The Week's Top 10 News Stories: Google Pays $1 Billion for 5% of AOL


Fri, December 23, 2005

CIO — 1. Google Pays $1 Billion for 5 Percent of AOL, PC World, 12/20.
Speculation was confirmed this week as Google became AOL’s white knight, leaving the other suitor for AOL’s hand, Microsoft, casting about for a partner which rumor has it is Comcast. Under the terms of the deal, Google’s $1 billion five percent stake in AOL will lead to a closer partnership between the two companies notably in relation to graphical online ads, an area relatively new to Google. Users will more easily be able to search AOL content using Google’s technology and the pair committed to achieving interoperability between their instant messaging services, AOL’s AIM and Google Talk.

2. Microsoft Lashes out at European Commission, InfoWorld, 12/22.
Gates Inc. lawyers responded rapidly and strongly to the EC’s accusation that the software giant had failed to comply with its directive on workgroup server interoperability. The Commission has given Microsoft five weeks to comply with the directive or face daily fines of US$2.4 million. For its part, the vendor’s lawyers charged the EC with moving the goal posts whenever Microsoft endeavors to comply with the Commission’s March 2004 antitrust decision.

3. Survey: CIOs Say IT Budgets on the Rise, Computerworld, 12/20.
Now’s a good time to be a CIO, according to the 2005/2006 Harvey Nash USA CIO market survey. Not only are some companies increasing their IT budgets, but 70 percent of those CIOs polled are happy in their current positions and aren’t on the outlook for other jobs. However, due to likely merger and acquisition activity, a fair number of the executives questioned believe they’ll be working for another organization in three years’ time.

4. ABN Amro Eyes Electronic Data Transfers After Tape Loss Incident, Computerworld, 12/21.
No more sending data tapes via standard delivery services for ABN Amro Mortgage Group after the company revealed a tape containing sensitive data on about 2.1 million customers went missing for a month. Although ABN Amro did eventually find the tape, the company decided to encrypt such data and send it over secure networks whenever possible in future or rely on special couriers.

5. Computer Forensics Firm’s Database Hacked, Computerworld, 12/21.
Not a good thing to happen to a company that specializes in detecting computer break-ins, as Guidance Software announced its customer database had been hacked. The database contained the credit card numbers of 3,800 people along with other personal details. Guidance is conducting an investigation into the matter as is the U.S. Secret Service.

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As more and more CIOs are beginning to see significant benefits from letting employees choose the device they use to get their jobs done, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is spreading. According to the Computerworld Consumerization of IT Study, about half of the 604 respondents said their organizations allow employees to do work using their own devices either away from the office or at work. Whether these devices are smart phones, tablets, or laptops that are used in the office or while working remotely, companies that embrace this trend are finding their employees are more productive and experience greater job satisfaction. What's more, enterprises can significantly reduce up front costs and allow for flexible work hours by letting employees use their device of choice anytime, from anywhere.
In this paper, we analyze the delivery of live and on-demand mobile video content. It focuses on specific ways in which organizations can follow best practices to ensure the experience of video communication is maximized for viewers, while keeping corporate networks running smoothly.
There's no denying that the wisdom of a company resides in the heads of those directly responsible for the non-routine work of the organization. There's also no denying that management teams are looking to find better employee communications solutions and reduce costs. This is coupled with increased demand to better manage projects, customer service, product launches, training, and sales by workforces that are separated by time zones and using mobile devices. This need for wide-scale communications at lower cost is fueling recent organizational demand for scalable, affordable enterprise video and employee generated video content or "EGC"
The wave of video in the enterprise will continue to rise as the communication medium and the enabling technologies become ubiquitous in our daily personal and business lives. Businesses must be fully aware of the challenges and requirements of deploying an enterprise video solution. With a proper approach, adequate preparation, and skilled analysis, your organization will be able to accurately build an effective, scalable YouTube for the Enterprise framework that leverages your existing IT infrastructure and is aligned with your business goals.
This whitepaper aims to identify those users, the reasons they exist and to outline what your organization can do about them.
A mid-sized business needs the same financial performance control and measurement capabilities as a large corporation, but in a solution that's affordable, easy to implement and scalable. This guide simplifies the search by helping CFOs understand the 10 must-have characteristics of today's best financial performance management solutions.
Date/Time: June 5, 2012, 11:00 a.m., EDT, 4:00 p.m. BST / 3:00 p.m. UTC

Please join us for this webcast, as Dr. Barry Devlin, Founder and Principal, 9sight Consulting, describes what operational analytics can do for your business and reviews an architectural approach that will enable you to make it a reality.
Have you been thinking about what it would take to start using virtualization? Or do you know the basics and want to find out more? No problem. This webcast is designed for anyone with little to no knowledge of virtualization technology. Attend this webcast to learn:

-A basic overview of the business value of the technology and some key capabilities that make virtualization so valuable to IT and the businesses you serve.
-The basics for creating virtual machines and the key choices that can be made along the route to deployment.
View this on demand webcast to learn if moving business communications to the cloud is right for your business. Featured industry experts DMG Consulting LLC president, Donna Fluss, Frost & Sullivan principal analyst, Michael DeSalles, and Interactive Intelligence senior vice president, Joe Staples discuss this topic and help you answer your pressing questions at the conclusion of this web event.
In this webcast, Vantage Point Performance's Michelle Vazzana will reveal how to coach your reps to better performing pipelines.
In this webcast produced by the Sales Management Association (SMA), Forrester's Scott Santucci will explore the new sales paradigm and discuss how businesses must transform their selling models into dynamic, communications-intensive systems, empowering individual sellers to define, create and deliver value to customers.
SAP Sales OnDemand is intuitive, leveraging social collaboration capabilities you already know how to use. It enables fast, effective team collaboration and account management to help you sell more effectively. Watch the video to see how!
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