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Bearmove, which is why
a hostile takeover would be difficult. I know you were not in on that discussion, but your numbers are helpful.
BTW, what have you done/written to get membermarked by 232 iHubbers?
Cliff, I received an email from
my friend at the DoD. Since part of it relates to your post, here's just a portion of what he said:
There is a positive ripple effect with this deployment because it also parallels other DoD and DISA programs.
secure_observ
finread... plenty of pr's on wave's optimally venerable finread solution, and NOTHING. demo hear, demo there, and NOTHING. pilot hear, pilot there, and NOTHING. ZERO substantive revenue
For the board, would you please describe the current state of FINREAD?
kevin_s5
Is EMBASSY coming full-circle?:
http://www.tumbleweed.com/pdfs/va-wavesys1.pdf
OT: Ubiquitous Computing Research Spreads
By Michael Singer
December 15, 2004
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/print.php/3448171
Two major research facilities have joined efforts to strengthen the link among Internet-enabled devices.
Researchers with electronics maker Fujitsu and the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) signed a multi-year, joint research agreement in the field of ubiquitous (sometimes called pervasive) computing.
The idea is that almost any device (clothing, tools, appliances, cars, homes, the human body and your coffee mug) can be embedded with chips to connect it to an infinite network of other devices.
The goal of ubiquitous computing is to create an environment where those devices are embedded in such a way that the connection to the greater Internet is unobtrusive and always available. Researchers said they will combine the vast array of current network technologies with wireless computing, voice recognition, Internet capability and artificial intelligence into one architecture.
"Taking advantage of these strengths, we will be able to make our cutting-edge technology concepts and visions a reality," Mark Bernstein, president and center director of PARC, said in a statement. "Beyond the broad commercial potential, we are excited that working to support Fujitsu's international customer base will fuel new ideas about the potential for PARC research."
To complete their vision, Fujitsu and PARC said they will focus on a "meta standard" interconnect technology that PARC calls "Obje"; it lets devices interoperate over wired and wireless networks.
The researchers will also work on simpler and more secure wireless networking, streamlined software architecture for interoperability, better ad-hoc sensor network technology and advanced information visualization technologies.
"Fujitsu has highly regarded PARC's long-term research perspective and its ability to create visionary concepts, such as ubiquitous computing, that incorporate social science insights," Takashi Aoki, corporate vice president of Fujitsu, said in a statement.
The two groups said they will also incorporate social science to create new business opportunities, both at the business-to-business and business-to-customer levels. Plans to develop secure and simple technologies are expected to involve several areas of research:
Safeguarding and securing personal information in global electronic health care systems.
Improving local disaster-response systems by making it possible for data networks to reorganize and locally adapt to changes.
Tying businesses and consumers together with a flow of personalized information services, thus opening the field of "ubiquitous customer relationship management."
Networking intelligent transportation systems with a focus on standardization.
The trend toward ubiquitous computing is gaining in popularity, with players like IBM (Quote, Chart), Microsoft (Quote, Chart), HP (Quote, Chart), Intel (Quote, Chart), Sun Microsystems and Cisco Systems (Quote, Chart) all taking active roles.
The Fujitsu and PARC partnership extends beyond 2010 and will use resources from their collective R&D labs. The companies said they expect the first round of results as early as 2006.
Intel Wireless TPM Whitepaper
May have already been posted.....................
http://www.intel.com/design/pca/applicationsprocessors/whitepapers/30086801.pdf
US Govt is adopting Trusted Computing
I recently asked a close friend who works for the government if he had heard anything about trusted computing. His response confirms what most of us have suspected for quite awhile.
They didn't have the make and model info, but the a few first machines and supporting servers will be by 17 JAN. They are TPM/TCG compliant, to have open connectivity with all the HIDTA's (high intensity drug trafficking areas) there are 32 around the nation, and also DHS agencies, of which 16 reside here with me and several DOJ agencies.
The first will be desktop PC's that are Dell, but I know some will be HP, too. Also a new batch of laptops are coming, 10/week, which are probably Dell.
I am in almost daily touch with other agencies/Centers doing this in concert with us, and DoD is driving the very same requirements.
The rest I can't comment on because DHS Security Directive 11042.
OT: IBM’s ChipOS Breaks Away From Smartcards
http://sdtimes.com/news/116/emb2.htm
By Edward J. Correia
December 15, 2004 — When is a smartcard not a smartcard? When it’s a dongle, of course. With the addition in November of support for USB in its Java-based smartcard operating system, IBM Corp. gives developers the ability to build such applications as hardware-based security keys and other devices apart from the credit-card-sized form factor.
According to Angus McIntyre, product line manager for embedded Java products, IBM’s so-called Java Card Open Platform (JCOP) operating system also now offers support for long crypto keys. “As the need for more security on smartcards grows, you need longer keys to store in them,” he said.
Known as JCOP 40, the newest feature set supplements a line that starts with JCOP 10, which McIntyre said is intended for price-sensitive cards such as those for high-volume financial markets; JCOP 20, which adds public key encryption; and JCOP 30, which introduces dual-interface capability for developing contact or contactless smartcards, such as those for building security and point-of-sale applications.
JCOP cards conform to the JavaCard 2.1.1 and Global Platform 2.1.1 specifications, the latter of which has been adopted by major financial institutions, including Visa. “You have to cover Global Platform to be in the financial card market,” McIntyre said.
The company also has introduced the JCOP toolkit, which McIntyre said includes a card reader, sample cards and a plug-in for the Eclipse IDE. “You plug the smartcard into the reader, and you can debug though emulation in the IDE or live on the card,” he said.
Also new is a hardware abstraction or porting layer that McIntyre claimed will allow card makers to port IBM’s operating system to their silicon faster than previously possible. “Because each time you bolt the OS to a new chip system, you need to go though due diligence to make sure everything works.”
The company also will now market JCOP and MultiFunction Card Edition, its native smartcard operating system for custom one-offs, under the WebSphere Everyplace Chip Operating System brand. “Now we have a WebSphere infrastructure going from smallest processors on 8-bit cards all the way to [S/390] servers powering the largest transactional e-business sites in the world,” he said of the rebranding strategy. Both available now, royalty costs vary from 99 cents to US$4.99 per card.
3G Mobile Phones Put Entertainment Center into Your Hands,
Texas Instruments Executive Tells Wireless Leadership Summit Insight on 'Must Have' 3G Mobile Entertainment Services Provided in Yankee Group Summit Keynote Address
SAN DIEGO, Dec 14, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Live digital TV,
custom ring tones, mobile music DJs, 3D games, multi-megapixel cameras -- these
cool applications and more are fueling the growth of 3G cellular technology
noted Doug Rasor, Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN) (TI) Vice President
and Manager, Worldwide Strategic Marketing, during a keynote address to industry
leaders attending the Yankee Group's Wireless Leadership Summit today. Rasor
explained the significant opportunity 3G represents for delivering a multimedia
experience to the mobile phone that is fun, personal and entertaining.
