Biz Tech

Security appliance business:

Check Point acquires Nokia

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, completed the acquisition of the Nokia security appliance business, the culmination of a twelve-year strategic partnership. In addition to Check Point UTM-1 and Power-1 appliances, businesses can purchase immediately through Check Point former Nokia IP hardware running Check Point security software.

Check Point is committed to preserving continuity for its customers and partners following the acquisition and plans on introducing a new line of all-inclusive IP appliances in the near future. The line of IP appliances will come pre-loaded with either Check Point R70 (Check Point’s latest security gateway based on the innovative Software Blade Architecture), or Check Point NGX R65.

Nokia IP appliances are now available from Check Point, eliminating the need for customers to obtain two separate licenses from two different vendors, easing procurement and deployment. Similarly, existing Nokia customer support contracts will be immediately supported by Check Point, including support for older platforms and OS versions.

“Check Point now leads the security appliance market with an unprecedented variety of security solutions,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Check Point Gil Shwed. “Through the acquisition, we’ll be able to better meet customers’ needs and preferences with the latest security software on the leading hardware platforms.

Our unique Software Blade architecture allows customers to select the exact security protections they need for a given environment, and our comprehensive line of appliances lets customers deploy their custom gateway on the hardware of their choice,” he said.

“Over the last few years Check Point has steadily enhanced its appliance portfolio. The acquisition of the Nokia hardware security business vaults Check Point to the appliance forefront,” said research analyst at Canalys Alex Smith. “With a wider appliance portfolio Check Point expands its market reach, particularly among large enterprises,” he said.

“By combining the resources and technologies of the two companies, Check Point is poised to once again redefine the industry,” Shwed said.

JFS - 11 years of successful operations in Sri Lanka

IFS reiterates its commitment to developing IT operations in Sri Lanka with IFS President and CEO Alastair Sorbie’s visit to the island.

Times are tough and the world is bracing under the weight of a global recession, the Swedish based Global Enterprise Applications Company IFS, reiterated its commitment in continuing and developing operations in Sri Lanka with the visit of its President and CEO Alastair Sorbie.

His visit included a discussion with the 700 strong IFS workforce in Sri Lanka and an open forum with its Sri Lankan customers. He explained the future strategy of the company while reaffirming his commitment to the continuous faith and support of the team in Sri Lanka. IFS, which is a leading business solutions provider to organizations across the world are determined to further strengthen their operations in Sri Lanka which has grown in leaps and bounds.

IFS Group Senior Vice President, Thomas Petersson who also visited the island with the President said, “The R and D Centre in Colombo is by far the largest contributor to the development and support of IFS Applications. We are very impressed by the high quality and competitiveness of our products in the international market which are testaments to the success of our Sri Lanka operations.”

He said that although Sri Lanka may not be perceived as the ideal destination for outsourcing, it is the ideal location for IFS’ R and D operations. “Unlike India, it was more possible to set up a strong recruitment process here and the highly educated graduates from Sri Lanka’s state and private universities are similar in skills and qualifications to their counterparts in the Nordic region. They have an enormous drive and are always looking for new developments,” he said.

The newly opened branch in Kandy last November saw the beginning of a strategic decision made by IFS to take their operations to other locations to include more talent. “Availability of highly talented graduates led IFS to establish an R and D centre in Sri Lanka in 1997,” IFS Sri Lanka Managing Director Jonas Bridgwater said, “and it has been very encouraging to experience the rapid growth of the Sri Lankan talent base over the years and this growth has encouraged us to strengthen our ties with the universities.” IFS has already established a partnership with the prestigious university of Peradeniya and many of the 40 graduates currently employed by IFS Kandy are straight out of University.

“Our CSR activities have mainly focused on education,” said Vice President IFS South Asia Jayantha de Silva, “with the recently established SLASSCOM of which IFS is a board member.”

He said that IFS will contribute to the national plan of developing IT by guiding the O/L students of the Anuradhapura and Ratnapura Districts. “We believe in providing the 450,000 strong student base in the O/L grades, the proper guidance if they wish to follow a career in ICT,” he said.

De Silva said, “Alastair Sorbie’s visit proves the IFS commitment towards the local operations. This would further strengthen the ability of the South Asian Region to serve the customer even better.”

In final year as CEO:

Yahoo’s Yang gets US$1

Yahoo Inc. limited co-founder Jerry Yang’s 2008 compensation package to his customary US$1 salary during his final year as chief executive, a tumultuous reign that unraveled after he rebuffed Microsoft Corp.’s US$47.5 billion bid to buy the Internet company.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company disclosed the pay of Yang and its other top executives in its proxy statement filed Wednesday. The breakdown of Yahoo’s top-paid executives in 2008 served as a reminder of the current shake-up at the company as its new leader, Carol Bartz, tries to end a three-year slump that has devastated Yahoo’s stock price.

Virtusa supports MoE IT innovation

Virtusa Corporation, a global information technology (IT) services company extended its innovative digital reach initiative to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Education, facilitating the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program, by providing nine desktop machines to rural schools as a supplementary tool for the teacher and coordinator who is conducting the program at school to keep the records of the program.

The primary objective of the project is aligned with Virtusa’s sustainable strategic plan that aims to promote digital literacy through access to Information Technology and help build a more digitally-inclusive society thereby improving the quality of life in the communities in which the company operates.

This initiative will empower the world’s poorest children by creating avenues that strengthens capabilities in education and employment through the access to information and communication technology (ICT).

“Our children have amazing potential and are the future of this country. Any innovation that provides them greater access to the best information and education at an affordable cost is a vital stepping stone to realize their potential.

Information technology opens a gateway to a vast wealth of educational resources and knowledge for inquisitive little minds.

The OLPC is designed to promote the self acquisition of knowledge and in the trials it was amazing to see how quickly the Sri Lankan children with little or no IT knowledge, quickly taught themselves to operate the laptops.

I would like to commend the ICT branch of the Ministry of Education and their partners for boldly taking on this challenge. It is our pleasure to support the Education Ministry in this goal and other such innovative projects that makes IT more accessible to all the children of Sri Lanka,” said Senior Manager Virtusa Corporation, Chamindra de Silva.

Volunteer Virtusan engineers are also applying their IT skills to contribute to the betterment of the global OLPC program.

Sharp decline in shipments of mobile phones

Two separate reports have painted a bleak picture of the mobile phone industry, showing that it has experienced its fastest reduction in handset shipments since records began.Strategy Analytics released a report today reporting that global shipments fell by 13 percent in the first quarter of 2009 to 245 million units. At the same point last year the number was 282 million.

Director of Strategy Analytics Neil Mawston, said: “The first quarter of 2009 was an exceptionally tough period. Shipment growth contracted for all the top five major vendors, forcing some of them, such as Nokia, to rein in costs and slash thousands of jobs.”

The report blames the recession for the steep decline.

An analyst for Strategy Analytics Alex Spektor, said: “A global economic downturn and cautious de-stocking by retailers caused the slowdown. Our records indicate that Q1 2009 represented the fastest ever decline in annual shipment growth since the modern cellphone industry began in 1983.”

The report did, however, confirm that the smartphone market is still going strong. Apple’s iPhone unit sales went up by 123 per cent to 3.8 million, up from 1.7 million units in the first quarter of 2008.

Samsung was the highest achiever out of the five biggest phone vendors with its market share rising to 19 per cent, the highest in its history.

Sampath Bank partners hSenid Business Solutions

Sampath Bank signed an agreement on HRIS partnership with hSenid Business Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, a leader in HRIS services, recently. This step reinforces and strengthens the internal technical affinity which, the bank hopes will in turn contribute towards a higher efficiency and accuracy in the Human Resources Management area.

Mobitel partners Metropolitan

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently signed an agreement with Metropolitan to promote “Acer Aspire One” Net book computers. The “Acer Aspire One” Net book is an ultra-lightweight laptop computer and comes in an ultra-compact stylish design for maximum portability. Mobitel with its state-of-the-art 3.5G HSPA network aims to provide the data market with an enhanced and sophisticated product via the “Acer Aspire One” which includes features such as built in USB modem, wi-fi connectivity (of 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and two Mbps HSUPA).