IT Executive news

• How a telecom investment in North Korea went horribly wrong

  17-11-2015 23:38
  
  An Egyptian company that launched North Korea's first 3G cellular network and attracted as many as 3 million subscribers has revealed that it lost control of the operator despite owning a majority stake.The plight of Orascom Telecom and Media Technology in North Korea takes place against a backdrop of rapid telecom modernization and a public eager to adopt a new technology. It's ultimately a lesson in the perils of getting into bed with a government that's not known for respecting inte
  
  Read more

• BrandPost: Reporting Matters

  17-11-2015 23:19
  
  Unfortunately, reporting is often the last thing that software developers think about when creating their solutions. In most instances, the development effort focuses on addressing a known industry problem, and reports are added in at the last stage because people expect the capabilities. While any reporting capability is a step in the right direction, the problem with this methodology is that it bogs down the user’s ability to translate insights into action.Don’t Just Regurgitate Da
  
  Read more

• Server vendors tap ARM chips to give users alternative to Intel

  17-11-2015 22:15
  
  For a while it was hard to get your hands on an ARM server, but that may not be the case soon.Five computer makers have announced servers with ARM processors that will challenge x86 systems in the mainstream market. The systems are largely for Internet and cloud workloads and have the 48-core Cavium ThunderX chip, which is based on 64-bit ARM architecture.The servers from Gigabyte, Inventec, Wistron, Penguin Computing and E4 Computer Engineering are based on designs commonly used in x86 servers,
  
  Read more

• Microsoft debuts controls that postpone Windows 10 feature upgrades up to a year

  17-11-2015 22:03
  
  Microsoft last week fulfilled a promise made in May to give businesses the tools to delay Windows 10 feature upgrades for up to a year after consumers begin running the operating system's latest changes.
  New options for controlling the arrival of Windows 10 upgrades arrived within Windows 10 version 1511, the refresh that began rolling out Nov. 12. The settings are available to individuals, businesses and organizations running Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education that
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Plexxi updates private cloud portfolio

  17-11-2015 20:15
  
  SDN start-up Plexxi this week unveiled products designed to ease the construction of private clouds.
  The company rolled out a new Ethernet switch, based on Broadcom’s latest Tomahawk silicon, and a software suite that includes an SDN controller, and automation and orchestration tools to enable companies to build private clouds that emulate the ease of use of public clouds. Target markets for the new products are content distribution, high frequency trading, enterprise and government.To re
  
  Read more

• Best Black Friday 2015 deals on Android tablets, phones and more

  17-11-2015 20:12
  
  Black Friday salesProduct vendors and retailers are cranking up their 2015 Black Friday sales, and devices such as tablets and smartphones running Google’s Android operating system are among the highlights.So, Apple fanboys and fangirls can check out what they’re missing out on, as can Windows fans, who it appears won’t have Android apps coming to their devices anytime soon. Meanwhile, Android supporters can look to build their collections.To read this article in full or to lea
  
  Read more

• Network security primer: What is access control?

  17-11-2015 20:05
  
  During its testimony on security weaknesses among federal agencies this week, the Government Accountability Office detailed a number of critical elements that make up effective protection systems.
  Among the systems the watchdog agency detailed was the key components in access control which is typically the technology an enterprise uses to regulate who has access to what resources.
  + More on Network World: Watchdogs detail Federal security tribulations +To read this article in full or to leave a
  
  Read more

• Google Wing head 'anxious to get things done yesterday'

  17-11-2015 19:53
  
  The head of Google's experimental Wing drone delivery project says he wants the service to launch quickly and is working with the government on trials that can be accomplished while regulations are being developed."We're anxious to get things done yesterday," said Dave Vos at the Drone World Expo in San Jose on Tuesday. "We'd like to be in business as soon as possible."Vos didn't provide a launch date for the service but recently said he was eyeing a 2017 start of service. His comments on T
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New Docker tool removes a big barrier for enterprises

