BlueStripe Software has announced full support of IBM AIX and Microsoft Windows 2008 operating systems for its FactFinder application performance management product, while continuing support for Windows Server 2003 Server, Windows XP, Sun Solaris, and Linux. According to BlueStripe, this new release of FactFinder automatically identifies the entire application system for every application without any configuration, coding, or network appliances — regardless of application, platform or environment — for a complete view of application systems and all interactions.

IBM just published the results of a study of the attitudes of 1,900 chief financial officers and senior finance executives from across the globe, and finds, not surprisingly, that in the wake of the recent global economic crisis, cost cutting is an important priority.

LogLogic, a provider of security and log management solutions, has introduced what it calls the next generation of its core open log management technology. The new line of appliances is supplied on faster, more resilient hardware, the vendor says, to deliver increases in log message processing, log message storage, connectivity and resiliency.

Micro Focus, a provider of enterprise application modernization solutions, has launched a platform that unites all three of the vendor's application portfolio management technologies to deliver a single view of an organization's applications portfolio. This new offering, Modernization Workbench 3.1, combines Micro Focus Revolve and Enterprise View into a single solution set.

Terracotta, a provider of Java application scalability solutions, and Eucalyptus Systems, creators of an open source private cloud platform, announced a partnership to provide enterprises with an open source solution for achieving scalability and greater performance in private cloud environments. Under the agreement, the two companies will provide tighter integration between Terracotta technology and Eucalyptus software as well as engage in joint sales and marketing activities.

Bus-Tech, a supplier of mainframe virtual tape libraries, announced a new release of its tape library that combines the latest Intel Server offering with release 7.0 of Bus-Tech's Virtuent virtual tape technology. Version 7 of Bus-Tech's Mainframe Data Library (MDL) includes an enhanced library file system, HTML-based configuration utilities, z/OS Master Console support, enhanced data encryption using RSA Key Manager, and phone-home capabilities.

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Vision Solutions, a high availability and disaster recovery solutions provider in IBM Power Systems markets, announced the availability of a new Vision PowerPack for POWER7 Migration. This offering combines Vision Solutions software with the latest IBM POWER7 technologies to deliver turn-key solutions supporting virtualized, energy-efficient and resilient nonstop operations.

IBM announced a data deduplication solution for z/OS mainframe environments. The System Storage TS7680 ProtecTIER Deduplication Gateway for System z combines IBM's virtual tape library (VTL) technology with its HyperFactor inline data deduplication software.

CA announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held 3Tera, Inc., a provider of cloud computing solutions. 3Tera's AppLogic offers an approach for building cloud services and deploying complex enterprise-class applications to public and private clouds using an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

STORServer, a provider of data backup solutions, announced an new add-on for its Backup Appliance and existing IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) solutions that enables applications and users to get back up and running within minutes following any data loss.

Visara International announced a channel attached gateway communications platform that provides a robust alternative to Cisco Routers with Channel Interface Processors (CIPs), IBM 3172 and 2216 gateways. The CNA-8000 Channel Network Appliance can be configured to provide gateway functions for TN3270 clients, SNA PU2 traffic, and TCP/IP traffic. The CNA-8000 host connectivity is provided through single or dual ESCON interfaces.

NorthgateArinso (Northgate) has announced that Anderson Business Technology has gone live with its Reality system. Anderson Business Technology, an office equipment, supply and service provider, teamed up with Northgate to overhaul its system to a contemporary Reality database in a Microsoft Windows server environment. "There is no other sector that moves as fast as technology," says David Anderson, company president and grandson of the founder. "If you are not prepared to make the changes you need to keep pace, you don't survive."

The future of business intelligence is coming. The comment is rhetorical, but in many ways it is true. For the last few years the conversation has surrounded Web 2.0 or even BI 2.0. The concept has brought changes to the way that we look at information and the methods that we use to exchange information. BI 2.0 has brought us a plethora of new functionality that provides proactive support to organizations and a more interactive manner of sharing information. So where is this going, and how will today's technology support our needs as 2010 arrives, and with it a new decade?

Primary keys come from candidate keys. Each candidate key consists of the attribute or attributes used to label a distinct row in a table. Every candidate key should contain the fewest number of attributes possible to identify rows individually and uniquely. Every entity within a design requires at least one candidate key.