In his presentation Rasor outlined that in order to drive 3G adoption and
revenues, the industry must deliver "must have" mobile entertainment services to
the mobile phone. Rasor further noted that meeting consumer expectations for a
high-quality multimedia experience will be a strong step toward making trendy
mobile features "must-have," revenue-generating services. To access Rasor's
keynote presentation online, please visit
http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/investor/speeches/2004/yankee04/ .
One of the fundamental trends influencing the multimedia experience is the
intersection of the wireless and consumer electronics marketplaces, Rasor
explained. "From the convergence of these two booming industries, we'll see
tremendous innovation, much of which cannot be fathomed today," Rasor noted.
"Some of the new applications will stick, others will not. But to be sure a
cauldron of creativity is in the making, and you can count on seeing new
technology that will make wireless applications easier, more entertaining and
more affordable."
Consumers already expect a high-end electronics experience from their state of
the art digital cameras, camcorders and game consoles. They are beginning to
expect that same experience on their mobile phones with a broad range of
compelling, interactive content. Current 3G handsets now feature high-resolution
color displays, integrated video cameras, audio and video content streaming,
internet access at broadband speeds, location-based services, and multi-user 3D
gaming. And these are only the beginning.
Rasor explained that the intersection of these two hot markets will present big
opportunities for everyone in the value chain. "For operators it will mean more
traffic on their networks and more revenue," said Rasor. "For TI, it already
means taking our strong position in both wireless and consumer electronics and
channeling that into delivering the most advanced 3G solutions and the most
compelling multimedia applications. As more such advances in applications
appear, the potential 3G barriers consumers once faced, including high-priced,
bulky handsets with short battery life, will continue to dissipate and focus the
buying decisions more on the compelling services and content that 3G delivers."
Closing his address, Rasor reminded the audience of executives that the
combination of the essential -- reliable communications -- with the desired --
cool applications -- will become increasingly important as 3G evolves. "No
longer just a device to make and receive calls, 3G is turning the cell phone
into a universal remote control, allowing our on-the-go society access to
entertainment and productivity with just a click on their cell phone," Rasor
said. "Indeed, these exciting services will be the cornerstone of accelerating
3G uptake, driving increased average revenue per user for mobile operators and
creating opportunity for every part of the wireless value chain as we deliver a
multimedia experience on the cell phone that equals a consumer electronics
experience," said Rasor.
Dell Welcomes Millions to its Web Site
Consumers Choose Convenience of Shopping Online During Holiday Weekend
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/pressoffice/en/2004/2004_11_29_rr_002?c=us&a....
Round Rock, Texas, November 29, 2004
The lines were only one-deep and parking was as convenient as the front door for the millions of weekend shoppers who clicked on Dell.com to shop for home computers and consumer electronics during the long Thanksgiving weekend.
From Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 25-28), Dell's U.S. Consumer business portal received more than 3.3 million visits — an increase of more than 60 percent over the same four-day period in 2003.
John Hamlin, senior vice president of Dell's U.S. Consumer business, attributed the increase to three factors: the ease and convenience of being able to shop from home; great prices on all products; and expansion of Dell products with new consumer electronics such as plasma TVs, photo printers and Dell Pocket DJ music players.
"If you can get the quality products you want at the best prices with great service and support from Dell, and do it without fighting traffic and crowds and limited supply and selection in the malls and box centers, you are going to do what is easiest and smartest," Hamlin said.
"Our customers know they are welcome any time of the day or night and can get the information they need to make informed purchases by coming to Dell.com or by calling us," he said.
24601, talk about circumspect,
This news still isn't on Wave's website.................
24601
I totally agree with you assesment about the 8-K. It looks like DJ may have picked up the news from EDGAR-online.
24601, nope, from DowJones:
( DJ ) 12/14 10:39AM DJ Wave Systems Amends Distributor Pact With Envoy Data
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Wave Systems Corp. (WAVX) said Tuesday that it
amended some terms of its distributor agreement with Envoy Data Corp.
The software monitoring product maker said in a document filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission that the amendment makes its Embassy Trust
Suite Enterprise Security, Dell Edition 1.0 software, available for
distribution to Dell Inc. (DELL) by Envoy.
Wave Systems said that the software will then be an option for purchase with
Dell personal computers enabled with security hardware at a retail price of
$19.99.
Under the terms of the amendment, the company will receive the remaining
portion of the $19.99 retail price after deducting distribution costs.
The amendment doesn't provide for any minimum or maximum guaranteed
quantities, the filing said.
The original distributor pact, dated June 29, called for Envoy Data to
resell Wave's Embassy Trust Suite software and infrastructure to enterprises
and government interested in trusted computing solutions for personal computer
security.
Barge, you know that air force dot????
You were right on! Today's announcement to me validates what you were saying yesterday, namely Dell's trusted computers would be the backbone of the air force's secure system.
Dude, you're gettin' a Dell,
with Wave's EMBASSY® Trust Suite Enterprise Security
Wave Systems Amends Distributor Pact With Envoy Data
Featurephone Chipset Heralds Secure Multimedia Smartphones
Written by Richard Bloor
http://www.symbianone.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1222
Wednesday, 15 December 2004
The announcement that Renesas is integrating Discretix CryptoCell technology into the SH-Mobile chipset heralds the development of a range of secure mobile phones and applications. Symbian OS with support from DoCoMo is well positioned to deliver this new breed of secure applications.
While Symbian OS support is not included in the SH-Mobile announcement Renesas's market position and future product development both in terms NTT DoCoMo and the security support is an interesting indication of the likely roadmap for future smartphones.
Renesas was created in April 2003 through the merger of Hitachi's and Mitsubishi's semiconductor businesses. It is one of the world's largest semiconductor suppliers, and the world's largest supplier of microcontrollers. Renesas silicon account for half the application processors in mobile phones and it also supplies most of the ancillary components such as displays, memory, GSM amplifiers and RF components.
"The bulk of our high end processor currently services the featurephone market, those devices with cameras and multimedia capabilities," says Brian Davis, Director of Business Development, Advanced Solutions Group at Renesas Technology America, Inc. "However our future product line is very much intended to service the open operating systems that power the smartphone market."
The inclusion of CryptoCell in the SH-Mobile chipset has been driven mainly by demands from Renesas's customers. Amit Shofar, Director, Business Development at Discretix notes three strong areas where security is becoming increasingly important; DRM, Over-The-Air updates and commerce. We covered many of the issues in the DRM arena in our recent feature "Discretix Hardens DRM Security on Symbian OS ".
"Over the air firmware updates allow vendors or operators to efficiently introduce new capabilities and services or correct fault, significantly lowering operational support costs," says Amit. "Making these updates secure is key requirement. The basis of the entire handset security lies in the firmware. If an attacker can penetrate the firmware they can undermine any security measures applied in application software running on the device by replacing key firmware components." Hardware security is key to preventing firmware attacks for the same reason it provides robust security for any application, security keys and algorithms held in software can be attacked and changed. "Hardware based security allows you to do two things with certainty when it comes to firmware updates," says Amit. "Firstly you can ensure that the update packages are from legitimate sources and secondly ensure that the update has been completed successfully." The verification of the successful update of firmware is achieved by two key steps, firstly using hashing algorithms (again implemented in hardware) to check that the start image is the one expected and then repeating the process after an update to check that the expected image has been created.
