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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2004 Colleges Organize Fight Against Acacia FCC to Require Disclosure of Wireless Outages Microsoft to Offer Basic Windows XP in Developing Countries Mexico Chooses PeopleSoft for Tax Office Unlisted Phone Numbers Published COLLEGES ORGANIZE FIGHT AGAINST ACACIA A group of about 50 colleges and universities is working to develop a coordinated defense against Acacia Media Technologies, which is claiming patent infringement for Internet streaming technology and is demanding payments from at least 100 institutions. According to Sheldon E. Steinbach, vice president and general counsel at the American Council on Education, work on the defense started about a year ago. This week, after Acacia sent a second round of letters demanding royalties and threatening legal action against schools that refuse the offer, other institutions were invited to join the group. Some colleges have agreed to pay Acacia royalties, as have a number of companies, but others, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Jason Schultz, are urging colleges and universities not to agree to the payments. Acacia's patent claims are being challenged in court, and Schultz advises waiting to see how the situation is resolved. Nevertheless, Schultz acknowledged that although fighting the patent claims is "the right thing to do," paying the claims might be the "practical" thing to do. Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 August 2004 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/08/2004081101n.htm FCC TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE OF WIRELESS OUTAGES The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that wireless carriers must submit reports to government officials concerning significant outages in service, though those reports will be kept from public view. Disclosure of outages had been in place for wireless carriers since 1991. After September 11, 2001, however, the information in the reports was deemed potentially useful to would-be terrorists, and the reports ended. Noting that emergency services increasingly depend on wireless communication, and that disclosure of outages promotes a more stable wireless network, the FCC will again require the reports from wireless carriers. The Department of Homeland Security and wireless telecoms argued that the reports pose a security risk and that a voluntary reporting system would be preferable. In a concession, the FCC agreed that the reports will be confidential and will not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Wired News, 11 August 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,64528,00.html MICROSOFT TO OFFER BASIC WINDOWS XP IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Microsoft will distribute a slimmed-down version of Windows XP in five developing nations beginning this fall as part of the company's ongoing efforts to facilitate computer use and literacy. Consumers in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia will see the so-called Windows XP Starter Edition on PCs starting in October; the other two countries in the program were not named. The Starter Edition of the operating system has fewer features than the standard package, and versions are customized for each country, including appropriate languages and items such as screen saver photos that reflect the local landscape. Also part of Microsoft's initiative is a program that offers free operating systems and inexpensive Office software packages to certain schools in 67 developing countries. Prices for the Starter Edition were not announced, though some reports indicated it might be about $36. According to a spokesperson from Microsoft, the low price allows the company to compete with Linux and may also discourage piracy, since buyers of inexpensive, legitimate copies of the software are eligible for patches and updates. CNET, 11 August 2004 http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5304023.html MEXICO CHOOSES PEOPLESOFT FOR TAX OFFICE PeopleSoft announced a $50 million deal with the Mexican agency responsible for tax collection in that country. The Tax Administration Service (SAT) will use the PeopleSoft applications as part of a total restructuring of tax collection in Mexico, which currently maintains several collection centers around the country. Under the modernization project, which is funded in part by the World Bank, those disparate centers will be consolidated into a single platform. The SAT will use PeopleSoft's Enterprise Revenue Management product to coordinate taxes and fees, including income and property taxes, vehicle registrations, business licenses, building permits, court fees, and parking tickets. The SAT will also use PeopleSoft's applications for financial management, customer relationship management, and portals. Federal Computer Week, 10 August 2004 http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0809/web-psft-08-10-04.asp UNLISTED PHONE NUMBERS PUBLISHED Officials at Verizon Communications said this week that due to a computer problem, phone numbers of as many as 12,000 Verizon customers who asked that their phone numbers be unlisted may end up published in phone directories. Verizon published at least 9,000 of the numbers in its own directory that includes Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia, but the company, which is required to disclose its customers' numbers to competing directory services, inadvertently released as many as 12,000 unlisted numbers to other directories. Verizon has offered to refund the fees that consumers pay to have their numbers unlisted or to change customers' phone numbers free of charge if they so choose. Officials from Verizon said the problem resulted from a conversion to a new computer system. Washington Post, 11 August 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55022-2004Aug10.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ 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/ ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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