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OT: Samsung ups network security
January 24, 2005 ㅡ Amid fears of industrial espionage, Samsung is massively upgrading its corporate security.
The JoongAng Ilbo recently discovered that Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Giheung, Gyeonggi province, has just begun replacing employees' personal computers with network computers: They will no longer have their own hard-disk drives but must log on to the central server.
A worker at Giheung confirmed yesterday that about 30 of 100 computers there have been changed so far. "Computers in the research and development labs are being taken out first," he said.
A network computer allows a person to access the central computer. The user will be able to perform the same functions, but the history of his or her work will be recorded in the main server.
If certain information is leaked, the company will be able to narrow down who was responsible. "With this system, you only have to manage the central server and the network system, so you can keep tight reins on security," said Park Geun-woo, a researcher at IT security firm AhnLab.
Until the change, Samsung's security measures were based on software; it forbade the usage of portable data-saving devices such as USB drives or other means of data recording such as CD burning, as well as the use of camera phones.
The new system changes the hardware platform itself. "The group began planning to change the system a few years ago, but plans were accelerated last year when technology leaks became a huge issue," said an official at Samsung Networks, which is implementing the changes.
He wished to remain anonymous, since the company has not yet made an official announcement. "It is also in line with global trends: Hitachi is changing its personal computers to network computers this year and Microsoft already has. Configuration can be set so that certain files can only be seen by certain people and every move is recorded; however, the system does not guarantee personal privacy," he said.
OT: Security is Job One: Read Up
(Some reading during the slog..........)
http://www.snpx.com/cgi-bin/news55.cgi?target=82942775?-2622
By David DeJean Systems Management Pipeline
Security Is Job One: Read Up
I asked a CIO type what he felt the real issues of the job were. He talked about the interesting questions being how resources get allocated. The toughest problem he saw, as you might expect, was security. "It's never-ending," he said.
The never-ending issue is going to continue to be Job One for IT types for the foreseeable future, and all the knowledge you can gather will be needed in the battle with the bad guys to keep your networks and data secure.
Mike Fratto knows more about this than most of us. He's the editor of Secure Enterprise magazine, and he devoted his column in the current issue to a short list of the best books about information security he's seen. His list should be required reading for everybody who recognizes that security is their Job One. Here are picks, with his comments:
Authentication: From Passwords to Public Keys, by Richard E. Smith (Addison-Wesley Professional, 2001). "Not only does the author describe the authentication landscape, he drills down into authentication methods and practical examples."
Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice, by William Stallings (Prentice Hall, 2002). "More accessible to nonprogrammers than many other titles on the subject, Stallings' work covers cryptographic fundamentals and describes the technical details in common applications such as S/MIME, IPsec SSL and SET."
Introduction to Computer Security, by Matt Bishop (Addison-Wesley Professional, 2004). "This book provides a solid overview of security topics. Although much of the text focuses on theory, Bishop's ideas have proven practical."
Of course, my friend the CIO type makes the very valid point that many security problems are caused not by technology failures, but by human ones -- the password on a Post-It note stuck to the monitor, the user who answers an email that supposedly comes from Tech Support and asks for their login info. Somewhere in the allocation of resources we need to have a line item for the never-ending struggle to educate users.
Pharming and Slurpware - New Internet dangers
01/21/05 Hardly has the normal Internet user gotten used to the idea of 'phishing', security experts are already warning about new dangers: pharming and slurpware. "Pharming is the next generation of phishing attacks," says Scott Chasin, from the security company MX Logic. Phishing is the attempt by Internet swindlers to wheedle confidential data from consumers using fake e-mails. "Pharming, in contrast, is a criminal redirect," explains Chasin. The new term was coined in November 2004 when visitors to the Amazon and Google websites were redirected to a pharmaceuticals site.
With pharming, hackers use weak points in browsers to enable counterfeit address lines to appear. Weak DNS servers (Domain Name Services) also enable attackers to redirect requests to other URLs. "Phishing means throwing out the bait and hoping that a fish will grab it," says Chasin. Pharming no longer relies on chance. There haven't been any hard and fast proofs of this yet, "but we know that all ingredients for a large-scale attack are present."
"Slurpware is the term used when all effective methods for Internet attacks come together to steal large amounts of money," according to Gartner analyst Jay Heiser. This could be, for example, e-mails gained from phishing, Trojan horses that steal passwords and the Russian Mafia as sponsor of the attack. Such combined attacks are not new, but Heiser believes they will increase in the future. eBay, PayPal and some US banks have already fallen victim to slurpware attacks.
"This is a sign that the technological level of the attacks is high," continues Heiser. One solution for the problem is stricter authentication methods such as hardware tokens. These have been used with a great deal of success in Brazil, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.
doma, have some fun....................
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%E3%82%BB%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A5%E3%83%AA%E3%83%86%E3%82...
I copied the bolded Japanese characters that appeared after "TPM" from your link and pasted them into the Google search box. What's above is the link to the results. I can't translate on this computer, but maybe you can find something else. I noticed alot of familar names: Phoenix, Hitachi, NEC..............
unix, ah
no you weren't...........................
unix
Always asking the right questions!! rotfl
blithering
You're absolutely right! Now could you call Steven Sprague and tell him you've singularly determined Wave is working with FINREAD (not Cartes Bancaires)and that he should brush up on his french? LOL
Check out this "Link to FINREAD Activities" and when you find yesterday's announcement, report back to the board:
http://www.finread.com/spip/01_links.php3
btw, I totally agree with you on your first point. That will happen.
blithering, one last post
From CB magazine, 2001:
The European FINREAD project is an innovative solution to meet the need for advanced security for IC card transactions via public networks.
Secure e-business: this is the simple and concrete idea behind the European FINREAD (Financial Transactional IC Card Reader) project officially presented on July 11, 2001, in Brussels. The slow growth rate of e-commerce to date is largely because cyber-consumers do not always feel totally reassured when making payments with their bankcard. It is thus essential to guarantee them an optimum level of security at a minimal cost. Steered by Groupement des Cartes Bancaires "CB", the FINREAD project was carried out by a consortium set up in 1998, comprising Banksys (Belgian bankcard system), Europay International, Ingenico (terminal manufacturer), Interpay Nederlands (Dutch bankcard system), SIZ (German savings bank IT system) and VISA.During a period of 24 months, the members of this consortium defined the technical specifications for a new European standard aimed at developing secure and open-ended smartcard readers. These specifications were approved last May by CEN-European Committee for Standardization; they were also approved by Eurosmart, an international association representing the smartcard industry. On July 11, manufacturers (CPS, Wave Systems, SCM, and Ingenico) also presented their solutions for card readers compliant with the FINREAD standard.
WIDER USE OF SMARTCARDS
In order to promote the deployment of this standard, the consortium launched the "Trusted FINREAD" project that aims at demonstrating the feasibility of certification procedures for FINREAD card readers. In this area, the consortium is relying on the expertise of Global Trust Authority (GTA), an independent certification organization. Supported by the European Commission, the FINREAD solution thus opens the way to the potential convergence of online payment systems, and the wider use of smartcards throughout Europe. The "Embedded FINREAD" project aims at extending this standard to environments other than just IC card readers: mobile phones, PDAs, TV decoders, etc.
blithering idiot, it is related to Wave!
and Cartes Bancaires. Not to FINREAD. doma and others have done extensive DD on FINREAD. It was widely discussed a FEW YEARS AGO as it was happening. It isn't happening now!