Other important applications supported by hardware security, currently of less importance but rapidly growing, are mobile commerce and enterprise mobility, both areas which also can benefit from the robust security.
Amit also points out that the recently released specifications of the Trusted Mobile Platform organization, a group made up of NTT DoCoMo, Intel and IBM, makes hardware based security a key requirement for trusted class of mobile devices.
Renesas's SH-Mobile is the defacto standard processor in NTT DoCoMo's network, having a dominant portion of the DoCoMo 2.5G handset market and significant FOMA implementation but is also gaining an increasingly important role outside Japan. The integration of CryptoCell into the SH-Mobile product line has however been driven strongly by the Japanese market, particularly DoCoMo. "We are seeing a strong demand for security on handsets, particularly in the 3G application space," says Brian. "Security is certainly high on NTT DoCoMo's requirements list to allow it to drive new applications. We saw a merging of customer requirements with the capabilities of Discretix's technology which drove our integration of CryptoCell into the SH-Mobile product line."
While SH-Mobile is today predominantly a featurephone chipset, the future roadmap is heading towards smartphone support, and in doing so is bringing some critical advantages gained from designing for devices with lower specifications. For example the SH-Mobile 3, which utilizes the SH-Mobile X Core, is a super scalar chipset able to execute two instruction in one cycle, either one RISC and one DSP instruction or two RISC instructions in parallel. "The approach we have taken in the SH-Mobile X Core, unlike others who are aggressively increasing clock speed, is a power efficient one," says Brian. "Increasing the clock speed also increases power consumption exponentially, where our architectural approach to performance provides more horsepower without compromising power consumption. This is important particularly for Multimedia applications. As digital media broadcasting to mobile phones becomes a reality you need to maintain good battery life for it to be practical."
The technology in SH-Mobile will also offer other benefits in the smartphone market. "We have worked hard to optimize performance of multimedia in SH-Mobile," says Brian. "In addition to the chipsets architectural we also have particularly efficient video and audio codeces."
Currently Renesas is able to offer a full one-stop shop to device manufacturers, from silicon to applications, however this will change as it increases support for open operating systems. "We currently have agreements in place with Monta Vista for Linux support," says Brian. "We are also in discussions with Symbian as, while the Smartphone market is a very small part of our current business, we expect it to grow. We want broad open operating system support available for SH-Mobile to fulfill the requirements of our customers."
While the importance of Renesas's decision to incorporate CryptoCell into SH-Mobile for Symbian OS smartphone is not immediately obvious, by putting together Renesas's strengths in NTT DoCoMo market, DoCoMo's adoption of Symbian OS for future handsets and the fact that DoCoMo are very much at the leading edge of mobile phone technology and applications, this announcement says that security is a key ingredient of future smartphones. Symbian OS with support from DoCoMo and Discretix is well positioned to deliver the new breed of secure applications.
Anyone know Certicom?
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/12-09-2004/0002591655&....
Second Quarter Operational Highlights
- Certicom signed a substantial licensing contract with Sybase and
another contract for Security Builder IPSec with a customer that
cannot be disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- David Sequino joined the company as vice president, worldwide sales.
Mr. Sequino has more than 15 years of sales and business development
expertise, the majority of it in the embedded systems industry, a
primary focus for Certicom. Recently, Mr. Sequino assumed the
additional responsibility of overseeing marketing.
- Licensed Security Builder Crypto 4.0, its cross-platform
cryptographic toolkit, to Avanza Technologies to build ECC into its
secure identity management product, It'sM(x)iMail.
- Announced plans to capitalize on new opportunities in the embedded
virtual private network (VPN) market with the launch of Security
Builder IPSec, a developer toolkit for embedding the Internet
Protocol security (IPSec) protocol into wireless handhelds and to
secure Voice over IP (VoIP).
- Introduced the Certicom Security Architecture for Mobility enabling
device manufacturers to quickly and cost-effectively embed security
across multiple families and generations of devices. To develop this
overall architecture, Certicom worked with Intel and device
manufacturers to develop a comprehensive security platform that is
optimized for the Intel(R) Wireless Trusted Platform.
- Announced that Perceptive Software, known for its innovative document
imaging, management and workflow software, has licensed Security
Builder PKI developer toolkit. For Perceptive Software, the toolkit
will enable its developers to quickly and easily add ECC-based
digital signature functionality to its ImageNow(R) suite of products.
OT: Rumors: Wireless Mergers And iPod Phones
By David Haskin Mobile Pipeline
The wireless rumor mill has been more abuzz than usual and I'm particularly intrigued by two rumors: Sprint and Nextel could merge and Apple is developing an iPod phone. One of those rumors seems silly and the other makes sense but may never happen.
The Nextel, Sprint rumor is the silly one. The Wall Street Journal reported the rumor Thursday morning and, by the afternoon, many other media were reporting that the Journal was reporting the rumor. From where I sit, that merger could come to pass, but only if the two companies are paranoid about being outmuscled over time by Verizon and the newly-merged Cingular-AT&T Wireless behemoth.
Keep in mind that the companies' voice networks aren't currently compatible: Nextel uses Motorola's iDEN technology while Sprint uses CDMA. Nextel has acknowledged it's looking at next-generation CDMA for data but, even if it also deployed CDMA for voice, it would be years before the new network would be ready. That would limit short- and medium-term synergies created by a merger. Plus, Nextel has become a money machine, posting large and ever-increasing profits. That's why I think that only paranoia could make this rumor come true.
The iPod phone rumor has been flogged by Mac blogs and discussion sites for the last couple of months and Mac flogger/bloggers typically don't have inside information. But an iPod phone does make sense.
Apple must do something to insure its long-term survival now that its desktop computers have become largely irrelevant as a market force. The company is being sustained, for now, by its laptops and the iPod-iTunes combo, but that's not enough to keep Apple as a multi-billion dollar company over the long-haul, particularly as competition intensifies. (For what it's worth, my Creative Zen Touch music player is significantly less expensive than a comparable iPod).
Apple is a smart company, so it ought to be thinking about the iPod more as a platform than as a specific product. They're already shipping a photo-ready iPod and an iPod phone would be another logical extension of the platform. It would instantly become a status-y must-have, much like the iPod music player. Better still for Apple, it would firmly establish the iPod brand. Make it an iPod smartphone and a lot of vendors, most notably palmOne, will develop serious migraines.
Of course, Apple being Apple, it could make such a device twice as expensive as the market could bear. Plus, Apple is as well known for its missed opportunities as it is for its excellent products. The Apple Newton, for example, was a pioneering handheld but it was too big and expensive and Apple pulled the plug too soon. Still, an iPod phone could help cement Apple's future and make a lot of money.