  17-11-2015 19:22
  
  Making containers enterprise-ready has been a theme at this week's DockerCon EU conference in Barcelona, and on Tuesday Docker itself launched a new tool with that goal in mind.Aiming to give companies operational control while maintaining developers' productivity, Docker Universal Control Plane runs on-premises and is designed to help deploy and manage Dockerized distributed applications in production on any infrastructure."Portability has always been one of the premier attractions of modern ap
  
  Read more

• Microsoft touts new, holistic approach to enterprise security

  17-11-2015 19:12
  
  Microsoft is putting a lot of effort and money into building a holistic security platform that combines the attack protection, detection and response features built into Windows 10, Office 365, Azure and the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite to help companies safeguard their data regardless of where it resides.Talking at the Microsoft Government Cloud Forum in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the company is spending more than  $1 billion a year in rese
  
  Read more

• New Microsoft Azure cloud security tools will work on prem, in Amazon’s cloud too

  17-11-2015 18:50
  
  Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled tools that protect not only cloud-based workloads in the company's Azure IaaS public cloud, but those on customers’ premises and even in competing clouds, such as those from Amazon Web Services.
  Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gave a keynote address at a Government Cloud Forum in Washington, D.C. this morning in which he talked about his company’s broad security efforts. Microsoft spends $1 billion annually in research and development to improve security ac
  
  Read more

• IT pros should focus on largest public cloud providers

  17-11-2015 17:57
  
  The cloud has seen massive rates of adoption among IT professionals this year, and it will spread even deeper into entrenched industries over the next 16 months, according to a new report from Forrester Research. Despite ongoing consolidation, the research firm reports that the cloud vendor landscape is too crowded and IT professionals should increasingly hedge their bets on major public cloud providers such as Amazon, IBM and Microsoft.CIOs and IT leaders should be wary of small, specialized pl
  
  Read more

• 😱 Oxford Dictionaries selects 'face with tears of joy' emoji as word of the year

  17-11-2015 17:22
  Oxford Dictionaries just selected its word of the year for 2015 and here it is: 😂. Yes, for the first time in history, the hallowed authority on the English language is selecting a pictograph, a.k.a. emoji, as its word of the year.
  The selection is the culmination of a partnership between Oxford University Press, the publisher of all Oxford dictionaries, with third-party software keyboard maker SwiftKey. The partnership worked to “explore frequency and usage statistics for some of
  
  Read more

• HP and Movado team up on a sleek analog watch bolstered with digital smarts

  17-11-2015 16:31
  
  HP and Movado are targeting the dumber end of the smartwatch spectrum with the Bold Motion watch.
  The $695 smartwatch doesn’t have a screen, and doesn’t run third-party apps like an Apple Watch or Android Wear watch. It’s basically an analog clock with some LED lights and haptic feedback to indicate notifications, daily step progress, and calendar appointments.
  According to The Verge, the Bold Motion’s lights and haptics can provide different patterns based on the type o
  
  Read more

• BrandPost: Productivity: Cloud’s Silver Lining?

  17-11-2015 16:15
  
  Cloud computing. You’ll come for the cost savings, but stay for the productivity payoffs.That’s what many users are finding as they gain experience with cloud infrastructure and software as a service (SaaS). The benefits of being able to deploy software and bring users up to speed quickly, as well as the sheer variety of productive applications that are available as low-cost SaaS services, are dwarfing the infrastructure savings that drew many IT managers toward the cloud in the firs
  
  Read more

• BrandPost: Going beyond compliance in the cloud

  17-11-2015 16:15
  
  Individual organizations struggle to meet regulatory, security, and their own internal compliance policies. So imagine the challenge for enterprise cloud vendors serving a multitude of industry sectors. They have to meet compliance standards across industries and geographical boundaries.The good news is that the breadth of protections that some enterprise cloud vendors have invested in often exceeds company-specific policies for protecting customer data. They can take what they learn in one indu
  
