" tweeted Gabriel Aul, the engineering general manager for Microsoft's operating system group, using a hash tag to describe the preview program's participants.
  On Wednesday, Microsoft said that the Windows 10 upgrade would appear in "the next week."
  Aul expand
  
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• New Framework Helps Companies Quantify Risk

  23-01-2015 21:00
  
  The World Economic Forum has released a new framework this week that helps companies calculate the risk of cyberattacks.
  The risk calculation has three components -- an assessment of a company's vulnerabilities and defenses, the potential cost of data breaches, and a profile of the attacker.
  Security experts praised the framework's holististic approach towards cyberrisk.
  “The framework's orientation towards probabilistic models of possible losses from attacks will keep businesses focused o
  
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• U.S. to Impose Big Tariffs on China and Taiwan for Dumping Solar Panels on Market

  23-01-2015 20:56
  
  The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to uphold earlier findings that Chinese and Taiwanese photovoltaic manufacturers have been saturating their market with low-cost photovoltaic (PV) panels.
  The ruling follows a similar one last month by the Department of Commerce (DOC), which also found the two nations were saturating the market with low-priced PVs and should be penalized. The ITC has the power to impose tariffs or outright ban the importation of goods to the U.S. that i
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Make Your 40-Year Career a Good One

  23-01-2015 20:51
  
  As I was writing my new book, PROMOTE!, I got to thinking about how much more I might have achieved in my corporate commercial real estate career had I recognized at the time that professionally I was at the mercy of my supervisors. To be candid, I did pretty well, but I now wonder what else I could have accomplished had I known the concepts and methods you will shortly be learning. Looking back, I know I missed opportunities by not being prepared to speak up on my own behalf.
  As a nationa
  
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• US spy program has financial, security impacts, says Snowden

  23-01-2015 20:45
  
  The U.S. National Security Agency needs to consider the repercussions of its spying on electronic communications and data, especially how that impacts U.S. economic interests, former NSA analyst Edward Snowden said today.“There’s a big question on if the potential intelligence we gain is worth the effort. They’re reducing the trust of the security in American products. This is critical in American industry. It has a real cost, not just moral but financially,” said Snowden, speaking Fr
  
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• A Doomsday Clock Reading Guide

  23-01-2015 20:41
  
  The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved its Doomsday Clock to three minutes to midnight, setting it two minutes forward. Its main reasons for the change: inaction on climate change and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
  The Doomsday Clock revision also includes the risks posed by hacking and artificial intelligence. It is the first time IT issues have been considered in the group's clock-setting deliberations, according Janice Sinclair, the Bulletin's spokesperson.
  The clock was estab
  
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• NFL Statement on New England Patriots Deflate-gate

  23-01-2015 20:34
  
  Pixabay
  
  No, the NFL's Deflate-gate controversy involving the New England Patriots' footballs during its AFC Championship win over the Indianapolis Colts has little to do with enterprise networking. But in case you haven't seen it, the league has finally issued a statement on the topic as the build-up to Super Bowl XLIX heightens.
  NFL STATEMENTTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Microsoft Doesn’t Know What It Has With HoloLens

  23-01-2015 20:23
  
  When Apple created the Apple II it clearly had no idea of the impact it would eventually have on the computing market. It was simply trying to create a better product for hobbyists. When Google fixed search by finding a way to monetize, it they had no idea of how big that would become, and it likely will be years before we fully understand the full impact of the Tesla car effort.I think the HoloLens that Microsoft showcased at the their latest Windows 10 preview has the potential to be just a
  
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• Generation Y Lead Digital Innovation but are Failed by Firms

  23-01-2015 20:18
  
  Millennials, or Generation Y, are one of the most entrepreneurial generations to join the workforce, according to research from consulting firm EY, with 68 percent of 25-34 year olds aspiring to run their own business.
  Based on a survey conducted by Censuswide of 1,000 business professionals, the research explored how entrepreneurial skills can be fostered in large companies. It revealed that many large businesses are failing to harness the entrepreneurial talents of their employees, with on
  
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• How TD Ameritrade's Chief Data Officer is Driving Change

  23-01-2015 20:17
  
  Derek Strauss, Chief Data Officer, TD AmeritradeTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• NASA Tests Robotic Helicopter that Would Act as Mars Scout

