IBM Reveals Five Innovations that Will Change Our Lives Over the Next Five Years

ARMONK, NY - 18 Dec 2007: Unveiled today, the second annual “IBM Next Five in Five” is a list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years. The list is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM’s Labs around the world that could make these innovations possible.

In the next five years, our lives will change through technology innovations in the following ways:

It will be easy for you to be green and save money doing it: A range of “smart energy” technologies will make it easier for you to manage your personal “carbon footprint”. As data begins to run through our electrical wires, dishwashers, air conditioners, house lights, and more will be connected directly to a “smart” electric grid, making it possible to turn them on and off using your cell phone or any Web browser. In addition to alerting you about leaving appliances on when they could be off to conserve energy, technology will also provide you with up-to-date reports of electrical usage, so you can monitor how much you are spending and how much energy you are putting out, just like you can track your cell phone minute usage today. Intelligent energy grids will also enable utilities to provide you with the option to use green energy sources, like solar and wind, to fuel your home, and innovations in solar and wind technology will bring cost-efficient options to a utility near you.

The way you drive will be completely different: In the next five years, a coming wave of connectivity between cars and the road is going to change the way you drive, help keep you safe, and even keep you out of traffic jams. Technology is poised to keep traffic moving, cut pollution, curb accidents, and make it easier for you to get from point A to B, without the stress. The cities you live in will find a cure for congestion using intelligent traffic systems that can make real-time adjustments to traffic lights and divert traffic to alternate routes with ease. Your car will have driver-assist technologies that will make it possible for automobiles to communicate with each other and with sensors along the road — allowing them to behave as if they have ‘reflexes’ so they can take preventive actions under dangerous conditions. Your car will automatically tell you where traffic is jammed up and find you an alternative route to take.

You are what you eat, so you will know what you eat: We’ve all heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’ , but with foods being sourced across international borders, the need to ‘ know exactly what you eat’ has never been so important. In the next five years, new technology systems will enable you to know the exact source and make-up of the products you buy and consume. Advancements in computer software and wireless radio sensor technologies will give you access to much more detailed information about the food you are buying and eating. You will know everything from the climate and soil the food was grown in, to the pesticides and pollution it was exposed to, to the energy consumed to create the product, to the temperature and air quality of the shipping containers it traveled through on the way to your dinner table. Advanced sensor and tracing systems will tell you what you eat, before you eat it.

Your cell phone will be your wallet, your ticket broker, your concierge, your bank, your shopping buddy, and more: In the next five years, your mobile phone will be a trusted guide to shopping, banking, touring a new city , and more. New technology will allow you to snap a picture of someone wearing an outfit you want and will automatically search the web to find the designer and the nearest shops that carry that outfit. You can then see what that outfit would look like on your personal avatar – a 3-D representation of you – right on your phone, and ask your friends, in different locations, to check it out online and give their opinion. Your phone will also guide you through visiting a city. When you turn on your phone in a city you are visiting, it automatically provides you with local entertainment options, activities, and dining options that match your preferences, and then make reservations and purchases tickets for you – like a personal concierge.

Doctors will get enhanced “super-senses” to better diagnose and treat you: In the next five years, your doctor will be able to see, hear and understand your medical records in entirely new ways. In effect, doctor’s will gain superpowers – technologies will allow them to gain x-ray like vision to view medical images; super sensitive hearing to find tiniest audio clue in your heart beat; and ways to organize information in the same way they treat a patient. An avatar – a 3D representation of your body – will allow doctors to visualize your medical records in an entirely new way, so they can click with the computer mouse on a particular part of the avatar, to trigger a search of your medical records and retrieve information relevant to that part of your body, instead of leafing through pages of notes. The computer will automatically compare those visual and audio clues to thousands or hundreds of thousands of other patient records, and be able to be much more precise in diagnosing and also treating you, based on people with similar issues and makeup.

Source: IBM

Microsoft Corporation India has announced the availability of the Get Genuine Solution (GGS) for enabling the legalization of the counterfeit or unlicensed Windows Vista PCs for SMBs.

Under this new extended GGS offering, businesses with five or more copies of unlicensed Windows Vista software can receive genuine Windows Vista related license materials by placing an order with their reseller to legalize their counterfeit software. They will become eligible for further updates and constant enhancements under the Windows Genuine Advantage Program. It also gives them the option of enrolling for the vendor s Software Assurance (SA) program for receiving future updates of the software including Windows 7.