I think you're confusing the issue because back then Wave was involved due to EMBASSY being FINREAD-spec compliant with some of the card readers being offered.
You need to do a little more research. I think you've only scratched the surface.
blithering,
Yesterday's announcement was that Cartes Bancaires will use Wave's secure software development tools to evaluate the
potential of Trusted Computing Group (TCG)-compliant computing solutions. NOT FINREAD. Cartes is a member of FINREAD. They have their own bankcard systems that they apparently are trying to make more secure.
http://www.cartes-bancaires.com/
FINREAD isn't widespread due to the high cost of the readers, which nobody seemed to know who was going to pay for, the banks within FINREAD, the merchants, or the customers. So, it's been on "hold".
Within Europe, the FINREAD smart card-based online banking authentication project is tipped to catalyze desk-PC authentication devices, the vendors for which are tipped to assess contactless cards as a way to increase convenience for end-users. To capitalize on new market opportunities in trusted log-on and authentication services, Dell is also embedding smart card readers in its PC keyboards with a view to integrating card systems in PC environments.
http://www.finread.com/spip/04_news_finread_detail.php3?id_article=105
CB is looking for security, and Trusted Computing (instead of FINREAD) may just be it. That's all.
blithering, btw
If you haven't been around too long you might not realize that doma is the board's FINREAD expert.
blithering
Instead of looking far into the future, you should start by looking in the distant past. FINREAD is on hold right now for a few reasons; cost being the primary one. FINREAD may morph into something that looks like the TCG with a solution that utilizes TPMs.
Now, if I could just get my hands on one of those home PC-ATM machines!!
awk, there you go!!
posting old PRs! tsk, tsk............
btw, did you see this??:
http://www.cartes-bancaires.com/EN/info/communiques/2004/Com261004.pdf
glo,
Looks like that was released by Reuters. Why don't you ask them. Wave's PR doesn't say anything about a contract.
OT: IN THE CARDS?
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2005/nf2005017_7486.htm
Eli Harari, founder, president and CEO of SanDisk (SNDK ), the world's largest supplier of flash memory cards used to store data in everything from still cameras to cell phones, could soon start stepping on his customers' toes. In the past, these cards were mostly pretty dim devices, capable only of storing files. But on Jan. 7, SanDisk announced U3, a card that offers more security features and is being hailed as the first step toward turning memory cards into, essentially, smart computers.
You heard that right. In a few years, Harari believes all computing power will reside on memory cards, containing everything from work files to digital music to medical records. The cards will be inserted into whatever device is most convenient, be it a cell phone or a computer (the latter will be but a shell of its current self, simply a monitor and a keyboard).
"We're looking to create a completely new market of trusted devices," Harari tells BusinessWeek Online. He isn't carrying one in his pocket just yet: SanDisk has only a few prototypes, developed jointly with M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers (FLSH ). The first U3s will become available this summer.
OT: Bill 2.0: 5-Year Performance Review
http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=438
Microsoft watchers give Bill Gates mixed reviews for his performance since relinquishing the CEO title to become Chief Software Architect.
October 2004 • by Keith Ward and Scott Bekker
When Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates traded his chief executive officer title for the newly crafted chief software architect role nearly five years ago, the company spin was that he would work in areas that most interested him—and best used his talents.
Microsoft's bottom line: Gates didn't want to be so involved in the day-to-day running of the company. Turning that over to his trusted lieutenant Steve Ballmer gave Gates the time to think about future technologies and drive product development.
Some at the time read something more desperate into the move. Wall Street Journal reporter David Bank argued that Gates mishandled the U.S. government's antitrust case against Microsoft and needed to be shunted aside. Other experts agreed with the Microsoft public relations machine, and believed Gates simply had enough of the relentless business decision-making and wanted to return to his first love: technology.
Examining what Gates has actually done in the last five years shows that he has taken to his chief software architect role with gusto. He's left obvious fingerprints on enough recent Microsoft projects and decisions to show that he is more involved in software and technology direction than those high-profile critics ever expected. He's also more involved in pure business decisions than the skeptics predicted. Perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise. After all, while he is no longer CEO, Gates never gave up his other Microsoft title: chairman.
Long-Delayed-Horn
Gates' primary responsibility as chief software architect is leading software development, and on no project is that more evident than Longhorn, the successor to Windows XP.
"Longhorn is the first release that Bill has been intimately involved with since its inception," says Greg DeMichillie, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft who spent nine years in Redmond as a group program manager. In June 2002, Gates was reportedly spending roughly a quarter of his time with developers shaping Longhorn. His intensive, early involvement helped push forward several priorities, including:
New graphics and UI technology, code-named Avalon
Communications infrastructure for Web services, code-named Indigo
Integration of the file system and database, known as WinFS
Gates has long been enamored with the WinFS idea, also known as unified storage. At last October's Professional Developers Conference, Gates declared, "Some of you here have heard me talk about unified storage for more than a decade. The idea of taking the XML flexibility, database technology, getting it into the file system: that's been a Holy Grail for me for quite some time." Indeed, the idea was included in Cairo, a Gates-backed object-oriented, RDBMS-based OS under development in the mid-1990s that never shipped.
On Aug. 2, 2004, in a speech to the Microsoft Research team, Gates called WinFS, "A very large investment for us. … we need to have lots of developers building on top of that showing us where we can take that idea of storage in a very different way."
Delivering on that vision is proving difficult. Longhorn was first mentioned as a deliverable as early as the second half of 2004, but more recently experts were saying it would ship in 2007. On Aug. 27, less than four weeks after Gates' speech to the research team, Microsoft said it would ship Longhorn in 2006, but with only two of the original three pillars: WinFS will have to wait longer still.
Tech Drivers
While his visions may not always come to fruition, among the countless technical geniuses in Redmond, Gates is the software visionary who defines the key issues.
Perhaps the simplest way to tell what technology Gates deems important is to read his periodic executive e-mails. In the last two years, he's penned missives on trustworthy computing, with two subsequent security progress reports; spam; and preserving the value of e-mail. These memos are nothing new, of course; perhaps the most famous is the "The Internet Tidal Wave" memo he issued on May 26, 1995, just months before the launch of Windows 95. The memos serve as marching orders for thousands of Microsoft developers.
One long-time hot-button is alternative input, including speech recognition and pen computing. Here Gates is either ahead of his time or overly optimistic. Take the Tablet PC, which debuted in November 2002. The following March, at the Mobility Developers Conference, Gates called the Tablet PC "an explosive form factor, because things like annotation and reading, note taking, haven't really been possible," and spoke of vendors selling out of their units.
But the Tablet PC has yet to capture the public's imagination. Analyst DeMichillie says it's a "product that probably would have been killed had it not been for Bill's personal advocacy."
Gates makes time for nearly all Microsoft products. Development projects are still subject to the legendary "Bill Review," where Gates grills product teams about their wares ("Gestapo-style" is how one IT consultant who's worked with Microsoft described it).
As is to be expected for a chief software architect, and the man who launched the division, Gates is intimately involved with Microsoft Research. He talks up its advances regularly in speeches and interviews—and funds it generously. Michael Fleisher, chairman and CEO of Gartner, said in a recent speech that in the five years since Gates became chief software architect, Microsoft Research's budget has more than doubled, from $3 billion to $6.8 billion (a figure, Gates is quick to point out, that far surpasses IBM's $5 billion R&D budget). With that money comes accountability: One of only four people who report directly to Gates is Rick Rashid, who runs Microsoft Research's worldwide operations. (See "Bill's Guys" for his other direct reports.)
