Fortify Software welcomes IBM s latest diversification

Friendly: Spyware Doctor v3.8.0.1557

25th September 2008 - Fortify Software sees IBM s late entry into the static analysis marketplace as a limited step in the right direction...

Fortify notes that IT research firm Dataquest reports Fortify s revenue led the entire application security testing market, including IBM s dynamic testing product line.

Competition is always good for the industry, but it s the customer that makes the final decision as to which product or service they source, said Barmak Meftah, Fortify s senior vice president of products and technology.

It s therefore worth noting that Fortify s static analyzer covers 17 programming languages, whereas IBM addresses a lot less. In addition, our analyzer can discover more than 315 types of vulnerabilities, whereas IBM uncovers far fewer, he added. Also, Fortify can support seven major IDEs beyond just IBM Eclipse.

According to Meftah, for IT security experts whose job - particularly in these economically challenging times - depends on ensuring that ALL vulnerabilities are revealed, Big Blue s offering might keep some of the hackers out.

But not all of them.

And the ones that get through will probably be the ones that have architected the most complex attack vectors, he noted.

Meftah went on to say that IBM s offering leads with dynamic security analysis via the Watchfire AppScan pen testing capability.

But, he said, effective communication and interaction with developers requires an extensive inside out, code-level knowledge approach compared to the outside in black box capability that Watchfire brings to the IT security table.

It s also worth recognising, he added, that Fortify s offering was built around the language and environment to optimally support developers.

Of course, application vulnerability is what we have specialized in since we were founded in 2003. IBM, in contrast, has produced mainframes, minicomputers, PCs, and software, he said.

If you want convenience, you go to the convenience store. If you want high quality, however, you go to the specialist, he added.

For more on IBM s entry into static code analysis market: http: tinyurl.com 3pyf2r

For more on Fortify Software: http: www.fortify.com


Software:
OEM SOFTWARE

Microscan To Purchase Siemens Machine Vision Business

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Acquisition expands technology leadership in traceability solutions and strengthens global sales channel...

RENTON, Wash., September 15, 2008 Microscan today announced it will purchase Siemens Machine Vision business, formerly Acuity CiMatrix, headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire. The company expects the acquisition to further enhance its technology leadership position in customer-focused traceability solutions by expanding further into machine vision imaging and inspection. The deal is expected to close on Sept. 19, 2008.
Microscan, a global leader in the design and manufacturer of precision data acquisition and controls, is focused on solutions for electronics, life sciences, and automotive industries. Siemens machine vision will become integrated into Microscan. The company plans to keep the Nashua location open and retain the majority of the workforce. For customers and distribution partners the transition of ownership is expected to be seamless.

The purchase of Siemens Machine Vision Business allows Microscan to expand our vision and smart camera portfolio to the benefit of our customers and partners worldwide, said Jeff Timms, president, Microscan. Vision products for identification and inspection are a growing aspect of the precision data acquisition and control market. The acquisition of the Siemens Machine Vision Business brings with it a depth of expertise in data matrix and vision product design that is second to none. Combined with Microscan s deep experience in data acquisition solutions, the purchase of this business tremendously augments our product portfolio and brings with it a unique and complementary offering to our customers. This acquisition will nicely position us against our competitors in our targeted markets.

Since acquiring the company in 2005, Siemens has made considerable investments in the portfolio, facilities, infrastructure, and employees of its machine vision business, said Dennis Sadlowski, president and CEO, Siemens Energy Automation, Inc. I m confident that the combination of these investments and Microscan s ability to engage a focused sales force, will ensure the continued success of this business. Siemens will continue to focus on the industrial identification Auto ID segment and strengthen its innovative RFID and 1D 2D code reading systems portfolio.


Software:
OEM SOFTWARE

'Hello, I'm a PC:' Microsoft's perception problem persists

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In its third week in the wild, Microsoft's outwardly pointless advertisements will tonight be making their first statement, and it's one we're now familiar with: I'm a PC.

In the wee morning hours today, Microsoft's Steve Clayton posted a brief blog saying he'd seen the ads that will be airing tonight, and provided a link to the New York Times' fresh analysis, along with a picture of a diver in a shark cage holding up a tablet displaying the once-derisive slogan "I'm a PC."

The second phase of the campaign is expected to keep Bill Gates, but at least for this phase, substitute Jerry Seinfeld with a rotating cast of celebrities. As Senior Vice President Carmi Levy of AR Communications predicted before the first ad even ran , Seinfeld was just the first step on the road to image recovery paved with high-profile marketing announcements. Future ads will include the likes of actress Eva Longoria and Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes as well as "regular people" -- the same that appeared to be completely incompatible with Gates and Seinfeld in the first ads -- as "the PC."

Co-opting the negatively loaded statement by Apple and turning it into one of empowerment is a linguistic trend that author Randall Kennedy calls "flipping." In the last twenty years, the tactic has been employed on racial and socioeconomic epithets to dull their cutting edge.

But it would be remiss to liken Microsoft to an oppressed minority, since current stats from hitslink give Windows a 91% market share. The various flavors of Mac's OS X do happen to be the closest competitor, but at a paltry 8%. If anything, saying "I'm a PC" is an unabashed show of hubris. "You're damn right I'm a PC, what are you going to do about it, use Solaris ?"

While this series of advertisements has already been called an attempt to re-construct Microsoft's tarnished image, it appears to be more an attempt to control the public dialogue that MS lost its grip of with Vista, and maintain that control into the future as the role of software loses precedence to Web-based services.

We'll see if it still tries to be funny.





Software:
OEM SOFTWARE

T-Mobile readies 3G for Dream's arrival

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Today T-Mobile announced that its 3G network will be available by mid-October, roughly the same time the HTC Dream Android phone is expected to go on sale.

T-Mobile will be premiering the world's first Android phone in just five days ; the 3G device is presently without an official sale date and price. Unofficial reports have placed availability between October 13 and October 21, and though today's announcement from T-Mobile does not provide any further information on dates, its "mid-October" availability of 3G services is in keeping with that timetable.

Twenty-seven major US markets will have T-Mobile 3G by the end of the year, the company said today, and expansion will continue through 2009. Work on the network began in 2006 .

Deployment is currently complete in Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, and the New York metropolitan area, just short of the 20 that were expected in the spring , but the German mobile carrier says that Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle will be switched on in October.

A further six markets -- Birmingham, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Tampa -- are expected to be receive UMTS/HSDPA connectivity before 2009.





Software:
OEM SOFTWARE