With piracy levels in the Indian market as high as 69%, there is a large number of businesses with existing PCs in need of legalization due to counterfeit, under-licensing, mis-licensing and version piracy scenarios. According to a study on the economic benefits of lowering PC software piracy, a ten point reduction in PC software piracy would deliver an additional 44,000 new jobs, $200 million in tax revenues, and $3.1 billion in economic growth in India.

“With the inclusion of Windows Vista in GGS, our SMB customers can now effortlessly legalize their counterfeit or unlicensed software and get the performance and security benefits of Windows Vista”, said Rajeev Mittal, group director, SME, Microsoft India.

source: Microsoft

As the BPO industry gears up to generate $50 billion export volume this year in India, BPO operators from small town and villages are likely to emerge as potential drivers for this growth.

“With the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) industry flourishing across the smaller cities and villages in India, rural BPOs are the next revolution in Indian IT sector to happen”, said Ashank Desai, chairman of Mastek and a NASSCOM member at recent IIM-A confluence. “Over last 15 years we have increased the business size of industry almost 800 times and we have created 2 million jobs in the country directly, and made the way for another 6-8 million indirect jobs”, added he

With some of the forthcoming rural BPOs in Karnataka and Haryana along with the existing ones, the industry is going to impact about eight million people or 40 million families in India

The low cost of operations and considerably lower employee attrition rate are the two key factors that have encouraged many BPO organizations to extend their operations in the small towns and villages. Making the business process more cost-effective for companies, these rural BPOs will reduce the cost for Indian IT companies first and later on globally as well.

Microsoft has announced the availability of the Get Genuine Solution (GGS) for Windows Vista whereby Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) can easily legalize their counterfeit or unlicensed Windows Vista PCs. So far, customers were able to legalize their counterfeit or unlicensed Windows XP Professional PCs under GGS. Businesses with five or more copies of unlicensed Windows Vista software now have to simply place an order with their reseller to legalize their counterfeit software. Once the order is placed, businesses will receive genuine Windows Vista related license materials. They will also become eligible for further updates and constant enhancements under the Windows Genuine Advantage Program. In addition, they will have the option of enrolling for Microsoft’s Software Assurance (SA) program that makes them eligible for future updates of the software including Windows 7.

Launched last year, GGS has received an overwhelming response from businesses across the country. Over 5000 small enterprises and SMBs have already taken advantage of this initiative since the launch. . GGS is aimed at easing the pain that businesses face while migrating to original software and allows them to derive greater value out of their technologies. It is a simple, cost-effective and practical solution that will help SMBs easily migrate to original software and can therefore rest assured of the security that it provides to their business. Due to its strong dependency on the channel community, GGS also helps resellers strengthen their customer relationships and create an ongoing value to their business.

Commenting on the announcement, Rajeev Mittal, Group Director, Small and Medium Enterprise, Microsoft India said, “GGS has been well received by our SMB customers across the country. In less than a year, we have sold over 90,000 licenses through this initiative. With the inclusion of Windows Vista in GGS, we expect an even better response from our SMB customers. Considering the high levels of piracy in the country, it is our constant endeavor to make the access of original software easy and viable for our customers. Our customers can now effortlessly legalize their counterfeit or unlicensed software and enjoy the benefits of an enhanced performance, reliability and security provided by Windows Vista cost effectively.”

With piracy levels in the Indian market as high as 69%, there is a large number of businesses with existing PCs in need of legalization due to counterfeit, under-licensing, mis-licensing and version piracy scenarios. According to a study on The Economic Benefits of Lowering PC Software Piracy 2008 a ten point reduction in PC software piracy would deliver an additional 44,000 new jobs, $200 million in tax revenues, and $3.1 billion in economic growth in India .

source: Microsoft

After the success of India Gaming Summit 2007, Intel and Zapak are all set to take a close look at the Gaming industry this year again with Intel & Zapak India Gaming Summit 2008 on 21st November 2008 at Nehru Centre, Mumbai. 2007 was the year where India witnessed the launch of the Gaming Revolution. With the industry projected to touch US$200 mn by 2011 how does US$20 mn in 2007-08 measure up. (According to the NASSCOM 2007 report).