  23-01-2015 20:08
  
  The robotic rovers driving across the surface of Mars are limited by what their onboard cameras can see.
  If they could see further ahead, they might be able to travel three times as far in a single Martian day, enabling them to better find sites to explore and gather more information, faster, than they can today.
  To speed up the rovers’ work, NASA is considering sending a robotic helicopter to Mars that could act as a scout for their explorations.
  “So why would we want to put a helicopte
  
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• Sony delays earnings report in wake of hack attack

  23-01-2015 20:00
  
  Sony has requested approval to delay its third-quarter earnings report, citing damage to network systems in its Sony Pictures Entertainment division caused by the cyberattack it sustained late last year.The November attack, which the FBI has http://www.techworld.com/news/security/fbi-blames-north-korea-for-sony-hack-citing-malware-evidence-3591744/”>concluded was conducted by North Korea in order to protest release of the comedy film “The Interview,” has resulted in new U.S. economic
  
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• Microsoft's Windows 10 Build 9926 with Cortana is Live Now

  23-01-2015 19:44
  
  Microsoft confirmed Friday that it has published Build 9926 of its Windows 10 preview, allowing the world to sample what analysts and journalists previewed on Wednesday.
  Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul confirmed the new build was available in a blog post on Friday, while warning that not everything Microsoft talked about earlier this week would be available.
  “Some of the new features that Joe demoed on Wednesday will be available for our Windows Insiders starting today with our newest build �
  
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• Microsoft to acquire R language powerhouse Revolution Analytics

  23-01-2015 19:15
  
  In a move to beef up its portfolio of analysis software and services, Microsoft is acquiring Revolution Analytics, a major commercial distributor of the R statistical programming language.R is one of the most widely used programming languages specifically designed for statistical computing and predictive analytics, alongside SAS, MatLab, Mathematica and a number of Python libraries. Microsoft will use the software to offer cloud services and on premise applications for its customers to undert
  
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• Linus Torvalds Diversity Gaffe Brings Out the Best (and Worst) of the Open Source World

  23-01-2015 19:11
  
  It all started at the Linux.conf.au Conference, when Nebula developer (and former colleague) Matthew Garrett kicked off a post-keynote Q&A session with Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds by asking about his often-abrasive, super-aggressive tone on official mailing lists. 
  "I'm not a nice person, and I don't care about you. I care about the technology and the kernel—that's what's important to me," went his response (in part), per the Ars Technica report. He also dismissed talk of div
  
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• No Worries! Asteroid to Safely Pass Earth on Monday

  23-01-2015 18:56
  
  An asteroid that will zoom past Earth on Monday poses no threat, but will be in a good position for scientists to study, NASA said.
  The asteroid, dubbed 2004 BL86, will fly too far away to affect the Earth, the International Space Station or any orbiting satellites, according to the space agency.
  At its nearest, the asteroid will be about 745,000 miles away from Earth, or about three times the distance from Earth to the moon.
  "Monday, Jan. 26 will be the closest asteroid 2004 BL86 will get
  
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• Tim Cook's 2014 Pay Package Dwarfed by New Hire Ahrendts'

  23-01-2015 18:48
  
  Apple CEO Tim Cook's total 2014 compensation of $9.2 million, while more than double his pay package the year before, was dwarfed by the $73.4 million awarded to one of his subordinates, retail chief Angela Ahrendts, regulatory filings revealed yesterday.
  In a preliminary proxy statement filed Thursday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Apple spelled out Cook's compensation for the period ending Sept. 27, as well as that for four other current executives: Ahrendts; Eddie
  
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• Smartphones, Tablets & eBay Send SkyMall to Chapter 11

  23-01-2015 18:36
  
  SkyMall
  
  SkyMall, the quirky airline catalog, looks as though it may be grounded before long. Parent company Xhibit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and seeks to sell its assets.
  In an SEC filing, Xhibit explains that it has fallen victim to an "intensely competitive" direct marketing retail industry that now includes the likes of eBay and Amazon.com. The low entry cost of getting into online sales has doomed the business model that's sustained SkyMall for 25 years, according t
  
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• BlackBerry CEO's Desperate Comments Spotlight Severity of 'App Gap'