While Gates is constantly and aggressively pushing the Microsoft technology agenda, he now does so in a less public manner. Consider that in 1999—his last year as CEO—Gates delivered at least 31 public speeches, according to transcripts posted on his official Microsoft Web page. Last year, the number was 17. He also doesn't speak to the press as much, declining to be interviewed for this story (along with Ballmer and every other Microsoft employee contacted by Redmond magazine). Ballmer, on the other hand, agreed to answer questions from readers for the August 2004 cover story of Redmond's predecessor, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine.
Still Showing Business Savvy
While Gates appears happy focusing on technology, CEO Ballmer has changed the way Microsoft does business, offering olive branches and in some cases billions of dollars to formerly bitter rivals. Where Gates fought tooth and nail against every antitrust allegation, Ballmer has been far more practical. Since the settlement of the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust trial in 2001, Ballmer is widely credited with a more conciliatory legal strategy that has led to numerous settlements. In 2003 and 2004 Microsoft settled at least 14 class-action, trademark infringement and antitrust lawsuits.
"There have been a number of legal settlements since Steve's been on board," says Mary Jo Foley, editor of the newsletter Microsoft Watch. She chalks it up to "Bill's antagonistic, take-no-prisoners attitude." She pointed to the recent settlement with Sun over Microsoft's implementation of Java as an example. Microsoft paid out almost $2 billion to bury the hatchet.
Last year Bill Gates delivered 17 speeches, down from at least 31 in 1999, his last year as CEO.
The Sun deal also points to how Gates and Ballmer have settled into their assigned roles. A deal with Sun was the technology equivalent of the Eagles reunion—years of bad blood and mutual sniping swept under the rug with a big public announcement, and lots of money changing hands. The gala press conference featured business heads Ballmer and Scott McNealy. But to lay the technical groundwork, Gates met with Sun CTO Greg Papadopoulos on and off for a year.
It's a mistake to think Gates focuses solely on technology these days. The chairman remains interested in decisions that are almost all business, such as mergers and investments in competitors. One example came out of the Oracle-PeopleSoft court battles. Oracle entered into evidence a June 2003 e-mail from Gates to Ballmer suggesting that it's "time we bought SAP," and advocating a minority investment in PeopleSoft to "bolster their independence." The talks with SAP fell apart in the early stages.
Still, his main interest is product development. In an interview last year with Seattle Times Reporter Brier Dudley, Gates said he spends two-thirds of his time in his role as chief software architect. "One of the big changes with his job is that he's able to become involved in the product development process earlier, where before he might become involved late, which would frustrate him," Dudley says.
A Sketchy Track Record
But is his earlier involvement good for Microsoft?
If you try to answer the question by looking at Longhorn, the picture is not so rosy. After suffering several delays, the product will now ship with only two of its three original legs—a .666 batting average may be outstanding for a baseball player, but it's not so hot for a software company.
WinFS is an ambitious idea, intended to be a file system that allows users to search through documents, media and structured data using a single set of search terms. It would embed database technology from SQL Server into the operating system.
While Gates championed the WinFS technology, Group Vice President for platforms Jim Allchin and legendary Microsoft shipper Brian Valentine polled developers for their status and gathered customer and partner feedback. The conclusion: WinFS would hold up delivery until 2007. At the time, Gates remarked that he, Allchin, Ballmer and other executives were having "a lot of dialogue."
Indeed, heavy Gates involvement with a product's development hasn't always been a good thing. Many projects Gates pushed passionately simply fell flat. "He's always been a huge proponent of alternative input—voice, joysticks, pen computing. But those products haven't been that successful," says Barb Darrow, a veteran Microsoft watcher for Computer Reseller News.
Part of the problem is Gates' refusal to look beyond the company's Windows-centric strategy, argues Michael Cusumano, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Mass., and author of the book Microsoft Secrets.
"There's no reason Microsoft could not have developed a state-of-the-art OS for handheld PDAs or cellphones that really optimized their functionality," Cusumano says. "Instead, [Gates'] Windows-centric strategy demanded they create a version of Windows for those devices. Windows CE and all those versions of handheld OSs are very large and clunky and not as good as specialized OSs. That's why they've had a tough time in those markets."
The example points to the downside of Gates' deepening involvement with development. "There's not as much intellectual variety in the company," Cusumano says. "They are susceptible to group-think, all basically following a similar line."
Bill Gates with his soon-to-be CEO Steve Ballmer in 1998.
Seeing the Big Picture
One positive that Gates brings to the table is first-hand knowledge of everything Microsoft is doing, from Microsoft Research to the seven business divisions, on down to the product development teams.
This becomes clear during the "Bill Reviews" which occur once or twice a year for major products, according to DeMichillie. "The main value he adds is that he's the only one who can point out overlaps between groups that they might not otherwise know about," he says.
Joe Wilcox, a senior analyst for Jupitermedia Corp., agrees: "I'm convinced that if there's a person who understands everything Microsoft is doing in terms of software, it's Bill Gates."
Another of Gates' historical strengths is having an understanding of not just Microsoft technology, but every competitor's strengths and weaknesses. And Gates still carefully tracks what the competition is doing, as the Oracle-PeopleSoft example demonstrates.
One thing that has changed is that Microsoft is no longer Gates' sole focus. Gates' long-time bridge buddy and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett has said that Gates found a rhythm to balance work, family and philanthropy. Gates is not only married with three children, but also spends a healthy amount of time on the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which has a staggering endowment of some $27 billion. Interestingly, the foundation started in January 2000, the same month Gates handed over the CEO reigns to Ballmer.
"If he appears to have mellowed at all, it's because he has other things in his life besides Microsoft, but that doesn't diminish Microsoft's importance," says the Seattle Times' Dudley. "Frankly, he's earned a break. He may not take one, but he's earned it."
"Microsoft is still clearly his priority, although not more than his family," says Cusumano. "It's good for him psychologically to be not so tied to the company. It's not healthy for someone to spend 100 percent of his time on Microsoft stuff."
Bill Gates in 2000 with a group of mothers and their children in New Delhi after Gates announced his foundation awarded $30 million in grants to benefit children and students in India.
The Road Ahead
Maybe not 100 percent of his time, but Gates isn't about to start slacking off, especially as Microsoft faces its biggest threats ever. Linux, not only in the server room, but increasingly on the desktop, is worrying plenty of folks in Redmond. And Microsoft has been much less successful in its ventures outside of operating systems and Office applications. Meanwhile profits from those core products are leveling off (Microsoft's Client, Server and Tools, and Information Worker businesses together accounted for nearly $30.8 billion of Microsoft's $36.8 billion in revenues in fiscal 2004), forcing Microsoft to be more creative in its quest to grow.
Gates has some tricky and fundamental technical decisions to make. "Any dominant company has this problem. You don't want to throw away a dominant position," Cusumano says. "It would have been in Microsoft's best interest to allow more work around open source, [such as] Linux and Java, and to handle multiple technologies other than its own. IBM has done that very well; Microsoft will have to do the same."
IBM has also done one other thing: It's made lots of money consulting, another possible revenue stream for Microsoft to explore, Cusumano says. "IBM's software products have been flat, [but] it makes three times that money in the service business. Again, Microsoft has not done [that]. That's something they may have to do 10 years in future, when the Windows market really flattens."
In his interview with the Seattle Times Gates speculated about that future. "By the time I'm 60 someone else will be doing my job … I can see at least 10 years of work yet to be done that I think I can help with. And so somewhere in my late 50s, someone else will step up."
