Plus: Sun to outsource its internal IT; OASIS updates UDDI spec; TelCov buys assets and customers from KMC; Tablus to snap up Indigo Security.
Microsoft last week launched an early warning system to alert governments about holes found in its Windows software. Microsoft’s Security Cooperation Program was introduced by Bill Gates, chief software architect, at the company’s Government Leaders’ Forum in Prague.
Gates said Microsoft would provide information on vulnerabilities under investigation, and upcoming software updates to aid in planning and deployment. A handful of government agencies, including Canada’s Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Chile’s Ministry of the Interior, and the State of Delaware Department of Technology and Information, have signed on. Microsoft’s move to help government customers results from the rising popularity of Linux among government agencies, such as those in China, Japan, Germany and France.
Sun last week said it is outsourcing its internal information technology team to Computer Sciences in a contract worth $360 million. Sun says it will save $100 million over the next five years with the move. CSC says it will provide software and support for a variety of Sun’s internal business activities, such as finance, manufacturing, messaging, enterprise management, customer relations and data warehousing. The Mercury News reports that some employees at the Santa Clara company will be “badge flipping,” which means they will continue to work at Sun’s facilities but will be employed by CSC.
Sun says the moves are part of its overall goal to reduce spending by $500 million by July 2006. A report issued by Goldman Sachs says Sun could ultimately contract out up to 45% of its workforce. Sun says it currently has 32,000 employees worldwide.
The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards last week standardized the latest version of the Universal, Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) specification, which adds controls for security and policy that were conspicuously absent from earlier versions.
Experts say UDDI 3.0, which is a registry for publishing and finding Web services, is ready for corporate deployment with the inclusion of features such as support for XML Digital Signatures. Those signatures ensure the validity of data in the registry. Also, the specification has dozens of policies for operations such as access control, replication, subscription, delegation, data transfer rights and UDDI keys. They are unique identifiers attached to each entry in the registry.
Support for Web Services Description Language also has been added. Version 3.0 is seen as the key for creating private, semi-private and public UDDI registries that could be integrated across various domains.
TelCove, a regional competitive local-exchange carrier, announced last week that it is acquiring network assets and customers from KMC Telecom . Financial details about the deal were not disclosed. TelCove offers telecommunications services to enterprise users in the eastern part of the U.S. The CLEC is buying network coverage and customers in 21 markets from KMC primarily in the South.
The 21 markets span Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The CLEC says that it will integrate these markets with TelCove’s network facilities as soon as the deal closes. TelCove offers users metropolitan and intercity services, including Ethernet, private line, voice and Internet access services.
San Mateo, Calif.-based security software provider Tablus is expected to announce today that it has acquired Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Indigo Security for an undisclosed sum. The combination of Tablus, which makes Content Alarm Network to detect transmission of unauthorized content, and Indigo Security, which makes desktop software for protecting intellectual property, would create a 50-employee firm. In March, Tablus is expected to disclose a product integration strategy for combining both product lines.