  23-01-2015 17:05
  
  Earlier this week, BlackBerry's typically tight-lipped CEO, John Chen, penned a lengthy letter, published on the company's Inside BlackBerry blog. Chen was writing in response to the FCC's "recently announced support for reclassifying both wireline and wireless broadband as Title II services."Chen broke his letter into three sections: Net neutrality, carrier neutrality, and content and application neutrality. He makes some valid points in the first two sections — even though they offer not-
  
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• Microsoft Reneges on Windows 10 Upgrades for All Current Lumia Phones

  23-01-2015 16:26
  
  Despite an earlier commitment to upgrade all Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices to Windows 10, Microsoft now says some phones will be left behind.
  “Like any upgrade to a new platform, not every phone will upgrade or support all possible Windows 10 features, and certain features and experiences will require more advanced future hardware,” Microsoft wrote on its Lumia Conversations blog. “Our goal is for the majority of the Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 to join the Windows eco
  
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• Winklevoss twins plan regulated Bitcoin exchange

  23-01-2015 16:25
  
  The most famous twins in social media and cryptocurrency want to launch a regulated Bitcoin exchange—named Gemini, of course.Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss want their “next-generation exchange,” to be based in New York, to be fully regulated and in compliance with financial laws, a stance that goes against the anonymous, anti-establishment philosophy under which Bitcoin was born six years ago.As major investors in Bitcoin, the brothers see the exchange as a way to secure the digital curre
  
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• Verizon Won't Follow T-Mobile and AT&T with Rollover Data

  23-01-2015 16:20
  
  Verizon would rather stash some cash for itself than let you hold on to unused data. The company does not plan to follow decisions by T-Mobile and AT&T to allow subscribers to rollover their unused data. The confirmation comes from Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo, who said that kind of deal just doesn't make financial sense for Verizon. Shammo also said Verizon would be willing to lose customers over it, according to CNET.
  The story behind the story: In recent months, mobil
  
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• Versterkte focus op IT-services bij Konica Minolta

  23-01-2015 15:43
  Konica Minolta gaat zijn kennis op het gebied van enterprise content management (ECM) en capture onder de paraplu brengen van zijn managed content services (MCS). Dit sluit aan bij de algemene strategie van het bedrijf om zijn IT-serviceactiviteiten uit te breiden.
  
  Bedrijven zien de hoeveelheid data voortdurend... lees meer
  
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• Helft IT-beslissers ziet uitdaging in snel voldoen aan business-behoeftes

  23-01-2015 15:43
  Van de Nederlandse IT-beslissers ziet 50% het snel inspelen op de behoeftes van de business als grootste uitdaging van de IT-organisatie. Ver daarachter volgen het realiseren van nieuwe producten en services (17%) en het garanderen van de bestaande dienstverlening (11%). Een enquête van Telindus, leverancier op... lees meer
  
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• Hans Wanders wordt CIO Rijk bij BZK

  23-01-2015 15:43
  Hans Wanders wordt per 1 maart 2015 de nieuwe CIO Rijk bij het ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties. Als CIO Rijk bekleedt Wanders eveneens de functie van directeur Informatiseringsbeleid bij het directoraat-generaal Organisatie en Bedrijfsvoering Rijk. Dat valt onder de verantwoordelijkheid van... lees meer
  
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• European Space Agency bouwt private cloud-platform

  23-01-2015 15:43
  De Europese ruimtevaartorganisatie ESA heeft een on-premise, private cloud-infrastructuur gebouwd, ESA Cloud genaamd, die gedeeltelijk is gebaseerd op Red Hat Enterprise Linux en beheerd door Orange Business Services. De gebruikersgemeenschap van de ruimtevaartorganisatie kan hierdoor profiteren van geavanceerde... lees meer
  
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• Cloud provider IS Group neemt RDC Xtended over

  23-01-2015 15:43
  De Nederlandse IS (internedservices) Group, aanbieder in cloud computing en IT services, neemt desktop- en applicatie-provider RDC Xtended over – een dochteronderneming van RDC Group. Dit bedrijf biedt een volwaardig portfolio van werkplek- en business applicaties uit de cloud.
  