Open source applications were somewhat niche at the beginning of the decade but now are clearly mainstream. Credible open source alternatives now exist for almost every category of application, as well as every component of the application.

After the misery that was 2009, most of the SQL Server users I talk to are happy that 2010 started in languid fashion. Not that there isn't a lot of work to do; on the contrary, there's more work than ever. However, the long hours and multiple projects of 2009, compounded by freezes in all levels of spending, raised the general stress level to unhealthy heights. With the new year, stress levels dropped significantly, and many IT leaders see signs of improving prospects. What does that bode for 2010? I have a couple of predictions, though I doubt they'll surprise many people.

An overwhelming challenge - expanding volumes of data - threatens to gum up any productivity improvements seen to date as a result of information technology deployments. All that data is coming in from systems, sensors, and storage area networks, pressuring organizations to expand database inventories, while grappling with associated licensing and hardware costs. Plus, many compliance mandates demand that this data be stored for long periods of time, but remain accessible to auditors and business end users.

For many organizations, application information lifecycle management, or ILM, now offers expedient - and badly needed - measures for properly defining, managing, and storing data. Many enterprises are being stymied by a massive proliferation of data in their databases and applications. Growing volumes of transaction data are being digitally captured and stored, along with unstructured forms of data files such as email, video, and graphics. Adding to this tsunami are multiple copies of all this data being stored throughout organizations. At the same time, increasingly tight mandates and regulations put the onus on organizations to maintain this data and keep it available for years to come. Much of this data still resides on legacy systems, which are costly to operate and maintain.

Faced with growing data volumes and limited budgets, companies, educational institutions, and government agencies are increasingly relying on IT to help them gain a competitive edge and better serve their customers and constituents. DBTA recently asked key MultiValue vendors to explain their strategies for enabling data integration from different repositories and for supporting business intelligence and analytics that provide meaningful insight for customers.

Virtual Bridges, developer of the VERDE suite for desktop virtualization, and ZSL, an ISV and global software solutions and services provider, have formed a worldwide reseller agreement, through which the Virtual Bridges VERDE suite will be an integral component of ZSL's PowerCube DaaS (Desktop as a Service) packaged service offering.

IBM has announced an enhanced strategy to help clients maximize benefits of virtualization with integrated service management by focusing on four key priorities: consolidation, management, automation and optimized delivery.

The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, announced it will host the MeeGo project, which represents a merging of Intel's Moblin and Nokia's Maemo projects into one Linux-based platform. MeeGo is expected to be deployed across many computing device types—including pocketable mobile computers, netbooks, tablets, mediaphones, connected TVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

The Fedora Project, a Red Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source collaboration, has changed its development process in order to provide continuity for cutting-edge developers, as well as improve stability of releases for users.

IBM has announced an enhanced strategy to help clients maximize benefits of virtualization with integrated service management by focusing on four key priorities: consolidation, management, automation and optimized delivery.

The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, announced it will host the MeeGo project, which represents a merging of Intel's Moblin and Nokia's Maemo projects into one Linux-based platform. MeeGo is expected to be deployed across many computing device types—including pocketable mobile computers, netbooks, tablets, mediaphones, connected TVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

IBM is working with the British Library on a project that will preserve and analyze terabytes of information on the web, speeding up the archival process and preventing information from being lost forever. The new analytics software project, called IBM BigSheets, helps extract, annotate and visually analyze vast amounts of web information using a web browser.

The Fedora Project, a Red Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source collaboration, has changed its development process in order to provide continuity for cutting-edge developers, as well as improve stability of releases for users.

Oracle has announced Oracle SOA Governance 11g, which consists of Oracle Enterprise Repository, Oracle Service Registry, SOA Management with Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Oracle Web Services Manager. "With the launch of Oracle SOA Governance 11g, Oracle becomes the only vendor to offer a unified management approach for both best-of-breed SOA and packaged applications within a single platform. This unified governance umbrella not only helps organizations to deliver new business capabilities more efficiency, but also helps ensure that they are closely aligned with key business objectives," states Amlan Debnath, senior vice president, Oracle Product Development.