OT: IBM Could Lose Half Its PC Prospects To Dell, HP
http://www.techweb.com/wire/hardware/55300732
By Gregg Keizer, TechWeb News
Almost half of the U.S. enterprises who were IBM PC prospects said that they're ready to consider Dell or HP now that the Armonk, N.Y.-based giant is dumping its desktop and laptop business, a research firm reported Thursday.
Earlier this week, IBM sold its PC business to Lenovo Group, China's biggest computer maker, for $1.75 billion in cash and stock. But while IBM executives have been promising that there will be little or no disruption in business as the hand-over takes place, analysts at research firms such as Forrester sang a different tune.
"The problem is that there will be disruption," said Robert McNeill, a senior analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.
In a report issued Thursday, McNeill and several Forrester colleagues said that about half -- 48 percent to be exact -- of IBM's prospects for desktop and/or laptops deals would consider switching to Dell or HP. According to the Forrester report, the sample sizes were as follows: 171 IBM prospects, 305 Dell prospects, 208 HP prospects. Additionally, the total sample size of 1,368, which consisted of both enterprise- and SMB-sized firms with the former leaning far more heavily towards IBM/Dell/HP as preferred desktop/laptop providers. So, the 48 percent of IBM prospects, for instance, is 48 percent of the 171.
Forrester's numbers parallel those acquired so far in an InformationWeek instant poll, which asks users to vote on whether they'll look for another PC provider now that IBM is selling off its unit to Lenovo. As of mid-morning Thursday, 52 percent said they would consider another seller, 30 percent said they wouldn't, and 18 percent were undecided.
"The conventional wisdom says that loyalty to IBM, ThinkPad notebooks in particular, runs deep, but our data showed the exact opposite," said McNeill.
In fact, loyalty by IBM's prospects lags behind potential customers of both Dell and Hewlett-Packard. Only 29 percent of Dell's prospects would consider switching, while 41 percent of HP's would think about it.
"Essentially what we're seeing here is confirmation that business buyers' brand loyalty comes down to price," said McNeill. "IBM made a management choice not to compete on price in the desktop and laptop market."
The IBM rival with the most to gain, said McNeill, is HP. Of the almost half of the IBM prospects polled who said they might switch, 43 said they would also consider Dell, 39 percent said they would also look at HP, and 18 percent reported that they'd consider all three.
"On a unit basis, our data suggests that Dell and HP will split any potential IBM defectors evenly," said McNeill. "An even split would increase HP's market share on a percentage basis. We've seen a little bit of resurgence in HP's desktop/laptop business," he added, "and this would built on that momentum."
In November, Forrester released a study reporting that 31 percent of enterprises said they planned to consider HP, an increase of 7 percent since April. Consideration for Dell, meanwhile, actually slipped 1 point.
But HP's job in winning over IBM customers may be harder than it thinks, said McNeill. "HP will have to build a corporate message as to why they're better able to support a PC business [than Dell or IBM] while at the same time growing their service and outsourcing business."
Dell's strategy, in contrast, is crystal clear. "It's very focused, very tightly attached to the box," said McNeill. "But HP is going to have to defend their position to play in this commodity PC business as they also become a more service type of animal."
Analysts have been busy making recommendations and giving advice to current and potential IBM desktop and laptop customers. Forrester, for instance, ended its Thursday report with a note to expect rivals Dell and HP to offer enticing trade-up deals to current customers, while research competitor Gartner said in an online briefing that customers should "use the potential risks of the [Lenovo] deal to negotiate lower prices or better service levels from IBM."
Arm's hardware security platform, called TrustZone,
could become a standard since Arm's core processor technology powers most mobile phones and newer handheld computers on the market today.
from a previous post:
http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,98123,00.html
OT:Hmmm - NSM Halted: News. Last $15.30
AMD's Weber predicts eight core Opterons
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20128
THE CHIEF technology officer of AMD spoke at a Lehman Brothers conference yesterday.
Fred Weber said AMD had started working on 64-bit technology five years ago and that it had to extend previous X86 architecture.
He claimed the most important benefit from 64-32 architecture was performance. Future Microsoft software will offer better security for such systems, Weber said.
He said AMD had realised the importance of the server market and saw a trend towards mobility. AMD changed the focus of all of its efforts on the server and mobile sectors, rather than the desktop. Leadership in the server market would allow benefits to trickle down into the desktop market.
Future developments from AMD would be four and eight core chips, support for DDR2, DDR3 and for FB DIMMs, and Hypertransport 3 technology as well as the second generation of PCI Express. Oh, and Trusted Computing. AMD would add virtualisation and better power management to its technology.
He said AMD would add cores as technology allowed it, within the useable space. The AMD strategy was to aim at early adopters in the high performance market and to the system builders first, and then to the OEMs selling into medium sized businesses and governments. Tier one platforms for servers next year would accelerate that trend, he said.
In 2006 and 2007, AMD would continue to expand its product portfolio, he said.
Future products would be aimed at the SMP market, at the blade market, and into non traditional server markets including NAS, SAS, network appliances and telcos, Weber said.
Weber showed off a pic of AMD's dual core processor, to be built on the 90 nanometre process, with a 95 watt power envelope, and 940 pin socket compatible. That, we suspect, is until 2006.
AMD has high yields of the SOI 90 nanometre chips which have a die size of 84mm2.
AMD's Fab 36 expansion is "on plan, on time, and on budget", he said.
Equipment is already being moved into the extension at the fab in Dresden, Weber said. Weber said that AMD and IBM had recently extended its current alliance over development of technology to 45 nanometre technology too. µ
OT: Passports go electronic with new microchip
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1209/p12s01-stct.html
Next year, new US passports will have a chip slipped under the cover, containing biometric and personal data. But privacy advocates worry about surveillance.
The US passport is about to go electronic, with a tiny microchip embedded in its cover. Along with digitized pictures, holograms, security ink, and "ghost" photos - all security features added since 2002 - the chip is the latest outpost in the battle to outwit tamperers. But it's also one that worries privacy advocates.
The RFID (radio frequency identification) chip in each passport will contain the same personal data as now appear on the inside pages - name, date of birth, place of birth, issuing office - and a digitized version of the photo. But the 64K chip will be read remotely. And there's the rub.
The scenario, privacy advocates say, could be as simple as you standing in line with your passport as someone walks by innocuously carrying a briefcase. Inside that case, a microchip reader could be skimming data from your passport to be used for identity theft. Or maybe authorities or terrorists want to see who's gathered in a crowd and surreptitiously survey your ID and track you. Suddenly, "The Matrix" looks less futuristic.
The State Department maintains that such scenarios are outright fiction.
"A person can't be tracked," says Kelly Shannon, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department. "It's not as if the information is going to broadcast and anyone with a receiver can be picking up that signal. There isn't a signal."
The passport, issued to officials and diplomats in early 2005 and to the public by the end of the year, is accessed using a reader that "pings" the microchip in order to release the data, much like proximity cards used for workplace ID badges. What prevents surveillance is that "the passport can only be read at a distance of 10 centimeters or less," explains Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance, an industry association that represents the four companies that produced prototype chips for the State Department.
