IBM gathers its troops to target SMBs

Stuff goes here.

IBM wants a chunk of the $300 billion that small and midsized businesses are expected to spend on IT, the company told the 5,400 technology vendors, resellers and distributors who attended IBM’s PartnerWorld event in Las Vegas last week. As part of its effort to woo SMB owners, IBM plans to add new products to its SMB portfolio and develop wizards to make it easier for systems integrators to link IBM technology. And to get its partners even more excited at the prospect of grabbing a portion of the $300 billion prize IBM treated show attendees to an inspirational speech by legendary actor, director and entrepreneur Robert Redford. Attendees learned how Redford grew his small Sundance Institute to become a leading force in independent film-making.  

* BREAKING NEWS FROM IBM PARTNERWORLD, LAS VEGAS

IBM targets vertical markets, SMBs, 03/08/04

Users can expect to see more products from IBM flavored with industry-specific capabilities and aimed at midsize companies. At least that’s the message from IBM’s most senior executives, who turned out last week to woo some of Big Blue’s 90,000 business partners – a lucrative sect responsible for $29 billion of IBM’s $89 billion 2003 revenue.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0308ibmpartner.html?nl

IBM launches initiatives to automate and integrate, 03/04/04

At its PartnerWorld conference in Las Vegas this week, IBM announced two initiatives that ultimately could make it easier to integrate business and IT events across multiple platforms, to automate workflows and to provision resources.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0304ibmauto.html?nl

Robert Redford talks creativity, collaboration at IBM event, 03/03/04

“Be aware that the only thing that really succeeds is change.” Legendary actor, director and entrepreneur Robert Redford Tuesday closed his remarks to an audience of IBM business partners with these words, encouraging them to think creatively, take risks and champion new ideas.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0303redford.html?nl

IBM chief touts standards, mid-market push, 03/03/04

IBM is continuing to step up its efforts to develop technologies aimed at midsize companies and tailored to meet the needs of specific industries. At its annual PartnerWorld event going on this week in Las Vegas, IBM has its most senior executives, including CEO Sam Palmisano, spreading the word to its business partners.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0303ibmchief.html?nl

IBM starts fund to aid displaced workers, 03/02/04

IBM will create a $25 million, two-year training fund to assist employees who fear their that jobs are at risk of being shipped away to lower-cost locations, company executives said Monday at IBM’s PartnerWorld conference.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0302partnibm.html?nl

IBM CEO preaches standards, 03/01/04

IBM Chairman and CEO Sam Palmisano used one of his rare conference keynote appearances Monday to exhort the company’s business partners to adopt IBM’s on-demand vision of standards-based IT flexibility.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0301ibmceo.html?nl

IBM lures partners to sell hosted services, 03/01/04

IBM will offer incentives for partners to resell e-business hosting services, an attempt to help its hardware resellers to expand beyond the selling of systems, IBM will announce Monday at its PartnerWorld show in Las Vegas.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0301ibmpartner.html?nl

* LATE NEWS FROM RSA CONFERENCE, SAN FRANCISCO

Breaking code in the name of good, 03/08/04

It may seem odd to release a book called “Exploiting Software: How to break code” at a security conference.  But co-authors Gary McGraw and Greg Hoglund did just that at the RSA Conference in San Francisco in February and weren’t thrown out on their ears. 

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0308mcgraw.html?nl

Doubts dog Microsoft spam plan, 03/01/04

Even with Microsoft  lending its clout to an expanding anti-spam movement centered on authenticating e-mail senders, experts caution the approach comes laden with technical challenges and unanswered questions.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0301microsoftspam.html?nl

Microsoft to make its software ‘behave’, 03/01/04

Microsoft’s revelation last week that it is adopting a new approach to computer security dubbed “behavior blocking” represents a radical shift in the company’s software design strategy that could pay off for attack-weary Windows users, industry watchers say.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0301microsoftrsa.html?nl

Competing technologies could shake up e-mail, 03/01/04

Microsoft’s announcement at the RSA Conference last week of a host of initiatives to stop unsolicited commercial e-mail, or spam, highlighted some tectonic shifts taking place in the once staid world of Internet messaging.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0301rsacom.html?nl

Crypto stars sound off on e-voting, DRM, 02/25/04

A panel of distinguished cryptographers at the RSA Conference in San Francisco weighed in on a variety of hot button issues, including electronic voting and rights management for digital media.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0225rsacry.html?nl

* LATE NEWS FROM VOICECON, FLORIDA

Convergence of voice, data applies to IT staffs, 03/04/04

With the popularity of VoIP systems growing, CIOs and IT managers must wrestle with ways to merge their voice and data staffs, IT managers said here at VoiceCon this week.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0304voipman.html?nl

Lucent introduces a new Web portal, 03/03/04

Lucent is introducing a bundle of equipment consisting of Lucent gear and equipment made by partners that provides an IP telephony system for midsize and large businesses.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0303lucentaes.html?nl

