IT Executive news

• The emergence of software-defined application delivery technology - and what it can do for your network

  13-04-2017 23:30
  
  This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.The flexibility of the cloud has driven IT to look closely at opportunities to replicate that agility in their own infrastructure and operations. Automation initiatives have optimized many layers of the computing stack, but application delivery services remain a last-mile problem as network teams find themselve
  
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• Avaya plan deploys network virtualization, segmentation to guard business jewels

  13-04-2017 23:24
  
  Avaya has rolled out products it says will help enterprise customers more easily segment traffic between widely dispersed networked resources and effectively protect corporate data.The two central components of what the company calls its Data Center Everywhere plan include a new hardware-independent operating system for the company’s switches – the Virtual Service 8000 non-Avaya products such as x86, or ARM platforms – that lets customers deploy virtualized network functions an
  
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• Microsoft sets May 9 as original Windows 10's retirement date

  13-04-2017 23:16
  
  As expected, Microsoft named May 9 as the date it will issue the final updates for the debut edition of Windows 10 that launched in 2015.Two months ago, Microsoft had extended support for Windows 10 version 1507 -- Microsoft labels feature upgrades by year and month -- from March to May, but did not specify the date in the latter month. Computerworld anticipated May 9 as the end-of-support because that is the date for the month's Patch Tuesday.[ Further reading: Support family and friends with W
  
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• The AI revolution: Is the future finally now?

  13-04-2017 22:47
  
   Over the last several decades, the evolution of artificial intelligence has followed an uncertain path – reaching incredible highs and new levels of innovation, often followed by years of stagnation and disillusionment as the technology fails to deliver on its promises.Today we are once again experiencing growing interest in the future possibilities for AI. From voice powered personal assistants like Google Home and Alexa, to Netflix’s predictive recommendations, Nest learning
  
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• On-premises HR users risk being left behind, Oracle says

  13-04-2017 21:57
  
  Oracle is telling customers that the future of its HR platform will be in the cloud. It's trying to do this without alarming users who host its applications internally.Users of on-premises PeopleSoft and E-Business Suite HR system users won't be abandoned as cloud use grows, Oracle promises. These systems will get regular updates and new features. There's no end-of-life risk, said Mark Hurd, Oracle's CEO. "No worries about that," he said.Even with that, however, Oracle's cloud-basedHuman Capital
  
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• Instagram Stories hits 200 million daily viewers, surpassing Snapchat after all

  13-04-2017 21:45
  
  Instagram’s copycat moves have paid off. Instagram Stories now counts with 200 million daily users, surpassing Snapchat’s 161 million. Instagram Stories are disappearing slideshows of videos and photos that are near-identical to Snapchat Stories, down to the name.Instagram Stories got off to a great start: racking up its first 100 million daily users in October 2016, just two months after they debuted at the top of the feeds of Instagram’s 500 million users. By comparison, Snap
  
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• IoT device sales set to surge in next decade

  13-04-2017 21:39
  
  The number of Internet of Things devices used to spark the "smart" in smart cities is projected to surge six-fold in the next decade, according to a new forecast from market research firm IHS Markit.Shipments of devices like sensors and nodes that detect pedestrians and traffic and measure water and air pollution are expected to hit 202 million devices globally this year, then grow to 1.4 billion by 2026, IHS Markit said in a report released Thursday.[ Further reading: Dead men may tell no tales
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: A CMO's guide to staying secure on a business trip

  13-04-2017 21:15
  
  Executives spend a lot of time on the road (or in the air). And while the speed and convenience of business travel has greatly improved over the years, the challenges associated with information security are only increasing. Your ability to protect your data and devices while traveling matters more than you’ll ever know.Are you doing enough to protect yourself and your company?How to stay secure on your next trip
  As various cyber attacks have been publicized in the media over the past few
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why software implementations are usually late and over budget

  13-04-2017 21:05
  
  Whether it is in the cloud or the data center, so often enterprise software takes much longer to implement than expected. There are three main reasons for this.1. Unknown requirements
  New requirements are discovered during implementation that should have been found during the analysis. When these new requirements are found, the organization must decide what to do with them. If they are weighted as important or higher, the consultants must determine how to implement them: by configuration, writin
  