It will be virtually impossible for that person to have the impact on a company, or an industry, that Bill Gates has had.
OT: FINREAD Heading for Standardization
FINREAD was placed on the International Organisation for Standardisation's (ISO) agenda last September.
The FINREAD specifications are continuing to make headway towards international standardisation. In May 2001, the CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) approved the FINREAD specifications in the form of a CWA (CEN Workshop Agreement), and has since done the same for Embedded FINREAD in September 2003. The FINREAD partners then submitted these specifications to ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) and its 146 member countries, with the aim of getting FINREAD adopted as an international standard.
The first stage in this procedure was successfully completed in early September 2004 when ISO placed FINREAD on the agenda of one of its committees (ISO/IEC JTC1/SC17) following a positive vote by 20 of the countries out of the relevant committee's 31 members. Seven countries (China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa) will take part in the standardisation work scheduled to commence very shortly. This standardisation work should ultimately lead to FINREAD's adoption as an international standard (IS), and the recognition of these specifications by all stakeholders at the global level. Watch this space!
From CartesBancaires' Q3 Magazine:
(Not sure if today's news is related)
A secure payment architecture for distance selling, 3D secure has moved into the test phase. A technical pilot test was launched last Spring by Cartes Bancaires and the project's partner banks (Natexis Banques Populaires, Crédit Mutuel, Caisse d'Epargne, La Poste, etc.) with the aim of to validating CB's specifications. This pilot test has since been gradually extended through to the current 1,800 or so active Internet merchant sites. Each month, between 20,000 and 25,000 3D Secure transactions are made, with a total of over 100,000 secure transactions since the pilot test began.
"The aim of 3D Secure is to provide distance payments by CB bankcard with security guarantees and a level of confidence well in excess of traditional payment methods, notably based on the principle of formal authentication of the merchant's customer by the card issuer," pointed out Jean-Pierre Buthion, Manager of Products and Services at Cartes Bancaires. This solution, which serves the interests of retailers, banks and consumers, is applicable to Internet payment and all other types of distance selling, such as payment by mobile phone. It is only one link in the secure distance payment chain that also includes contractual commitments and rules concerning, in particular, the security applicable to merchant sites (data storage, etc.). Retailers, represented by both ACSEL (French Association of Online Retailing Commerce and Services) and FEVAD (French Federation of for Distance Selling Companies), who are well aware of the potential benefits of from improved security for in distance selling, especially on the Internet, and CB banks held working sessions with CB banks over the summer to study the question. Together, they examined the best way to generate consumer and merchant site support for this payment standard. "3D Secure, a solution which is already used in many countries, has every chance of being adopted as an international standard," pointed out Jean-Pierre Buthion. Watch this space!
Hey guv,
Archives? Are you kidding me? This article is five days old. So recent, in fact, that the folks at TCG hadn't seen it until I sent it to them (twice!).
I reposted it because there wasn't any comment. I just wanted folks not to miss in the evening what I posted this morning. See, unlike yours, not everyone reads my posts. Maybe I should double your membermarks!! LOL
Trusted Computing Raises The Bar For System Security
Today & Tomorrow
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Fp2702%2F09p02%2F09p02.asp&guid....
January 14, 2005 • Vol.27 Issue 2
While news of high-profile attacks and devastating new exploits has abated in recent months, system security remains a key concern for network administrators and CSOs. Keeping pace with the rapid evolution and escalation of security threats is a daunting challenge, and IT professionals continue to seek technologies that can enhance security without the frustration of additional management overhead. The Trusted Computing Group has worked aggressively to develop technologies and standards that can help to secure today’s computer systems. Although still a relatively new group, the TCG is emerging as a significant force in IT security. We spoke with Brian Berger, TCG marketing chair, about the current state of “trusted computing” and its future direction.
Building Blocks
Originally formed in 2003, the TCG now features 90 member companies that span
the computing industry, including component, system, software, and service vendors that embrace devices ranging from PCs to mobile devices, storage, networking, and server platforms. Unlike many other industry efforts, the TCG does not seek a single ubiquitous solution to security but rather to develop a range of technologies that can easily be adopted by the entire industry. Berger explains, “The Trusted Computing Group is enabling open and widely available building blocks and common interface stacks that the industry can adopt across multiple platform types and environments. With these open building blocks, the industry can address a range of security needs without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights.”
One unique hallmark of “trusted computing” is the use of hardware, in addition to software, to secure systems. Berger says, “Traditional security solutions rely solely on software that can be compromised.” Supporting a range of established standards and devices allows manufacturers to incorporate the elements most beneficial to a given system. “Trusted computing, at this juncture, works by providing secure hardware and software to deliver value to the platform user. The available platforms provided by the OEMs allow the platform owner to decide on all or some of the applications to work on the Trusted Platform. Included are the capabilities of a platform that has implemented products using the specifications,” he says.
Making It Work
Given the group’s approach to platform security, a PC can take advantage of TCG specifications at several levels, says Berger. “In the available platforms based on the TCG specifications, they [PCs] incorporate elements of hardware, software, and firmware.” One of the important issues to understand is that trusted computing standards are available now, and manufacturers are implementing compliant parts in many systems today, a factor that often goes unnoticed in the industry. “The objectives of the TCG are to provide open specifications that are vendor neutral across all computing platforms. For PCs, a Trusted Platform Module specification is available and widely implemented in millions of systems, and a software specification is also available,” notes Berger.
Manufacturers can also choose from a variety of products. TPMs (Trusted Platform Modules), the hardware heart of any trusted computing platform, are available from major chipmakers such as Atmel, Infineon, National Semiconductor, and STMicroelectronics. PC components from Fujitsu, HP, IBM, and Intel already incorporate TPMs (with the required firmware to support those chips), so all that’s left is the software, which is also appearing from HP, IBM, NTRU, Softex, Utimaco AG, and Wave Systems. Berger says, “A business can purchase a fully functional package today allowing capabilities that are solution focused. Examples of what can be done today with a TCG capable platform include data protection, multifactor authentication, secure email, digital signatures, and application/Web login security.”
No Rest For The Weary
Although trusted computing is now a reality on millions of systems, Berger remains frustrated by limited utilization of the technology, an issue that the TCG is actively addressing. “Awareness and understanding of the value delivered by these specifications and implementations is a challenge. As we continue forward with our marketing activities to educate the market on the value of TCG solutions, this impediment will diminish.”
The TCG has come a long way in a very short time, but Berger points to even more exciting development over the next few years. “We are planning and developing standards in several other areas that will be released to the market when completed. These include specifications for trusted computing implementation in servers, peripherals, storage, and mobile devices. We also are working to ensure endpoint integrity that utilized the security of trusted computing platforms and to ensure that all these systems will be interoperable.”
According to Berger, trusted networking standards are not far off. “TCG is also involved in a new effort, called ‘Trusted Network Connect,’ which is defining and promoting open solution architecture that will enable network administrators to enforce security policies for endpoint host connections to their multivendor networks.” When fully realized, a trusted network connect specification will determine the appropriate level of security and accessibility for users connecting to a network. Access is then based on the detected level of “security policy compliance,” such as full access, partial or directed access, or no access.