Concerns of privacy advocates have "no validity," he says. "The purpose of the passport is to create a more secure travel document. The introduction of contactless chip technology has accomplished that."
The response of technology experts and privacy advocates is simply: "Rubbish."
"It's perfectly reasonable that the government wants a machine-readable photograph," says Bruce Schneier, a security guru and author of "Beyond Fear." "I just worry that they are building a technology that the bad guys can surreptitiously access."
The idea that the chips cannot be read beyond 10 centimeters (four inches) doesn't fly with him. "There is no impossible," Mr. Schneier says. "So they [the manufacturers] guarantee that there will be no technological advances in the next 10 years that will change that? It's absurd."
In fact, data skimming is already common in other arenas, says Richard Doherty, research director for the Envisioneering Group, a technology-assessment company out of Seaford, N.Y. "Bluejacking," where someone with the right equipment can hijack your phone, grab your directory, history of calls, and electronic serial number just by walking past you while you're on the phone, and "war-driving," where an individual drives down the street with a computer that maps all the networks that are free along with their IDs - these are already significant security issues, he says.
"This whole world of wireless is one that, yes, it has tremendous convenience, but it's increasingly threatened by a cloud of easy-to-exploit criminal means," Mr. Doherty says.
But why not choose a contact chip, where there would be no possibility of skimming, asks Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project. "You don't have to have a 'contactless' integrated circuit," he says. "There was another way to go, which was to put an electronic strip in the passport that would require contact. It would make theft far less likely."
The State Department says it's just following international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), under the umbrella of the United Nations. In May 2003, the ICAO specified the RFID and facial biometric or digitized head shot now being adopted by other countries at the behest of the United States. All countries that are part of the US visa-waiver program must use the new passports by Oct. 26, 2005.
Mr. Steinhardt calls the State Department's approach "policy laundering," and says the US pushed through the standards against the reservations of the Europeans. "Bush says at the G8 meeting, 'We have to adhere to the global standard,' as though we had nothing to do with it. It was masterful from a political perspective," he says in exasperation.
But even the ICAO, in the small print of a document published last May titled, "Use of Contactless ICs in Machine Readable Travel Documents," acknowledges the new RFID chips won't be foolproof: "... it is unlikely that unauthorized reading will occur. However, this cannot be completely ruled out."
Although the data on the chip will not be encrypted, for the sake of easing "interoperability" across international borders, Ms. Shannon says, the government does plan to incorporate a security feature that will largely prevent skimming. Embedded fibers in the front and back covers will shield the passport from electronic probing, at least while it is closed. Other security features in the new passports include a digital or electronic seal that will ensure the document is authentic and smart-card technology that renders the chip inoperable if it is tampered with using energy waves or radio waves.
oknpv
dod = department of defense
decyphering yaya's cryptic message is even more fun than trying to understand malagulu's posts!!
Nortel and Symantec pair up on embedded security
Nortel Networks has joined forces with security software company Symantec to bolster the embedded security in its network hardware solutions.
The move follows a similar deal between Cisco and Trend Micro earlier this year.
A Nortel spokesman said, "To deliver a trustworthy network, we must change the way we have traditionally set up security within our networks, moving away from ‘networks with security’ to ‘fully secured networks’, where security is embedded throughout the entire network."
Nortel said it would combine the best of Symantec’s internet security expertise with its own network security solutions. Nortel has also launched new enterprise products designed to enhance access security for remote workers.
The products are also designed to instantly shut down and isolate threats from anywhere within a user’s networks.
The security functionality and management is similar to what Cisco is aiming to achieve with its "self-defending network" strategy it launched in spring 2004
OT: Sale of IBM PC Division
9:33 (Dow Jones) IBM's sale of its PC business is not expected to have much
impact on overall operating profit or EPS, but a key issue generated by the
transaction is IBM's ability to retain customers, especially during the next
six months, Bernstein says. "Significant share loss could provide a 'growth
gift' to IBM's major competitors and help them gain access to key enterprise
accounts," Bernstein says. "We would expect both Dell and HPQ to aggressively
seek out current IBM customers, and try to capitalize on prevailing
uncertainty before the deal closes," the firm adds.
Dell has got to understand that to retain market share, TPM offerings are a must. Why would an IBM customer jump to an "untrusted" solution from Dell? jmho
OT: H-P's Fiorina Says Company Had Mulled Breaking Up
By Pui-Wing Tam
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
SAN FRANCISCO -- The board of Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) gave serious consideration to breaking up the company three separate times, but concluded each time to keep the company together, said H-P Chief Executive Carly Fiorina.
Fiorina, speaking at an analysts' meeting on Tuesday, said the Palo Alto, Calif., tech giant's board had analyzed a potential break-up of the company three different times and that each time, the membership of the board had differed. Yet each time, the board "came to the same unanimous conclusion," said Fiorina, and decided to keep the company's portfolio together. Fiorina didn't specify when these discussions had taken place.
Fiorina's comments came in answer to recent calls by some Wall Street analysts to break up the company into smaller pieces as a way to unlock H-P's value. H-P currently is a massive corporation with diverse business lines that span personal computers, printers, storage and servers, and services. Much of H-P's profits derive from what is commonly referred to as its "crown jewel" -- the printer business -- and some analysts have calculated that spinning off this printer unit would drive H-P's stock price higher. But Fiorina has steadfastly resisted these calls.
In her comments, Fiorina added that there are "real costs" to breaking up the company that wouldn't be seen at first glance. She noted that H-P's successful spinoff of Agilent Technologies Inc. (A), H-P's former test and measurement business, several years ago was complex. Indeed, the separation of Agilent's patent portfolio from H-P's was only completed three months ago, she said, noting that the separation of Agilent's information technology systems from H-P is still not fully complete.
Bob Wayman, H-P's chief financial officer, said that "diseconomies" may result from a break-up of the company, including a diminishment in "scale and leverage."
-
Intel notebook shortage hits white box sellers
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20089
By INQUIRER staff: Tuesday 07 December 2004, 14:29
A SHORTAGE of chipsets for Intel notebooks has started affecting resellers of generic units, it has emerged.
At a conference call last week, Intel said it had some shortages on the chipset front and the supply situation appears to be patchy.
One reseller told the INQ: "We've seen problems getting "white box" Intel laptops through the Asus programme. We've whined to our Intel rep and to the distributor, but we get no answers that help".
He said that he suspected megafirm Dell had no problems getting components.
"Intel readily admits that us peons out in the market represent 50-60% of its market, yet it treats us with disregard and Dell gets all the parts it wants".
He said his firm used to be a 90% Intel reseller, but "it started screwing up and we went 70% AMD until three years ago when Intel smartened up and started listening to 'us'. It looks like it needs us to remind it who butters its bread again. It's a shame, it has good product but just doesn't seem able to get out of its own way".
Fujitsu ready to drop pricing on its new T4000 Tablet PC
6 December, 2004
by Mark Riehl
http://www.integratedmar.com/ECL.cfm?item=DLY120604-1
Fujitsu Canada has been shipping its new LifeBook T4000 Tablet PC this month and during the first week of December will drop the price to attract more users.