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• HP to ship its Omen X VR backpack PC in June

  13-04-2017 20:59
  
  HP will make a major virtual reality push in June, when it will start shipping its Omen X VR backpack PC.The backpack PC has already been announced, but the company until now had not provided a shipping date. HP is accepting applications from gamers and commercial developers to test the product.There will be two types of Omen X backpack PCs, Ron Coughlin, president of the Personal Systems Business at HP, said in an interview. HP will release a VR backpack for gamers, and one for commercial custo
  
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• Giant FCC spectrum auction raises $19.8 billion, sets up 5G services

  13-04-2017 20:42
  
  A U.S. Federal Communications auction of repurposed television spectrum has raised US$19.8 billion and will pave the way for mobile carriers to offer faster and more reliable service across the country.The 70MHz in new spectrum available will allow carriers to provide fast 5G service in coming years, FCC officials have said. It was the world's first two-sided auction allowing TV stations to indirectly sell spectrum to mobile carriers and other users of wireless spectrum.The auction should speed
  
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• Microsoft again ballyhoos Edge as battery tightwad

  13-04-2017 20:31
  
  Microsoft this week again claimed that its Edge browser uses much less power than rivals, a key part of the company's efforts to salvage the struggling Edge on Windows 10."Microsoft Edge on the Creators Update uses 31% less power than Google Chrome 57, and 44% less power than Mozilla Firefox 52," Kyle Pflug, a senior program manager on the Edge team, contended in a post to a company blog Tuesday.[ Related: Windows 10 Redstone: A guide to the builds ]Creators Update, or 1703 in Microsoft's yymm n
  
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• Slack makes it easier to say you're out to lunch

  13-04-2017 20:21
  
  Slack is making it easier for coworkers to see what other people in their organization are up to, thanks to a new status-message feature unveiled Thursday.The functionality, which is rolling out to the messaging service’s customers over the next few days, lets users set a message in their profile that informs others about their activities.Statuses will show up next to users’ names inside Slack’s chat window, in their profiles, and next to their names in the Quick Switcher, whic
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why you need to ditch the time clock and go digital

  13-04-2017 19:50
  
  Traditionally, employment management was labor-intensive. More often today, companies rely on software to provide solutions for timekeeping, scheduling, communications and employee management. And there are compelling reasons to rely on automated systems.Business used to be so simple. Workers arrived, punched in and out on a physical time clock, and worked a scheduled shift. It's more likely now that a large workforce is everywhere. Parts of your team may be working together from Dubuque or Duba
  
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• 14% off APC 11-Outlet Surge Protector with USB Charging Ports and SurgeArrest - Deal Alert

  13-04-2017 19:31
  
  Be it a lightning strike that destroys a home entertainment center or consistently fluctuating power that degrades the performance and shortens the life of your electronics – surges, lightning, and other power disturbances can have a devastating impact on the valuable electronics you rely on every day. The P11U2 from APC offers guaranteed surge protection. Connect and protect up to 11 electronics, and conveniently charge your mobile devices via 2 additional USB ports. Installation is
  
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• 50% off BioShock: The Collection for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One - Deal Alert

  13-04-2017 19:19
  
  Return to the cities of Rapture and Columbia and experience the award-winning BioShock franchise like never before, beautifully remastered in 1080p. The collection is currently discounted 50%.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Facebook's war on Snap borrows from its Twitter playbook

  13-04-2017 19:10
  
  Imagine if Apple called itself a watch company based on its smartwatch, or if Microsoft called itself a videogame company based on its offering the Xbox. These descriptions might be technically true but lack credibility based on the full nature of their business. So it is with Snap, Inc., which calls itself a camera company. And while it may define “camera” coyly or have grand plans to reshape itself, for now the only “camera” it makes are the novelty Spectacles.Video-rec
  
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• Comcast Business offers direct connection to IBM Cloud network

