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IBM

GT Software’s new Ivory VisualConnect adds web services to mainframe legacy modernization
GT Software, Inc., a leading provider of rapid SOA development solutions, announced an upgrade to Ivory VisualConnect, perhaps the easiest tool for modernizing legacy IBM applications for the Internet and intranet. Ivory VisualConnect version 5.3 brings Web Services and email integration to the system, which quickly and easily converts cumbersome and complex 3270 or 5250 screens into graphically intuitive Web front-ends, without any programming. With Ivory VisualConnect, customers can reuse the familiar mainframe "green screens" and all of the embedded logic, greatly simplifying the reengineering of manual processes such as data entry on forms. With the most comprehensive and flexible Web-enablement and superior advanced application integration capabilities available, Ivory VisualConnect 5.3 can be deployed in a variety of fashions to meet the architectural and business needs of zSeries and iSeries shops. It can either run natively, requiring no additional hardware or software, or reside in a Windows, UNIX or Linux n-tier environment, thereby eliminating the need to install software on the zSeries or iSeries. This new capability enables Ivory Service Architect-based Web services to be seamlessly integrated with Ivory VisualConnect applications.
Visit www.gtsoftware.com.


Micro Focus builds closer IBM ties
Micro Focus, a leading provider of enterprise application modernization software, this year will release new versions of its development environments that function as plug-ins to the Eclipse development framework, the company announced. Micro Focus said it would ship an Eclipse plug-in for its Net Express (for Windows-based COBOL apps) and Server Express (for Unix- and Linux-based COBOL apps) products during the second quarter. The plug-in for its Mainframe Express Enterprise Edition will follow, the company said. In other news, the company announced that it's now an IBM Advanced Business Partner. This accomplishment reflects Micro Focus' commitment to provide joint customers with application development and modernization solutions for IBM's key computing platforms, including the IBM System z and zSeries mainframes. Micro Focus has long been recognized for z/OS development tools, and is also supporting the IBM platform with the recent release of Micro Focus Server Express 5.0 for zSeries Linux.
Visit www.microfocus.com.
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Markets

Research and Markets adds China Sourcing Report: Flash Memory Cards & Readers to their offering
Greater China's export of flash memory card and readers totaled US$1.4 billion in 2006, a year-on-year growth of almost 60%. This momentum is expected to continue as more makers expand their production capacities to serve emerging markets. The China Sourcing Report: Flash Memory Cards & Readers, released by Research and Markets, includes deep profiles of 22 major suppliers that offer details on manufacturing capabilities, QC process, pricing strategy and more. Based on factory visits and personal interviews with senior managers, this information is not available anywhere else.  Profile tables of 14 additional manufacturers with key sourcing information such as factory location and capacity, technology partners, price forecasts and key export markets are included, as is a Product Gallery featuring 88 of the most popular flash memory cards and card readers with key product specifications, full-color pictures and ordering information.  This report covers SD, CompactFlash, and MMC cards and variants, as well as single- and multi-format card readers and includes the results of Global Source’s latest supplier survey, forecasting price, product, production and R&D trends for the next 12 months.
Visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c47953.
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Printers

New Linksys Wireless-G Print Server adds versatility to home and small office networks
Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc., announced the availability of the Wireless-G Print Server with Multifunction Printer Support (WPSM54G), its first print server with support for scanning, faxing and copying. According to Gartner, Inc., a research and advisory firm, more than 49 million multifunction devices were sold in 2005. The WPSM54G allows these consumers and small businesses to easily access their multifunction devices to fax, scan or copy from any PC on the network without the need for a separate dedicated “always-on” PC to manage the process. Print jobs are automatically cued and processed by the WPSM54G, eliminating the need for a manual connection to the device. The WPSM54G is compatible with select multifunction devices from Canon, Dell, Epson, HP, Lexmark and other leading manufacturers. Traditional printers from several manufacturers are also supported.
Visit www.linksys.com/supportedprinters.
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Software