The period has been decisive as it has laid the foundation for the future. With large investments being made in creating infrastructure in content, distribution & access, the industry is fast gaining momentum. Looking ahead how is the “Gaming Eco System” shaping up; the India Gaming Summit 2008 looks for answers to the opportunities & challenges it presents. IGS 2008 as in its previous edition creates a platform for heads of industry, technocrats, advertisers & the trade to meet & deliberate the path for the future.

IGS 2008 this year would be held against the backdrop of the Intel & Zapak India Gaming Expo 2008 creating a public showcase for the Gaming Industry in India.

Mumbai, India, November 17, 2008: ASUS, in line with its promise to deliver top-quality and practical solutions, has released the new ASUS P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard. As power fluctuations are a matter of grave concern to PC users in India, this innovative motherboard is backed by the helpful Anti-Surge Protection technology—a revolutionary motherboard hardware technology that provides protection against power surges or unstable power fluctuations. The P5KPL-AM/PS also features support for the new Intel 45nm CPUs and FSB 1600 for excellent operational performance; while built-in 5000hr full Japan-made conductive polymer solid capacitors in VRM provide longer, more durable lifespan.

About the launch of this new motherboard, Mr. Vinay Shetty - Business Manager, Components, ASUS (India) said, “The ASUS P5KPL-AM PS motherboard was especially designed by our R&D team keeping India in mind. This motherboard has a unique Anti-Surge Protection feature that protects the critical components of the motherboard and CPU from voltage fluctuations. This feature sets this motherboard apart from all other motherboards in the market and it is the perfect solution for users in India who have been worried about inconsistent power supply damaging their system for long time.”

Enjoy Safe, Reliable Computing with Anti-Surge Protection Technology

In the event of power fluctuations or surges during PC operations, the motherboard can protect itself and CPU by switching-off the unstable power. Also, when users start their PCs (especially after a surge), there is usually no means to check if the power is unsafe to the motherboard—and might result in damage to the motherboard that could even lead to device failure. Such dire consequences are especially applicable to users in India who experience power fluctuations or power storms frequently. A way to overcome this would be to utilize surge protectors, but this practice is not convenient and is not 100% foolproof. Hence, ASUS has developed the helpful Anti-Surge Protection Technology that is conveniently built into the P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard.

Working in the background, Anti-Surge Protection Technology provides protection against power fluctuations through three important features: over-voltage protection, short circuit protection and power-good signal generation. Generally, without Anti-Surge Protection Technology, there is no “stop-gap” that checks for over or under voltage before it enters the PC and power supply. With Anti Surge Protection Technology, detection of either over or under voltage will cause it not to send the “POWERON” signal to the Super I/O—protecting the PC from power surges. The Anti-Surge Protection Technology also continually monitors the 5V, 12V, 3V voltages in real-time to deliver over-voltage and short circuit protection. If and when one of these supply voltages are either a great deal bigger or smaller than their normal operation voltages, Anti-Surge Protection Technology will then switch off the power to protect the motherboard and CPU. Users need to only restart the PC to resume working without risk of motherboard damage. Users can now rest assured that their motherboard and CPU are always protected against incidental power fluctuations—only with the Anti Surge enabled ASUS P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard.

5000hrs VRM Design and Best Quality

The P5KPL-AM/PS is also equipped a 5000hrs VRM design based on 100% high quality Japan-made conductive polymer solid capacitors (5000hrs VRM, Voltage Regulator Module). With such high quality components, users will be able to attain higher power efficiency, better stability and lower temperatures to obtain the best over-clocking results and enjoy longer component lifespan.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 19, 2008 – Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) today announced a strategic global alliance with HCL Technologies, a leading global IT services company. HCL will serve as a systems integrator for Xerox’s managed print services offering - which helps companies control their office print environment to achieve continual cost savings and productivity gains.”The partnership with HCL will open new opportunities for Xerox in this high-growth market while bringing sustainable business benefits to more customers worldwide,” said Stephen Cronin, president, Xerox Global Services.

The joint, go-to-market offering combines Xerox Office Services and systems with HCL’s desktop management and infrastructure expertise to help enterprises gain control of printing, copying and other document-related costs. Effectively managing the office can lead to reduced print costs; faster and easier management of documents; lower compliance and security risks; a higher level of service to end users; and environmental benefits.

“This partnership represents an opportunity to transform the way enterprise print environments are managed,” said Anant Gupta, president, HCL Technologies Infrastructure Services Division. “With the collaborative efforts of two market leaders we will create new, value-added solutions that will drive additional efficiencies throughout the office setting.”

HCL currently manages more than 600,000 desktops and supports seven million helpdesk contacts. The company leverages its extensive global offshore infrastructure and its 20-country network to provide multi-service delivery in key industries such as financial services, manufacturing, government, telecommunications, life sciences, retail and energy.

source: Xerox corporation

Rapid Implementation Tools Enable Fast-Growth Company to Complete Deployment in Less Than 5 Months

News Facts

• Falken Tire Corporation , the global distributor of high performance tires, has standardized on the Oracle® E-Business Suite Release 12 to streamline its supply chain in order to manage compliance requirements and effectively predict demand globally, Oracle today announced.
• The fast-growing company, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber, leveraged Oracle Accelerate , pre-packaged application bundles and the services of DAZ Systems , a Certified Advantage Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork to go live on the Oracle E-Business Suite in less than 5 months. Falken Tire chose the Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 for its ease-of-use, flexibility to support future growth and robust industry-specific functionality.
• Oracle replaced an existing Lawson Software implementation that lacked scalability and restricted business processes, creating barriers to the company’s fast growth.
• With the Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12, Falken Tire has reduced costs and improved profitability while gaining the ability to predict demand across its global supply chain. The company is now relying on a solid and efficient foundation to support future growth.

Tangible Business Benefits Achieved with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12

• Falken Tire’s implementation of the Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 supports 90 users across 3 locations and relies on Oracle Database 10g and components of Oracle Fusion Middleware .
• The company deployed Oracle Applications including supply chain planning, warehouse management, order management, advanced pricing, inventory management, procurement, purchasing, financials, human resources and Oracle’s Demantra . Additionally, Oracle Business Accelerators were used to ensure a rapid implementation, and Oracle University helped to train employees.
• Since implementing Oracle, Falken Tire has achieved business value across its organization, including:

• • Supply Chain Efficiencies – Heightened visibility into the supply chain and better predictions of customer demand have enabled the company to identify efficiencies and better manage inventory to reduce costs and improve profits.
  • Streamlined Financial Operations – By streamlining workflow and financial processes, the company has reduced the time required to close financials each month from 17 days to less than a week.
  • Improved Decision Making – With a single, reliable source of data, the company has better insight into business conditions to make informed decisions faster.
  • More Effective Customer Service – Accurate, efficient customer service reports and intuitive system navigation have enabled the company’s customer service representatives to reduce customer call times, increase call volume and enter customer orders more quickly, increasing the number of customer calls served by 35-percent and decreasing on hold times by 15 percent.
  • Global Compliance Support – With controls to implement workflows, exception reporting, audit trails and security measures the company has helped ensure compliance with both SOX in the United States and J-SOX in Japan .
  • Solid Platform for Future Growth – With multi-currency and multi-regulatory capabilities, the company can now more easily integrate into additional organizations and locations as the company expands.
  • Improved Promotions Management – By gaining control of discount programs with better reporting, the company is now able to implement new promotions faster and more effectively.

Source: Oracle

Oracle has launched Remarketer Program in India. Following are the news facts.

News Facts

· Oracle launches its VAD Remarketer Program with its distributor, Tech Pacific ( India ) Limited, in India.

· The Oracle VAD Remarketer Program enables Tech Pacific to resell Oracle technology products through its network of resellers throughout India, without requiring the resellers to join the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN).

· The VAD Remarketer Program makes it easy for resellers to start selling Oracle products and extend the Oracle portfolio to their customers without having to make up-front financial investments to build an Oracle practice.

· Resellers can leverage Tech Pacific for support, training and other reseller services.

· Oracle 1-CLICK ORDERING streamlines channel order-processing time.

· Products in the Oracle 1-CLICK ORDERING Programs category include Oracle Database Personal Edition, Oracle Database Standard Edition, Oracle Database Standard Edition One, Oracle Application Server Standard Edition, Oracle Application Server Standard Edition One, Oracle Business Intelligence Standard Edition One, Oracle Weblogic Server Standard Edition, Oracle Universal Content Management Standard Edition, Oracle Document Capture, Oracle Internet Developer Suite.

