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OT: HP Unveils AMD Opteron(TM) Processor-Based Systems
to Advance Enterprise Reliability, Ease of Ownership and Performance
AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced its latest models of the award-winning AMD
Opteron(TM) processor with Direct Connect Architecture will power new server
and workstation platforms from HP, including an enterprise-class HP ProLiant
server, the HP ProLiant DL385.
"We salute HP's leadership in providing the broadest portfolio of AMD
Opteron processor-based platforms in the industry, helping to advance
performance across the enterprise -- from the data center and
compute-intensive environments to sophisticated design and simulation
applications," said Marty Seyer, corporate vice president and general manager,
Microprocessor Business Unit, Computation Products Group, AMD. "Today's
announcement from HP is a true milestone for enterprise customers who demand
the industry's most power-efficient and high-performing servers and
workstations. AMD continues to define the next generation of x86 computing by
delivering processors that can deliver the highest return on investment and
enable enterprises around the world to optimize IT infrastructures."
Today HP unveiled the HP ProLiant DL385, HP's first enterprise-class AMD
Opteron processor-based server. Additionally, HP introduced the HP ProLiant
BL25p and BL35p blade servers, the first shipping AMD Opteron processor-based
blade servers from a Tier 1 OEM, and the HP xw9300 Workstation, the company's
first AMD Opteron processor-based, dual PCI Express(TM) graphics workstation
with support for NVIDIA Quadro SLI(TM) (Scalable Link Interface). These AMD
Opteron processor-based servers and workstations are engineered for
reliability, ease of ownership and optimized system performance, providing a
scalable foundation for customers of all sizes. Furthermore, with optimized
system performance, leading management tools and reduced cost of ownership,
these systems can offer a quick return on investment, especially in growth
markets like blades and Linux.
"Customer response to our AMD alliance has been very positive. Our ProLiant
DL585 has helped re-energize demand for 4P servers, and we expect our ProLiant
DL385 to be one of the industry's top performing 2P servers," said Brad
Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Industry Standard
Servers, HP. "As the first tier one provider to deliver AMD Opteron
processor-based blades to the market we will enable customers to take
advantage of the industry-leading performance-per-watt that the AMD Opteron
processor offers. Additionally, we expect our HP xw9300 Workstation to address
the needs of oil and gas exploration and digital media customers who require
improved graphics and computing performance."
"Enterprises today are demanding powerful modular computing solutions
designed to minimize datacenter power and cooling requirements," said Matt
Eastwood, program vice president, IDC. "HP, by significantly expanding its AMD
Opteron processor-based family of products, is now bringing more
power-efficient enterprise computing solutions to mainstream markets and
reinforcing its commitment to AMD64 technology."
The power and reliability of the AMD64 processor family are helping to spark
an artistic renaissance in the motion picture and audio/music industries by
removing technology bottlenecks that once disrupted work flows and stunted
creativity. The new HP xw9300 Workstation powered by AMD Opteron processors
allows the perfect balance of production power to match the creative
inspiration of the world's foremost digital artists and producers. The HP
xw9300 Workstation with the new NVIDIA nForce Professional chipset enabling
dual PCI Express graphics dramatically increases existing graphics and
computing performance for high-definition applications such as 3D animation,
pre-visualization, non-linear video editing, rendering and post-production.
About the AMD Opteron Processor
More than 40 percent of the Forbes Global 100 companies or their affiliates,
representing the world's most competitive industries, have implemented servers
and workstations based on the AMD Opteron processor, the world's first
x86-based processor to deliver both 32- and 64-bit computing.
The AMD Opteron processor, based on AMD64 technology with Direct Connect
Architecture, made history as the industry's first demonstration of
multi-core, x86 processor. Direct Connect Architecture connects multiple
processors, the memory controller and the I/O directly to the central
processor unit, helping to eliminate the bottlenecks inherent in a front-side
bus. The AMD Opteron processor currently provides industry-leading
performance-per-watt, a position AMD plans to extend with the launch of
dual-core AMD Opteron processors in mid-2005.
RSA Security Consumer Study Reveals Major Concerns Over Online Security and Identity Protection
RSA(R) CONFERENCE 2005, SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- An
annual study released today by RSA Security Inc. (Nasdaq: RSAS) showed
continuing reluctance by consumers to conduct personal business online due to
security concerns, with nearly one-fourth reducing their online shopping and
one-fifth refusing to work with their financial institutions over the
Internet. More than half of all respondents believe that widely-used user
ID/password protection schemes are not enough for the protection of online
information.
"Clearly there's a lot of work to be done if businesses want to build more
online trust with consumers. While awareness of threats remains high,
consumer confidence in dealing with those threats is low," said John Worrall,
vice president of worldwide marketing at RSA Security. "The message here is
simple: if organizations want their customers to do business with them online,
they need to implement stronger forms of information security. In the battle
to win over the confidence of online customers, it's obvious that traditional
passwords are the main enemy."
Consumer Trust Affecting Online Purchases and Banking
The third annual study, commissioned by RSA Security and conducted by
Opinion Research Corporation, was initiated to explore consumers' current
attitudes, perceptions and security practices - and how these have changed
over the last two years. More than 1,000 consumers were asked a variety of
questions relating to awareness of security issues, feelings of safety, and
use of available safeguards against identity theft and computer attacks.
When asked the question "How informed are you about identity theft issues
now when compared to a year ago," 61 percent of respondents considered
themselves "More Informed." However, only 18 percent of adults feel safer,
and 23 percent actually feel more vulnerable than they did in 2004. In
addition, 25 percent of respondents have reduced their online purchases in the
past year, and 21 percent refuse to conduct business with their financial
institutions online. Another 43 percent refuse to give out personal
information to online merchants. "In order to move from awareness to
confidence, consumers need to see evidence that business is taking action to
protect personal information," added Worrall.
Passwords Increasingly Seen as Key Area of Vulnerability
The study also asked for opinions relating to traditional user ID/password
security schemes, with more than half of all respondents (53 percent)
believing that these do not provide enough protection for online information.
According to the survey, poor management of PINs and passwords for access to
online services, desktop computer systems, ATMs and other electronic accounts
is a major vulnerability. More than two in three respondents (65 percent) use
fewer than five passwords for all electronic information access, and 15
percent use a single password for everything. These numbers are identical to
the 2004 figures. "The majority of consumers are aware of the problems
associated with passwords, but until they are presented with a reliable,
easy-to-use alternative, they're going to continue to exhibit poor password
management practices," Worrall said.
Internet service providers and financial institutions are beginning to
offer users the option of stronger forms of authentication. In late 2004, for
example, America Online launched a premium service in conjunction with RSA
Security called AOL(R) Passcode, providing members with the option of a second
level of protection beyond passwords. "We've seen the beginnings of a trend
toward the widespread replacement of passwords with better authentication
methods," said Worrall. "And its continuation will help bridge the gap
between consumer awareness of identity theft and actual protection against
it."
Other findings in the study:
-- Consumers continue to express concerns over sharing personal
information with online merchants. The 2004 survey showed 44 percent were
unwilling to do so, compared to 43 percent this year.
-- Consumers believe that the primary responsibility for identity theft
protection lies with both individuals and their financial institutions. When
asked the question "Which of the following are 'Very Responsible' for
protecting you against identity theft," 61 percent listed themselves and 52
percent listed banks/financial institutions (more than one response was
permitted).
-- Nearly 70 percent of the respondents do not feel that companies they do
business with online are doing enough to protect personal information.
TCG e-mail
The Trusted Computing Group would like to thank you
for your interest in the article, "Protecting Your Systems Data and Networks with Trusted Computing." If you would like additional information on the Trusted Computing Group, please visit the TCG Web site at https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/home.
Systems, software and networks enabled for Trusted Computing can:
- Store keys, digital certificates, passwords and data securely in hardware;
- Enhance network security;
- Protect online commerce transactions;
- Help protect against viruses, worms and other malicious attacks;
- Protect digital identities;
- Provide authentication between systems and networks;
- Allow for single sign-on to systems;
-Enable digital signatures for financial and other transactions
- Support regulatory compliance for Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA and other federal requirements.
There are numerous platforms and solutions available for purchase today that incorporate TCG-related technology. These products provide additional levels of data protection, regulatory compliance, access control, strong authentication, multi-factor authentication and much more. For more information on our Member's TCG-related products and services, visit the TCG Product Showcase at https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/kshowcase/view/.
TCG membership includes vendors for components, systems, software and services and addresses multiple platforms including PCs, mobile devices, servers, the network and embedded systems. For more information on joining the Trusted Computing Group, visit the TCG Web site at https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/join/.
The Trusted Computing Group actively participates in industry events throughout the year all over the world. TCG will sponsor a half-day session at the upcoming RSA Conference entitled "Putting Trust into Computing: How and Why" on Monday, February 14, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. as well as a lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Rob Enderle, principal and analyst at the Enderle Group, a leading market technology firm, will also address the attendees over the lunch hour. To register visit for this event, please visit http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=75094.
For more information on other industry events TCG will attend, please visit https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/events.
Thank you for your interest in the Trusted Computing Group. If you have any questions or comments or would like to learn more, please contact the TCG Administration at admin@trustedcomputinggroup.org.
Best Regards,
Trusted Computing Group Administration
Dell's Coronation Day
By Will Swarts
Of SMARTMONEY.COM
(This article was originally published Wednesday)
IT'S DIFFICULT TO imagine Michael Dell having a better Wednesday.
The founder and chairman of Dell Inc. (DELL) was probably already
anticipating a good week as his company prepared to announce fiscal 2005
fourth-quarter earnings after the closing bell on Thursday. Analysts expect
the Texas-based computer behemoth to report quarterly earnings of 36 cents a
share, a 25% jump from a year ago, and sales of $13.66 billion, an 18%
increase from fiscal 2004 - in short, another smashing performance from high
atop the PC industry.
Early Wednesday, however, things got even better for Dell, when
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) Chief Executive Carly Fiorina announced her resignation,
perhaps ceding the PC field to her principal rival once and for all.
The resignation was an effective admission that the highly criticized 2002
merger between Hewlett-Packard, a dominant printer manufacturer, and Compaq,
principally a PC maker, hasn't lived up to expectations. In the wake of her
resignation, speculation over a possible breakout of H-P's lucrative printing
and imaging business dominated business news channels. (For views on this
possibility, see Wednesday's One-Day Wonder under code N/SMT.)
Surprise management shakeups are rarely viewed favorably on Wall Street. Yet
Hewlett-Packard's shares zipped up 7.7% to $21.69 in early trading, a final
insult for the embattled Fiorina.
Yet the H-P rally didn't dampen enthusiasm for Dell, whose shares edged
higher on an otherwise down day for the Nasdaq Composite. The stock sat at
$41.34 early Wednesday, close to its 52-week high of $42.57 reached Dec. 13.
Roger Kay, an analyst at International Data Corp., a technology research
firm that charts industry trends, says Dell holds a 17% share of the PC
market, greater than Hewlett's 16% and IBM's (IBM) 5.7%. Dell recorded 23%
quarterly growth in its PC sales, well ahead of the 15% world-wide average,
Kay says. PC- and server-related business accounts for about 75% of Dell's
2005 sales, with storage, printers and services making up the rest. Hewlett,
by contrast, dominates the printer business, with a 38.2% world-wide share in
the third quarter, compared with Lexmark's (LXK) 9.6% and Dell's meager 4.2%.
And in hardware-support services, second-place H-P holds a 9.3% world-wide
share, compared with leader IBM's 10% and Dell's paltry 3%. Following
Fiorina's departure, HP announced it will combine its commoditized PC and
server businesses, leaving the profitable printer and service businesses to
operate successfully.
"Certainly in PCs, [Dell is] the undisputed champ," says Kay. "At this
point, H-P is making sounds like it is pulling back from the [market] share
wars and is no longer going to try to compete in that domain."
Kay said H-P's PC business has low margins - just 1% or 2% "on a good day."
Dell's margins are about 5%, sky-high in an ever-more-competitive market.
"[Dell] could bury H-P even further if it wants." (Kay doesn't own shares of
Dell, and IDC doesn't do investment banking.) HP's market-share lead in Europe
should give way soon, say analysts, and while Dell lags its competitors in
other regions - it trails NEC (NIPNY) and Fujitsu in Japan, and IBM in the
rest of the Asia Pacific region - the H-P news could be a shot in the arm.
But now that Dell has its boot on H-P's neck in PCs, investors are wondering
when it'll begin making serious inroads into the soft underbellies of printers
and services, where margins are juicy. Dell is likely to report strong
enterprise sales growth in the fourth quarter, and printer sales are expected
to pick up. But it'll be difficult, says Kay, for Dell to steal market share
in printers, since H-P is so entrenched. Dell's forays into the services
business, meanwhile, run up against stiff competition from IBM. But Kay says
Dell is making strides, particularly in system architecture work for large
corporate customers.
"Once you gain the trust of a company to the point where you're designing
stuff for them, then you tend to get other businesses as well," he says.
"There are a lot of ways that Dell has figured out how to make money here, and
if you talk to Dell, you will get people on message about it, all the way from
the factory floor to [CEO] Kevin Rollins. It's actually kind of scary."
In the nearer term, all eyes will be on Dell's new revenue guidance on
Thursday. Les Santiago of Piper Jaffray expects Dell's guidance for the first
quarter of fiscal 2006 to be "stronger-than-seasonal," with revenues around
$13.25 billion and EPS of about 35 cents. In a Wednesday research note, he
called for 2006 sales of $57.7 billion, a 17% increase from fiscal 2005, and
2007 sales of $64.1 billion, up an additional 11% from the 2006 projection.
Santiago's note also said simple direct-to-consumer sales will make the
coming year a good one for Dell, which derives 20% of its revenues from
consumer sales.
"Per a number of online traffic measurement companies, the company's Web
site, Dell.com, was one of the most visited online shopping sites (behind only
eBay (EBAY) and Amazon.com (AMZN)) during the week leading up to Christmas,"
he writes. "Dell's new flat-screen television monitors, notebook PCs and
inkjet printers appear to have had a strong quarter."
That surely gives competitors one Dell of a headache.
Larry, look again; it's not deleted.
Pickle, I notice you're a new poster on iHub. Welcome.
What was your handle on Yahoo? I may have bumped into you over there.
tia
kevin_s5
Intel mentions TPM v1.2
available Spring, 2005
http://www.intel.com/platforms/desktop/vision/LyndonFlyer.pdf
2005 Digital Office
http://www.intel.com/platforms/desktop/vision/PVG2005_OFFICE.pdf
RSA Conference:
Summary From Credit Suisse
The RSA Conference, the largest event for the information security industry,
will be hosted February 15-17, 2005 in San Francisco. Each year, this expo
produces several significant announcements pertaining to the security industry,
and we believe two themes will dominate this year's conference: 1) Microsoft's
security initiatives and 2) greater marketing surrounding authentication and
identity management. In the bullets below, we have presented a day-by-day
overview of the RSA Conference's noteworthy keynote speakers and our
expectations for the impact of those presentations.
Tuesday, February 15: "Is Today D-Day for Microsoft?" The RSA Conference
officially kicks off with Bill Gates' 8:35 AM PT keynote, "Security: Raising the
Bar." Gate's keynote represents the most anticipated event of the week, and we
believe that Gates will continue to speak aggressively regarding Microsoft's
efforts to enhance the security of its products-with particular focus around
malicious code. We expect Gates to discuss Microsoft's recent beta release of
its antispyware product and to present a roadmap for continued forays into
malicious code scanning-including an eventual combined antivirus/antispyware
solution. While we expect Gates to discuss these areas during his keynote, we
continue to believe that the most likely timing for Microsoft to enter the
traditional antivirus market with a generally available product, which we
believe will be a for-fee subscription service, to be the introduction of MSN 10
in the second half of 2005. Given our belief that Microsoft's initiatives will
dominate discussions around the expo, we would expect both Symantec and McAfee
to potentially come under pressure heading into and during the RSA Conference.
Also of note, Symantec's CEO John Thompson will present his keynote at 10:35 AM
PT on Monday as well.
Wednesday, February 16: "Another Sleeping Giant Speaks & Identity Management
Takes Stage." With his 8:45 AM PT keynote, "Building and Securing the
Intelligent Information Network for Competitive Advantage," we expect Cisco
Systems' CEO John Chambers to continue to discuss the company's architectural
approach to security. However, we do not expect significant announcements from
Cisco Systems. Directly following Chambers' keynote, we believe that Computer
Associates' Russell Artzt will focus on solutions to effectively manage
security, and we expect CA to significantly emphasize its acquisition of
Netegrity both in its keynote presentation and at its expo booth at the
conference.
Thursday, February 17: "More Authentication." Similar to Computer Associates
and RSA Security, we expect VeriSign's Stratton Sclavos's 9:45 AM PT keynote to
continue to focus on the increasing importance of identity management and strong
authentication.
Ultimately, we expect multiple announcements to emerge from this year's RSA
Conference and believe that investors must be well positioned heading into the
event.
OT?: ARM JTEK Software Licensed by Siemens
for Next-Generation Feature Phones
Arm Java Acceleration Software Delivers High Java Performance With Jazelle
Technology
CAMBRIDGE, England, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ARM,
(LSE: ARM; Nasdaq: ARMHY), today announced that Siemens has licensed the
ARM(R) Jazelle(R) Technology Enabling Kit (JTEK(TM)) software for deployment
in its next-generation ARM Powered(R) feature phones.
Device manufacturers and service providers are increasingly using Java
technology as a low cost means to quickly deploy new applications, such as
complex games and mobile push services. ARM Jazelle technology enables
execution of Java byte code in hardware offering the capability to run these
new and demanding applications much faster, with limited power and cost
penalties. Acceleration of Java technology, as part of the core architecture,
requires no additional ROM/RAM, yet provides increased efficiency in power.
This means consumers can use mobile devices to run Java applications for
longer without sacrificing performance or responsiveness.
"Complexity in mobile Java applications is increasing rapidly, putting
great strain on consumer devices. JTEK software enables the smooth running of
these applications without sacrificing battery life or start-up time," said
Chris Porthouse, Execution Environments product manager, ARM. "The exponential
growth in JTEK technology-enabled handsets is set to continue and this will
help strengthen our current position."
About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital
products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to
imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM's comprehensive product
offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, 3D processors,
digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development
tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products.
Combined with the company's broad Partner community, they provide a total
system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading
electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at
http://www.arm.com .
Why did you ban those four??e/
Hi Larry,
If greg_s is such an asset to iHub, maybe you can grant him permanent citizenship on your board. Just a thought........
orda...interesting! thanks!! e/
thanks awk and BerthaB, now I remember! e/
Hi awk,
Yep, I know about the trusted devices and trusted peripherals, but is that what was being discussed a couple years ago?
A question re: Seatgate.................
A couple years ago, I remember Seagate's being discussed relative to Wave, but I can't remember in what context. Does anyone recall?? My curiosity was piqued again when I saw this from RSA's upcoming conference:
Michael Willett of Seagate Corp. will speak at the Applied Security Track. His session is "Enhance Network Security and Trust in e-Business Using Trusted Platform Modules" on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.
OT: Nortel Teams with Research In Motion to Integrate IP Telephony with BlackBerry Enterprise Platform
ORLANDO, Fla., Feb 7, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Nortel (NYSE:NT) (TSX:NT) and
Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq:RIMM) (TSX:RIM) today announced a joint
initiative aimed at delivering secure, full-featured, Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP)-enabled business communications over wireless local area networks
(LAN).
As a first step, the companies are focusing on providing interoperability and
integration between RIM's BlackBerry(R) enterprise platform and Nortel's
Multimedia Communications Server (MCS) 5100, a critical component of Nortel's
enterprise IP multimedia solution. This collaboration brings unique synergies
for enterprise customers by joining Nortel's industry-leading networking and
multimedia capabilities and RIM's expertise in wireless enterprise solutions.
By integrating these systems, enterprise customers will be able to use the new
BlackBerry 7270(TM) to securely and reliably access IP telephony, corporate
e-mail and other business applications via the wireless LAN.
Nortel and RIM are demonstrating a preview of the technology at VoiceCON in
Orlando this week (Nortel booth #401).
"In addition to supporting the traditional mobile user that requires wide-area
connectivity on a national or international basis, many customers are looking
for similar types of business solutions for their on-campus employees so that
productivity benefits can be extended throughout the entire company. BlackBerry
integration with Nortel's telephony network products will help enterprise
customers achieve that goal in a powerful and cost-effective manner," said Larry
Conlee, chief operating officer at Research In Motion.
"Together, Nortel and RIM plan to take mobile communications to an entirely new
level. Both companies have embraced wireless standards and SIP in the
development of enterprise solutions, paving the way for the integration of our
technologies and vision. Today's announcement of our efforts to mobilize
on-campus workers with profoundly powerful communications is an important first
step that will bring enhanced business capabilities to customers," said Malcolm
Collins, president, Enterprise Networks, Nortel.
"We look forward to building on this momentum with further initiatives to
enhance the human experience by providing a consistent end-user experience
regardless of location," Collins said.
Nortel's MCS 5100 enables businesses to augment existing voice and data
infrastructures with advanced IP-based capabilities and deliver a wide range of
applications including voice, call management, collaboration tools and
personalization services. Enterprise MCS users will be able to securely take
their communications suite including telephony, e-mail, organizer, browser,
company directory and more with them as they roam their company's facilities.
Nortel plans to extend the powerful Presence and Instant Messaging capabilities
of MCS across a wide range of BlackBerry handhelds, including the WLAN based
7270.