  Met de acquisitie versterkt IS... lees meer
  
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• Beleid justitie remt aanpak cybercrime, zegt DINL

  23-01-2015 15:43
  Een aantal invloedrijke Nederlandse organisaties in de internetsector maken zich zorgen over de praktische invulling van het beleid van het ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie bij de aanpak van cybercrime. Die werkt contraproductief, zeggen ze, en schaadt bovendien het vertrouwen van de burger in de online... lees meer
  
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• Google's Project Zero Publishes Three OS X Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

  23-01-2015 15:27
  
  Google's not just picking on Windows. The search company's Project Zero initiative recently published three unpatched bugs in OS X, 90 days after the group privately disclosed the issues to Apple. The new publications bring the number of unfixed security vulnerabilities in OS X discovered by Google to six, according to the Project Zero database.
  The new bugs don't appear to be all that severe and require an attacker to already have access to a vulnerable machine, as first reported by Ars Te
  
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• Thousands of U.S. gas stations exposed to Internet attacks

  23-01-2015 15:20
  
  Over 5,000 devices used by gas stations in the U.S. to monitor their fuel tank levels can be manipulated from the Internet by malicious attackers.These devices, known as automated tank gauges (ATGs), are also used to trigger alarms in case of problems with the tanks, such as fuel spills.“An attacker with access to the serial port interface of an ATG may be able to shut down the station by spoofing the reported fuel level, generating false alarms, and locking the monitoring service out of th
  
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• Federal IT Leaders Want Cloud Vendors to Provide Clarity

  23-01-2015 15:16
  
  WASHINGTON -- If you're a cloud service provider, the federal government wants to hear from you.
  [ Related: Federal IT Leaders Look for Trust, Transparency in Cloud Vendors ]
  Federal agencies are actively shopping for new cloud computing technologies, but vendors will help their cause by packaging their services to be more readily implemented in a government environment that is highly security conscious and almost preternaturally cautious about rolling out new IT systems.To read this article
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: It’s not the technology…stupid

  23-01-2015 14:53
  
  As we began the New Year, industry prognosticators and research firms published their lists of major technology predictions and trends that could have a major impact on organizations in 2015.  We continued to hear about the growing impact of “big data”, the “Internet of things”, cloud computing, and the increasing impact of emerging technologies such as 3D printing, wearables and smart machines. My research and discussions with dozens of CIOs and line of business executives over the
  
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• 5 Things to Do Immediately After Your Email Gets Hacked

  23-01-2015 14:49
  
  "Hey you! Your mail has been hacked, and you're sending spam to all your friends."You have very likely received an email similar to this one from a friend of colleague at some point. Or you will receive one. Email accounts get hacked very often, but lots of us have no idea what to do when an evil bot takes over and starts spewing spam (maybe even malware) across cyberspace. In most cases, recovering from this sort of attack is not terribly difficult. Here are eight things you should do as soo
  
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• BrandPost: You’re Not Ready For Disaster Recovery, Despite What You May Think

  23-01-2015 14:31
  
  You’ve covered all the milestones, including:
  Performing a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to determine the recovery times you’ll need for your applications.
  Tiering your applications and documenting their interdependencies so you know which order your servers should be restored in.
  Putting your recovery infrastructure in a geographically-diverse data center.
  Created a comprehensive recovery playbook and tested each and every step.
  
  Bring on the storms … the floods … the power outages
  
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• Dutch authorities fine Uber €10,000 a pop

  23-01-2015 14:15
  
  Dutch authorities have started fining ride-hailing service Uber Technologies €10,000 (about US$11,200) every time they catch a driver using the UberPop service, which is banned in the Netherlands.The ban on UberPop, a service that lets people hail a ride from private drivers in their own cars for a fee, was upheld by a Dutch court in December because the service competes unfairly with strictly regulated taxi services.The court imposed a €10,000 fine on Uber for every time one of its UberP
  
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• The Upload: Your tech news briefing for Friday, January 23

  23-01-2015 13:40
  
  Box debuts on NYSE FridayShares in cloud storage provider Box start trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday; its IPO has been priced at $14 per share, topping the expected $12-$13 share, Reuters reports, and valuing the company at about $1.67 billion. Analysts are waiting to see if Box can continue to grow its customer base in a competitive space, and increase revenue per seat.Snowden will make an appearance at HarvardTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Microsoft Touts Two Next-Gen Office Editions for Windows

  23-01-2015 13:33
  
  Microsoft this week set a loose release date for its next iteration of Office on the desktop and announced that the long-awaited touch-enabled Windows apps will launch around the same time.
  The touch-enabled apps will go out as a preview in February when Microsoft debuts Windows 10 for smartphones.
  Office 2016, the moniker chosen for the next edition of the classic desktop suite, will launch in "the second half of 2015," said Julie White, who heads Microsoft's Office product management, in a
  
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• The Internet of Robotic Things: Secure, Harmless Helpers or Vulnerable, Vicious Foes?