The second-generation tablet replaces its thin and light LifeBook T3000 Tablet PC that was targeted at vertical markets and didn't house a modular bay. The new LifeBook T4000 has been shipping throughout November at a Canadian price point of $2,799.
According to Tamara Keserovic, Fujitsu Canada's marketing manager, mobile computing products, resellers will be able to start selling the device at $2,649 in early December.
"The reason being has nothing to do with the adoption rate of the product, it's just that we have seen a lot of success for a relatively new product launch and we want to capitalize on that even further and lower prices and start selling tons of volume," Keserovic said. "Because we have seen a lot of success with the T4000 convertible form factor in the consumer market, we wanted to capture that market and hit a sub-$2,500 price point."
She said the company does not sell its products through big box retailers so it will continue to reach the consumer market through its small retailer partners and other resellers.
"The consumer adoption is quite a bit more than we expected, however the price point of this product is not traditionally geared towards the consumer market, but with the lower price we would expect the adoption rate to increase," Keserovic said. "Right now we are surprised at the interest from the consumer level."
The company says its new convertible Tablet PC is an ideal solution for students and mainstream business users, field force and sales force automation, and verticals such as insurance, healthcare, and consumer packaged goods.
The T4000's new modular bay can accommodate a CD-ROM, Multi-Format DVD Writer or a second battery. Other improvements include a new display with a 180-degree viewing angle, a faster processor and Bluetooth wireless technology.
Weighing 4.7 pounds with the modular bay, the T4000 can deliver up to five hours of battery life with a standard battery or up to 8.5 hours by inserting a second battery.
Advanced security features will benefit the healthcare sector with the dedicated SmartCard slot and Trusted Platform Module (TPM). TPM is an embedded security system that protects sensitive data from unauthorized users and enables secure authentication. For doctors who dictate patient information will be able to make good use of the new dual microphones with noise cancellation.
The latest LifeBook runs either an Intel Pentium M 725 or 745 processor, comes with the Intel 855GM chipset, and can access both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks.
Thanks Larry, understood! e/
el Dude, re: your chart
Why doesn't your trendline sit atop the high made in Sept-Oct last year? TIA
IBM security boss reveals roadmap
http://www.snpx.com/cgi-bin/news5.cgi?target=www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/78321109?-2622
Monday 6 December 2004
IBM security boss reveals roadmap
Appointed director of corporate security strategy at IBM in October, Stuart McIrvine is responsible for developing the company's roadmap for IT security products, services and partnerships. He spoke to us this week about the company's security offerings and plans.
What's your role at IBM?
I am responsible for the development and enhancement of IBM's corporatewide security strategy - that is, a strategy to address the way the market sees security, wants to buy security products and services, and so on. From an internal perspective, it's very focused on aligning all the pieces we have.
What do you see as some of the key drivers of the IT security agenda at companies?
One of the main things is regulatory compliance, whether it's cross-industry or industry-specific regulation. Controlling access to systems, especially financial systems, and being able to provide audit trails are important. Another big area is preventing business damage from cyber-attacks - the loss of productivity and revenue. Another thing customers are looking at is how to cope with multiple communication mediums, such as the internet, VoIP and wireless, combined with the multitude of devices that people are using to gain access to these systems.
What is IBM doing to help IT managers address such issues?
We have a business unit focused on risk and compliance. It's developed a framework of guidance for all the regulatory compliance needs of companies. Customers can drill down on a specific regulation, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and we'll show particular focus areas of that regulation and map that to our portfolio.
What about helping them deal with cyber-attacks?
We have about half a million devices worldwide that monitor network trends. Approximately 2,700 IBM security professionals analyse the information that comes out of those monitors and provide daily reports and recommendations to help our customers.
What do you see as IBM's value-add over pure-play security suppliers?
IBM is looking at security not as an IT problem, but as a business problem. It's not just a case of focusing on firewalls and viruses. We're investing heavily in the management of security, access, identity, patch and federated ID. A lot of that is around our Tivoli business.
What can users expect to see from IBM over the next year or so in terms of security products and services?
It's really about tighter integration across our portfolio. You'll see a number of new management services, enhancements to our security management software portfolio and better integration across different departments providing security products. You'll also see a lot more focus on putting more security capabilities into the hardware.
HP security chief sees cyber attacks growing more complex, malignant, persistent and pervasive
http://www.adtmag.com/article.asp?id=10323
12/6/2004
By John K. Waters
Hewlett-Packard unveiled a new market-spanning security strategy this past week designed to defend a range of its customers, from large enterprises to consumers, from increasing technology-based attacks.
HP's new Security Incident Management Program comprises a suite of products and services for threat detection and assessment, combined with management process
Speaking last week in San Francisco, Tony Redmond, vice president and chief technology officer of HP Services, said his company was offering the new security suite because cyber attacks "are becoming more complex, more malignant, more persistent, and more pervasive."
HP's portfolio extends "from the smallest consumer devices to the largest supercomputers," Redmond said. "We have to protect all of them."
HP's Security Incident Management Program provides an integrated package of security products, processes, features, and functions--all of which are available separately from HP and third-party suppliers. The various components work with HP's OpenView network management software, but it's not required, Redmond said.
The package includes an expanded PC Security initiative to raise consumer awareness of security issues and help them protect and clean their systems; products and online tools with built-in security features to help shield small and mid-size businesses; and new services to help enterprises and public sector customers proactively mitigate security risks.
For home PC users, the company's launched PC Security initiative provides dedicated, online security support, with one-hour e-mail response time and real-time chat available; virus alert classes held via phone during virus outbreaks; and an HP Help and Support Center, with performance and security diagnostic software installed on notebooks.
Additional components of the PC Security initiative include awareness and education campaigns, a new PC security website with access to security tools, support and information, and special sales promotions for anti-virus and spyware protection software.
HP is partnering with other vendors to provide a comprehensive security package, including Microsoft (server software), Trend Micro (anti-virus and anti-spam), Symantec (anti-virus and firewall), Sygate (end-point security agent technology), Harris Corp. (trusted computing systems), Trustgenix (federated sign-on and user authentication), Kensington Technology Group (locking devices for PC physical security), and Credant Technologies (security for mobile computers).
In addition, HP has added a Security Expertise Center to its SMB Web site at www.hp.com/go/secureSMB to provide customers with easy access to HP security experts. According to the company, the center includes security education courses designed to help businesses acquire the skills to start building a holistic and effective security plan. The HP Learning Curve section of the site is a repository for white papers, articles, and other educational resources specific to security issues faced by small and mid-size businesses.
barge, welcome back! e/
cpa,
If I may inquire, what was it that "turned" you?
Mobile phones: An ear full of worms
(see bolds)
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/1203mobilphone.html
By John Blau
IDG News Service, 12/03/04
They're coming to mobile phones - those nasty viruses, worms and Trojan horses that have, on more than one occasion, crippled PCs. No doubt about that. The question is: Will they be as bad?
