Archive for August, 2011

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Cisco buys collaboration software vendor, Versly

August 31st, 2011
Share

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) tried to beef up its Cisco Quad enterprise collaboration product this week by purchasing Versly, a small software vendor still in private beta. The Versly product, however, provides a way for users to collaborate at the document level inside Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Office, which was probably the appeal for Cisco.

Certainly Murali Sitaram, vice president and general manager of the Collaboration Software Group at Cisco saw it this way. “The integration with Versly will drive productivity improvements for organizations and their knowledge workers, many of whom are among the 600 million Microsoft Office users,” Sitaram said.

But given how early Versly is in product development, consultant Dan Keldsen from Information Architected sees this as more of a talent grab than a technology buy in the pure sense.

“As others are suggesting, the acquisition seems to be mostly a talent grab, since it is unlikely that Versly has much client traction, with the private beta only months old. In general, this rounds out the portfolio of collaboration tools for Cisco to compete with Jive, Salesforce, Microsoft, Adobe, VMWare, and to a smaller extent, Google,” he said.

In a statement, Ned Hooper, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Cisco suggested this might indeed be the case. “With this acquisition we are gaining strong talent and innovative technology that builds on Cisco’s successful collaboration platform,” Hooper said.

Keldsen believes that Cisco may be doing this to speed Quad to market. “Cisco Quad and the related offerings need to ship pretty quick–the pre-announcement of last year is getting a bit long in the tooth at this point. This economy prizes speed over FUD, we’ll see if the Versly team adds some gas to the tank here,” Keldsen said.

Whatever the reason, Cisco appears to be making a big push in enterprise collaboration and social software, and this purchase is meant to boost that to some degree.

Source:http://www.fiercecontentmanagement.com/story/cisco-buys-collaboration-software-vendor-versly/2011-08-30

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

CDC SOFT ADR : CDC Software’s Pivotal CRM Solution Recognized in Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation Report

August 31st, 2011
Share

CDC Software Corporation (NASDAQ: CDCS), a global enterprise software provider of on-premise and cloud deployments, today announced it has been named by Gartner, Inc. as one of the leaders in the “Niche Players” quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation report.

According to the report, “CDC Software continues to gain momentum. Gartner has seen a 50 percent increase in deals in which the vendor has been considered in the past 12 months.” The report also noted that Pivotal CRM solution’s “primary technical value proposition is integration with the Microsoft software infrastructures and applications, with a focus on areas such as embedded Microsoft SharePoint technology.” In addition, Gartner cited Pivotal CRM’s use of Microsoft Outlook as the primary activity management environment as “compelling for Microsoft-centric organizations.”

“We are pleased to have been recognized again in the Gartner Magic Quadrant,” said Jason Rushforth, president of Front Office Solutions for CDC Software. “We believe that our position in the Quadrant provides further validation of the value of the significant investments we have made for the development of Pivotal CRM. As we strive to continue our strong momentum in sales with Pivotal CRM and product development, we look forward to advancing beyond our current position.”

Pivotal CRM’s Sales Force Automation application, developed on the innovative Pivotal CRM 6 platform, automates sales processes to help enhance relationships with customers. The application incorporates best practices along with functionality in account management, lead management and processing, configurable opportunity management, executive level forecasting, group level forecasting, individual level forecasting, pricing and discounts, quote and proposal management, order capture, geocoding and mapping and configurable sales business logic.

Pivotal CRM 6 is built on the .NET framework and is an agile business application development platform that optimizes the use of Microsoft tools and technologies and features a suite of modular applications. Pivotal CRM 6 provides task-based navigation, embedded Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Microsoft Office System applications, easy customization, a smart client user interface, high-user adoption and a low total cost of ownership (TCO). With Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Visual Studio Form Designer embedded in Pivotal CRM 6, the CRM system can become a hub for many business activities and collaborations, allowing users to complete much of their daily work without having to switch back and forth between multiple applications. With Microsoft Outlook embedded, data synchronization is virtually seamless between the CRM system and Outlook inbox, and users can complete their calendaring, task, or e-mail activities in either application.
About Pivotal CRM for Financial Services