  13-04-2017 19:03
  
  Comcast Business announced Thursday it now offers direct, dedicated network links to the IBM Cloud global network.The move positions Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast, to compete against AT&T, Verizon, Bell Canada and telecom service providers already offering IBM Cloud Direct Link services.Comcast Business already claims to be the nation's biggest cable provider to small and mid-sized businesses. The IBM partnership could be a way for Comcast Business to grow, especially among larger busi
  
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• How to free up storage space automatically with Storage Sense in the Creators Update

  13-04-2017 18:54
  
  One of the standard ways to free up storage space on a PC is to delete temporary files, empty the recycle bin, and maybe dump the contents of the downloads folder. The pain is you usually have to do all this manually or at least semi-manually with a system utility or third-party tool.With the Creators Update, Microsoft is making things a little bit easier with a new automated feature called Storage Sense. The name Storage Sense is nothing new. It first made an appearance in Windows Phone 8.1 and
  
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• LinkedIn aims to put messaging everywhere

  13-04-2017 18:46
  
  Messaging is a crucial feature of LinkedIn, but its presence as an app within an app has limited its reach and effectiveness. LinkedIn hopes to change that by reimagining how conversations can surface and unfold across the platform. The company is releasing a new messaging interface for desktop that makes it easier for you to engage with connections on any page on the site.The new interface, which has already been available to some users as a preview, looks and acts like older instant-messaging
  
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• Travelers enlists Symantec to advise cyber insurance customers

  13-04-2017 18:41
  
  The Travelers insurance company has teamed up with Symantec to give policyholders cyber security assessments and consultation in order to help them manage risks.The self-assessment consists of filling out a 25-question survey and getting a written report of how well their network and data protection stacks up. If they want to, they can talk to a consultant who walks them through the results and recommends steps they could take to remediate risks.+More on Network World: Synack: Hackers wanted aft
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How Google's deep mind is reimagining a 3,000-year-old game

  13-04-2017 18:34
  
  Google has always been an innovator and leader in the world of artificial intelligence. The company’s DeepMind artificial intelligence program made headlines when the company first started showing off its skills by having it compete against a Go player.AlphaGo, the program invented to show up internationally ranked players of the 3000-year old Chinese game, is doing something revolutionary in the world of human capabilities, and closing the gap on what artificial intelligence can do and wh
  
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• Improve your internet privacy, with or without help from the government

  13-04-2017 17:39
  
  President Trump, as part of his plan to roll back regulations put in place by President Obama, just signed legislation that eliminates the prohibition against internet service providers selling customer data without their written consent. Although the original restriction had not yet taken effect, its elimination ignited a firestorm of controversy among privacy organizations, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union (which tried to no avail to ge
  
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• Unpatched vulnerability exposes Magento online shops to hacking

  13-04-2017 17:35
  
  An unpatched vulnerability in the Magento e-commerce platform could allow hackers to upload and execute malicious code on web servers that host online shops.The flaw was discovered by researchers from security consultancy DefenseCode and is located in a feature that retrieves preview images for videos hosted on Vimeo. Such videos can be added to product listings in Magento.The DefenseCode researchers determined that if the image URL points to a different file, for example a PHP script, Magento w
  
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• An agile Air Force slashes time to roll out new IT capabilities

  13-04-2017 17:12
  
  Can an organization really cut development time more than 70 percent by embracing the agile philosophy and open architecture? The intelligence-gathering arm of the U.S. Air Force says it's done just that.The Air Force's Distributed Common Ground System, a network of 27 surveillance and intelligence-gathering sites, projects that it will ultimately save hundreds of millions of dollars by moving to agile development, open architecture, and infrastructure-as-a-service, said Wes Haga, chie
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Oracle announces it is not pursuing Accenture, but maybe it should

  13-04-2017 17:00
  I recently blogged about a report of a potential acquisition of Accenture by Oracle. Founder and Chairman Larry Ellison has since stated that Oracle is not interested in acquiring Accenture. But, quite frankly, maybe they should. Maybe they never intended to, despite the report of rumored due diligence. There are some important implications of this decision, and I believe there are two crucial reasons why Oracle should buy Accenture.1. Oracle is constrained in addressing digital needs in its cor
  
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• 15% off LaMetric Wi-Fi Clock - Deal Alert

  13-04-2017 16:02
  
  The LaMetric Time tracks time, weather, emails, calendar events, tweets, followers, news, deadlines and any other metric needed for your home or business, and displays them almost in real-time. It works as an always-on display for the whole family by showing notifications from smart home devices and allowing anyone to control them with the click of a button. LaMetric Time eliminates the need to check multiple apps or news sites for the information you need. Instead, you receive key informat
  
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• Databricks lays production data pipelines

  13-04-2017 15:51
  
  Aiming to provide data engineers with new and better tools for creating production data pipelines, Databricks yesterday released Databricks for Data Engineering, a new version of its Apache Spark-based cloud platform optimized specifically for data engineering workloads.Databricks, founded by the creators of Apache Spark, already provides a version of the cloud platform geared toward supporting data science workloads. But Databricks CEO and Co-founder Ali Ghodsi says the overwhelming majority of
  
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• How secure is your supply chain?

  13-04-2017 15:33
  
  Today’s global supply chains carry risks that run the gamut from pirates off the coast of East Africa to bad guys tampering with goods in transit. And international supply chains also put companies at risk of violating legislation and policies mandating corporate social responsibility. How can you company make responsible decisions for your supply chain under these conditions?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• 4 tips to help you wait for a promotion or raise

  13-04-2017 14:08
  
  Whether you're pushing for a promotion or raise or management has broached the topic with you, one thing is certain: The process will take longer than you expect. In most companies, managers don't have the authority to give you new responsibilities or a pay increase. They must go through the proper channels to get approval."While it's natural to feel antsy while waiting for the raise they asked for, it's critical to find some more productive, tactful ways to prove their worth in the meantime," s
  
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• What it takes to become a data security strategist

  13-04-2017 14:00
  
  By the time John Kronick became a data security strategist a few years ago, he'd already been in the security industry for 20 years. But he didn't come to security from IT.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• HP's new Pavilions can supercharge gaming with optional GPUs

  13-04-2017 14:00
  
  Just two days after Microsoft's Windows 10 Creators Update arrived, HP announced two PCs that will come pre-loaded with the new OS.HP refreshed its Pavilion laptops and X360 2-in-1s with new processors and also is offering optional discrete GPUs with the new PCs.You'll be able to select AMD Radeon or Nvidia 940MX graphics when configuring the PCs. Intel or AMD chips (but not Ryzen) can be selected with the PCs.HP realizes entry-level gaming is becoming a basic prerequisite for many laptop users,
  
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• Bank of England eyes saving of 'tens of billions' by using blockchain

  13-04-2017 13:31
  
  The Bank of England is continuing to explore ways that it can leverage distributed ledger technology for payments, clearing and settlement.In a speech yesterday, governor Mark Carney said it "could yield significant gains in the accuracy, efficiency and security of such processes, saving tens of billions of pounds of bank capital and significantly improving the resilience of the system."A distributed ledger - also known as blockchain - is the technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It i
  
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• Google tests app for food delivery and home services

  13-04-2017 13:20
  
  Google has introduced in two Indian cities a new app that aggregates local providers of food delivery and home services.The Android app called Areo is being described by Google as an experiment, with no details available on how the search giant plans to make money from the service or whether a version will also be tried in other locations around the world.“We are constantly experimenting with ways to better serve our users in India,” a Google spokesman wrote in an email. “In th
  
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• The 10 best features in Android O (so far)

  13-04-2017 13:00
  
  A sneak peek at Android OImage by GreenbotGoogle I/O is still more than a month away, but we’ve already gotten a sneak peek at what Google is planning for Android O. To help developers make sure their apps are in tip-top shape for the public release later this year, Google has given them the first preview a little early, opening up a brand new box of tricks and tools.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Microsoft's next Surface may be a Chromebook competitor for schools

  13-04-2017 13:00
  
  If a low-cost Microsoft Surface with a cloud-based Windows operating system sounds a lot like a Chromebook, that’s probably no coincidence. Windows PCs have lost ground in the U.S. education market to Google’s browser-based laptops. As Microsoft sends out invitations for a May 5 event in New York, rumors suggest the company will announce a Surface for schools—among other things.Microsoft’s invitation to the event included the hashtag “#MicrosoftEDU,” framing t
  
