January 25, 2008
by sjvn01
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HP Offers Open-Source Tracking Tools

HP, with other pro-open-source companies and organizations, is releasing programs and policies to help enterprises track corporate open-source use.

After a soft-launch in December, Hewlett-Packard on Jan. 23 officially released a pair of new open-source initiatives to help businesses and developers track their free and open-source software programs and licenses: FOSSology and FOSSBazaar.

HP is not doing this on its own. While the open-source management and tracking programs and business processes underlying these initiatives were created by HP, these new initiatives also have the support of The Linux Foundation, Google, Novell, Olliance Group, OpenLogic, SourceForge, international law firm DLA Piper and source-code analysis company Coverity.

The point of these paired projects is to help enterprises and developers track their open-source software assets. HP officials pointed to a recent example with a customer. They said that HP found three times as many FOSS licenses—75—as the customer initially thought. This meant the customer had to choose whether to implement governance policies to allow the safe use of FOSS or replace the software, which would have cost about $80 million.

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January 24, 2008
by sjvn01
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IBM`s New Linux-Based Notes and Symphony Office

IBM opens the door for Linux-based servers and desktops with a new Lotus Notes and Symphony bundle for SUSE, Red Hat and Ubuntu Linux.

IBM has seen the future, and in its vision, Linux-based servers and desktops will be powering tomorrow’s office with Lotus Notes and Symphony in what it calls an open collaboration client solution.

The IBM open collaboration client solution brings together Lotus Notes; the Lotus Sametime messaging platform; WebSphere Portal; the Lotus Connections social networking software; Lotus Quickr, document management and collaboration software for teams; Lotus Expeditor, an Eclipse-based development environment; and Lotus Symphony. Symphony is essentially OpenOffice with an Eclipse-based user interface. Together these create a server-to-desktop office suite designed to compete with Microsoft’s Windows-only bundle of Microsoft Office, Exchange and SharePoint.

Novell offered a single joint SUSE Linux Enterprise/Open Collaboration Client Solution through its partners. Novell also offered VAD (value-added distributors) migration and integration services.

Roger Levy, a Novell senior vice president and general manager of Open Platform Solutions, said in a statement, “The rapid uptake of the open collaboration client solution by business partners is a clear indicator of its value to the market. These partners are seeking ways to help their customers increase productivity, strengthen desktop security and reduce total cost of ownership.”

Red Hat has now joined the party with its and IBM’s announcement of a new marketing initiative targeting small and midsize businesses. Red Hat’s package will combine Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop, IBM Lotus Notes Client with Lotus Symphony and the IBM Lotus Domino 8 server.

Like Novell’s, Red Hat’s efforts are partner-centric. Red Hat Advanced Business Partners and Lotus-authorized IBM Business Partners will be able to sell not only the package but other Red Hat and IBM Lotus programs. In addition, Red Hat will be providing value-added services to Red Hat Advanced Business Partners to get them up to speed at delivering the complete Red Hat-Lotus office package.

For more information about the joint Red Hat-IBM offerings, channel partners should visit a special page on the Red Hat site devoted to the package.

Last, but not least, Canonical, the company behind the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, is getting into the act. Ubuntu will also be supporting Lotus Notes 8 and Lotus Symphony. Full Ubuntu Lotus Notes and Lotus Symphony support, however, won’t appear until the second half of 2008, with the release of Lotus Notes 8.5.

“IBM’s plans to deliver the IBM open collaboration client solution with Lotus Notes on the Ubuntu platform is a win for customers everywhere,” Mark Murphy, Canonical vice president of alliances, said in a press statement. “Canonical is committed to bringing the best available productivity tools to its users on an open platform. Ubuntu users will now have an outstanding choice with Lotus Notes, while businesses will have a great choice with Lotus Domino.”

A version of this story first appeared in eWEEK.

January 22, 2008
by sjvn01
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Brit TV with Apple TV?

One of the reasons why I’m a fan of the Apple TV is that it lets me watch my favorite BBC shows such as Dr. Who, Life on Mars, and Torchwood. Well, eventually I can watch them on my Apple TV, because first I had to find them on the Web, then translate them into an Apple TV-friendly format and then I can finally watch them.

In short, it’s a pain. Yes, there is BBC America, but it’s always at least a year behind the UK schedule.

Now, it looks like the BBC may, just may, be enabling us to watch BBC shows on demand on our Apple TV using its iPlayer service.

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January 19, 2008
by sjvn01
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Microsoft Wants to Be Your Big Brother

It’s not science-fiction. It’s a real technology and it cannot be allowed to happen or privacy will vanish.

Today, I have a temperature of 99 degrees Fahrenheit, a headache, my blood pressure is 100 over 71, and my heart-heat is around 90 beats per minute. I have felt better. Now, if Microsoft’s plan goes the way it wants, my Windows computer will soon be reporting all of that, and more, to my boss.

This isn’t science fiction. This isn’t a remake of George Orwell’s “1984.” This is the future, according to a recently filed Microsoft patent. Let’s call the product that might come from this patent Windows You. It is, as you’ll see, an apt name.

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January 17, 2008
by sjvn01
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Apple Goes Enterprise

Has the day finally come when you might seriously consider using Macs in your server room? Yes, and here’s why.

If you listen to some people—Microsoft—Apple has about as much business being in the office as the New York Yankees would have playing in the National Football League championship. Which is to say: none at all.

These folks will tell you that Apple is all about the sizzle, and not about the steak. Or, to put it another way, they might concede that Apple knows how to out-design everyone, but underneath the pretty exteriors, you’ll find old, shopworn ideas.

To all these people may I say: Get a Clue.

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January 15, 2008
by sjvn01
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Apple TV 2.0

Renting movies, from all the major studios, will soon be a click away on the Apple TV.

We knew that Fox was going to co-operate with Apple to rent movies, what we didn’t know was that, despite all the yammer about how the studios hated Apple, was that all the rest of them–Warner Bros., Miramax, Paramount, Sony, and Universal, and their subsidiaries—would be offering movie rentals on iTunes and Apple TV as well. Walt Disney, of course, had always been on board.

Jobs said at his keynote speech in San Francisco that by the end of February, there will be 1,000 movies available for rent. Older titles will cost $2.99, while newer ones will cost you $3.99 or $4.99 for the HD versions. Once you download a movie, either to your computer or directly to the Apple TV, you’ll have 30-days to watch it, and 24 hours, once you’ve started watching it, to finish viewing your film. The newest of the new movies will be released 30-days after they make their appearance on DVD.

Yes, I did say directly to your Apple TV. Apple will be updating your Apple TV’s firmware, within the next two weeks, so that you rent or buy videos from the iTunes stores from your Apple TV with just your clicker. You’ll still be able to pull video down from your PC or Mac, which is where I keep the bulk of my movie and TV library, but now you won’t need to deal with a computer at all. You can do everything from your couch with a remote like a proper coach-potato should.