CDC Software’s Pivotal CRM is a flexible, powerful customer relationship management solution for organizations that want to use CRM strategically by modeling, enhancing and streamlining their unique sales, marketing, and customer service processes. Built with the user experience in mind, Pivotal CRM offers significant flexibility and customizability, enabling organizations to tailor the system precisely to their users’ needs. With a Microsoft-style interface and role- and task-based navigation, Pivotal CRM is an easy-to-use system that reduces the learning curve and helps increase user adoption. Pivotal CRM embeds Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint and tightly integrates with the Microsoft Office suite, bringing data to the user when and where they need it, for optimal efficiency.
About CDC Software

CDC Software (NASDAQ: CDCS), The Customer-Driven Company™, is a global enterprise software provider of on-premise and cloud deployments. Leveraging a service-oriented architecture (SOA), CDC Software offers multiple delivery options for their solutions including on-premise, hosted, cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) or blended-hybrid deployment offerings. CDC Software’s solutions include enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing operations management, enterprise manufacturing intelligence, supply chain management (demand management, order management and warehouse and transportation management), global trade management, e-Commerce, human capital management, customer relationship management (CRM), complaint management and aged care solutions.

CDC Software’s acquisitions are part of its “integrate, innovate and grow” strategy. Fueling the success of this strategy is the company’s global scalable business and technology infrastructure featuring multiple complementary applications and services, domain expertise in vertical markets, cost effective product engineering centers in India and China, a highly collaborative and fast product development process utilizing Agile methodologies, and a worldwide network of direct sales and channel operations. This strategy has helped CDC Software deliver innovative and industry-specific solutions to approximately 10,000 customers worldwide within the manufacturing, distribution, transportation, retail, government, real estate, financial services, health care, and not-for-profit industries. For more information, please visit www.cdcsoftware.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and includes statements relating to beliefs regarding the leadership role of Pivotal CRM in the industry, beliefs regarding Pivotal CRM’s future sales, market position and product development the functionality of Pivotal CRM and the benefits thereof to users, including increases in efficiency, enhanced customer relationships, low total cost of ownership and ease and degree of integration with other applications, beliefs regarding customer and user preferences, the ability of Pivotal CRM to address the needs of the market, and other statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties and changes in circumstances. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements including, among others: the conditions of the market; the continued ability of Pivotal CRM solutions to address industry-specific requirements of companies, demand for and market acceptance of new and existing CRM solutions; development of new functionalities that would allow companies to compete more effectively and changes in the type of information required to compete in the targeted vertical markets. Further information on risks or other factors that could cause results to differ is detailed in filings or submissions with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission made by CDC Software Corporation in its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2009 on Form 20-F filed on June 1, 2010. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to management and third parties as of the date of the press release, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company makes no representations or warranties herein regarding its products and services, and assumes no obligation to update or alter the forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Historical results are not indicative of future results.

Source:http://www.4-traders.com/CDC-SOFT-ADR-5496447/news/CDC-SOFT-ADR-CDC-Software-s-Pivotal-CRM-Solution-Recognized-in-Magic-Quadrant-for-Sales-Force-Automa-13775074/

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

Cogo Land Development and Survey App Bundled with ZWCAD Adds Power to the Already Powerful AutoCAD® Alternative

August 31st, 2011
Share

Cogo Suite Integrated with 2D 3D CAD Software ZWCAD Now Available for Immediate Purchase from ZwcadUSA Apps Marketplace

Boston, MA and Peoria, IL (PRWEB) August 31, 2011

ZwcadUSA, the exclusive distributor of ZWCAD in North America; and Cogo Software, makers of land survey and land development software for surveyors, architects, civil engineers and construction (AEC), today announced a partnership that sets a compelling price point for Land Survey and Land Development solution. The Cogo Software application, which is tightly integrated with ZWCAD, is available as a bundled solution starting under $800 USD. That compares to price of Cogo with AutoCAD of over $4,500.

ZWCAD, with its reliability hardened for over 10 years by more than 200,000 users worldwide, is the AutoCAD® Alternative that offers the closest AutoCAD experience at one-fifth (1/5th) the price of AutoCAD. Cogo suite is a set of proven, easy-to-use, and eminently affordable applications for Surveying, Cogo, Digital Terrain Modeling (DTM), Road Design, and Parking Design for Architects, Land Surveyors, Civil Engineers, and Construction. Both ZWCAD and Cogo support Windows® 7 32- and 64-bit.

Kanti Purohit, CEO of ZwcadUSA, comments, “Our partnership with Cogo Software is great news for Surveyors and Civil Engineers. ZWCAD offers 100% functionality for the 90% of mainstream AutoCAD users at one-fifth (1/5th) the price. Now, much like how Apps make Apple’s iPhone so powerful, Cogo adds more power to ZWCAD – the already powerful AutoCAD Alternative – at a very compelling price.”

Purohit continues, “And, just as ZWCAD is an eminently affordable AutoCAD Alternative, Cogo also offers much of the functionality of its respective high-priced counterparts but at much lower cost.”

Norman Perry, Cogo Software CEO, comments, “We are very excited with our partnership with ZWCAD. We have integrated all of Cogo’s design functionality into ZWCAD. This combined solution offers a tremendous value to Land Surveyors, Architects, and Civil Engineers – it offers 100% of our functionality at 20% of the cost.”

Perry continues, “Furthermore, because ZWCAD offers the closest AutoCAD user experience, most Cogo/AutoCAD users can transition to ZWCAD/Cogo in less than a day.”

Cogo Software suite provides a total solution for point entry, point manipulation, lot design and annotation, contours, profiles, cross sections and corridor design.

To demonstrate how easy it is to transition from Autocad, ZwcadUSA offers a FREE 30-day trial of full-function ZWCAD and Cogo bundled software at ZwcadUSA Apps Marketplace.

To celebrate this exciting partnership, ZwcadUSA is offering 20% discount on the Zwcad/Cogo bundles until Sept 17, 2011. Visit ZwcadUSA eStore and use coupon code 11ZWCogo917 during checkout.

About Cogo Software

Cogo Software develops and markets land survey and land development software for surveyors, architects, civil engineers and construction (AEC). Cogo, Survey, Digital Terrain Modeling, and Road Design software, used with AutoCAD® or IntelliCAD® based CAD systems such as ZWCAD, provides a low-cost alternative to otherwise high priced land survey, coordinate geometry, digital terrain modeling, and corridor design software. Cogo software is ideal for professional land surveyors and civil engineers who need an economical alternative solution. It also provides a low-cost way for architects to communicate their data to engineers.

Survey, Cogo, DTM, and Road Design software provides a total solution for point entry, point manipulation, lot design and annotation, contours, profiles, cross sections and corridor design. Visit www.CogoSoftware.com for more information.

About ZWCAD

ZWCAD is the AutoCAD Alternative that offers the closest AutoCAD® experience and assures unrivaled compatibility with AutoCAD and Windows® including Windows 7 32- and 64-bit. ZWCAD offers 100% functionality for the 90% of mainstream AutoCAD users at one-fifth (1/5th) the price.

ZWCAD target market includes CAD users in mechanical, manufacturing, plant, architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), civil, water, GIS, and landscape architecture. More than 200,000 customers use ZWCAD in over 80 countries. Visit www.ZwcadUSA.com for more information.

Source:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/08/31/prweb8757650.DTL

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

Absolute Software Extends Persistent Endpoint Security to the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet

August 31st, 2011
Share

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet marks the first Android-based tablet to benefit from Computrace persistence technology

Absolute® Software Corporation (“Absolute” or the “Company”) CA:ABT -0.76% , the leading provider of firmware-embedded endpoint security and management solutions, today announced the extension of the Computrace® persistence module into the firmware of the new ThinkPad Tablet from Lenovo, the fastest growing PC-maker worldwide.

“As organizations allow for new platforms and form factors to operate within their network they are faced with new security and manageability challenges,” states John Livingston, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Absolute Software. “With our patented persistence technology, organizations using Lenovo ThinkPad Tablets will benefit from having a consistent connection to these devices, regardless of the user or the location.”

Absolute customers place a high degree of value in Computrace persistence technology. It provides them with a comprehensive view of all their mobile devices and allows them to take proactive and immediate action on devices that are at risk, whether they are on or off the network.

“Persistence technology built in to the devices in our deployment provides our company with the ability to accurately track our mobile assets beyond that of any other technology available,” stated Deron Means, Information Security Officer for Scantron Corporation. “Even in the event of an asset theft, Computrace persistence technology allows our company to maintain control over the unit so we can recover or delete sensitive data. Persistence technology has also proven itself incredibly valuable in deterring any potential internal theft situations.”

“All of our devices carry sensitive patient information. Computrace persistence technology from Absolute provides an additional layer of security,” said Kyle Duke, Chief Information Security Officer, HealthSpring. “Persistence is imperative as it allows us to continue to track, monitor, and manage devices to ensure all sensitive data is wiped and not disclosed.”

“We created the ThinkPad Tablet to address our customers’ needs to access data the way they want,” said Tom Butler, director, ThinkPad Marketing, Lenovo. “With Computrace persistence technology embedded in the Tablet, we’re providing customers with the latest in endpoint security and management to ensure their devices and data are protected. There are no other Android tablets on the market today that can provide this capability.”

To learn more about Absolute persistence technology for ultra-mobile devices, view the Computrace Persistence for Android video.

How Computrace Technology Works

Computrace products are powered by the Absolute Software patented Computrace persistence technology. When embedded in the firmware of computers, netbooks, and tablets from leading computer manufacturers, Computrace can survive operating system re-installations, as well as hard-drive reformats, replacements and re-imaging, ensuring that the service is there when it’s needed most.* The Computrace Agent is virtually undetectable and calls home to the Absolute Monitoring Center with IT asset information including the physical location of each device. If a computer is reported stolen, the Absolute Theft Recovery Team works on behalf of the customer to gather evidence from the computer to identify where it is and who’s using it, then they work with local police to get the computer back. Customers can also remotely delete data, freeze a device, and remotely retrieve files to secure the device (and the data it contains) – a reliable contingency when other data protection solutions fail.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/absolute-software-extends-persistent-endpoint-security-to-the-lenovo-thinkpad-tablet-2011-08-30-8000

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

Invu Document Management Software Allows Architects to Implement Electronic Document Storage for 95 % of Business-Critical Documents

August 31st, 2011
Share

Document Management Software from Invu Addresses Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare Inaccessibility Issues and Enables Company to Share Information Internally with Paperless Office

Architect practice Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare Ltd has implemented Invu Document Management http://www.invu.net software to tackle document inaccessibility and the inability to share information internally, whilst also providing a robust and compliant document storage archiving solution and implementing paperless office.

The decision to trial a document management system came about after the completion of the largest project to date – the design of Festival Place, Basingstoke. Forty employees had worked simultaneously on the 900,000 sq ft development for over a decade, creating huge volumes of paper documentation in the process. Issues of document inaccessibility and an inability to share information across the organisation soon became clear and a need for a document management system and paperless office was identified. After a basic software solution was implemented to tackle this single project’s needs, Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare wanted to roll the philosophy and processes out wider across the organisation but therefore required a more comprehensive document storage system.

Established in 1963, Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare Ltd is an architect practice bringing a range of additional services via support from its in-house planning, urban design/master planning, project management, interior design and graphic teams. Based in Hartley Wintney, the RIBA Chartered Practice has the resources and range of skills to undertake a diverse spectrum of projects.

Steve Atkins, Director for Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare explains, “When we are working on projects, we need all documents to be accessible to the whole team. In some cases this also means previous contracts to give a 360 view of the project. Whilst the temporary document management solution was suitable for a single project, the benefits perceived were enough for the practice directors to consider a more permanent solution. We knew we needed more functionality and greater flexibility, whilst still adhering to our compliance requirements.”

Since implementation, the Invu solution has proved a valuable efficiency tool for the practice. Atkins continues, “95% of the documents received into the practice are stored electronically within Invu document storage. This includes correspondence and finalised CAD files. Only 5% of the incoming documents are postal, which are now scanned straight into Invu. We wouldn’t go back to the paper system. We are working far more efficiently now that we have Invu paperless office and this can only improve in the future.”

In addition, Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare identified a need for a document management system to update and remove the costs of the pre-existing archiving processes. Across the construction industry, all project documents have to be retained for 12 years after completion for compliance purposes.

Because of the sheer amount of paper that such a requirement entails, the practice leased a whole additional building for archiving. Vacating the extra building as a cost cutting measure meant that the archive materials needed to be moved. This daunting prospect meant moving 2,500 archive boxes and led to a review of the archive, the shredding of out-of-date information and a commitment to implementing a document management solution.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/invu-document-management-software-allows-architects-to-implement-electronic-document-storage-for-95-of-business-critical-documents-2011-08-30

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

Flexera Software Joins Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) to Help Develop Cloud Licensing Standards

August 31st, 2011
Share

Flexera Software, the leading provider of strategic Application Usage Management solutions for application producers and their customers, today announced that it has joined the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), a technology industry consortium that enables more effective management of millions of IT systems worldwide by bringing the IT industry together to collaborate on the development, validation and promotion of systems management standards.

Flexera Software is joining DMTF’s software license management incubator to help identify and create proposed standards on licensing requirements for interoperability between software producers, enterprises, and Cloud-based managed service providers. Flexera Software has extensive experience in software licensing issues and is viewed as the market leader. The software producers and intelligent device manufacturers that deploy Flexera Software’s licensing, compliance and entitlement management solutions are responsible for more than $50 billion in annual software sales, and deliver their products to more than 3.5 million customers around the world. Flexera Software’s solutions are embedded in more than 20,000 software and intelligent device applications.

The Cloud provides great flexibility and options for licensing but also creates numerous challenges. Up until the Cloud paradigm shift — both producers and consumers have worked together to determine the best approach to license, distribute, and report on application usage. With the Cloud — both are challenged to determine the best pathway to distribute and audit applications across multiple Clouds/networks via Cloud hosters/providers. As a member of the DMTF incubator, Flexera Software will apply its expertise and experience to assist in designing solutions across the three paradigms (producers, consumers, hosters — or Cloud providers). The objective will be to clarify the Cloud licensing confusion and eliminate a major hurdle of Cloud adoption by automating new processes through standards across consumers, producers, and providers.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Flexera Software to DMTF,” said Winston Bumpus, DMTF president. “Having an industry leader with Flexera Software’s depth and breadth of understanding around software licensing and usage management — across producers and consumers — will help us establish practical standards that take into account the needs of both groups. These standards will have an impact on Cloud computing for years to come.”

“We are excited that DMTF has established an incubator to help clarify and address the challenges around software licensing in the Cloud, which confront both software producers and consumers,” said David Znidarsic, vice president of technology at Flexera Software. “Licensing has been a big hurdle for many enterprises and software producers seeking to make the leap from traditional hosted models to burst-of-use, per-minute and other software delivery methods. Developing standards across various pillars will help automation of key tasks that make it difficult for both sides of the market. We are honored to have been asked to be part of the group that will help resolve these issues and facilitate the successful growth of Cloud computing.”

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/flexera-software-joins-distributed-management-task-force-dmtf-to-help-develop-cloud-licensing-standards-2011-08-30

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

Savanna Energy Services Selects WorkForce Software to Streamline Global Workforce Management Processes

August 31st, 2011
Share

WorkForce Software, the leading provider of workforce management solutions for organizations with complex labour policies and stringent compliance demands, announces Savanna Energy Services has selected its EmpCenter suite to automate workforce management activities throughout the energy services provider’s global operations.

Founded in 2001, Savanna is a leading provider of oil and gas drilling, well servicing, and oilfield equipment rentals in Canada, with rapid expansion in the US and Australia. The company operates a fleet of 100 drilling rigs and 100 well service rigs, consistently maintains utilization rates higher than the industry average, and employs thousands of field workers dispersed at remote drilling sites.

Those field workers are eligible for a diverse set of pay premiums based on provincial and state regulations, corporate policies, and client contracts. Within Savanna’s previous workforce management environment, calculating and validating multiple pay premiums was very labor intensive — and strong growth in multiple regions of the world has compounded the level of effort and complexity. With EmpCenter, Savanna can automate the unique and intricate pay rules inherent to its business today, as well as maintain the flexibility necessary to accommodate future global expansion.

“Savanna invests in maintaining new and top-of-the-line equipment, because the right tools can deliver consistently better results,” stated Steve Ross, Savanna’s Chief Information Officer. “We took the same approach when deciding to automate workforce management, and no other solution could match EmpCenter’s ability to accommodate our complexities and varied geographies without customization.”

Savanna’s rapid overseas expansion and dynamic service contracts generate frequent changes to pay rule and compliance requirements, and EmpCenter’s industry-leading configurability will help the organization reduce administrative effort, prevent errors, and ensure timely paycheck processing.

“EmpCenter was designed from the ground up to seamlessly adapt to changing requirements without costly customization,” added Travis Burke, WorkForce Software’s Country Manager, Canada. “We continue to see strong demand in the energy and utilities industries because EmpCenter delivers an exceptional return on investment and a core architecture that delivers a truly ‘future-proof’ platform for dynamic global organizations.”

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/savanna-energy-services-selects-workforce-software-to-streamline-global-workforce-management-processes-2011-08-30

Comments Off »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes