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The WAVE Report on Digital Media
3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0514------------------4/8/05 |
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0514.2 Broadband
0514.3 Holographic Technology
Innovative 3D Holographic Enterprise Offers Next Generation of Learning and Entertainment Technology
0514.4 Computer Security
Instant Messaging and Peer-to-Peer Security Threats Cause Corporate Alarm
0514.5 Operating Systems
Mid-Sized Companies Not Interested in Linux – Microsoft Still Dominates, Study Says
0514.6 Radio Communications
Two-Way Radio Users in Small/Medium Businesses Now Have Digital Option
0514.7 Online Banking Security
0514.8 Storage Area Networks
0514.9 Video Streaming
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0514.1 Telecommuting
***Congressman Davis (R-Va.) Lauds Public-Private Partnership Empowers Feds to Understand Their Personal Cost of Commuting as Percentage of After-tax Income
WASHINGTON
April 5, 2005
The Telework Exchange, a new public-private partnership focused on eliminating telework gridlock, has unveiled its portal website, an online community focused on demonstrating the tangible value of Federal telework initiatives, serving the emerging education and communications requirements of the Federal teleworker community, and measuring Federal agencies' progress on telework requirements. The Telework Exchange announced Intel Corporation, CDW-G, Citrix, and Juniper Networks as founding industry members.
Taking a leading role in driving telework within the Federal government, Chairman Davis advocates changing the failing telework status quo. Supporting tougher reporting requirements, Davis asserts that rather than agencies justifying which personnel are eligible for telework, they should be required to justify who is ineligible and explain why. Seeing beyond the typical telework advantages, Davis has championed continuity of operations as an important benefit of Federal telework.
The Telework Exchange community features a series of Telework value calculators that tally the cost of Federal commuting. The calculators draw on Telework Consortium and Department of Energy translation ratios to quantify potential telework benefits. Specifically, the site features two calculators - potential cost savings and environmental impact. Federal employees can register on the site and log the number of roundtrip miles they commute to work or avoided commuting by teleworking, the number of days they work, the type of car they drive, and their agency affiliation. The calculators automatically compute the potential cost savings and environmental benefits associated with Federal telework. The calculators empower Federal employees to understand their personal cost of commuting - as a raw figure and a percentage of after-tax income - as well as to understand how many tons of pollutants they are pumping into the environment each day as they travel to and from work. Starting in May 2005, the Telework Exchange will leverage registration information to publish a third Telework Dividend calculator, which will quantify actual Federal telework savings. Importantly, the Telework Dividend calculator will provide the first metrics to track the relative performance of Federal agencies in meeting the mandated requirement to support Federal telework operating models.
In addition to the calculators, the Telework Exchange will feature a host of online resources to support the Federal teleworker community, including:
-- The Water Cooler: A collaboration and discussion platform
designed to empower Federal personnel to discuss issues
and share best practices. The Water Cooler will come
online in the coming weeks-- Resource Center: A repository of useful tools, including
a hosting platform for educational sessions. The resource
center will come online in the coming weeks-- The Teleworker: A news resource reporting exclusively on
Federal telework. The Teleworker will come online in the
coming weeks
In addition, the Telework Exchange will organize an advisory board focused on establishing telework as a mainstream Federal work practice. The Telework Exchange advisory board will include representatives from House Science-State-Justice-Commerce Subcommittee, House Government Reform Committee, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget, and industry.
The Telework Exchange is funded by private industry, not appropriated tax payer funds. O'Keeffe & Company, an events and marketing firm, will manage the Telework Exchange.
About the Telework Exchange
The Telework Exchange is an online community focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging education and communication requirements of the Federal teleworker community. The organization will facilitate communications among Federal teleworkers, government, and industry advisors.
http://www.teleworkexchange.org
***Europe and DSL leading broadband growth
London
April 4, 2005
World broadband lines stood at 150.5m as of 31 Dec 2004 according to the latest research from Point Topic. Operators added 50m lines in the year, 26.5m lines in the second half - the biggest ever.
"This was good news because the second half of 2003 was actually lower than the first half," says Tim Johnson, Publisher, Point Topic.
The full research shows that Europe is growing considerably faster than the Americas or the Asia-Pacific region, and DSL numbers are continuing to grow faster than cable modems and other broadband technologies.
"The high growth in Europe is really striking," says Johnson. "After lagging in the early days of broadband Europe is catching up with a vengeance." In terms of broadband take-up, six of the world's top ten countries are European. "Korea and Hong Kong are still ahead but the Netherlands and Denmark are catching up fast," says Johnson.
Looking across Europe, high broadband take-up is now starting to spread from West to East. "We've seen particularly high growth in some of the EMEA markets. In H2 2004 Turkey, for example, grew by 155% and Poland by 122%," continues Johnson.
In terms of absolute numbers, the US is still the biggest broadband country in the world with China catching up in second place. But growth in some countries is flattening out. "Canada has slipped from fifth to eighth place in the Top Ten during the year," Johnson points out.
"Summing up, I would say that broadband had a pretty good year," says Tim Johnson, Publisher of Point Topic. "I project that we will reach 140m DSL lines and 215m broadband lines in total by the end of 2005."
Top 10 world broadband countries, with number of lines (in millions) 1. USA 33.9 2. China 25.8 3. Japan18.1 4. South Korea 11.9 5. Germany 6.9 6. France 6.8 7. UK 6.1 8. Canada 5.6 9. Italy 4.8 10. Taiwan 3.7
More details are available from the Point Topic website and readers can get statistics and analysis for the top 30 broadband countries by registering for Point Topic's new World Broadband Statistics white paper.
***Innovative 3D Holographic Enterprise Offers Next Generation of Learning and Entertainment Technology; ZFUZION Revolutionizing the Way We Use Technology
ORLANDO, Fla.
April 5, 2005
Changing the way people learn and absorb information, i.d.e.a.s. in Orlando, Fla., 3dh Corporation (3dh) in Atlanta, Ga., and Worldwide Interactive Network (WIN) in Kingston, Tenn., announced today the formation of ZFUZION. This landmark enterprise marries state-of-the-art digital storytelling with pioneering 3D holographic technology and advanced audio and motion systems. The alliance will create and produce original content for workforce development, education, entertainment, gaming and other solutions.
The new venture merges the combined talents of 3dh, WIN and i.d.e.a.s. under the trade name ZFUZION. Working together the three companies will produce and market content utilizing 3dh's patented 3D technology, driven by i.d.e.a.s. creative story content and production expertise. WIN's global delivery infrastructure and associated distribution services will be employed to deliver software and courseware to users world-wide.
Unlike a two-dimensional or even so-called 3D computer generated imagery, ZFUZION 3D holoprojection technology creates a first-person enhanced reality experience which the human brain accepts as real. "As an example, this technology allows a professor in a single location to conduct a physics class in real time with an unlimited number of global classrooms in a three-dimensional environment at each location," explained Dr. H. Lynn Cundiff, CEO at 3dh. "Each student experiences the teacher and the accompanying physics demonstration, including the ability to visualize and interact with complex physical systems, as if she or he were right there in the classroom performing the physics experiment." He continued, "When compared to traditional presentation systems, the combined ZFUSION solution is capable of delivering a forty percent increase in accurate retention and an eleven percent increase in learning acquisition speed."
The alliance partners at ZFUZION have already incorporated the ZFUZION system into the design for a state-of-the-art fitness center being developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are in the first stages of rolling out a subscription-based service for major institutions including schools, churches and museums, and launching a new generation of immersive emergency management training environments.
***Instant Messaging and Peer-to-Peer Security Threats Cause Corporate Alarm; Akonix Security Center Highlights Rapid Growth in New Security Risks Identified and Addressed for Enterprises
SAN DIEGO
April 5, 2005
Akonix Systems has announced that its Security Center team tracked over 100 new corporate security threats targeting IM and P2P systems in the first quarter of 2005, a more than 400% increase over the same period last year and more threats than were identified in all of 2004. Additionally, Akonix has issued over 50 security policy updates in Q1 2005, utilizing the industry's only dynamic IM security filter to automatically protect Akonix customers from these increasingly frequent attacks.
The Akonix Security Center is a collaborative effort between Akonix's internal group, enterprise customer security teams and industry leading partners in IM security and infrastructure, focused on the emerging risks posed by IM and P2P applications in the corporate environment. In 2005, thousands of enterprises have taken advantage of resources made available by Akonix to help address these threats in their organizations, including email alerts, free RogueAware software for identifying unmanaged, unauthorized IM and P2P use on their networks and security assessments by Akonix's field team.
According to the Akonix Security Center, the increase in security threats in 2005 can be attributed to three major areas:
1. Greater interest from virus writers based on the
continued rapid adoption of instant messaging by enterprise
employees for business communications, often without
knowledge of, or management by, enterprise IT organizations2. Increased perimeter security for other attack methods
such as Web access and email systems being installed by IT
departments3. Increased sophistication of attacks, including published
methods that encourage copycats, multiple mutations of
initial attacks and migration of new threats, such as social
engineering and phishing to IM systems
" Since the start of 2005, IM networks have been on the receiving end of an unprecedented barrage of security attacks," said Francis Costello, chief marketing officer at Akonix Systems. "Virus writers, hackers and scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their approach to vulnerable, insecure IM clients and networks, distributing not just viruses and malware, but putting together blended attacks and phishing scams. Unmanaged and unauthorized use of IM within enterprise networks presents an increasingly serious threat to corporate security."
http://www.imsecuritycenter.com
***Mid-Sized Companies Not Interested in Linux – Microsoft Still Dominates, Study Says
London, ON
April 5, 2005
Most mid-sized enterprises are simply not interested in Linux, according to a recent study by Info-Tech Research Group, a leading technology research firm. A tiny 10 percent of mid-sized enterprises plan to evaluate Linux within the next three years and only a portion of these will actually adopt it.
“Just 27 percent of mid-sized companies currently have Linux installed and almost half of the respondents said they have no interest in Linux. The Linux advance into this market has stalled,” says Frank Koelsch, Executive Vice President of Info-Tech Research Group. “Microsoft still dominates this market and is the clear leader for mid-sized companies,” he adds. “Linux was initially hot, but interest has substantially declined. Companies are past the hype and taking a much more cautious approach towards Linux.”
The study highlighted the divide that is occurring between large companies who are increasingly embracing open source, and smaller companies who remain Microsoft-centric. Of the companies who did not already have Linux installed, 48 percent have no interest whatsoever and a further 15 percent are not sure.
“An important consideration for any mid-sized enterprise evaluating Linux is that although Linux is free, the support for it is not,” says Koelsch. “For smaller organizations that already have a trained Windows-based support staff, adding Linux to the mix can add headcount, complexity and create havoc,” he continues. “Unless there is a compelling business reason to implement a Linux system, IT decision makers in mid-sized enterprises should stick to Microsoft solutions, even though they are not perfect either.”
The findings and trend analysis are included in Info-Tech Research Group’s annual “IT Priorities 2005” report. With over 1,400 companies responding, it is the largest annual survey of its kind. The study focused on mid-sized enterprises in the US, Canada and the UK.
***Two-Way Radio Users in Small/Medium Businesses Now Have Digital Option
LAS VEGAS
April 6, 2005
Two-way radio users in small and medium-sized businesses now have a digital option that provides one-to-one private calling, enhanced coverage, improved battery life and clear audio.
Motorola's DTR Series Digital On-Site Two-Way Radios are the first digital radios designed specifically for the entry-level business market. Targeted at end-users in education, retail, hospitality, construction, light manufacturing and property management, these radios are designed to deliver direct communication between employees and enhance overall business productivity and customer service.
The company announced its newest digital offering at this year's International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, April 6 - 8, 2005.
The DTR Series Digital On-Site Two-Way Radios, while delivering new capabilities based on digital technology, also deliver better performance over similar analog models. Enhanced coverage (+20%), improved battery life (+45%), and loud audio with less distortion are all attributes of the new on- site digital radios.
Priced affordably and offering small and medium-sized businesses an easy to use communication solution out of the box, these digital on-site radios are available for sale from Motorola Authorized Two-Way Radio Dealers beginning in mid-April.
0514.7 Online Banking Security
***Privacy of Online Banking Key to Customer Loyalty: 2005 Privacy Trust Survey for Online Banking Links Consumers' Perception of Trust in Their Banks to Confidence in Banking Online
WALTHAM, Mass. & TUCSON, Ariz.
April 5, 2005
According to the 2005 Privacy Trust Survey for Online Banking released today, consumers who have a high level of trust in their bank are more likely to perform a wider variety of more complex online banking tasks, such as automated bill payment or applying for new products or services. The study, sponsored by Watchfire, Inc. and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, also revealed that these consumers are more likely to remain loyal to the financial institution they trust, translating into more profitable transactions for banks.
The survey reveals consumers with a high level of trust in their primary bank are loyal - they aren't seeking services from other institutions, with 55% stating they have never even visited another bank's website. However, the study also revealed that 57 % of consumers with high trust in their primary bank say they would cease all online services with their current bank in the event of a single privacy breach. That could translate into the potential loss of millions of customers making even a single breach a very costly problem for banks.
This Web-based study, conducted in late February and March, asked respondents to indicate how secure and confident they felt that their primary bank is committed to protecting the privacy of their personal information. A total of 2,328 responses were received (17.2% response rate) and the top banks selected as their primary bank for online banking are National City, Washington Mutual, U.S. Bank, PNC, Citibank and Wachovia.
Earning Consumers' Trust
The study revealed the number one reason consumers use Web banking is convenience (71%). 59% are "much more confident" or "more confident" in online banking than branch banking. Combining convenience with confidence is a win-win situation for financial institutions with the potential of adding more online customers.
Respondents were also asked to indicate what steps a bank should take to gain or increase consumer trust in its ability to protect personal information. The number one reported answer is to limit the sharing of personal information with third parties, followed by fewer annoying or irrelevant online ads or marketing promotions. The next most frequent response is having procedures in place to validate the consumer's identity when they transact business with the Website.
Some other findings include:
- Significant customer acquisition opportunity still exists
for banks.- 70% of respondents strongly agree or agree that their bank
is committed to protecting their personal information.- Only 21% of respondents reported that an email from their
bank is "always" or "most of the time" information they
want to receive. Banks should be concerned that email
communication may scare some consumers.
Given that email has been one of the main avenues for targeted phishing scams, it is not surprising that the survey points to identity theft as the biggest customer concern in the event of a breach or violation of personal information. Although gaining and maintaining consumer trust is challenging, it must be a priority. Building consumer trust in the Web channel will impact customer acquisition and retention rates.
http://www.watchfire.com/resources/privacy-survey.pdf
***Data Storage Market to Grow by 35% in 2005, Study Says
London, ON
March 31, 2005
The data storage market will grow by 35% in 2005, according to a new study from Info~Tech Research Group. Data storage is the number one priority for mid-sized enterprises that plan to “invest heavily” in 2005.
Spending on data storage will outpace spending on servers, telephony and even security software, according to the results of a survey of over 1,400 IT decision makers, who cited regulatory pressures (e.g. Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA), continuity planning, and the popularity of multimedia among the drivers of this decision.
Storage Area Networks (SANs) are the hottest segment of the red-hot storage market. Info-Tech predicts 40% growth in the SAN market in 2005.
Executive Summary and SAN Vendor Evaluations
Now is the time for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to consider storage area network (SAN) storage options. Storage is the leading area of technology investment for SME IT departments in 2005, and storage area networks (SANs) are the fastest growing category of storage products. More than one-third of SME IT shops that don’t have a SAN are planning implementations. Enterprises that have already invested in Fibre Channel SANs for mission-critical applications are also planning to extend the cost saving benefits of this technology to a greater portion of their IT infrastructure. The number of SMEs planning to acquire a SAN will increase in 2005, as more low cost Internet Protocol (IP) SANs hit the market.
The traditional approach to storage expansion for most SMEs is to add direct attached storage to servers. This approach is a short term solution with long term cost implications related to scalability, management, backup, recovery, and utilization of data storage across the IT infrastructure. Networked storage is a more cost-effective way to address these issues.
SANs solve many of the storage management problems currently faced by IT managers. SANs separate data storage from the server, and provide multiple servers with concurrent and transparent access to multiple data stores. Additionally, storage consolidation, storage utilization, and disaster recovery are enhanced using SAN-based storage management software instead of multiple LAN-based tools. A SAN is also a very scalable and flexible storage solution.
Value Proposition for SMEs
SAN technology is mature, stable, reasonably standardized, and proven in large-scale IT environments. Current-generation SANs make technology that has long been a mainstay of “glass house” Fortune 1,000 environments both affordable and manageable for SMEs. They offer several distinct, high-value features and functions compared to direct-attached storage:
• Consolidation of storage infrastructure. A SAN consolidates storage infrastructure, and provides a single point of management for all storage.
• Cost-effective scalability. When the need for more capacity does arise, storage can be added to a SAN with minimal or no downtime, and can be more easily distributed to multiple servers that need the
added capacity.• Enhanced infrastructure availability and recoverability. The advantages of redundant disk storage architecture are available to all servers on the SAN. A direct-attached RAID, by contrast, provides these benefits only to a single attached server. SANs also provide faster and more efficient backups.
The complete report can be seen at
***AccuStream Research Streaming Video Ratings Report '04 Reveals Brand Reach; Sites Ranked by Total Share
MONTEREY, Calif.
April 5, 2005
The top five streaming video brands, represented by multiple sites across a variety of content categories accounted for 68% of total share in 2004, based on data contained in the report Stream Video Share 2004: A Site and Brand Analysis.
In this share report, AccuStream iMedia Research has aggregated streaming video usage on all content sites owned or operated by media organizations to develop a clear picture of total streaming reach by brand.
Analysis in the report includes total streams served by site, network, channel or aggregator, share of each site or network within specific content categories such as music, sports, news, film, general entertainment and Internet TV, and streaming video sites ranked according to brand affiliation to yield share.
Time Warner's AOL platform is the largest single streaming video distribution outlet, with a 24.9% share of total streams served in 2004, followed by Yahoo with 20.1% and Real Networks with 11.6%. Time Warner properties owned a 26.7% share of total streams served in '04.
Microsoft/MSN/NBC captured a combined 6.1% share of total streams served by combined sites and networks in 2004, a percentage that moved up significantly from 2003, and is forecast to gain more traction in 2005.
While major media brands dominate overall viewing share across all branded properties, the top ten sites have a meaningful number of independent brands such as StupidVideos.com, IFILM and Feedroom that capture share and deliver meaningful reach in terms of unique audience.
http://www.accustreamresearch.com
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