DOJ joins lawsuits alleging HP, Sun kickbacks
The U.S. Department of Justice has joined three whistleblower lawsuits alleging that HP, Sun, and Accenture paid and received kickbacks from IT partners in exchange for preferential treatment on government contracts, the DOJ said Thursday.
No-cost Wi-Fi software nixes need for routers
Researchers are making available software they say can be used to link nearby computers via Wi-Fi without a router and that someday could be used by cell phone users to make free calls.
Update: Former Qwest CEO Nacchio found guilty of insider trading
Joseph Nacchio, the former CEO of Qwest Communications, was found guilty of 19 counts of insider trading Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Google buys Marratech video conferencing company
Google has bought Marratech, a Stockholm-based developer of video conferencing software, taking it further into the sphere of collaborative work tools.
RIM finally breaks silence on BlackBerry outage
The addition of a new software routine caused the multi-hour failure of Research in Motion’s BlackBerry messaging service in North America earlier this week, the company said Friday.
Google exec says innovations coming in mobile
Google is looking beyond text ads as it seeks to make money from the increasing number of people who are turning to their cell phones to find information, an executive said on Friday.
New attack puts routers, cell phones at risk
A security researcher at Juniper has developed a new form of attack that can be used to run unauthorized software on a wide range of computing devices, including routers and mobile phones.
Spammers, hackers seize on Virginia Tech shootings
Spammers and hackers are using the slayings at Virginia Tech as a gory lure to infect computers with malicious software, security experts noted Thursday.
ITIL upgrade promises less ambiguity, more prescriptive how-to content
The upgraded best practice framework ITIL Version 3 includes guidance on how to get processes in place to optimize IT service delivery and management. Get details, FAQ and case studies.
Microsoft, Unisys launch Exchange test drive
Microsoft and Unisys teamed up Thursday to launch a free online trial of Exchange Server 2007 for any user looking to take a test drive.
Avici kills core router development
In a move that was not unexpected, Avici Systems this week said it will cease development of its core router in favor of its new carrier service-level agreement products.
Apple releases large set of Mac security updates
Apple has released a major set of security patches for its Mac OS X operating system.
Podcast
Twisted Pair Podcast: Outage Week 2007
Keith and Jason discuss all the outages of the week including RIM’s BlackBerry network, Intuit’s TurboTax servers, Verizon’s flooded central office in New Hampshire and the potential permanent outage of Vonage. Plus Keith swears off Microsoft Windows. (44:50)
Blog
Buzzblog: Web site blues hit Fark
Untold numbers of Fark readers were forced into stretches of involuntary workplace productivity yesterday when their favorite goof-off site went dark for much of the morning. And Fark founder Drew Curtis doesn’t even feel their pain.
Editor’s Note
Is your IT organizational structure holding your company back?
We’re assembling a package of stories to be published in Network World looking at the IT organizational structure of the future and we need your help:News Editor Bob Brown
* If your company has recently reorganized in light of new business and technology challenges and opportunities, can you send along “before” and “after” org charts? (Feel free to strip out the names, we’re really just looking for titles. But give us a sense of the size of your IT organization/business.) Can you tell us how the reorganization has worked out?
* If your company is in need of an IT org makeover, what areas are currently most dysfunctional?
* Any advice on what your peers can do to improve their IT organizations right now?
We’re looking to tap into our readership through a technique some call “crowdsourcing.” Knowing we don’t have all the answers, but that our audience probably has a lot of them, we’re hoping to help you help each other.
Please send info to