Cisco, Nortel VoIP debate wows crowd, 03/02/04

Nortel and Cisco squared off in a presidential-style debate at VoiceCon today, each defending its own approach for VoIP.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0302voicecis.html?nl

VoIP to be scaled down, untethered at VoiceCon, 03/01/04

Vendors this week at VoiceCon will introduce IP gear designed to give small and midsize businesses sophisticated voice and data capabilities while converging all their traffic on one network.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0301voicecon.html?nl

* PREVIEW: BRAINSHARE 2004, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Linux to star at Novell conference, 03/08/04

Attendees heading to Novell’s annual BrainShare customer conference later this month should anticipate the company announcing a variety of products designed to flesh out its Linux strategy.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0308brainshare.html?nl

* UPCOMING TRADE SHOWS (March, April, May):

VoiceCon 2004

March 1-4, Orlando, Florida

One of the highlights at VoiceCon 2004 is an IP telephony debate with execs from Nortel and Cisco.

https://www.bcr.com/voicecon/

Cebit Europe   .)

March 18-24, Hannover, Germany

https://www.cebit.de/

(also check out Cebit America coming to New York in May

https://www.cebit-america.com/

Novell Brainshare

March 21/26, Salt Lake City, Utah

https://www.novell.com/brainshare/

CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association)

Wireless 2004

March 22-24, Georgia, Atlanta

https://www.ctiawireless2004.com/

InfoSec World 2004

March 22-24, Orlando, Florida

https://www.misti.com/virtprog/program.asp

Spring VON (Voice on the Net) 2004

March 29-Apr. 1, Santa Clara

https://www.pulver.com/spring2004/

Storage Networking World, Spring 2004

April 5-8, Phoenix, Arizona

https://www.storagenetworkingworld.com/

WinHEC

May 4-7, Seattle, Washington

https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winhec/

Networld+Interop

May 9-14, Las Vegas

https://www.interop.com/lasvegas2004/

Sapphire 2004

May 11-13, New Orleans

https://www.sapsapphire.com/

GigaWorld 2004

May 17-20, Orlando, Florida

https://www.forrester.com/Events/Overview/0,5158,578,00.html

CA World

May 23-27, Las Vegas

https://www.ca.com/caworld/

Microsoft Tech Ed 2004

May 23-28, San Diego

https://www.microsoft.com/seminar/teched2004/default.mspx

* NETWORK WORLD TECHNOLOGY TOURS (free registration):

Messaging and Spam: From Chaos to Control

March 23 – April 1, at a city near you

Messaging is in crisis. Ever-escalating e-mail assaults now threaten core competencies of even the most sophisticated

corporations. Leaving beleaguered network professionals challenged as never before.

Spam and spyware. Wireless access and remote users. Legislation and lawsuits. Today’s professionals face a confusing array of

undifferentiated tools and technologies that can merely mask problems. Bouncing legitimate messages along with unwanted junk.

Filtering essential content as well as damaging viruses.

It’s time for better, more aggressive answers that once again make messaging an efficient, effective, corporate-safe

application. Solutions that ensure network integrity, data security, user productivity and return power and control to

enterprise network managers.

It’s time for the new Network World Technology Tour event, Messaging and Spam : From Chaos to Control. Clear direction,

real-world expertise, the latest product demos, and tools you can use presented by renowned messaging and security expert

Mark Gibbs.

To register for this event:

https://www.nwfusion.com/events/messaging/index.html

Masterminding the New Data Center

March 30 – April 29, at a city near you

Grid, blade, utility or cluster computing: Are you about to make a costly misstep? Storage virtualization: Are you ready for this innovative approach? Security solutions: Are you prepared for the latest threats?

In the storm to consolidate – servers, storage, apps – there’s never been a more important moment in the management of data

centers. And there’s never been a Network World Event like Masterminding the New Data Center to meet the challenge. Here’s

actionable intelligence you can take away and use now to design, deploy and manage your data center to the highest industry

standards.

It’s exciting must-know info. New technology from APC and Foundry. First-ever results of a Nemertes Research benchmark

study. A fast-paced, ask-questions, get-answers event you cannot afford to miss. While attendance is free, access is limited to professionals who reserve in advance. Register now. Reserve your place. And become one of the new masterminds of today’s new data center.

To register for this event:

https://www.nwfusion.com/events/datacenter/index.html

Wireless LANs: Gaining Strength, Reaching Farther

April 13-22, at a city near you

Today there’s just one universal truth about building sophisticated Wireless LANs: The design, management, and buying decisions you make now will determine the effectiveness of your enterprise network for years to come.

So make the decision to attend Wireless LANs: Gaining Strength, Reaching Farther, a new Network World Technology Tour event. It brings together the intelligence, innovations, and solutions you need at an exclusive forum led by industry expert Craig J. Mathias.

To register for this event:

https://www.nwfusion.com/events/wlan/index.html