Ultimately, Berger says that administrators and IT staff are well served to use the capabilities offered by trusted computing platforms that are available today (and into the future). “Many IT [staff] and administrators are facing security requirements while implementing both policy enforcement and regulatory requirements. TCG-enabled platforms can help these organizations meet their objectives and solve [security] implementation problems using standards-based technology.”
by Stephen J. Bigelow
unix
That article was written well before MSFT appartently changed their plans for NGSCB and revised their Longhorn strategy. But having been around since 2001, I'm sure you knew that.
allshore,
Can you explain your responding to a March 2004 post by re-posting an August 2003 article? What am I missing? What's your point?
DRM Toolkit for Consumer Devices
Marlin Joint Development Association to provide standard specifications for content management and protection for the consumer electronics industry
Distribution Source : PRNewswire
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-19-2005/0002862998&....
Date : Wednesday - January 19, 2005
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Intertrust Technologies, Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics, and Sony Corporation today announced the formation of the Marlin Joint Development Association (the "Marlin JDA") that will provide standard specifications for content management and protection for the consumer electronics industry. The Marlin JDA specifications will allow CE companies to build DRM clients for consumer devices that support popular content distribution modes in the Internet, broadcast, and mobile vertical market segments. For consumers, Marlin-based devices will mean that they can enjoy appropriately licensed content on any device they deem convenient, independent of how they originally obtained that content.
Convergence across consumer Internet, broadcast and mobile devices and services over the last few years has been constrained because of often conflicting proprietary DRM technologies and differing standards for each distribution mode, such as proprietary methods of music distribution to hard disk music players from the Internet. The Marlin JDA specifications will allow CE companies to use a single technology toolkit to build DRM functions into their devices to support commonly used content distribution modes, in a way that promotes interoperability while maximizing efficiency in the device architecture.
Marlin JDA specifications will be fully compatible with the outcome of the previously announced Coral initiative, which is aimed at developing a set of DRM-agnostic service protocols for interoperability between DRM systems and standards. Marlin-based devices will be able to interoperate with Coral- enabled DRM systems even if those systems do not use Marlin DRM components.
The Marlin JDA will also offer a Licensing and Compliance Program and a Community Source Program to permit adopters to obtain sample code modules and licenses for the specifications on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis. The Marlin JDA plans to release version 1.0 along with the associated Community Source and Licensing and Compliance program in the summer 2005 time frame.
About Intertrust Technologies Corporation
Intertrust develops and licenses intellectual property for Digital Rights
Management (DRM) and trusted computing. The Company holds over 30 U.S. patents
and has approximately 85 patent applications pending worldwide. Intertrust's
patent portfolio covers software and hardware techniques that can be
implemented in a broad range of products that use DRM and trusted computing
technologies, including computer operating systems, digital media platforms,
web services, and enterprise infrastructure. Intertrust has research,
engineering, and IP groups focusing on developing and monetizing next-
generation technologies and inventions. More information about the company
can be found at http://www.intertrust.com .
HP's AMD SLI workstation (w/ TPM) specs emerge
Quite the machine, this one
By Harta Glass: Wednesday 19 January 2005, 11:08
SOURCES CLAIMED HP will release the Opteron based xw9300 workstation which incorporates Nvidia SLI technology in mid-February.
The processor options are for a 252 or 248 Opteron, using 1GHz/800MHz hypertransport technology, in a mini tower configuration.
The machine will support five HDD, come equipped with a 750W power supply unit, have two PCIe 16X slots, one PCI 1X, one PCI-X 133, and two PCI-X 100 slots.
The drives can be S-ATA or SCSII, while the chipset is the Nvidia Nforce Professional coupled with the AMD 8131.
The machine will support DDR-1 400 ECC, with capacity of up to 16GB and using eight DIMM slots. It supports Firewire, USB, and will be offered with a number of different removable storage options.
Graphics options include Nvidia Quadro NVS280 (PCI Express), Nvidia Quadro FX540, Nvidia Quadro FX1400, and Nvidia Quadro FX3400. The machine will also have a TPM (trusted computing) connector, we understand.
OSes supported include XP Professional, XP Professional 64-bit, and Red Hat WS3 which is also 64-bit. µ
glo,
I deleted your posts, not snackman. Try to be civil.
A Matter Of Trust
Trusted Computing Raises The Bar For System Security Today & Tomorrow
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Fp2702%2F09p02%2F09p02.asp&guid...
January 14, 2005 • Vol.27 Issue 2
While news of high-profile attacks and devastating new exploits has abated in recent months, system security remains a key concern for network administrators and CSOs. Keeping pace with the rapid evolution and escalation of security threats is a daunting challenge, and IT professionals continue to seek technologies that can enhance security without the frustration of additional management overhead. The Trusted Computing Group has worked aggressively to develop technologies and standards that can help to secure today’s computer systems. Although still a relatively new group, the TCG is emerging as a significant force in IT security. We spoke with Brian Berger, TCG marketing chair, about the current state of “trusted computing” and its future direction.
Building Blocks
Originally formed in 2003, the TCG now features 90 member companies that span
the computing industry, including component, system, software, and service vendors that embrace devices ranging from PCs to mobile devices, storage, networking, and server platforms. Unlike many other industry efforts, the TCG does not seek a single ubiquitous solution to security but rather to develop a range of technologies that can easily be adopted by the entire industry. Berger explains, “The Trusted Computing Group is enabling open and widely available building blocks and common interface stacks that the industry can adopt across multiple platform types and environments. With these open building blocks, the industry can address a range of security needs without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights.”
One unique hallmark of “trusted computing” is the use of hardware, in addition to software, to secure systems. Berger says, “Traditional security solutions rely solely on software that can be compromised.” Supporting a range of established standards and devices allows manufacturers to incorporate the elements most beneficial to a given system. “Trusted computing, at this juncture, works by providing secure hardware and software to deliver value to the platform user. The available platforms provided by the OEMs allow the platform owner to decide on all or some of the applications to work on the Trusted Platform. Included are the capabilities of a platform that has implemented products using the specifications,” he says.
Making It Work
Given the group’s approach to platform security, a PC can take advantage of TCG specifications at several levels, says Berger. “In the available platforms based on the TCG specifications, they [PCs] incorporate elements of hardware, software, and firmware.” One of the important issues to understand is that trusted computing standards are available now, and manufacturers are implementing compliant parts in many systems today, a factor that often goes unnoticed in the industry. “The objectives of the TCG are to provide open specifications that are vendor neutral across all computing platforms. For PCs, a Trusted Platform Module specification is available and widely implemented in millions of systems, and a software specification is also available,” notes Berger.
Manufacturers can also choose from a variety of products. TPMs (Trusted Platform Modules), the hardware heart of any trusted computing platform, are available from major chipmakers such as Atmel, Infineon, National Semiconductor, and STMicroelectronics. PC components from Fujitsu, HP, IBM, and Intel already incorporate TPMs (with the required firmware to support those chips), so all that’s left is the software, which is also appearing from HP, IBM, NTRU, Softex, Utimaco AG, and Wave Systems. Berger says, “A business can purchase a fully functional package today allowing capabilities that are solution focused. Examples of what can be done today with a TCG capable platform include data protection, multifactor authentication, secure email, digital signatures, and application/Web login security.”
No Rest For The Weary
Although trusted computing is now a reality on millions of systems, Berger remains frustrated by limited utilization of the technology, an issue that the TCG is actively addressing. “Awareness and understanding of the value delivered by these specifications and implementations is a challenge. As we continue forward with our marketing activities to educate the market on the value of TCG solutions, this impediment will diminish.”