The BlackBerry 7270 works in conjunction with BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0
and BlackBerry Mobile Data Service, providing secure, push-based integration
with Microsoft(R) Exchange and IBM Lotus(R) Domino(TM) as well as a robust
wireless application platform for ISV's and developers. The BlackBerry 7270 will
operate on 802.11b networks and incorporates voice and data capabilities. The
BlackBerry 7270 supports IP telephony that essentially extends desktop phone
functionality to a BlackBerry wireless handheld, allowing the user to place and
receive calls on the go. It utilizes SIP-based call control to deliver
standards-based interoperability with corporate telephony equipment.
Nortel's mobility solutions are based on open, industry standards. They enable
communications of all types, supporting IP multimedia, including video
conferencing, data, Internet access, traditional, cellular and wireless local
network-enabled voice and streaming applications. Nortel has made secure, mobile
connectivity available to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
BlackBerry is a leading wireless enterprise platform, providing secure,
push-based access to a wide range of applications on a variety of wireless
devices and networks around the world. The BlackBerry solution for WLAN networks
is designed to support many different industries and environments including
manufacturing, retail, hospitality, education and healthcare.
Nortel and RIM have entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
documenting this important step in the companies' relationship. The MOU is
expected to be replaced in the near term with a more detailed definitive
agreement.
doma/orda, check this out:
http://www.tumbleweed.com/pdfs/va-wavesys1.pdf
New Website: Microsoft Interoperability
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/interop/default.mspx
OT: Advances in Linking Smart Cards to PCs
By Tim Kridell
http://www.cardtechnology.com/cgi-bin/readstory.pl?story=20041201CTMI661.xml
In the Lombardy region of northern Italy, doctors spend their days handling blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes and, now, smart cards. That’s because the area’s health care facilities are in the midst of a major smart card rollout that requires adding smart card readers to roughly 35,000 computers. Each computer is equipped with a reader that can communicate with both the doctor’s and the patient’s smart cards; it also has a PIN pad.
This type of reader ensures that a patient’s data is read only by authorized health professionals and only after the patient has handed over a new smart card that Lombardy citizens are being issued in a test of a card that eventually may be adopted throughout the European Union.
The operator–such as a doctor or nurse–also must insert his or her card into a reader and enter their PIN before the reader will access the data on the patient’s card.
“The citizen card certifies both identity and his will to allow the operator to access his clinical data stored in the system,” says Carlo Leonardi, who’s overseeing the project. The health professional’s profile stored on the card specifies what data that individual can access.
The Lombardy deployment is noteworthy not just for its planned scale–145,000 health care providers and 9.2 million citizens–but also because it’s part of the European Netc@rds project, which seeks to replace paper and red tape with electronic documents. Programs such as Netc@rds, which is being tested in seven European countries, create demand for smart cards and readers, including readers with such new features as dual card slots and PIN pads.
Demand for smart card readers is increasing rapidly, according to U.S.-based research firm Frost & Sullivan. The firm projects unit shipments will grow from 9.4 million in 2003 to 35.5 million readers in 2008, a compound annual growth of 30.6%.
Frost & Sullivan says France-based Gemplus International, best known as one of the top smart card vendors, led the way in readers in 2003, shipping 1.9 million units for a 20.8% market share. Gemplus has two major competitors in smart card readers: U.S.-based SCM Microsystems and Germany-based Omnikey, a subsidiary of Assa Abloy of Sweden.
These and other vendors are offering more choices: from tokens that contain smart card chips and do away with the reader, to contactless readers that promise greater durability and convenience.
There also are more vendors to choose from and stiffer price competition, notes Karthik Nagarajan of Frost & Sullivan. He points to Hong Kong-based Advanced Card Systems, a company founded in 1995, which Frost & Sullivan ranks fourth in the global market for smart card readers for PCs.
Those deploying smart card readers say they are becoming easier to install, although some hassles remain. In Lombardy, readers connect to workstations via a USB cable. “[There’s] no difficulty whatsoever,” Leonardi says.
Vendors say most of the readers they ship nowadays connect to a PC’s USB port. Those USB ports have been standard on PCs since the late 1990s, and plugging them in is no more difficult than plugging in a toaster–that is, if you know where to find the USB port.
Not everyone does, points out Trent Henry, an analyst with the Burton Group, a U.S. company that specializes in IT security. There are also software drivers to download, which some end-users will find challenging. “The large organizations that have had successful deployments have had to write fairly in-depth tutorials for their users in order to get the card infrastructure, including the readers, to work successfully.”
Some card vendors are incorporating the USB interface and Internet protocols in their card software, which would eliminate the need for users to download software drivers or middleware to their PCs. Only a USB connection, linking the card and PC would be needed. These cards will first hit the market in 2005, so it could be a few years before they gain acceptance.
Until then, current readers that plug into the PC’s USB port are easier to use than the earlier readers that plug into serial ports. Although SCM hasn’t discontinued its serial-port product, “we aren’t selling much of it at all,” says Jason Schouw, vice president and general manager for the Americas. “The majority of demand, even on older systems, is USB.”
A third type of reader fits into the PCMCIA slot that many laptops include. “The demand for PCMCIA readers is boosted by high laptop adoption,” says Alain Sigaud, head of the smart card reader business at Gemplus.
Prices for USB readers have fallen into the range of $10 to $15 apiece in large volumes. A PCMCIA reader typically goes for about twice as much.
But in a deployment of, say, 100,000 smart cards, a $15 reader still could add up to $1.5 million worth of overhead. One way to cut that cost is by using USB tokens, which are about the size of a house key and contain a smart card chip. They plug directly into the PC’s USB port.
“The advantage there is that you pretty much skirt the whole reader issue because you don’t need to attach an additional piece of hardware to your machine, although (software) drivers usually are still required,” says Henry of the Burton Group.
The convenience of combining the card and reader into a single package is winning over some customers. For example, Gemplus says it has sold more than 400,000 USB tokens in China this year, in a project driven by a major bank.
But many organizations want employees to carry a single credential that functions both as a photo ID card and as a way to authenticate the individual’s identity for network access. One reason is cost: A single badge that combines credentials, such as building entry and network access, is up to 20% cheaper than issuing multiple cards, according to a Burton Group study.
That reduced overhead, along with increased productivity from faster PC log-ins, saved one large enterprise $8 million in the first year of its smart card deployment, with future annual savings of at least $3 million, Burton Group says. The consulting firm did not identity the organization.
Contactless Options
Those cards will carry both a contact chip for network access and a contactless chip so cardholders can enter buildings by waving their cards near readers that emits radio signals. While contact smart cards that must be inserted into readers are the norm for network security applications, Nagarajan says some organizations may begin using contactless cards and readers for network access.
Because contactless cards need not be inserted into readers, there’s minimal wear and tear on the card and reader, so they last longer. However, the potential for confidential data to be intercepted as it travels through the short gap between card and reader remains a concern.
Cost is also an issue. Although contactless hardware carries a price premium over comparable contact gear, some buyers say that in bulk a $25 contactless reader can be had for as little as $20. And adding a contactless interface to a card–which can be done with a separate contactless chip or a dual-interface contact/contactless chip–also means spending more on the smart card.
Leonardi of Lombardy, which is considering adding a contactless interface so that citizens’ health cards can also be used for mass transit, estimates that contactless adds 1.5 euros (US$1.94) to the cost of the card.