  Read more

• Can't get an Apple Pencil for your iPad Pro? Try FiftyThree's Pencil stylus

  17-11-2015 16:00
  
  If you want Apple’s Pencil, which is designed to work with its new iPad Pro, you have three options:One: Wait four or five weeks. That’s when the stylus will be available to ship if you ordered it now.Two: Pay a king’s ransom for the Apple Pencil on eBay now. Some sellers have received $450 for the $99 device.Three: get a different Pencil, for example, this one from FiftyThree ($50 to $60).Pencil looks like an actual pencil, the kind a carpenter or serious graphic artist might
  
  Read more

• Organizations sloppy about securing privileged accounts

  17-11-2015 15:54
  
  Companies' haphazard processes for managing administrative or other privileged accounts are putting them at risk of security breaches, according to a new global security survey.The survey, conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Dell, found that 83 percent of respondents face numerous challenges with managed privileged accounts and administrative passwords. That's not to say they lack procedure for securing them — nearly 80 percent say they have a defined process for managing th
  
  Read more

• Studie: reactievermogen en prestaties van organisaties verbeteren door cloud

  17-11-2015 15:48
  Zeven op de tien bedrijven zeggen dat zij met migratie van applicaties naar de cloud een of meer bedrijfsprocessen hebben verbeterd. In de cloud ondergebrachte bedrijfskritische workloads verbeteren bovendien de operationele prestaties. Dit blijkt uit onderzoek door Verizon.Uit het onderzoek (pdf), dat Verizon voor... lees meer
  
  Read more

• Hour of Code laat iedereen kennismaken met programmeren

  17-11-2015 15:37
  Digitale vaardigheden zijn onontbeerlijk. Om meer mensen mee te krijgen in de digitalisering én om deze optimaal te faciliteren in de nabije toekomst is kennismaking met programmeren door grote groepen mensen belangrijk. Hoe vroeger hoe beter, maar (bijna) iedereen kan het leren. Daarom wordt in de week van 7... lees meer
  
  Read more

• New Dell partnership throws doubt on traditional antivirus programs

  17-11-2015 15:05
  A partnership announced by Dell on Tuesday shows how cybersecurity defenses are evolving, which could have wide-ranging effects on vendors like Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro.The PC giant has partnered with Cylance, an Irvine, California-based company that specializes in detecting and blocking attacks on endpoint computers.Early next year, Dell will wrap Cylance's Protect product in its Data Protection Endpoint Security Suite, said Brett Hansen, Dell's executive director of data security
  
  Read more

• 8 tips for choosing the right contact center for your business

  17-11-2015 14:56
  
  More and more businesses are outsourcing their customer service to third-party contact centers. But before you hire someone else to handle your customer service and support, check out these eight tips from customer service and outsourcing pros.1. Have a good sense of what you need, or want, before you start interviewing contact centers. Before you contract with a contact center, determine what kind of support of you need, advises Katie DeCicco, the CEO of Celebration Saunas. For example, “
  
  Read more

• Closing the cybersecurity talent gap, one woman at a time

  17-11-2015 14:09
  
  A few weeks ago, satirical news site The Onion published an article titled, "China unable to recruit hackers fast enough to keep up with vulnerabilities in U.S. security systems." Like most things on the Onion, it's funny because of the (very large) grain of truth buried in the snarky headline. In the face of unprecedented threats from abroad and at home, the U.S. is facing a severe shortage of cybersecurity talent that shows no signs of abating.According to the 2015 Global Cybersecurity Status
  
  Read more

• Cisco adds programmability to Internet routers

  17-11-2015 14:00
  
  Cisco this week enhanced its network operating system software to boost the performance of cloud applications and reduce operational costs.
  As promised last week by CEO Chuck Robbins, Cisco unveiled an upgrade to its IOS XR software that features improved programmability and tighter integration with popular IT configuration and management tools. The software was developed with some leading web companies, based on their operational best practices, but Cisco did not identify which ones.
  +MORE ON
  
  Read more

• How to defer upgrades and updates in Windows 10 Pro

  17-11-2015 13:47
  
  Microsoft has not advertised the fact, but anyone with a copy of Windows 10 Pro can postpone upgrades and defer updates using the Windows Update for Business service.
  The options for controlling the arrival of Windows 10 upgrades and updates -- the words mean different things under Microsoft's rules -- arrived as part of Windows 10 version 1511, the refresh that began rolling out Nov. 12. But while the settings -- and Windows Update for Business -- are intended for corporate customers, there's
  