  23-01-2015 13:32
  
  Experts say robots will be commonplace in 10 years. “Many respondents see advances in [artificial intelligence] and robotics pervading nearly every aspect of daily life by the year 2025—from distant manufacturing processes to the most mundane household activities,” says Aaron Smith, senior researcher, The Pew Research Center's Internet Project, speaking of the several experts quoted in his “Predictions for the State of AI and Robotics in 2025”.
  People are increasingly connecting t
  
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• Microsoft Touts $7-Per-User Monthly Pricing for Windows Subscription Packages

  23-01-2015 13:01
  
  Ask any IT administrator about Microsoft's licensing setup and they'll hurl up a string of four-letter words that would incur an FCC fine if delivered on television. In a world where everyone wants to use everything -- especially Microsoft Office -- on tablets, phones, and oh yeah, computers, Microsoft's customary one-license-per-device model means death by a thousand cuts for most enterprises. 
  That's why it was a big deal in December when Microsoft rolled out the Enterprise Cloud Suite (E
  
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• IT Shops Grapple with New Healthcare Codes for Hurled Turtles, Fiery Water Skis

  23-01-2015 12:00
  
  While much of the media's focus of late has been on electronic medical records (EMRs), what is proving to be a more daunting task is a new medical coding system affecting healthcare provider and insurance backend systems.
  ICD-10, which represents the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), will be used for classifying diagnoses and medical procedures.
  The codes will dictate how the more than $2.8 trillion that Americans spend each year on medical care is paid out.
  
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• Myrna M Soto, Senior Vice President of Comcast Corp, and Deborah H Butler ... - IT Business Net

  23-01-2015 11:24
  Myrna M Soto, Senior Vice President of Comcast Corp, and Deborah H Butler ...
  IT Business Net
  Soto serves as an executive committee board member of HITEC (Hispanic IT Executive Council) and as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council and its CyberSecurity working ...
  
  and more »
  
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• China denies involvement in Outlook.com attack

  23-01-2015 10:50
  
  The Chinese government has denied any involvement in a recent cyber attack against Microsoft’s Outlook.com, and it even went as far to accuse a watchdog group of slander for suggesting that the country could be behind it.“The Chinese government is a staunch defender of the Internet’s security, and resolutely opposes any form of cyber attack,” the Cyberspace Administration of China said on Thursday.On Saturday, Microsoft’s email service faced a brief “man-in-the-middle” style att
  
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• Uber applies for license in Delhi under new conditions

  23-01-2015 09:00
  
  Banned from Delhi in December after the alleged rape of a woman passenger by one of its drivers, Uber has applied for a license under the city’s revised Radio Taxi Scheme that places tighter controls on taxi operators.“Our driver-partners’ livelihoods had been severely impacted, and our riders were left without the platform they had come to rely upon for their daily needs,” Uber said in a blog post Thursday that announced that it had applied for the license that would require the ride
  
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• Hutchison Whampoa in talks to acquire O2 in the UK in over $15B deal

  23-01-2015 07:35
  
  Hutchison Whampoa is in negotiations to acquire O2, a mobile operator in the U.K., leading to significant consolidation in the country’s mobile services market.The Hong Kong company, which already owns operator Three UK, said Friday it had entered into exclusive negotiations with O2’s parent Telefónica, for the potential acquisition for an indicative price in cash of £9.25 billion (US$14 billion) which would be paid at closing.Hutchison will also make a further payment of up to £1 bill
  
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• 'Star' attractions abound in state election candidates list - Courier Mail

  23-01-2015 06:23
  Courier Mail
  'Star' attractions abound in state election candidates list
  Courier Mail
  And former PUP member Thor Prohaska – who looks more IT executive than the hulking God made famous by Aussie movie star Chris Hemsworth – will run as an independent for Pine Rivers on January 31. We last saw computer software specialist Prohaska ...
  
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