The TCG has come a long way in a very short time, but Berger points to even more exciting development over the next few years. “We are planning and developing standards in several other areas that will be released to the market when completed. These include specifications for trusted computing implementation in servers, peripherals, storage, and mobile devices. We also are working to ensure endpoint integrity that utilized the security of trusted computing platforms and to ensure that all these systems will be interoperable.”
According to Berger, trusted networking standards are not far off. “TCG is also involved in a new effort, called ‘Trusted Network Connect,’ which is defining and promoting open solution architecture that will enable network administrators to enforce security policies for endpoint host connections to their multivendor networks.” When fully realized, a trusted network connect specification will determine the appropriate level of security and accessibility for users connecting to a network. Access is then based on the detected level of “security policy compliance,” such as full access, partial or directed access, or no access.
Ultimately, Berger says that administrators and IT staff are well served to use the capabilities offered by trusted computing platforms that are available today (and into the future). “Many IT [staff] and administrators are facing security requirements while implementing both policy enforcement and regulatory requirements. TCG-enabled platforms can help these organizations meet their objectives and solve [security] implementation problems using standards-based technology.”
by Stephen J. Bigelow
BillBurn,
Sadly, you are under-informed. I think you'll eventually be changing your handle/blog to BillBurnt!
kevin_s5
OT: Software Expert to Speak on Endpoint Integrity
Standards at Open Group Conference
Endpoint Integrity Vital to Enterprise Security, but Vendor-specific interfaces Have Hampered Deployment; Expert will Discuss the Need for Standards at the Open Group Conference January 26, 2005
....... will describe the work of the Trusted Computing Group's Trusted
Network Connect (TNC) Subgroup, which is developing open endpoint integrity
standards. The TNC standards will enable customers to choose best-of-breed
products and connect them. Later versions of the TNC standards will employ
the Trusted Platform Module (defined by the Trusted Computing Group)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Endpoint integrity solutions --
which protect the network by ensuring that a wired or wireless computer is
compliant with enterprise security policies before it joins the network, and
periodically thereafter -- are fast becoming essential to enterprise network
security. By providing increased protection against viruses, worms, and other
constantly-evolving threats, these solutions significantly minimize the risks
to network and data associated with "malware," and increase the security of a
network. However, compelling as these solutions are, deployment has to date
been limited, mostly because today's solutions implement vendor-specific
interfaces which result in incompatibilities and reduced coverage.
Development of endpoint integrity standards would eliminate these
incompatibilities and permit widespread deployment of these security-enhancing
solutions.
Steve Hanna, senior engineer for leading network access security solutions
provider Funk Software, will speak to the Open Group's Boundaryless
Information Flow Conference about the need to establish endpoint integrity
standards, and will describe the work of the Trusted Computing Group's Trusted
Network Connect (TNC) Subgroup, which is developing open endpoint integrity
standards. The TNC standards will enable customers to choose best-of-breed
products and connect them. Later versions of the TNC standards will employ
the Trusted Platform Module (defined by the Trusted Computing Group) to
provide hardware protection against hackers.
WHO: Steve Hanna, Senior Engineer, Funk Software
WHAT: "Endpoint Integrity Standards Will Enable Interoperation"
WHEN: January 26, 2005, 11:45 a.m.
WHERE: Open Group's Boundaryless Information Flow Conference (Hyatt at
Fisherman's Wharf, 555 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA)
Mr. Hanna is active in many networking and security standards groups such
as IETF and OASIS. He is the author of several IETF RFCs and published papers
and an inventor or co-inventor on 21 issued U.S. patents. Mr. Hanna holds an
A.B. in Computer Science from Harvard University.
Funk Software is a leading provider of network access security solutions
for networks of any size, from enterprise to operator, wired or wireless. The
company's family of RADIUS/AAA and WLAN security products allow an
organization to enforce a uniform security policy across all network access
methods, including WLAN, remote/VPN, dial, and identity-based (wired 802.1X) -
with the performance and reliability to handle any traffic load, and with full
support for any network infrastructure.
If you would like to speak with Steve Hanna about issues relating to
endpoint integrity, please contact Michael Schultz at Schwartz Communications,
(781) 684-0770 (funk@schwartz-pr.com).
Funk Software, Inc., 222 Third Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, (617) 497-
6339, http://www.funk.com
H-P Cedes PC Market Share To Dell
By Pui-Wing Tam
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
SOMETIMES BEING No. 1 isn't worth the effort. Hewlett-Packard Co. seems to have learned that lesson -- and investors could benefit.
The technology giant's personal-computer business has long faced the difficult choice between focusing on grabbing market share or on improving profitability. For much of the past two years, H-P has chosen the first approach, aggressively battling rival Dell Inc. to claim bragging rights as the top PC seller.
But in an important change, H-P is now backing off from seeking market share at all costs, or going all-out to unseat Dell from the top slot.
Normally, market-share retreats aren't anything to write home about. Yet this one has some investors applauding. Becoming less aggressive on PC market share "is a positive thing for H-P," says Sunil Reddy, portfolio manager of Fifth Third Technology Fund. Hugh Mullin, a fund manager at Putnam Investment Management, says H-P is doing "the right thing for shareholders."
The reason for the applause: The Palo Alto, Calif., company is now making clear that profits are its top priority. "We won't sacrifice profitability for market share," Carly Fiorina, H-P's chief executive, said at a meeting with analysts late last year. Her comments are echoed by Vyomesh "VJ" Joshi, who heads the company's highly profitable printer unit and who last week also was put in charge of the PC business. "The focus is first going to be on the bottom line," he says.
The dogfight in PCs has relentlessly driven down hardware prices and profit margins, pushing some companies out of the market altogether. H-P, however, has recently bucked the trend, maintaining an average selling price for its computers of around $1,200 for the past two quarters, according to research firm Gartner Inc. H-P says its PCs' average selling price has stayed constant for the past year.
By contrast, H-P lowered prices throughout 2003 and part of 2004 to match or undercut Dell. The strategy yielded some bragging rights for H-P -- it beat Dell as the top seller of PCs for two quarters out of the past nine -- but it also resulted in dismal profits. Indeed, since mid-2002, the operating profit of H-P's PC business hadn't until recently exceeded 1% of sales.
Now that H-P is putting less weight on being the world's top seller of PCs, its profit margins are inching up. In its most-recent fiscal quarter, which ended Oct. 31, H-P's operating profit margin for PCs rose slightly to 1.2%. That helped -- albeit modestly -- to offset declining margins in other areas of H-P's business, notably in its enterprise-computing unit, fund managers say.
"Focusing on profitability leads to slower growth, but it also leads to more consistent results and performance," said Marty Shagrin, an analyst at Victory Capital Management, which owned more than four million H-P shares at the end of September, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. "What's the point of being in a business if you can't make any money?" asks Mr. Shagrin, who doesn't rate the stock.
Improved PC profits aren't yet showing up in H-P's stock. In 2004, H-P shares declined around 9% even as the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index finished the year higher. After hitting a 12-month low in August when H-P reported disappointing financial results, the company's stock has risen modestly. On Friday, ahead of yesterday's holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the stock rose 12 cents to $20.07 in 4 p.m. New York Stock Exchange composite trading, giving the company a market value of slightly more than $60 billion.
But investors say the picture is bound to change if H-P can improve PC profitability in a sustained manner over the next few quarters. Mr. Shagrin, for one, contends that the stock is so cheap -- trading at just 11 times projected earnings in the next 12 months -- that any improved profits will likely be rewarded. Dell, in contrast, is trading at 25 times earnings in the next 12 months, with a market capitalization in excess of $100 billion.