  Read more

• How to create enterprise apps employees will actually use

  17-11-2015 13:47
  
  Creating apps for the enterprise is one thing, but creating enterprise apps that employees actually want to use is another concept entirely. According to research from Gartner, by 2017 the market demand for mobile app development services is expected to increase five times faster than companies and IT departments can realistically keep up with. That means businesses need to be ready for and aware of the growing demand and need for enterprise apps. But if you're investing time, money and man powe
  
  Read more

• What 5 recent Facebook changes mean to you

  17-11-2015 13:43
  
  Following a quiet summer, Facebook ramped up activity this fall, rolling out a handful of new features and product redesigns. Last month, the company revamped mobile profiles, unveiling looping profile videos, temporary profile pictures and new privacy controls. Earlier, the social network announced new ways to customize your news feed and launched Security Checkup, a tool that helps you find your account’s security settings. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, pl
  
  Read more

• The top 6 Governance, Risk and Compliance certifications

  17-11-2015 13:03
  
  In-demand governance, risk and compliance (GRC) certificationsIn the wake of several well-publicized corporate scandals about 15 years ago – Enron and WorldCom, to name two – and the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002, organizations that must adhere to regulations for data security, financial accountability and consumer privacy can't do without someone making sure internal processes are being carried out properly. Enter the need for competent governance, risk and compliance (G
  
  Read more

• Modular software creates agility -- and complexity

  17-11-2015 12:30
  
  With its 11 sprawling theme parks, 47 resorts, 13 vacation properties and four luxury cruise liners, The Walt Disney Company isn't exactly known for thinking small. But the multinational entertainment juggernaut is making an exception when it comes to application design.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• 12 travel-friendly tech gifts you'll want to take with you

  17-11-2015 12:30
  
  Technology that’s easy at home can become a burden on the road—whether it’s too big, too heavy, or helpless when you’re away from a speedy Internet connection. The travel-friendly tech in this gift guide can save your favorite frequent flier some stress on their next trip. Whether it’s a clip-on camera accessory or a great organizer, it’s all worth taking with you. Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens
  olloclipThe Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens attaches easily and securely to your
  
  Read more

• Hootsuite ties into Microsoft's Dynamics CRM to turn likes into leads

  17-11-2015 12:10
  
  More companies are turning to social media as a way to communicate with their customers, and Hootsuite is working with Microsoft to make that even easier through an integration with the company's products. 
  The social media management platform, which offers companies a variety of tools to better work with their social media presence across services including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, on Tuesday announced new ways to connect to Dynamics CRM Online, SharePoint and Yammer. 
  First
  
  Read more

• Electromagnetic Pulse weapons could knock enterprises offline

  17-11-2015 12:10
  
  Electromagnetic Pulse are back in the news as potential threats to the U.S. and other nations as the U.S. and China have announced significant progress in advancing the state of the art of these attacks. Nations, enterprises, and individual buildings and installations, which count on electric power and everything that it enables are at risk of being devastated by EMPs.
  According to EMP Cover, EMP attacks move through the air in a manner similar to radio waves with electronics acting as ant
  
  Read more

• Nvidia hangs on to tablet market with Shield Tablet K1, aimed at gamers

  17-11-2015 12:00
  
  Nvidia is staying in the tablet market after being hit with a recall of its Shield Tablet, relaunching the device under a new name and at a lower price.The new Shield Tablet K1 is targeted at gamers and priced at US$199 with 16GB of storage  -- $100 less than the original Shield Tablet. The original Shield Tablet was recalled in late July for posing a fire hazard due to overheating batteries, and the product was out of stock on Nvidia's website shortly after. The K1 was launched in res
  