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• Salesforce and Google make news for equal pay issues

  13-04-2017 12:58
  
  April 4, was Equal Pay Day, recognizing the point in each year to which women must work to make as much as men in the previous year. The wage gap persists, though it's arguably smaller in tech, and Silicon Valley companies are wrestling with the issue in different ways. Two of the most extreme examples are Salesforce and Google, both of which made wage-gap-related news last week for entirely different reasons.Salesforce announced it would spend an additional $3 million to further equalize pay fo
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Are you ready for your transformation initiative?

  13-04-2017 12:45
  
  There is a lot of transformation happening around us. Business transformation, IT transformation and digital transformation, to name a few. These transformations certainly can disrupt business operations. It makes sense that at the end of the transformation you obtain the benefits/value you expect to obtain. Undertaking any form of transformation just for the sake of transformation is probably not a good idea. I’ve seen situations where an organization does not have a clear understanding o
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Don’t be victimized by technology innovation -- turn it into a team sport!

  13-04-2017 12:30
  
  This article is part of a series highlighting key takeaways from my recently published book, Truth From the Trenches: A Practical Guide to the Art of IT Management. As a seven-time CIO I’ve had an opportunity to observe the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of IT management up close and personal. Truth From the Trenches is my attempt to share my experiences with emerging IT leaders to help them avoid the chronic problems that afflict so many IT organizations.Every member of an IT organiza
  
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• 4 powerful productivity features in the Windows 10 Creators Update

  13-04-2017 12:30
  
  Despite the artistic implications of its name, the Windows 10 Creators Update, which started rolling out April 11, brings with it several nuts-and-bolts productivity enhancements. Here’s an overview of four that can make a big impact on your day-to-day routine. We’ll likely look at each of these more in-depth in the weeks to come.Recurring Cortana reminders
  Cortana is one of themost useful productivity features of Windows 10, thanks largely to its ability to provide contextual remind
  
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• With robots on the job, it won't be IT as usual

  13-04-2017 12:00
  
  With robotics making great strides and more companies welcoming robots into the workforce, IT managers need to start prepping for the changes coming their way."Robotics will probably touch every business over the next decade," said Dan Olds, an analyst with OrionX. "I think we're nearing a tipping point where more businesses will be adding robots and robotics to their operations. They'll be doing everything from manufacturing, to delivering food to restaurant tables to cleaning chores and farmin
  
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• TypeScript 2.3 gets smarter about JavaScript standards

  13-04-2017 12:00
  
  TypeScript 2.3, the latest version of Microsoft's typed superset of JavaScript, has moved to a release candidate stage.For standards backing, version 2.3 supports async generators and iterators. "Async iterators are an upcoming ECMAScript feature that allows iterators to produce results asynchronously," Daniel Rosenwasser, Microsoft program manager for TypeScript, said. Async generators, meanwhile, can await at any point.[ The art of programming moves rapidly. InfoWorld helps you navigate what&r
  
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• Android gotchas: Fast fixes for 6 common problems

  13-04-2017 12:00
  
  Smartphones have the power to make our lives more efficient. They also have the power to cause major migraines.Let’s face it: Technology wouldn’t be technology without the occasional facepalm-inducing failure—and mobile devices are no exception. But an annoying Android error doesn’t have to send you scrambling to the nearest clueless carrier store or online help forum. I’ve been covering and personally using Android since its infancy, and I’m here to help. (My
  
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• Samsung sees strong demand for Galaxy S8 despite Note7 fiasco

  13-04-2017 09:58
  
  Samsung is seeing strong demand for its Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones, suggesting that consumers may be looking beyond the company’s debacle with the Galaxy Note7.The company’s head of mobile DJ Koh said at a media event in South Korea on Thursday that pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ had outstripped those for its predecessors, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, which were launched in March last year.A Samsung spokesperson confirmed Koh’s remarks but did not provide figures
  
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