Numerous experts believe mobile viruses could be as malicious as their PC predecessors. But some, disturbingly, worry they could be a whole lot worse.
Just consider these two facts: Already today, the planet is populated with substantially more mobile phones than PCs with the gap between the two steadily increasing; and many of these mobile phone customers plan to use their devices as electronic wallets capable of paying for goods and services.
Add to that the fact that mobile phone vendors have opened their once tightly controlled operating platforms to third parties to develop new applications that, in many cases, link to the public Internet.
Now put it all together: millions (and some day billions) of mobile phones with sophisticated banking functions, open interfaces and Internet capability. It's not difficult to understand why hackers, who have honed their skills on PCs over the past decade, are now setting their sights on mobile devices.
"Not fun or fame but money will be the main motive for writing mobile viruses, just as it has become in the PC world," said Andreas Lamm, manager of the German office of Russian antivirus company Kaspersky Labs Ltd.
So far, the attacks on mobile phones have been few, around 10, and relatively harmless. They have targeted primarily, but not exclusively, new smart phones that use open platforms such as Microsoft's Windows Mobile or the combination of Nokia's Series 60 interface and Symbian's operating system.
Smart phones offer users many functions, such as e-mail with attachments, game downloads or Bluetooth wireless networking, an environment full of potential for viruses, worms and Trojan horses.
In July, Kaspersky Labs discovered the first-ever worm capable of spreading to mobile phones. Cabir is a proof-of-concept worm that uses the Bluetooth protocol to copy itself onto devices running the Symbian OS up to 30 feet away. It is transmitted as a Symbian installation system (SIS) file and disguised as a security utility called Caribe. When the infected file is launched, the mobile phone's screen displays the word "Caribe" and the worm modifies the Symbian OS so that Cabir is started each time the phone is turned on. An infected phone sends the worm to the first vulnerable phone it finds.
In August, smart phones were attacked by another Trojan horse, Mosquito, which hides in a game by the same name. Once installed, the game causes phones to send text messages via SMS (Short Message Service) to premium rate numbers in several European countries without the user's approval or knowledge.
And in November, mobile phone viruses surfaced once again, with two related Trojan programs. The first, Skulls.A, deactivates all links to Symbian system applications, such as e-mail and calendar, by replacing their menu icons with images of skulls. Users of affected phones can only send or receive calls.
The more recent strain, Skulls.B, includes the Cabir.B worm and, unlike the first version of the Trojan, can spread to other phones within Bluetooth range. Skulls.B is otherwise similar to its predecessor, using Symbian default icons, which look like jigsaw puzzle pieces, instead of skulls to render applications unusable.
Even if these viruses are few in number, what worries the mobile phone industry is that they're happening - and with increased frequency.
"We aren't panicking; we're still at a stage where there aren't enough platforms out there for viruses to spread easily," said Steve Babbage, security director at Vodafone Group. "But that won't protect us for long."
Vodafone, Europe's largest mobile operator, has reason to be concerned. The operator is one of many now offering 3G high-speed service to users equipped with smart phones. Most European operators, including Vodafone, paid exhorbitant prices for 3G licenses. Understandably, the last thing they want is for a swarm of viruses to undermine that investment.
Enterprise customers are becoming concerned about mobile viruses, too, but they're far from paranoid. "We're only now beginning to see some mobile viruses, and these are quickly being hyped by vendors of antivirus software," said the IT security director of a Blue Chip European consumer goods company with more than 200,000 employees worldwide. "There is still a bit of a wait-and-see attitude at our company, but this could change quickly if we ever get hit by a virus. And then, of course, it's too late."
The door to mobile viruses was opened when phone makers, led by Nokia, the world's largest phone maker, decided a couple of years ago to open their platforms to third-party software developers and encourage them to develop applications for new smart phones. The decision was prompted in large part by the industry's push beyond pure telephony into mobile data services, requiring the expertise of developers trained in PC applications.
"We are very interested in promoting third-party applications to create greater choice for users," said Eero Kukko, marketing manager of technology platforms at Nokia, which is giving developers more architecture guidance and access to design libraries and APIs. "At the same time, we're enabling developers to develop security software to protect these applications."
Anti-virus companies applaud the move.
"We're glad that mobile phone vendors have opened their platforms," said Matias Impivaara, business manager for mobile security services at F-Secure. "The benefits users have from open platforms are much larger than the problems they face on the security side. Security is just something we have to prepare for."
You would expect to hear that from a company peddling anti-virus software, but Impivaara has a point: Does anyone really want to abandon new mobile data services - for security reasons - to return to voice only?
Hardly. But as mobile phone makers and operators open the gate to the global Internet, they will need to get tough on security - much tougher than they have been in the past when they enjoyed the protection of closed proprietary systems.
The good news: Plenty of activity on the security front is under way.
At the client software level, for instance, Nokia responded quickly to attacks on its new smart phones by signing deals with two antivirus software vendors, F-Secure and Symantec, for subscription services.
For the Nokia 6670, F-Secure provides on-device protection, similar to anti-virus protection programs for PCs, with automatic over-the-air antivirus updates for a monthly fee.
Symantec has made its Client Security software available for the Nokia 9500 Communicator and 9300 smart phone, which use the Symbian operating system. Already a year ago - in anticipation of problem - NTT DoCoMo signed a contract for anti-virus software from Network Associates, the maker of the McAfee anti-virus product line.
At the hardware level, for example, Texas Instruments (TI) is building a security platform from U.K. chip designer Arm Holdings into its next-generation mobile processors, following the introduction of hardware-based security in Intel's next-generation XScale handheld chips. Arm's hardware security platform, called TrustZone, could become a standard since Arm's core processor technology powers most mobile phones and newer handheld computers on the market today.
Leading mobile chipmakers plan to introduce a hardware-based security concept similar to the one pioneered by Microsoft in the PC world: the Next Generation Secure Code Base (NGSCB), formerly known as Palladium. Schemes put forward by Intel, TI and Arm call for a protected portion of memory - totally separated from the rest of the processor - in which applications can be verified and then run securely.
At the infrastructure level, operators have been installing a wide range of equipment to monitor and filter corrupt downloads and spam. These new messaging and content delivery servers are at the edge of their networks, where gateways open to the Internet. Other new virus detection and repair technology is also being deployed deeper inside the network. All of these new systems come on top of the authentication and control systems already in place in mobile phone networks that require users, form the start, to log on and identify themselves via the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card in their mobile phone.
"It's really important to defend the network at the edge and not let spam viruses in the front door," said David Staas, director of the antivirus team at Openwave Systems Inc., which provides mobile phone software and messaging technology. "But some will still trickle through. Here is where a second line of defense is necessary."
Openwave, for instance, has developed a new system that secures a messaging network at the instance of an attack, preventing spammers from exploiting vulnerabilities while they are being eliminated.
Nokia's infrastructure arm also provides a range of security equipment to operators beyond basic firewall systems. Its Message Protection Server, for instance, filters out potentially harmful e-mail, while its Operator Delivery Server inspects all downloaded content. The Finnish manufacturer is also offering additional security through its mobile VPN client and SSL encryption for Web-based applications.
As for downloads - a prime source of viruses - two new application certification programs aim to ensure quality and, above all, trustworthiness. The Java Verified program was launched earlier this year by several vendors, including Motorola Inc., Nokia, Siemens AG, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and Sun Microsystems Inc. to provide a unified process for testing and certifying Java-based applications for mobile phones. Two of Europe's largest mobile phone operators, Orange SA and T-Mobile International AG, have since adopted the plan.
The Symbian Signed program provides a service for testing and certifying Symbian OS-based applications that meet a set of criteria. The initiative, which includes Nokia, Sendo International and Sony Ericsson, aims, among other things, to ensure a thriving market for trusted applications.
In addition to these initiatives several other organizations are developing standards for security systems in mobile devices, including the Trusted Computing Group, the Open Mobile Alliance and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).
How effective these security efforts will be remains to be seen, however. For one, users will need to cooperate and should be given the tools to do so. "They should have the ability to set preferences, like their own block list, for instance," said Staas. "They should also be able to set their sensitivity level for spam, say, for high, medium and low control."
For another, operators shouldn't wait for a virus to bring down their network or, as was the case recently in the U.S., allow abusive spam to potentially scare away lucrative customers.
"The CEO of a big mobile operator with many businesses customers got a call from the chief executive officer of one of his customers," said Staas. "The night before, this business customer received a text message at 2 a.m. His wife thought it was urgent so she got up and read what turned out to be a sexually explicit text. He was furious."
What's encouraging, from a security perspective, is that "the mobile phone executive turned around the very next day and told his team to make security a top priority," Staas said.
Sometimes, a little spam can go a long way.
Biometric Cell Phones Coming - But US Will Be Last
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Biometric-Cell-Phones-Coming---But-US-Will-Be-Last-37600.html
Steve Mansfield, vice president of marketing with AuthenTec, estimates that new biometric features will be built into mobile phones in China during the first half of next year. These same features will hit the European market during the second half of 2005. "The U.S. will see those same features by the end of 2006," he told TechNewsWorld.
Biometric technology has been around for more than a decade with little fanfare. However, interest is heating up for biometric security devices in communications. Iris scanners, voice recognition modules and fingerprint readers promise to raise the bar on locking down access to computers, networks, Web sites and even cell phones .
One of the hottest markets for biometrics is the mobile phone industry, where consumers abroad are already embracing its security and convenience. Industry watchers confirm that such advanced security devices are already popular in technology hungry countries in Asia and Europe.
Some analysts predict that today's US$285 million biometrics market in Asia and the Pacific Rim will grow to nearly $431 million by the end of next year. The forecast for biometric devices worldwide is even rosier. Revenues for biometrics worldwide could sprout from $1.2 billion in 2004 to $4.6 billion in 2008.
U.S. consumers, however, will have to wait two years to get their hands on such high-tech cell phones, which already are being introduced abroad.
US Cell Phone Industry Last
In a step for biometrics in the U.S., IBM (NYSE: IBM) in early October introduced a fingerprint scanner tied to a security chip in its ThinkPad T42. Company officials said consumer interest in this country is very strong.
"We are seeing a tremendous customer response to the fingerprint," IBM's Clane Anderson told TechNewsWorld. "We expect consumer pressure on other manufacturers to make the fingerprint reader a standard security device in all new computers." Anderson is IBM's program director for security and wireless devices in the Personal Computing Division.
Steve Mansfield, vice president of marketing with AuthenTec , told TechNewsWorld that fingerprint scanners are one of the fastest growing segments in the cell phone industry. His company is one of the leading providers of fingerprint sensors to the global wireless market.
Authentec provides fingerprint-enabled mobile phone security for top-selling phones by LG Electronics and Fujitsu. The company is in various phases of development with every other major cell phone manufacturer.
"The new biometric technology is pretty remarkable. But when it comes to the wireless marketing space, new technology goes first to Japan, then Korea and Europe," Mansfield said. "U.S. consumers get the new stuff last."
According to Mansfield, five cell phone models with fingerprint sensors are already in the Japanese marketplace. South Korea's LG Electronics introduced two biometric security models in September.
Marketing Strategies Differ
Mansfield estimates that new biometric features will be built into mobile phones in China during the first half of next year. These same features will hit the European market during the second half of 2005.
"The U.S. will see those same features by the end of 2006," he told TechNewsWorld.
The reason for the lag time is a difference in marketing strategy in the U.S. In other countries, many cell phone manufacturers begin to move up the food chain. According to Mansfield, mobile phone makers do this by using new features to increase product sales.
In foreign markets, cell phone manufacturers sell directly to consumers. Thus, the push for new services comes from the base of phone-feature users.
In the U.S., service providers sell the phones with the features the provider wants to offer. This tends to limit the competition for new features. This limited competition results in fewer choices for U.S. consumers, Mansfield suggested.
Usage History
The growth of the cell phone market followed five steps. Early adoption was based solely on voice-centric functions. Consumers used their cell phones for voice communication as an extension of their wired phones.
The next advancement came with feature-centric phones. An example of this is phones capable of text messaging. Some analysts suggest that the text messaging craze by youthful consumers is driving the sales of cell phones in the U.S.
Smart phones brought new features. These involved the convenience that accessing e-mail and Web sites for information and e-commerce brought to consumers.
One of the newest innovations in the U.S. market is the multimedia phone. This allows consumers to acquire and play music in MP3 format. It also provides access to streaming video and remote gaming services.
The latest phase is the one not yet available to U.S. consumers. It is the convergence of the multimedia and the smart phone. This is the area in which biometric devices will bring ever expanding new uses to the cell phone.
Security Issues
"Biometrics in much more convenient than PIN security. And convenience is what sells biometrics in phones," Mansfield told TechNewsWorld.
He said one of the biggest surprises domestic service providers found is that interest in cell phone security is strong among mainstream consumers, not just enterprise accounts. Service providers are starting to give more value-added services. Security issues in cell phones are now becoming a top priority.
"Consumers have been the largest adopter of wireless technology and are readily adopting biometric devices," Mansfield said.
Future Offerings
Mansfield says he is certain that fingerprint sensors will be central in new phone offerings. Consumers will need this new approach to security to handle the high-speed access that cell phones will provide.
Cell phones will act as debit and credit devices. The practice of swiping an ATM card or a credit card at the supermarket is already established. Putting that same technology into a cell phone's SIM card is the next logical step.
Mansfield said there is evidence of that trend already developing in foreign markets. In Japan, workers use cell phones for keyless entry. Train stations have devices that read the cell phone data chip to make a ticket purchase, rather than using a debit card.
In South Korea, consumers are able to conduct online banking transactions from their mobile phones much the way they do from their desktop computers.
M-Commerce from cell phones will be one of the next big advancements in consumer convenience, according to Mansfield. Consumers will not only be able to order tickets and make seat selections with their cell phones; they will download the ticket into their cell phone's memory and use that data to enter the theater.
"A lot of cool things will be happening," Mansfield said.