The added cost of card and reader may be justifiable if contactless means lower total cost of ownership because cards and readers can last longer. As one U.S. government buyer says: “Even if you have to put another $20 (per user) into the infrastructure, it’s money well spent.”
Burton Group’s Henry says contactless also may be a better choice for such environments as factory floors, where the reader slots for contact smart cards may be quickly gummed up by dirt and grease.
Contactless is gaining momentum rapidly in Asia, where it first was used on a wide scale in cards that commuters wave past subway turnstiles for faster fare payment. For instance, Sony Corp. of Japan says it has distributed about 1 million contactless card readers to consumers who carry Sony’s Elio credit card. That card also carries the contactless Edy electronic purse on it, and consumers can use it to make small payments on the Internet by laying their card on the contactless card reader. To date, Sony records few contactless credit or e-purse transactions online, however.
Sony in October began a test of a contactless card and reader in the United States, but just for use as a loyalty card that members of its Sony Club rewards program can use for easier Web access and to take advantage of special offers.
Cardholders lay the contactless card on the reader and enter a personal identification number to access a customized Web page and a toolbar that provides easy access to Web sites of Sony and partner companies. The card also stores user names and passwords for easy log-on to favorite Web sites.
Sony signed up 7,000 consumers by e-mailing members of the Sony Club rewards program, says Jeffrey Dorn, senior vice president of financial services strategy. Those consumers received the Wave card and reader free after completing a survey and downloading the needed software.
Sony planned to send another batch of e-mails later in the fall to a second group of Sony Club members, who would have to pay $29.95 plus 500 Sony Club points for the card and reader. In both cases, those who sign up receive coupons worth $50 from Sony and its partners. Sony also planned a direct mail offer of the card and reader to some of the nearly 1 million holders of the Sony Card, a cobranded Visa credit card issued by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
PIN Security
For many others shopping for smart card readers, security is the key. Some organizations want readers with PIN pads so that when the cardholder types in their PIN it is never seen by the PC. That is to prevent a hacker from inserting spyware onto the computer that would record the PIN and return it to the hacker.
Readers with PIN pads, known as Class 2 readers, represent less than 5% of the market. These cost about 50% more than basic readers. But the big obstacle has been integrating such readers with PCs, says Uwe Schnabel, chief technology officer at Omnikey.
The PC/SC specification that facilitates the integration of basic smart card readers with Windows-based PCs does not cover readers with PIN pads. That means that smart card vendors, or developers of software for smart card projects, must write special software to communicate with these readers from each manufacturer, Schnabel says.
To overcome that obstacle, Omnikey, SCM and Germany-based reader manufacturer Kobil Systems this fall developed a proposed standard way for PCs to communicate with the high-end readers. He says the three companies have proposed adding this protocol to the PC/SC standard. He hopes a decision will be made by year’s end.
That work illustrates how vendors are upgrading their devices to meet new and growing demand. Whatever the users’ needs, there are more vendors offering more models than ever before. CT
OT: New Government Smart Card Spec Unveiled
The National Institute of Standards and Technology on Monday released its latest draft of the smart card specification that will be used as a standard for all government ID cards. The specification departs from the November draft which ruffled some feathers among government smart card officials and industry. It is unclear whether the new draft will do much to ease those previous concerns.
The latest version of Special Publication 800-73 calls for three standard applications, or objects, to be placed on all smart cards in order to ensure that the ID can be read by all government agencies, says Gilles Lisimaque, who worked on the spec and is a partner with consulting firm ID Technology Partners. The three objects include a unique cardholder identification number, two biometric fingerprint images and two digital certificates. These three objects can be used as applets on Java cards or files on file structure cards, Lisimaque says. Those are the two basic kinds of smart cards issued by U.S. government agencies, and agencies would still be able to choose either type under the new spec.
The big drawback is that the software objects described in the specification have not been certified by U.S. standards makers. And it could take up to a year before the applications and cards receive certification, Lisimaque says. In addition, some of the current cards may not have sufficient memory to hold all of the required objects, particularly the fingerprint images, which take up 15 kilobytes of memory each. Many of the roughly 3.5 million Common Access Card IDs issued by the Department of Defense only have a total of 32K of rewriteable memory, which might not be sufficient to hold all the data required by the new spec.
The government faces an October deadline for coming up with a standard ID card for some 7 million government employees and private contractors, according to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 signed in August by President George Bush. However, sources say that agencies will not have to start issuing the new cards by October. They will only have to have procedures in place for verifying the identity of employees receiving ID cards. The deadlines for issuing the new cards will come later, although when has not yet been determined. The White House Office of Management and Budget is expected to issue guidance on moving to the new system shortly.
Officials say this latest draft diverges from the Government Smart card Interoperability Specification, which U.S. officials had developed over the past few years, and from the 800-73 draft the Interagency Advisory Board submitted to NIST two weeks ago. The IAB, made up of officials from various federal agencies, spent about six weeks working on developing their own version of the spec, which they approved and sent to NIST for consideration. IAB officials were not available for comment. Other government officials said they were still digesting the draft and declined comment.
NIST seemed to hand over the smart card spec to the IAB after the controversy in November. That initial draft called for a hybrid smart card that would use both file structure and Java on the same card. This protocol would have required some existing smart card installations to reissue cards. This met with resistance, especially from the U.S. Department of Defense which has spent more than $1 billion on its smart card program, by far the biggest in the U.S. government and one of the biggest employee ID card projects in the world to use smart cards.
President Bush signed the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 in August, which called for a standard ID card to be issued to a federal employees and contractors. The card could eventually be issued to 7 million individuals.
NIST is accepting comments on this latest spec until Feb. 14.
weets, I just found this article:
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/news/40231.html
Intel Chipset
Dell's new notebooks are based on a new Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) chipset, the release of which was delayed last year. HP is expected to unveil similar features this week, Enderle said.
Dell and HP might be looking to cut into the ThinkPad brand. In December, IBM announced that it would sell its PC division to Lenovo Group Ltd. If the deal passes a national-security review, China-based Lenovo will retain the ThinkPad brand for at least five years.
The timing for HP and Dell "couldn't be better," Enderle said.
Dell Adds Security, Durability to Notebooks
By Dan Zehr
Cox News Service
02/02/05 7:46 AM PT
Some of the security features rolled out by Dell on Tuesday during an event at the Nasdaq market in New York aren't new to the industry. Its embedded security chip, for example, is similar to one already offered on the ThinkPad, the notebook from IBM Corp. that has long been a favorite of high-end corporate users.
Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) Inc. unveiled its latest generation of business-class computers Tuesday, including a trio of notebook PCs that offer more rugged design, improved battery life and increased security .
Notebooks are increasingly important to the business-computer market. The growth in corporate spending has leveled off recently, but demand for mobile PCs has increased sharply. From January 2003 through September 2004, sales of portable PCs to business customers grew nearly 42 percent, according to research firm IDC. Sales of desktop PCs increased 18 percent during the same period.
Security Focus
The change has come with some challenges. Increased mobility has forced businesses to put an even keener eye on security and durability.
Some of the security features rolled out by Dell on Tuesday during an event at the Nasdaq market in New York aren't new to the industry. Its embedded security chip, for example, is similar to one already offered on the ThinkPad, the notebook from IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) that has long been a favorite of high-end corporate users.
IBM first put the security chip -- popular with government, financial and insurance customers -- in its notebooks in the fall of 1999, spokesman Lon Levitan said.
"Corporate customers said, 'Build a ThinkPad product, and we'll consider buying from you,'" said Rob Enderle, who runs the Enderle Group, a tech-consulting firm in San Jose, Calif.
Solid Construction
Dell also said it is beefing up notebook construction with a magnesium alloy for reinforcement. With extended-life batteries and chips that consume less power, users can get up to seven hours of power without recharging, the company said.
Even before the upgrades, however, Dell was No. 1 in portable PCs for businesses worldwide, with nearly 17 percent of the market in the third quarter, IDC said. HP was second with 13.7 percent, and IBM third with 13.2 percent.
Through October, notebooks accounted for 29 percent of Dell's sales for 2004, up from 27 percent through the same period of 2003. Dell's growing sales should help the new features become standard in corporate America.
"The direct model lets us push the technology stack down to the mainstream category quicker than anyone else," said Mark Vena, Dell's director of client and outbound marketing. "We're able to get that to a much broader corporate audience than you'd typically see."
Intel Chipset
Dell's new notebooks are based on a new Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) chipset, the release of which was delayed last year. HP is expected to unveil similar features this week, Enderle said.
Dell and HP might be looking to cut into the ThinkPad brand. In December, IBM announced that it would sell its PC division to Lenovo Group Ltd. If the deal passes a national-security review, China-based Lenovo will retain the ThinkPad brand for at least five years.
The timing for HP and Dell "couldn't be better," Enderle said.
Dell also unveiled a new corporate-grade desktop PC on Tuesday, along with a pair of heavy-duty workstations and enhanced services for business customers. The company also said its new machines meet European Union rules for 2006 that require manufacturers to reduce the amount of lead in their PCs.
©
Yo barge: Nintendo Selects RSA Security
to Protect Gaming Assets on Its New Nintendo DS Game Console RSA BSAFE(R) Products Provide Proven Embedded Security Technology for the Latest Portable Digital Entertainment Devices
BEDFORD, Mass., Feb 02, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- RSA Security
Inc. (Nasdaq: RSAS) announced today that Nintendo Co., Ltd. has licensed micro
and full editions of its RSA BSAFE(R) encryption solutions for use in the
newly-released Nintendo DS(TM) portable game console. These solutions provide
protection for games as they are played and shared across wireless links between
Nintendo DS devices. It allows Nintendo to offer the latest interactive gaming
capabilities for consumers while ensuring that the valuable assets of its
numerous game development partners are protected.
Nintendo is one of the pioneers in the portable gaming market and the current
market leader. The new wireless features of the Nintendo DS allow certain games
to be shared and played interactively among users. RSA BSAFE technology is used
to protect the digital rights of game publishers for titles shared over these
wireless links. The technology also allows Nintendo to protect game software
that is issued on a trial basis for play in retail stores and other demo
environments. All of this combines to give confidence to game publishers and
developers for the Nintendo DS platform that their new interactive titles will
operate in a secure, trusted environment and that consumers will get the safe,
reliable gaming experience they have come to expect from Nintendo.
"Nintendo's use of our embedded RSA BSAFE technology in its portable game
console is a great endorsement of our leadership in providing the security
components consumer device manufacturers need, in order to offer protection for
digital entertainment assets on their platforms," says Rick Welch, Vice
President of Developer Solutions and Professional Services at RSA Security. "We
are known for providing highly customizable and standards-based security
components that meet the constrained resource requirements of consumer devices.
Our continued innovation in providing technology for protecting these assets,
further realized in the upcoming release of our RSA BSAFE Mobile Rights
Management product, makes us the trusted security partner consumer electronics
manufacturers can rely on to deliver the security components they need for their
next-generation devices."
RSA Security's 20 years of experience developing security standards and
technologies, including critical security protocols such as SSL -- one of the
backbones of Internet electronic commerce -- is brought to bear in the
development of the core technologies needed for effective asset protection for
digital entertainment devices and services. The company is also a recognized
leader in providing encryption, public key infrastructure, and other embedded
security products and services for a broad range of electronic devices.
wheretoturn
It is simple: the Intel news mentioned Wave. The Dell PR did not.
cosign,
There wasn't any mention of us, so today's action shouldn't be a surprise. If the public heard about Wave through a Dell PR, I'm sure we'd be much, much higher.
RSA is a couple of weeks away. With shareholder lawsuits pending, perhaps this venue is a more appropriate way to announce recent developments. jmo
Thoughtful post from the other board:
helpfulbacteria
In reply to: None Date:2/1/2005 1:03:29 PM
Post #of 67233
They Said…
They said we were idiots, morons, cult-like in our behavior, delusional, devoid of principles.
They said we were apologists and that we had behaved as accomplices in a fraud.
Some of them reached out to each other, to former employees of Wave Systems, to the SEC, and even to members of the press in their increasingly desperate attempts to bring the company down.
They cheered when the stock plummeted. They took delight in our losses.
They said we couldn’t face facts. That we were in denial about management self-dealings, the lack of revenues, the level of executive compensation, and the “paper” alliances that yielded naught.
They did everything they could to dispirit and distract us.
So, now, today, where does all of this stand? Whose arguments are ciphers and ghosts? Whose dot-connections are hard as stone?
Let history record something that we’ve known for a while: THEY WERE WRONG.
WRONG AS DELL.
The little company from Lee—the “lone voice in the wilderness” about the need for hardware-based security and a “trusted client”—has had to alter its go-to-market plans and adapt while the gorillas did what gorillas always do: move very slowly.
An idea that was/is intuitive—the notion that the EDGES of the network needed to be secure and trustworthy—has taken a long time to FINALLY arrive. But, IT’S HERE.
Let me ask you, how did you sustain yourself these several years? What gave you the strength to persist in an investment that might have seemed (and, I think, was at few junctures) on the brink of oblivion or being marginalized?
To Weby: Your fairness, sense of humor, and inquisitive mind… sustained me.
To Awk: Your stubborn belief in patterns of research and industry trends (mostly your own, which you so generously shared) and your strong spirit… sustained me.
To Doma: Your terrific research, willingness to explain difficult concepts and fighting spirit… sustained me.
To Rachelelise: Your intellect, good-natured-ness and “horse” sense… sustained me.
To Go-Kite: While you and I have crossed wires on a few occasions, I greatly respect your knowledge of technology, your independent research, and your clarity.
To Snacks: Snacks, you aren’t a tech-head. (I’m not, either.) I’ve winced when you’ve made predictions over the years. But, you have ALWAYS been fair—and, more than that—ENCOURAGING in your communications and dealings with me. Your role as civility sheriff and “on-topic” cop is a thankless, but an UTTERLY indispensable one. Thank you.
Wavoids, ENJOY this day.
Did anyone see the slide?
It says TPM v1.1.............I wonder why they didn't go with the 1.2s?
Dell Inc. (DELL) Tuesday is expected to add its support
to an industry effort to beef up desktop and notebook PC security by
installing a dedicated chip that adds security and privacy-specific features,
according to people familiar with its plans.
Dell will disclose plans to add the security features known as the Trusted
Computing Module on all its personal computers. Its support comes in the wake
of similar endorsements by PC industry giants Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
(AMD), Hewlett-Packard Co., (HPQ), Intel Corp. (INTC), International Business
Machines Corp. (IBM).
The technology has been promoted by an industry organization called the
Trusted Computing Group.
The company is also expected to unveil new network PCs.
(This story and related background will be available on the Journal's Web
site, wsj.com.)
-By Gary McWilliams, The Wall Street Journal; 713-547-9206
IT'S OFFICIAL!!
02/01 11:03AM *WSJ: Dell To Put Privacy, Security Chip In PCs >
Doma, your link now produces this:
The page you requested may no longer exist on Dell.com
greg, thanks, last question
I can understand how they might increase computer sales, but how do they increase computer security?
greg, three questions
What is the "status" of these initiatives and how do they relate to computer security?
Do you believe Dell will or will not use TPMs?
greg_s,
What are the many better ways ?
RSA Security's Art Coviello Jan. 27, 2005
The CEO of the largest vendor of computer security tokens gives his prognosis for what's going to matter in '05.
By George V. Hulme
InformationWeek
Two weeks before RSA Conference 2005, the largest security conference of the year, InformationWeek senior editor George V. Hulme spoke with Art Coviello, RSA Security Inc.'s president and CEO, about phishing, spyware, and other security concerns.
InformationWeek: What are the top trends for the coming year in information security?
Coviello: We're seeing emerging and more targeted threats that are far more troubling than generalized worm and virus attacks. One area is phishing attacks--these are continuing on a widespread basis. I also see more-sophisticated spyware attacks that don't just track where you've been on the Internet, but also capture your keystrokes and passwords. With this type of spyware, you don't have to fall for a phishing scam to have your identity stolen.
InformationWeek: What's the state of your partnership with Microsoft for your SecurID hardware (which creates a six-digit number that changes every minute)? Is that helping users log on to Windows more safely?
Coviello: Everyone wants to criticize Microsoft, so I always get a lot of pushback when I say this, but it's in Microsoft's firm interest to overcome these security issues. They're taking a multipronged approach to improve security. They're working to create this trusted-computing environment by making secure code in the first place. And they've substantially upgraded their patch process and the speed with which they fix security leaks. No one likes this situation, but we're stuck with it until later versions of software are released. The third prong of their strategy is by reaching out to vendors like us to add security value to their software. We can make the Microsoft log-on more secure by replacing it with the SecurID token.
InformationWeek: How well is the strategy of marketing your ClearTrust identity-management software to customers of your security tokens going?
Coviello: If you look at what an identity- and access-management system should contain, it's the ability to prove someone's identity and authorize those identities to do things, and to get access to resources, which is what ClearTrust does for Web applications. There's an understandable and natural fit between strong authentication- and identity-management software.
01/27 16:24:26 C 0.8500 0.9100 100X20
01/27 16:18:28 C 0.8600 0.9100 43X20
01/27 16:15:35 P 0.9000 C 0.9100 6X20 BBO
01/27 16:15:35 P 0.9000 0.9200 6X1
01/27 16:09:29 C 0.8700 C 0.9100 1X20 BBO
01/27 16:09:29 P 0.8000 0.9200 20X1
01/27 16:09:28 C 0.8700 P 0.9000 1X1 BBO
01/27 16:09:28 P 0.8000 0.9000 20X1
01/27 16:09:08 C 0.8700 C 0.9100 1X20
cosign,
after hours......currently .90 X .91.
OT: Secure Computing Reports Strong Fourth Quarter and 2004 Results Company Achieves Record Quarterly Revenue and Billings Performance, and 38% Increase in Full Year Income from Continuing Operations
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan 27, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Secure Computing Corporation
(NASDAQ:SCUR), the experts in securing connections between people, applications
and networks, today announced fourth quarter 2004 revenue of $25.5 million. This
represents an 11% increase compared to $22.9 million in the same quarter last
year, and a 4% increase compared to revenues of $24.5 million in the prior
quarter. Full year 2004 revenues were $93.4 million, a 23% increase from $76.2
million in full year 2003.
"The fourth quarter marked another period of solid execution," said John
McNulty, chairman, president and chief executive officer at Secure Computing.
"Our growth in the quarter spanned all major geographic regions and industry
sectors. Both the government and commercial teams executed very well. Our
Federal Government vertical market contributed 20 percent of our revenue mix,
which was at the high end of our previously forecasted guidance range and up one
percentage point from the fourth quarter of 2003."
"During the past year, we have successfully evolved our channel program, which
has produced increasingly good results," added McNulty. "Importantly, relative
to measuring channel productivity in the fourth quarter, the amount of business
that was identified and closed by our partners without our involvement continued
to grow. This metric is indicative of the increasing traction for our products
with our channel partners. Going forward, we will continue to focus on and
enhance one of our most valued assets -- our worldwide channel network."
As a result of the company's closure of the Advanced Technology (AT) division in
October, 2003, Secure's financial statement presentations have been reclassified
in accordance with US GAAP to present the financial results from continued and
discontinued operations. All prior period financial information and comparisons
in this press release and all future financial reports issued by the company
will reflect the reclassification of the AT division net operating results to
the discontinued operations line in the consolidated statements of operations.
Please visit the following URL to obtain a copy of the company's reclassified
2003 quarterly consolidated statements of operations and balance sheets:
http://www.securecomputing.com/invest.cfm?script=700&skey=1048
Gross margins in the fourth quarter were 86.5% of revenue or $22.1 million. This
compares to 89% of revenue, or $20.4 million, in the year ago quarter and 85% of
revenue, or $20.8 million, in the prior quarter. The fourth quarter increase in
gross margins from the third quarter is a result of a more favorable revenue mix
of higher margin products.
Fourth quarter operating expenses were $17.8 million, or 70% of revenue,
unchanged on a percentage basis from the year ago quarter. Sales and marketing
expenses were $12.4 million, or 49% of revenue, up 2 percentage points from the
year ago quarter. Research and development costs were $3.8 million, or 15% of
revenue, down 2 percentage points from the year ago quarter. General and
administrative costs were $1.6 million, or 6% of revenue, unchanged on a
percentage basis from the year ago quarter.
Operating income for the fourth quarter was 16.5% of revenue, a 1.5 percentage
point improvement over the prior quarter.
Net income from continuing operations for the fourth quarter was $4.5 million,
or $0.12 per fully diluted share, compared to net income from continuing
operations of $4.3 million, or $0.12 per fully diluted share in the same quarter
last year, and $3.6 million, or $0.10 per fully diluted share in the prior
quarter.
For the full year 2004, net income from continuing operations increased 38% to
$12.8 million, or $0.34 per fully diluted share, compared to net income from
continuing operations of $9.3 million, or $0.28 per share in the prior year.
Other Q4 Financial Highlights:
-- Billings for the fourth quarter were $27.7 million, an
increase of 19% from the prior year. The difference between
billings and revenue recognized in the fourth quarter resulted
in an increase in deferred revenue of $2.1 million from the
end of September, bringing total deferred revenue to a record
$29.4 million at the end of December.
-- Indirect bookings were approximately 70 percent of revenue for
both the fourth quarter and full year 2004, compared to 60
percent and 65 percent, for the same periods in 2003.
-- Days sales outstanding were 71 days at December 31, 2004,
compared to 70 days at September 30, 2004, with the change
being driven by the significant increase in deferred revenues.
-- Cash and investments were $52.3 million at December 31, 2004,
a $4.8 million increase from $47.5 million at September 30,
2004. Cash generated from operations was $4.7 million.
"In the fourth quarter, we achieved record revenue and billings performance, and
exited the year with the highest cash and investments balance in the history of
the company," said Tim Steinkopf, senior vice president and chief financial
officer at Secure Computing. "In addition, our operating margin contribution
increased sequentially by 22 percent. Our solid performance clearly illustrates
the strength in our business model and sound financial management."
Secure Computing's Outlook Publication Procedures
In connection with the SEC rules on corporate disclosure, Regulation FD, Secure
Computing publishes an Outlook section in its quarterly operating results press
release. The company continues its current practice of having corporate
representatives meet privately during the quarter with investors, the media,
investment analysts and others. At these meetings Secure Computing refers any
questions regarding the current outlook back to the quarterly results press
release Outlook section. The quarterly results press release, which includes the
Outlook section, is available to the public on the company's Web site
(www.securecomputing.com). Unless Secure Computing is in a Quiet Period
(described below), the public can continue to rely on the Outlook section that
is part of this quarterly operating results press release as still being the
company's current expectations on matters covered, unless Secure Computing
publishes a notice stating otherwise.
From the close of business on March 17, 2005, until publication of a press
release regarding the first quarter 2005 operating results, Secure Computing
will observe a Quiet Period. During the Quiet Period, the Outlook section and
other forward-looking statements contained in this operating results press
release as well as in the company's filings with the SEC, should be considered
to be historical, speaking as of prior to the Quiet Period only and not subject
to update by the company. During the Quiet Period, Secure Computing
representatives will not comment concerning the Outlook section or Secure
Computing's financial results or expectations.
OT: Route1 Leverages RSA Security Solutions
to Secure Next Generation Mobi Remote Computing Solution
NEW YORK, NY and TORONTO, ON, Jan 27, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --
Route1 Inc. (TSX-V: ROI) announced today it has licensed two RSA Security Inc.
(NASDAQ: RSAS) solutions, which will help secure Route1 Inc.'s soon-to-be-
released Mobi next generation remote computing solution. By integrating RSA
BSAFE(R) encryption software and RSA Keon(R) digital certificate management
solution into Mobi, Route1 will deliver a strong end-to-end security solution
and enable business users to remotely control their office desktop over any
connection with confidence.
"We are pleased Route1 selected RSA Security's solutions as the backbone of its
new remote computing solution," said John Worrall, vice president of worldwide
marketing at RSA Security. "Our RSA BSAFE and RSA Keon solutions are
exceptionally suited to provide the security architecture necessary for
companies as they begin to implement Route1's Mobi solution."
RSA Keon CA software is an industry leading digital certificate management
system, designed to enable companies to conduct secure, cost effective
e-business by providing a flexible, scalable system for managing digital
identities.
The RSA BSAFE line of encryption software is designed to provide the components
required to make applications safe and secure. Over one billion applications are
based on the RSA BSAFE technology and such applications are currently being used
to protect business transactions worldwide, enabling developers to roll out
mission-critical applications more quickly and with greater confidence.
"RSA Security readily met our Perfect Forward Secrecy and scalability design
requirements," said Jerry Iwanski, Chief Technology Officer, Route1. "We are
pleased to complete our offering with e-security technologies that are among the
most respected in the world. By using a single provider we're also able to
eliminate the possibility of subtle security flaws that can arise when
integrating multiple vendor technologies."
Route1's Mobi solution is hardware, software, and a managed service that extend
existing computing, networking and security infrastructures to outworkers
without requiring modification to existing systems or end-user training. Mobi's
Perfect Forward Secrecy design guarantees that the compromise of a long-term
private key does not compromise any earlier session keys used to secure
communications or transactions. Furthermore, its built-in transparent use of
certificates is intended to deliver unprecedented ease of use with the strongest
security possible.
Route1 will show its Mobi solution at the RSA Conference, USA 2005 in San
Francisco, California, February 14-18, Booth No. 2010.
About Route1
Route1 Inc. was founded with the vision of mobilizing the desktop PC. Drawing on
years of experience in secure wireless applications, Route1 has bridged the gap
between business needs and technology's limitations to deliver its Mobi family
of products. Mobi is a hardware and software solution that allows outworkers to
use their office desktop and network resources without carrying applications or
data with them. Route1 is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange with headquarters
in Toronto, Ontario and offices in New York, NY. Visit www.route1.com for more
information.
go-kite,
I had inquired about this PR yesterday. The response was interesting:
Interesting reference. I haven't heard about these guys before and the
reference to TCPA instead of TCG is suspicious. The comment about anti-phishing
would lead me to think this is more of a server based solution for
authentication rather than client, but it's difficult to tell. Their CA is
not a duplicate of anything Wave provides. Wave uses any standard certificate
authority credentials in our applications.
OT: ARM results
an excerpt:
In the second quarter 2004 we established an embedded software group within ARM to capitalise on the opportunities we see to generate revenues from software. This team will drive growth in embedded software revenue, building on the strong foundation of the existing Jazelle® acceleration technology, Intelligent Energy Manager (IEM) technology, TrustZone™ security software and Swerve (co-developed with Superscape Group plc) technologies and bring more focus to the development of enabling software technology to support further growth of microprocessor and physical IP licensing, development systems and data engines revenues.
http://www.arm.com
OT:Google To Branch Into Television With New Search Feature
By Michael Liedke, Associated Press Business Writer Networking Pipeline
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Google Inc. is using its popular Internet search technology to find information and images broadcast on television, continuing a recent effort to extend its reach beyond the Web.
The Mountain View-based company planned to introduce the new video search service Tuesday in an index that will be operated separately from the market-leading search engine offered on its home page. The feature pinpoints content previously aired on a variety of television networks by scanning through the closed caption text that many programmers offer.
Google's index, which began storing information last month, includes programming from ABC, PBS, Fox News and C-SPAN.
``We think TV is a big part of people's lives,'' said Jonathan Rosenberg, Google's vice president of product management. ``Ultimately, we would like to have all TV programming indexed.''
The television product represents Google's latest attempt to get a better handle on the reams of vital information that isn't stored on Web pages. The company recently set out to scan millions of books from several major libraries into its search engine and is offering a program that finds material stored on computer hard drives.
Search engine analyst Charlene Li of Forrester Research said Google's latest innovation is likely to disappoint many people because it doesn't provide a direct link to watch the previously broadcast programming.
Google instead is displaying up to five still video images from the indexed television programs, as well as snippets from the show's narrative. The search results also will provide a breakdown on when the program aired and when an episode is scheduled to be repeated. Local programming information will be available for those who provide a ZIP code.
Rival search engine Yahoo Inc. also has been tinkering with a product that finds video available for Webcasts. Hoping to counter Google's entrance into the space, Yahoo planned to step up the promotion of its video search tools Tuesday by linking to the service from the home page of its heavily trafficked Web site.
Li said Yahoo's service is flawed, too, because ``most of the (video) that you can see on the Web isn't the stuff that you really want to see.''
If the Google and Yahoo services attract a following, more television programmers may be compelled to provide better online access to their content, Li said. ``Video search is going to be a very long-term play.''
Google doesn't plan to use the television search engine as another vehicle for displaying the text-based ad links that generate most of its profits.