· Roadshows and product knowledge sessions are planned in Chennai, Bangalore , Delhi and Mumbai to create awareness among Tech Pacific India’s reseller base.

Details

· Oracle’s technology solutions in the 1-CLICK ORDERING Programs category fit any size budget and are easy to install and configure, allowing companies to get up and running quickly without specialized resources.

· These Oracle-based solutions are affordable and scalable, offering a choice of solutions that are upwardly compatible. Customers can get started at a low-entry cost and upgrade as needed. In addition, they offer cross-platform support, including all operating systems, development languages and tools.

· They are also easy to use and administer. The self-managing capabilities of Oracle technology enable companies to minimize personnel expenses, which in turn helps lower the Total Cost of Ownership.

· Oracle solutions provide maximum security. Only Oracle has 19 third-party database security evaluations, providing unrivaled state-of-the-art data protection out-of-the-box to mid-size companies globally and in India .

Supporting Resources

• Learn more about Oracle VAD Remarketer Program
• Oracle VAD Remarketer Program – FAQs

• Oracle VAD Remarketer Program Datasheet

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Provides Performance on Demand, Adds ‘Turbo Boost’ and ‘Hyper-Threading’ Technologies

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 17, 2008 - Intel Corporation introduced its most advanced desktop processor ever, the Intel® Core™ i7 processor. The Core i7 processor is the first member of a new family of Nehalem processor designs and is the most sophisticated ever built, with new technologies that boost performance on demand and maximize data throughput. The Core i7 processor speeds video editing, immersive games and other popular Internet and computer activities by up to 40 percent without increasing power consumption.

Broadly heralded by the computing industry as a technical marvel, the Intel® Core™ i7 processor holds a new world record of 117 for the SPECint_base_rate2006* benchmark test that measures the performance of a processor. This is the first time ever for any single processor to exceed a score of 100 points.

“Intel has delivered the fastest desktop processor on Earth to the most demanding users on Earth, the ones who are using their PCs for video, gaming and music,” said Patrick Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group. “When you couple what is Intel’s biggest leap in chip design with other incredible innovations like Intel’s solid state drives , the Core i7 processor has redefined the computer of tomorrow.”

Tech Web sites have been extremely positive in their product reviews. Anandtech states that “Core i7 continues to fuel Intel’s beacon of performance.” “The Core i7 is everything they promised it would be,” says PC Perspective. “Nehalem is a masterpiece,” says the Lost Circuits Web site. The Tech Report calls it “one of the most consequential shifts in the industry.”

Intel’s unique Turbo Boost Technology accelerates performance to match a computer user’s needs and workloads. Through a sophisticated on-die power control unit and using new “power gate” transistors based on Intel’s advanced 45 nanometer, high-k metal gate manufacturing process , Turbo Boost automatically adjusts the clock speed of one or more of the four individual processing cores for single- and multi-threaded applications to boost performance, without increasing power consumption. The Core i7 also has the latest Intel power-saving technologies, allowing desktops to go into sleep states formerly reserved for Intel-based notebooks.

The Core i7 processor more than doubles the memory bandwidth of previous Intel “Extreme” platforms, speeding the transfer of computer bits and bites in and out of the processor with Intel® Quickpath Technology . Designed with Intel’s Hyper-Threading Technology , the processor also allows multiple computing threads to run simultaneously, effectively enabling it to do two things at once. As a result, the Core i7 quad-core processor delivers 8-threaded performance.

The Intel Core i7 processor also offers unrivaled performance for immersive 3-D games - over 40 percent faster than previous Intel high-performance processors on both the 3DMark Vantage CPU * physics and AI tests, popular industry computer benchmarks that measure gaming performance. The Extreme Edition uses 8 threads to run games with advanced artificial intelligence and physics to make games act and feel real.

The Intel® Core™ i7 processors and Intel® X58 Express Chipset-based Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO Extreme Series are for sale immediately from several computer manufacturers online and in retail stores, as well as a boxed retail product via channel online sales.

The Core i7 processor is the first member of the Intel Nehalem microarchitecture family; server and mobile product versions will be in production later. Each Core i7 processor features an 8 MB level 3 cache and three channels of DDR3 1066 memory to deliver the best memory performance of any desktop platform. Intel’s top performance processor, the Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme Edition, also removes overspeed protection, allowing Intel’s knowledgeable customers or hobbyists to further increase the chip’s speed.

Product Information and Pricing: