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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2002 IBM Takes Aim at Sun Sun Targets IBM and Microsoft with New Line of Servers Microsoft Turns to H-P for Services AND Online Peer Reviews Gain Momentum Reports Show a Lull in Computer Viruses Sony Debuts New Copy Protections IBM TAKES AIM AT SUN At the LinuxWorld Conference, IBM introduced a new server designed to compete with low-end servers from Sun Microsystems. The new server is an Intel-based machine that can run Linux or Windows. According to IBM, independent research showed three-year savings of as much as $475,000 for companies using Linux rather than Solaris, Sun's operating system. IBM has dedicated a deployment team to help customers switch from Solaris to Linux, and the company also touted its new server's ability to be used in clusters or computing grids. NewsFactor Network, 12 August 2002 http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/18984.html SUN TARGETS IBM AND MICROSOFT WITH NEW LINE OF SERVERS Sun Microsystems will introduce a new line of low-end servers with Intel chips, targeted at IBM and Microsoft on different fronts. The machines will run either Linux or the company's Solaris operating system. The move is Sun's latest attempt to make inroads into the Linux arena, a market entered much earlier by IBM and Hewlett-Packard, and to maintain pressure on Microsoft in the Internet software market. Peder Ulander, an official at Sun, said the company recognized the value of the market for small, Intel-based servers, which run a significant percentage of Web sites. "There's a $3 billion opportunity that we are not addressing," he said. Wall Street Journal, 12 August 2002 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102909983410547035,00.html MICROSOFT TURNS TO H-P FOR SERVICES In a deal announced Monday, Microsoft will contract with Hewlett-Packard to provide help-desk services to Microsoft employees in as many as 68 countries. H-P will also work with Microsoft on tools that will allow the help desk to discover and foresee problems. Citing the relationship that Microsoft had with Compaq before it merged with H-P, an official at H-P said the company is working hard to promote its services unit. Terms of the deal were not released. Microsoft previously contracted with Siemens to provide help-desk services. CNET, 11 August 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1001-949179.html AND ***************************************************** ONLINE PEER REVIEWS GAIN MOMENTUM Among the 25,000 peer-reviewed journals worldwide, an increasing number are abandoning the traditional, mail-based process for reviewing and editing articles, turning instead to electronic systems. According to Rick Johnson, enterprise director of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, "Journals sink or swim based on whether they attract the top authors." The significant time savings from conducting the peer-review process electronically, he said, puts journals that make the change at a competitive advantage over those that do not. Money saved on postage can also be substantial. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology expects to save 80 percent of its postal budget, $60,000 to $70,000 per year, by switching to an electronic system. Other advantages include convenience and reduced risk of errors and lost mailings. New York Times, 12 August 2002 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/12/technology/12NECO.html REPORTS SHOW A LULL IN COMPUTER VIRUSES Security experts report a sharp decrease in the number and severity of computer viruses compared to this time last year. Last year was notable for outbreaks of the Code Red, Nimda, and Sircam viruses. According to an official at F-Secure, a Finnish anti-virus company, Klez is the most significant concern of the year so far. Last year F-Secure issued nine "Level One" virus warnings, its most severe, and predicted that viruses would find their way to mobile devices including phones and pocket PCs. The prediction has not come true, and this year the company has not issued any "Level One" warnings. Other security firms report similar drops in virus activity. Explanations for the decline include better anti-virus tools, heightened user awareness of the need for protection, stiffer criminal sentences for hackers, and even a sense of patriotism. Reuters, 12 August 2002 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3848828.htm SONY DEBUTS NEW COPY PROTECTIONS A new digital rights management (DRM) application from Sony works on a range of devices and allows copyright owners to determine how intellectual property is used. OpenMG X includes an encoding module, which allows distributors to specify DRM details about how many times and for how long the content can be accessed. The server module distributes the content and the DRM information, while a third module allows development of applications that work with OpenMG X. Sony said the technology is likely to be added to a variety of mobile devices, including cell phones, portable audio players, and game consoles. OpenMG X has already been included in Sony's Magiqlip software, a PC-based music player. ITWorld, 7 August 2002 http://www.itworld.com/Man/2683/020807sonycopyright/ ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EDUCAUSE Quarterly" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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