  Read more

• Arista looks to connect clouds

  17-11-2015 11:59
  
  Arista Networks this week expanded its data center interconnect offerings with products designed to enable the interconnection of cloud networks.
  Arista is adding capabilities that extend its spine networking platforms, EOS operating system software and CloudVision management system to include cloud interconnect features. These capabilities include Spine Transit, Spine Interconnect and Spine Peering.
  +MORE ON NETWORK WORLD: Arista adds security to cloud software+To read this article in full or
  
  Read more

• Google Voice Search is gettting smarter

  17-11-2015 07:20
  
  Who was the U.S. president when the Angels won the World Series? Sure, knowing that the answer is George W. Bush is trivia at its most trivial. But being able direct the question to your smartphone illustrates something important about Google Voice Search: It’s gotten a lot better recently and can now parse complex questions that would have stumped it in the past.In a blog post yesterday, Google’s Satyajeet Salgar said “The Google app is starting to truly understand the meaning
  
  Read more

• 13 Apple TV tips and tricks you should know

  17-11-2015 02:32
  
  Get the most out of your Apple TVApple’s fourth-generation Apple TV represents the device’s evolution from a mere “hobby” into a product strong enough to completely stand on its own. Packed with a number of cool new features, such as Universal Search and built-in Siri functionality, the new Apple TV may very well be a surprise hit this holiday shopping season. And with the device coming with support for its own dedicated App Store, it’ll be incredibly interesting to
  
  Read more

• Japan chases title of world's fastest computer with new system

  17-11-2015 02:30
  
  Taking a cue from China, Japan is developing a new supercomputer that could be among the world's fastest systems when released in 2020.
  The computer -- being developed as part of a national project called Flagship2020 -- is being developed with the aim to deliver "100 times more application performance" than the current K, which is installed in Japan and is the world's third-fastest computer, according to the Top500 list of supercomputers, released on Monday.
  The supercomputer will be deployed
  
  Read more

• Paris attacks demand 'wake-up call' on smartphone encryption

  17-11-2015 02:28
  
  Deadly terrorist attacks on Friday in Paris, apparently planned by ISIS, have ignited a new round of concerns over encryption on smartphones.
  "A lot of people in these terror groups have developed encryption techniques, and France has one of the most sophisticated systems for monitoring communications. If France didn't pick up this attack in advance, it's a wake-up call for all of us," said Darren Hayes, assistant professor and director of cybersecurity at Pace University.
  Encrypted messages re
  
  Read more

• How the Internet responded to the Paris terror attacks

  17-11-2015 02:10
  
  SolidarityImage by REUTERS/Philippe WojazerIn the hours and days following the tragic terror attacks in Paris, the Internet became a primary vehicle for not only disseminating information but also for individuals and companies to show their solidarity with the French. Check out the various ways the Internet responded to the French terror attacks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Top tech turkeys of 2015

  17-11-2015 01:31
  
  Turkey timeJust in time for Thanksgiving, here’s our annual rundown of the tech industry’s “turkeys” for the year.Looking back: Top tech turkeys 2014Top tech turkeys 2013To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Cool Yule Tools for the home

  17-11-2015 00:00
  
  Editor's Note: For the past 16 years Network World has presented its picks of the geekiest, techiest or just plain coolest gadgets for holiday gift giving purposes. We’ve witnessed the birth of the smartphone, the dominance of the tablet and the shrinking size of the television (at least the depth, the width and height keeps getting better). We’ve seen robots, big and small, and every conceivable charger, phone case, travel widget, computer, printer and USB doohickey imaginable.
  So
  
  Read more

• Cool Yule Tools for play

  17-11-2015 00:00
  
  Editor's Note: For the past 16 years Network World has presented its picks of the geekiest, techiest or just plain coolest gadgets for holiday gift giving purposes. We’ve witnessed the birth of the smartphone, the dominance of the tablet and the shrinking size of the television (at least the depth, the width and height keeps getting better). We’ve seen robots, big and small, and every conceivable charger, phone case, travel widget, computer, printer and USB doohickey imaginable.So he
  
  Read more

Follow @ITExecutiveNews on Twitter!