Potential tech headache looms when Daylight Savings Time returns, CompTIA cautions
The expansion of daylight-saving time in the U.S. and Canada later this year has the potential to impact the operations of computers and other electronic devices with time zone features, the Computing Technology Industry Association has warned.  Within the U.S. and Canada computers, personal digital assistants, video cassette recorders, digital video recorders, phones and any other electronic devices that have a time zone setting will require a small software update to accommodate the change in daylight-saving time. Otherwise, the internal clocks in the devices could be off by one hour for three weeks in the spring and for one week in the fall. All major computer operating systems have released a software patch to reflect the change of the start and end dates for daylight-saving time. Computers using an operating system automatic update feature will soon receive the software patch if it hasn't already. Most cable and satellite television tuners and digital video recorders will receive an update automatically with the current show schedule. However, many computers and other electronic devices will require the manual installation of a software update. This includes almost all computers, PDAs, VCRs, and mobile phones which are not connected to the Internet. Voice-over-IP phone systems, GPS navigation systems, alarm clocks, and other "smart home" appliances may also be affected. Users will have to check the settings on these devices to determine if they recognize daylight-saving time; and if the correct start and end dates are present in the settings. If not, consumers should contact the service provider or product manufacturer to find out how to update the settings for each affected device.
Visit www.comptia.org.
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Storage

RELDATA ends 2006 with triple-digit sales increase
RELDATA, the pioneer of a new generation of universal IP storage virtualization appliances, reported record revenues for 2006 fueled by more than a 300 percent increase in sales, adding customers in education, financial services, automotive, defense, public authorities and healthcare. This revenue growth confirms industry research that end user adoption of IP storage virtualization is and will dramatically increase over the next five years. RELDATA’s next-generation IP Storage Gateways provide the ideal blend of high performance IP SAN and NAS virtualization in a single appliance form factor leveraging industry-standard Fibre Channel, SCSI and iSCSI arrays.
Visit www.reldata.com.


Dell, Microsoft bring enterprise-class storage capabilities to the mainstream
Dell and Microsoft announced a unified, networked storage system for file and application data that delivers enterprise-class manageability, versatility and performance for businesses of all sizes.  The Dell PowerVaul NX1950 with Microsoft Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003 goes beyond traditional network-attached storage solutions. The integrated hardware and software system offers the performance, advanced management features and flexibility of a mid-range unified storage device at an affordable price. It can also help customers reduce complexity and storage costs by eliminating separate licensing for additional features and protocols such as snapshots, replication and resource management. The PowerVault NX1950 integrated solution includes single or two-node cluster configurations featuring a redundant SAS-based back-end storage array scaling up to 45 drives. Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003 is a new Microsoft storage platform providing an advanced file server and IP SAN (iSCSI) capabilities, as well as unified management tools for easy deployment and maintenance in heterogeneous environments.
Visit www.Dell.com/nx or www.microsoft.com/storage.
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Testing

Original adds some manual features to testing suite
Original Software is talking up the virtues of manual testing techniques. The company still believes very strongly that automation is the answer to the bulk of software test procedures. For some testing tasks, such as regression testing, it's the only feasible alternative. But the company has come to the conclusion that not every customer needs to automate every aspect of its test environment. For some customers - in particular those that have already established workable manual test procedures - forcing an automated test solution is not the ideal approach. This is why the company is now trying to make it easier for manual test processes to cohabitate with automated processes maintained by its software. Original Software announced that it's now easier to use its Test Drive suite of tools--specifically, TestDrive-Gold--with either manual processes or as part of a fully automated testing platform. Software testers can now take advantage of key technologies and techniques that Original has developed--including Self-Healing Scripts (SHS), which automatically detect when applications have been updated; BusySense, which adds time delays and simulates how real users interact with applications; "code-free" testing for script-less testing--whether they use manual or automated testing techniques. The key element is that TestDrive will still keep an audit trail of all testing activities, manual or automated, which enables users to reproduce and then fix bugs or other errors. It also keeps track of what users see on the screen during the testing process.
Visit www.origsoft.com.
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