Going after both market share and profits is next to impossible with the constant downward pressure on PC prices. Only those players with the leanest business structures -- particularly Dell, which stresses direct sales on the Web and over the phone -- have been prospering lately. H-P, which sells through retailers and other middlemen in addition to direct channels, has a built-in cost disadvantage.
H-P executives began emphasizing PC profits late last year, marking a change from the message that began when the company bought Compaq Computer Corp. three years ago, sharply expanding its PC business. While Ms. Fiorina said at the time that all of H-P's businesses would have to be profitable, she also drew attention to the battle with Dell. H-P was in a "two-horse race," Ms. Fiorina frequently said. Bob Wayman, the company's chief financial officer, told Wall Street analysts the company was content to sell PCs "at a very modest profit for now."
That changed after H-P missed Wall Street earnings estimates in August, says Deborah Nelson, vice president of marketing in H-P's personal-computing unit. Ms. Nelson notes that H-P is now a "solid No. 2" in PCs and "feels very comfortable with that market position."
In a sense, H-P has been forced to accept that role. Since early 2004, Dell has topped H-P's PC market share by several percentage points. As of the third quarter of 2004, for example, H-P's world-wide PC market share was 15.6%, compared with Dell's 17.8%, according to research firm IDC. When PC market shares for 2004's fourth quarter are released by Gartner and IDC this week, Dell is expected to maintain its No. 1 position, analysts say.
H-P's Ms. Nelson says the results in the past few quarters reflect the fact that customers perceive Dell's PCs to be less expensive, and because H-P had holes in its corporate PC lineup. H-P is now remedying those weaknesses by educating consumers on how competitive H-P's PC pricing is. H-P also plans to introduce new notebook computers for corporations over the next few weeks that will complete its lineup, she says.
Focusing on profitability has its risks, of course. H-P could lose so much PC sales volume that it might not make enough revenue to cover the fixed costs of its business.
Jason Maxwell, an analyst at Trust Company of the West, notes that several technology companies have tried to strike the right balance between PC profitability and market share, and failed. International Business Machines Corp., for one, struggled for years to reach that equilibrium in its PC business, Mr. Maxwell said. In the end, though, IBM gave up the fight. Late last year, it agreed to sell off its PC business to Chinese computer company Lenovo Group Ltd. According to SEC filings, Mr. Maxwell's firm owned 3.9 million H-P shares at the end of September.
Trustzone: everything one needs to know:
http://www.iqmagazineonline.com/magazine/pdf/v_3_4_pdf/Pg18_24_custZone_Secur.pdf
barge, you got deleted DUDE!
I think I know the posters you were refering to. A couple of newbies that planted themselves here just prior to the New Year, perhaps after being booted from iHub under a different alias?
So as not to offend these posters as we question their motives, I think we shouldn't refer to them directly. Maybe we can call them by the name Weby scrawled in the super-secret WaveCave?:
linuxgirl and Bootable Ben.
unix
That's exactly why I suggested the search feature.
You posted: I've only have been following Wave since 2001
Nearly four years?? You know, then, that most of the the topics and events around which your questions center have happened and been discussed since then.
unix, a couple observations:
Wave makes software that uses the TPM
uh, no, other way around.
I'm not sure if they have a formal relationship again
Again? Was the first deal terminated?
http://www.wave.com/news/press_archive/04/041027_Cartes.html
“Wave is pleased to be a partner with Infineon Technologies at Cartes 2004. Our EMBASSY Trust Suite, used with a PC enabled with an Infineon Trusted Platform Module, can deliver a portfolio of high value applications for business PC users,” said Bruno Leconte, vice president, EMEA sales, Wave Systems. “And Wave's KTM Enterprise Server AD helps IT administrators manage Trusted PCs in a networked environment. Wave believes trusted computing will be of high value to IT managers interested in enterprise security solutions in Europe.”
Then there's this from emonnshute's TPM Matrix:
Intel D865GRH - Infineon Ships with Infineon management software and Wave Systems EMBASSY Trust Suite
Intel D915GUX - Infineon Ships with Infineon management software and Wave Systems EMBASSY Trust Suite
Intel D915GEV - Infineon Ships with Infineon management software and Wave Systems EMBASSY Trust Suite
Intel D925XCV - Infineon Ships with Infineon management software and Wave Systems EMBASSY Trust Suite
Intel D915GMH - Infineon 1.1b Two of three available configurations equipped with TPM. Ships with Infineon management software and Wave Systems EMBASSY Trust Suite.
Intel D925XECV2 - Infineon 1.1b One of two available configurations equipped with TPM.
Ships with Infineon management software and Wave Systems EMBASSY Trust Suite
I realize you only joined a couple weeks ago, but much of what you're asking has been thoroughly considered and discussed by the most technologically proficient posters long before you showed up. You are asking redundant questions; since you are a paid member, I'd suggest you use the search feature.
Hi Zen,
I agree totally with your post. I spoke with someone yesterday who told me the corporate refresh is really just beginning, so it is probably not a coincidence it is happening as 1.2s become available.
I wish someone would take the lid off the National Semi PR department!
tco, that's EXACTLY what's happening
The pre-Longhhorn TPM ramp up across all vendors and their product lines is happening now and will be aggressive. Look in the very near future for a bigger push from the TCG, as they want to become known as the TC "solutions provider". Wave will have much input related to this effort.
OT: Intel's Sonoma launch coming Jan. 19
Mobile platform update is set
By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service
January 10, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO - Intel plans to launch the second generation of its Centrino mobile processor platform at a Jan. 19 event at the San Francisco Ferry Building, the Santa Clara, California, company confirmed Monday. The new platform, code-named Sonoma, will include a new version of Intel's (Profile, Products, Articles) Pentium M mobile processor, a new wireless chip, as well as a new chipset, which Intel says will have double the graphics performance of its current products.
Approximately 80 new notebook PCs based on the platform will begin shipping around the time of the launch, including products from Hewlett-Packard (Profile, Products, Articles), Dell (Profile, Products, Articles), IBM (Profile, Products, Articles), and Toshiba, Intel said. The total number of Sonoma systems is expected to grow to about 150 by year's end, the company said.
At the heart of the platform will be a new generation of Intel's Pentium M processor, code-named Dothan, which will have slightly faster clock speeds ranging up to 2.13GHz, and as much as 2M bytes of on-chip memory. The fastest of these new processors, called the Pentium M 770, will be priced in the same range as Intel's current top-of-the-line 2.1GHz Pentium M 765, said sources familiar with Intel's plans.
All told, Intel plans to launch five new versions of Pentium M, as well as new low voltage and ultra low-voltage processors at the event, said Barbara Grimes an Intel spokeswoman.
The most interesting developments in Sonoma, however, relate to the platform's new "Alviso" chipset and its frontside bus architecture, which connects the chipset to the processor, Grimes said.
Alviso will have a 533MHz frontside bus, which means that the processor will be able to communicate with other components of the chipset much faster than it does in the current crop of 400MHz frontside bus systems.
Sonoma will support Intel's PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express standard and DDR 2 (Double Data Rate 2) memory for the first time, and will include a new wireless networking chipset, called the Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG network connection, which will support the 802.11a/b/g wireless standards, Grimes said.
Though the first generation of Centrino products were able to radically extend the battery life of notebook systems, the Sonoma line focuses on performance rather than power consumption, said Sam Bhavnani, senior analyst with Current Analysis Inc. "With Sonoma, battery life remains the same," he said.
However, the new front-side bus and larger on-chip cache will give graphics performance a big boost with the new systems, he said. "You're going to start seeing a physical difference between a notebook that was released a year ago and notebooks that are released on the Sonoma platform."
Increasingly, Intel has been working to make the platform more appealing to consumers, Bhavnani said.
In addition to the better graphics performance, Sonoma systems will also include new wireless networking software, called Intel PRO/Set and new High Definition Audio technology, all of which were developed with the consumer market in mind, Intel's Grimes said. "People will be using this a lot more as a home entertainment device," she said. "You'll see a lot more diversity in the systems now."
Intel had originally hoped to launch Sonoma in 2004, but the announcement was delayed after the company experienced problems producing the chipset.
unix
His name is spelled without the "d", Schneier
barge, trouble sleeping? try this:
http://www.msi.vxu.se/forskn/exarb/2004/04086.pdf
OT: How Intel's Missteps Let Rival AMD Catch Up
(From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
By Don Clark
FEW COMPANIES have closer ties to Intel Corp. than Hewlett-Packard Co. After
all, the two Silicon Valley giants collaborated for a decade on chip
technology that H-P plans to use in three major computer lines.
Yet H-P also has become a vocal fan of Opteron, a competing microprocessor
from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. H-P executives concluded in the summer of
2003 -- after developing a prototype computer under a secret effort called
Project X -- that AMD's chip was the best for some server systems, and Intel
didn't have a plausible strategy to close the gap.
"We kept asking Intel, `What are you going to do for us to be competitive?'
" says Paul Miller, H-P's vice president of marketing for industry-standard
servers. "The plan kept on falling short."
Many plans have fallen short lately for Intel, which struggled with a series
of execution problems in 2004. But the biggest image problem is AMD's
perceived performance edge in the chip technology Intel invented. Though AMD's
stock plunged yesterday because of Intel's counterattack in chips called flash
memory, AMD's transformation from a technology follower to a leader could
weaken Intel's long-held hegemony over computing standards.
How did AMD, an erratic performer through much of its 35-year history, make
such big waves? Part of the answer can be traced to Intel decisions in the
1990s that might have outflanked its smaller rival but wound up having the
opposite effect.
Intel bet billions of dollars on the chip technology proposed by H-P, a
sharp break from the x86 design that is the electronic brain of most personal
computers. But the chip Intel designed, called Itanium, arrived years late and
has become popular only in a narrow class of high-end servers. Intel's x86
Xeon and Pentium chips, by contrast, became the dominant calculating engines
in computer workstations and high-volume servers.
Intel last month said it would hire H-P's chip-design team and take over all
Itanium development, ending the joint effort begun in 1994. H-P says it will
invest $3 billion over three years on computers and software associated with
the chip.
Itanium remains a hot topic in Silicon Valley, derided by competitors and
defended by its creators. It also set off fierce internal debates at Intel,
which former company engineers say contributed to delays in improving the x86
line. AMD tried to exploit the situation.
"I knew that there were people inside of Intel whose careers were tied to
Itanium," says Fred Weber, AMD's chief technology officer. "They had nothing
to gain by allowing something to compete with it internally."
The battle is linked to a technology transition that means little to most
users now but may play a big role in how computers evolve. The shift, to chips
that process 64 bits of data at a time, allows computers to use much more
memory than today's 32-bit machines.
Itanium was designed to run new 64-bit software; it also runs 32-bit
programs, but more slowly than expected. AMD's Opteron chip, by contrast, is a
modified x86 chip that is good at running both 32-bit and 64-bit programs.
AMD's approach, launched by its former chief executive, Jerry Sanders, and
pushed by successor Hector Ruiz, is crucial to its penetration of the
corporate market. AMD accounted for only 4.3% of x86 server sales in the third
quarter, the research firm IDC says. But H-P, Sun Microsystems Inc. and
International Business Machines Corp. are Opteron customers; even Dell
Computer Inc., long an Intel-only customer, has said it might try Opteron.
Intel has responded by overhauling its product plans, including adding
Opteron-like 64-bit technology to its Xeon chips -- an indignity for a company
used to defining hardware standards.
"Maybe we should have reacted a little faster," says Abhi Talwalkar, a vice
president in charge of Intel's enterprise-platforms group. But he adds, "I
think we've responded incredibly fast over the course of the last 12 months."
AMD, of Sunnyvale, Calif., long has made Intel-compatible chips. But Intel
insisted that AMD be barred from emulating Itanium under a 1996 agreement
between the companies, recalls Atiq Raza, a Silicon Valley investor who then
directed AMD's development efforts. He says Intel also declined to share
information about a technology for connecting microprocessors with other
chips.
Forced to innovate, AMD engineers added 64-bit circuitry to an x86 design.
They also devised a simpler way to fetch data from memory, boosting Opteron's
32-bit performance. "It was almost as though Intel closed doors for us that
allowed us to find new ways to compete with them," Mr. Raza says.
Such technologies long had been discussed inside Intel. But some former
Intel engineers say top managers resisted changes to x86 chips that might
suggest a weakening commitment to Itanium, then called Merced.
Robert Colwell, an architect on three x86 chips before resigning in 2001,
says his boss let it be known he would be fired if Mr. Colwell kept lobbying
to enhance x86 chips to exploit more memory -- a hallmark of Merced. Albert
Yu, a former Intel executive who was then Mr. Colwell's boss, denies any
threat and says he was eager to improve x86 chips, too. "I certainly was
encouraging him, not trying to discourage him," he says.
In 1998, several high-ranking engineers met with Chief Executive Craig
Barrett to discuss their concerns about Merced, two participants say. After
listening politely, Mr. Barrett abruptly ended the meeting, accusing them of
wanting to kill a competing project, they say.
Mr. Barrett wasn't available for comment. Chuck Mulloy, an Intel spokesman,
calls the account of Mr. Barrett's behavior "unlikely." But he adds: "Intel
has very talented, creative engineers. There are disagreements all the time."
AMD's courtship of H-P began in 2001, in a server group that was part of
Compaq Computer Corp. until the 2002 merger of H-P and Compaq. Teams drove
regularly between AMD's Austin facilities and Compaq's offices in Houston, as
H-P analyzed AMD's technology, manufacturing capacity and marketing strategy,
H-P's Mr. Miller says.
In late 2002, the effort known as Project X was established to design an
Opteron-based server. Engineers were sequestered in a special office so they
wouldn't violate Intel restrictions about use of its technical data. "We put
these guys in a glass bubble," Mr. Miller says.
When the first machine was booted up in mid-2003, the performance ranged
from 40% to four times better than Intel-based machines, Mr. Miller says.
Still, H-P didn't announce its relationship with AMD until February of 2004
-- after the announcement of Intel's 64-bit Xeon and H-P's commitment to also
use that chip. H-P plans to keep using such x86 servers for high-volume
applications and Itanium for high-end chores, says Rich Marcello, who runs
H-P's business critical-systems group.
OT,but amazing: LeapFrog Releasing New 'Pentop' Computer
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Thomas Kalinske, chief executive of LeapFrog
Enterprises Inc. (LF), said the company has developed a new computing
platform, the Fly.
In a CNBC interview Wednesday, Kalinske said the technology combines the
power of a computer into a pen.
"We are moving from the desktop to the laptop to the pentop computer," he
said.
Kalinske said the Fly is expected to be on the market this fall and will
probably cost $99.
Kalinske said that LeapFrog is betting a lot on the new product as it is a
new entry to a new market, and great for the school market.