Green River’s Municipal Court is looking at new software to help them become more efficient in completing daily court tasks.

Lynn Birch, clerk of court for the city, told the Green River City Council the current computer software used by the court will not receive any new updates from the company they purchased it from.

Birch said the software has been the source of problems for the court staff, such as it adding funds to a defendant’s deposition — an error staff has to find and correct immediately.

Birch said the court has been isolated from other departments, which causes it to still rely on hand written receipts and only accept payment through cash, money orders and cashiers checks. She added the court’s inability to process credit and debit cards is an inconvenience to residents trying to pay fines and other fees through the court.

The court looked for a system able to share data with other agencies, such as the Green River Police Department and city finance department; contained scheduling and document management features; had minimal reliance on third-party software programs and had customer support and service available to the court.

The program the court decided to seek city funding for is inCode by Tyler Technologies.

Birch said the program would eliminate the need for duplicating entries and could be integrated to electronic hand-held devices. With the software, the court could use a scanner to link attachments such as photos, proof of insurance and police and court cards to any court record.

Additionally, it would allow the court to directly integrate with the city’s finance department to transfer funds to the city. Currently, the court has to write a check to the finance department to transfer money.

Birch said she would be able to use the program from any location through an internet-connected computer, and Judge Jason Petri would be able to approve documents from any location using an Apple computer or iPad.

With payments, people could pay court fees online and defendants could request a driving class or similar court-ordered training while posting bond for their situations.

Birch said they tried a demonstration version of the program and found it to be very user friendly and accessible.

While discussing what the program cost, two options are available to the court. The first is a subscription-based service where all the court’s documents would be hosted from a remote server and accessible from the Internet. That service would cost $46,675, plus travel, during the first year and $20,340 each year after.

The second option would be to purchase the hardware and software needed to host the court’s documents at the court itself. That total, which includes services, license fees, web modules and travel is $68,295, with an annual maintenance fee of $12,333 due 90 days after installation.

Birch said she believes the subscription service would be better for the city because it would allow court staff to access records from any computer and would eliminate the worry about purchasing and installation of new software if the inCode program becomes obsolete.

Birch told the Council she called a number of courts around the country using the software already and hasn’t heard anything but good comments from court employees. She added one court went as far to say it was the best program they had ever used.

Councilwoman Lisa Maes said from what she’s seen, it would integrate well with the rest of the city.

Councilman Adam Coppolo said he doesn’t understand why the municipal court is so far behind everyone else.

“I’ve seen you going through the card files, and that looks very tedious, to say the least,” Coppolo said.

In general, the Council voiced support for the new software, with the exception of Councilman Tom McCullough, who claimed not to believe in the “black hole of computers.”

McCullough said for the cost of the subscription, the city could hire a part-time employee without benefits at $15,000 a year and save money. He also said he expects to hear about problems after the software is implemented due to employees learning how to use the court program, which would cut into the productivity of the court’s staff.

However, McCullough also acknowledged that he was the lone dissenting voice on the issue.

Birch said she hopes the city will budget funds for the program in the 2012-2013 budget .

Source:http://www.greenriverstar.com/articles/2012/01/11/news/doc4f0e1bbea6285950741766.txt

The city clerk and tax and finance offices will be closed Jan. 26 and 27 for a computer software upgrade.

Interim City Manager Don Gerrish said the departments are doing a major upgrade to the financial services software.

Residents can use the city’s website, www.auburnmaine.org, to take care of clerk and finance department business while the Auburn Hall offices are closed. Residents can purchase dog and hunting licenses online and can get information about marriage licenses, garage sale permits and voter information on the city clerk’s page on the Web site.

Residents can re-register most cars off a link from the Finance Department’s page on the website.

No other city offices will be closed. The clerk and finance offices will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 30.

Source:http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2012/01/12/software-upgrade-closing-city-offices-auburn/1139166

The government is scrapping its much-criticised IT curriculum, renaming it Computer Science, and introducing software programming for school pupils. However, it is placing much of the responsibility for improving the system onto schools and universities.

Following years of criticism from employers that pupils leave school without decent IT skills, the government is rebranding ICT as Computer Science, and launching a consultation on exactly how to make the programming and more advanced lessons a reality.

While the subject will be compulsory to GCSE level, the government will no longer write the bulk of the curriculum. It has stated explicitly that schools must devise their own courses, with the help of universities and businesses.

Teachers worry about lack of training as Gove’s redraws ICT education Michael Gove: His education and IT speech in full
But while the introduction of a better subject will be welcomed by many, schools may not appreciate the burden of responsibility for shaping the subject – many are already under immense financial pressure have struggled to find advanced IT teachers.

Education secretary Michael Gove said: “By withdrawing the Programme of Study, we’re giving teachers freedom over what and how to teach, revolutionising ICT as we know it.”

“Universities, businesses and others will have the opportunity to devise new courses and exams. In particular, we want to see universities and businesses create new high-quality Computer Science GCSEs, and develop curricula encouraging schools to make use of the brilliant Computer Science content available on the web.”

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Gove said students needed to be “at the forefront of technological change” in order to boost the UK economy, and the government would push for the curriculum to enable this.

Under the new curriculum it is the government’s intention that 11-year-olds would be taught “to write simple 2D computer animations”, Gove said. At 16, pupils would learn coding and how to write smartphone apps.

A number of IT companies, including Google, Sony and Electronic Arts, have campaigned for an improvement in the curriculum. IBM, Microsoft and others will play a key part in providing advice on the new Computer Science courses, alongside industry associations the British Computer Society and educational IT body Naace.

In spite of the BCS official support for the initiative, its Academy of Computing director Bill Mitchell warned that there were “significant challenges to overcome, specifically with the immediate shortage of computer science teachers”.

Source:http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/careers/3329228/software-programming-compulsory-schools-bett-michael-gove/

As their names were called out one by one, they stood up and went up front to receive a Dell laptop and a 4 GB pen-drive each.

The nine students were then instructed to open the sealed carton box, pull out what was inside and place it on the table. Next they were asked plug the adaptor in the power port and identify the ethernet and drive port.

Nine visually impaired students of the National Institute of Visual Impairment, Khaling (NIVIK), are in Dewathang for a one-month training, which started yesterday, to learn basic computers. They are guided by six resource persons.

The laptops are installed with speaking software that gives instructions each time a button is pressed. “I always wished to own a laptop but could never afford to buy it,” one of the students said. “Even if I’d bought, I would not know how to use it.”

Another student said that he could listen to music too. “It’s such a pride being visually impaired yet owning a laptop,” 20-year old class XI student, Jigme Yangzom, said.

Three of the nine students are of low vision major, three are of low vision minor, and three severely impaired (complete blindness).

Principal of NIVIK and one of the resource persons, Tshongpen Wangdi, said similar courses were given to three batches, but this was the first time it was given to pre-service students.

“We’re expecting these students to qualify for college, for which knowing how to use a computer is necessary,” he said.

During the 88 sessions, these students will learn basic computer course in Microsoft excel, word, powerpoint, internet browsing and using email. The course is funded by the government and laptops are by an agent in Norway.

Source:http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=24314

A federal judge has rejected most of Marin County’s racketeering claims against the computer consultants who allegedly sold the county a $30 million software lemon.

But the judge also denied a motion by Ernest Culver, a former assistant county auditor, to dismiss outright the county’s lawsuit against him. The county claims software vendor SAP bribed Culver with a job offer while he was still managing the doomed computer project for the county.

Judge Susan Illston issued the decision Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco. The county has 20 days to amend its lawsuit with more factual information to support the racketeering allegations.

The lawsuit is part of an expensive legal war Marin has mounted over the accounting software, which the county ordered in 2005 to help with financial and personnel management. The county says the software does not work and must be replaced.

The county claims the defendants fraudulently induced Marin to buy the software, failed to implement it properly and covered up its failings. The defendants — Culver, SAP and Deloitte Consulting LLP — deny the allegations.

Last week, county supervisors approved another $1 million for legal expenses, on top of the $2.5 million the county has already spent.

The county has one lawsuit in Marin Superior Court and a racketeering suit in federal court. Judge Illston’s decision Tuesday addressed motions by Culver and SAP to dismiss the federal action.

The decision was largely favorable to SAP. The judge ruled that Marin had failed to allege enough evidence to support claims of mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy.

“We are encouraged and think that in this action, the court did the right thing,” said Andy Kendzie, a SAP spokesman based in Washington D.C.

However, the judge allowed a bribery claim against SAP and Culver to go forward. Culver went to work for SAP after the software project imploded, and the county claims SAP baited Culver with a future job to keep the software project funded.

“Although a thin reed, the Court finds the County has alleged sufficient facts to state a plausible claim of bribery,” Illston wrote.

The judge also rejected Culver’s claim that he is immune from the lawsuit because he was acting in his capacity as a public official.

County Counsel Patrick Faulkner could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Culver’s attorneys, Thomas Mayhew and Christina Rose Hollander, are out of their office until next week.

Source:http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_19634990

By analyzing 50 years of the greatest music known to man, scientists from the University of Bristol, England have created software that can accurately predict whether a new chart entry will be a pop success — or not.

With an accuracy of 60%, the Bristolian formula can predict whether a song will be a smash hit and make it to the top five of the UK Top 40 Singles chart, or flop and never make it above position 30. To do this, a combination of computer hearing and machine learning; computer hearing to analyze a song’s loudness, danceability, duration, and 20 other features that might predict a hit or flop, and machine learning to integrate the findings from a huge corpus of tunes that span five decades into some kind of magic formula that actually works.

Unlike previous attempts at understanding the success of pop music, which didn’t work, the Bristolians used a different approach to increase accuracy. Basically, what constitutes a pop song changes over time; a harmonic song from the ’60s probably wouldn’t be a success in today’s rather dissonant market — but other studies, for some reason, didn’t take this into account. The University of Bristol’s software uses last year’s and last week’s hits to pick out the shifting trend. As a result, of course, the team now have authoritative data on the standout features of music throughout the ages:

In the 1950s and ’60s, harmonically simple songs were more popular — but in the last two decades, the opposite is true.
Music is getting louder! From the ’60s right up until recently, pop music has got louder and louder. The last few years has shown a decline, however.
Before the 1980s, the danceability of a song wasn’t very important — but ever since, it has remained a very significant factor.
The late ’70s and early ’80s were particularly creative periods. The Bristolian software was least accurate during this period, as it struggled to keep up with the rapid emergence of disco, electronica, and myriad sub-genres.
The first half of the ’90s, and from the year 2000 onwards, creativity seemed to be at an all time low — and as a result, the algorithm was most accurate during this period.
Embedded below is a video that shows the progression of these trends — but it moves quite quickly, so be prepared to pause it often.

One of the main reasons the software’s accuracy never got too far above 60% is because of non-musical factors, such as marketing, real world factors, or just when a song simply becomes larger than itself. The 1984 hit Feed The World is a good example, as is Michael Jackson’s re-release of Man In The Mirror in 2009.

For lots more info about how the software itself, how the algorithm evolves over time, and some other interesting appendices, hit up the Score A Hit website. One particularly interesting section is Hidden Gems, where the computer scientists list the songs that should’ve been a success, but weren’t. You can also see Live Predictions for the UK singles chart; it’s looking good for George Michael’s Christmas song at the moment…

Source:http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/109569-computer-software-accurately-predicts-pop-songs-chart-success

With only a few shopping days left for the holiday season, there is no doubt the big gifts have been purchased. In today’s high-tech world, kids are living digitally, and, subsequently, topping their wishlists with dreams of netbooks, laptops, and cell phones. Bottom line: a lot of high-tech toys are sure to be unwrapped this December. Pandora Corporation, the maker of PC Pandora computer monitoring software, is reminding parents to be smart when giving teens and tweens their own PC this holiday season.
“What parents tend to forget is that these high tech toys are a doorway between your child and the rest of the world,” explains Leasure. “Remember, that door swings both ways. It is absolutely imperative that parents have a tool in place to monitor who their child is talking to online, how they are interacting with others and how they are representing themselves on the Internet.”
Over the last decade, times have changed dramatically. While it is still not the best idea to let a child have their own computer and Internet connection, it is an unavoidable reality in 2011, due to the amount of school work requiring a computer and the increased pressure from peers to be socially active online. Leasure says parents must adopt to the times and step up the parenting game. New rules must be enforced and questions should be asked; discussions should be held and computers must be monitored.
“As you get ready to give them the ‘big gift’ this year, make sure it is outfitted with proper parental control and monitoring software,” says Leasure. “Tools like our PC Pandora make it easy to find that safe, happy medium between teens being able to freely use the Internet socially, and parents not being left in the dark about their child’s online activity.”
PC Pandora is computer monitoring software that records all user activity on a computer. First-rate monitoring capabilities take sequential snapshots of everything that happens on the computer, allowing parents to see first-hand everything their child does both on and offline. Details of user activity , including websites visited, social network activity, instant messenger chats, peer-2-peer files shared, keystrokes, programs accessed, Internet search queries and more, are made available in text-based files and easy-to-read charts. In less than 10 minutes, parents can verify their children are using their new toys safely or uncover a situation that needs parental attention.
“PC Pandora is essentially a DVR for your child’s computer,” says Leasure. “If your child is talking to strangers on social networks, creating and maintaining multiple social network profiles, visiting websites you don’t approve of, downloading illegal music and movies, or falling victim to or – even worse – acting as a cyberbully, you will know about it if you are monitoring their internet activity.”
In addition, the built-in IRIS feature can send the text-based data files right to a parent’s email, and the PC Pandora LIVE! add-on allows parents to check screenshots and adjust parental controls though a secure web login. Both are invaluable features for working parents who can’t always be home when their kids are online.
Leasure adds: “Conversation, education and awareness are essential, but a child with an Internet-connected device can still lead to unwanted and potentially harmful situations. That’s why it’s important to monitor what they are doing with those very powerful tools you place in their hands.”

Source:http://www.prweb.com/releases/PCPandora/PCMonitoringSoftware/prweb9047971.htm

Profit forecasts for computer and software makers are holding up better than any other industry in the world, a sign of confidence that corporate spending will keep the American economy expanding next year.

Net income at companies from Apple Inc. to Oracle Corp. will rise 11 percent in 2012 on average, according to more than 2,900 analyst projections compiled by Bloomberg. The profit estimate is down 2.3 percent from its peak this year, the smallest reduction of any industry in the MSCI World Index.

The resilience in technology, which accounts for more of the U.S. market than any other industry, underscores optimism that the American economy is recovering.

PHARMACEUTICALS

Onyx stock falls on FDA ruling

Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., maker of the kidney cancer drug Nexavar, dropped the most in about six weeks Monday after U.S. regulators declined to give the company’s experimental carfilzomib an accelerated review.

Shares of the South San Francisco company fell 4 percent to close at $39, its largest single-day decline since Nov. 1. Onyx shares have increased 5.8 percent this year.

The Food and Drug Administration said Onyx hadn’t conducted the clinical trials necessary for the quicker review of carfilzomib, the company said Sunday. The agency scheduled a target date of July 27, four months later than under an accelerated approval, to decide whether to clear the drug for patients with multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells, Onyx said.

CHIPS

Intel scales back on its fourth-quarter forecast

Intel Corp. reduced its fourth-quarter revenue forecast by about $1 billion, saying a shortage of hard-disk drives is cutting customers’ production of personal computers.

The company said Monday that revenue will be $13.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, compared with a previous estimate of $14.7 billion, give or take $500 million. Analysts predicted $14.7 billion, the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

While PC sales will rise in the fourth quarter from the prior three months, Intel said customers are stockpiling fewer parts because output has been hurt by a shortage of disk drives, the main data-storage devices in computers. The supply constraints, resulting from the worst flooding in Thailand in 70 years, will continue into the first quarter, the chipmaker said.

Shares of the Santa Clara company fell 4 percent to close at $24, leaving the stock up 14 percent this year.

INTERNET

Stop Online Piracy Act assailed

Google Inc. Chairman Eric Schmidt assailed Hollywood-backed legislation aimed at curbing online piracy, saying that measures under consideration by the U.S. House and Senate would spur censorship of the Internet.

Requiring Internet service providers and search engines to take down links to websites accused of trafficking in counterfeit movies and music would amount to “censorship” and set a bad example for other countries, Schmidt said after a speech in Washington.

The House Judiciary Committee could vote this week on a bill supported by movie studios and the recording industry that would let the U.S. Justice Department seek court orders forcing Internet service providers, search engines, payment services and advertising networks to block or cease business with foreign websites linked to piracy.

Source:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/12/BUIT1MBIHV.DTL

The days of Mountain Home students using the “force” to help with their school work may be numbered as the Mountain Home School Board approved the purchase of a software program that may replace a current piece of software called JEdI.

JEdI is currently used in Mountain Home schools to help students with remediation work. The computer-based learning software places emphasis on reading and math outcomes within the framework of the No Child Left Behind Act, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.

With board approval of purchasing a one-year license, teachers at the district’s high school, junior high school and alternative school will start using a remediation software program called Classworks.

Teachers from each of the three schools gave presentations to the board, lauding their initial trial of the Classworks software.

Perhaps one of the best examples of what teachers say is the significant flexibility of the Classworks software is Carrie O’Brien’s classroom in the district’s alternative school.

“I have students working on eight different levels in my classroom at the same time,” O’Brien, a special education teacher told the board. “This software allows me to keep students on task and engaged consistently.”

If a student has trouble with a particular lesson and fails a quiz, the software will search for a way to present the information formatted for a different learning style, according to David Martin, a science and math teacher at the alternative school.

“It has 17,000 modules so there’s a good chance the software can find a different way to present the material to a student so that maybe they can learn it in a way they are comfortable with,” Martin told the board.

Teachers can track student progress using the software, which is web-based, in almost real time.

“I can be walking around my classroom with my Ipad in hand, and Classworks will alert me if a student has trouble, and I can intervene right at that moment,” O’Brien told the board.

The program also adjusts when a student completes work successfully, according to high school English teacher Bill Thomas.

“What’s magical about this program is that when a student completes a test, the program assigns work to the student based on the outcome of the test,” Thomas said.

Teachers told the board the software is capable of helping with initial and periodic assessments as well as remediation. It also can be used to challenge advanced students with enrichment work.

In addition to its potential to replace the JEdI software, teachers and administrators say it also may have the potential to replace assessment tools. The software also has an ACT preparation ability.

“If it can replace some the assessment tools, it will more than pay for itself right there,” said district superintendent Lonnie Myers. “Any piece of software is only as good as the people using it, and I believe we have good people who are excited about this software.”

Myers told the board he would suggest dropping Classworks after the initial yearlong license expired.

“If it doesn’t work out, I don’t have a problem dropping it,” Myers said.

Prior to the board approving the purchase of a one-year license for the three schools at a cost of $38,000, board member and former teacher Steve Bergman had some questions.

“I just want to make sure we’re not going to plop kids down in front of computers and tell them go to work,” Bergman said.

Teachers assured Bergman the software would be used as a tool for remediation, enrichment, and catching students up who have missed classes for some reason.

Teachers noted students with computers and an Internet connection could do school work from home, the hospital, or any place should they need to.

There was no bidding process for the contract as the specific requirements for the software were met by only one company. This legally allows the board to justify the purchase without a bidding process due to the sole-source provider exception to state bidding laws, according to school officials.

The board also approved the purchase of 100 new computers for teachers and staff at a price of $73,332. The old machines will be moved into student computer labs and classrooms. School officials say they expect to use Classworks on those machines in addition to existing student-accessed computers.

Source:http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20111118/NEWS01/111180345/MHSB-approves-new-software

Advanced Computer Software Group’s (LON:ASW) first-half results provide evidence that the company is making good progress on its strategy to drive growth by promoting cross-selling and product extensions while making acquisitions to broaden the product offering, according to Edison Investment Research.

In a note following the healthcare focused IT systems and software provider’s interims, the research house said the period has shown organic growth from all divisions, a strong order book and revealed a £35 million headroom for acquisitions.

Group revenue was £47.3 million, up from £44.2 million a year earlier while adjusted pretax profit rose to £10.4 million from £9.1 million.

The firm’s Health & Care division grew by five percent, while the Business Solutions and Managed Services divisions saw growth of four percent and nine percent respectively.

Edison believes the valuation is not factoring in ACS’s growth potential.

Management has previously guided to revenue growth of 4-5 percent per year, and first half results show that ACS is on track to achieve this for the full year, it said, adding that consensus forecasts are in line with guidance for full-year 2012 although they factor in lower growth in full-year 2013.

“If management can maintain its target growth rate then we view the stock as attractively priced at current levels,” Edison stated.

Source:http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/35814/advanced-computer-software-making-good-progress-on-its-strategy-edison-35814.html

Two brokers have followed up yesterday’s interim results from Advanced Computer Software (LON:ASW) with positive comments about the company.
Advanced Computer Software announced robust half-year results, in which the firm reported a seven per-cent increase in revenue during the six months to August 31 and 14 per cent growth in adjust pre-tax profit.

Group revenue was £47.3 million (H1 2011: £44.2 million) while adjusted pre-tax profit came in at £10.4 million (H1 2011: £9.1 million). Adjusted earnings per share were up nine per cent at 2.4 pence.

In a note titled “Encouraging set of interims”, independent broker Collins Stewart commented: “Against a backdrop in its core markets that is flat at best, it is clear that ACS is winning market share. Its integrated portfolio of software solutions and service are playing well to the general theme of increased efficiency and cost reduction. We are particularly pleased to see the Business Solutions division recording organic growth in the period as we had previously pencilled in flat revenues for the full year.”

Collins Stewart added that it expects margins “to continue their upwards trajectory on the back of cross-selling and leveraging of its hosting capabilities”.

House broker Singer Capital Markets noted that the firm reduced its net debt to £10 million following the disposal of the non-core Cedar HR Software business. It also noted that opportunities remain both within and outside of the public sector as customers continue to look for ways to improve efficiency and cut costs. “With the strong execution we have seen so far, a good order book, and nearly 60 per cent recurring revenues, we are confident of a positive outturn for the rest of the year,” it said

Collins Stewart forecasts sales of £96.6 million for the year to February 2012, compared to the £95.3 million that Advanced Computer Software generated in its last financial year. EBITDA is estimated at £24.5 million (2011: £24.1 million).

Collins Stewart has set a target price of 56 pence for the shares, which were trading for 44.25 pence each during late-morning trading today.

Source:http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/35635/advanced-computer-software-city-positive-following-interims-35635.html

LAPTOP computers are a major risk – powerful enough to store all your important files, yet mobile enough to be easily stolen or lost. Several software programs will now track your computer, should the worst happen.

Find My Mac

Apple’s Find My iPhone app has famously helped many people track stolen smartphones. The feature has now been added to iCloud, allowing its tracking capabilities to be extended to Apple MacBooks. After signing into iCloud, users can select Find My Mac as an option.

To track the computer’s location remotely, users can log on to iCloud.com and see it on a map, assuming the Mac is turned on and connected to the internet. Users can also set off an alarm, lock the Mac down or, in extreme cases, remotely wipe its contents.

Prey Project

Prey anti-theft software is available as a free download for tracking up to three of your devices (preyproject.com). Users can install the software on computers using Windows, Mac or Linux and can track the devices after logging into a website. The software can be used to send updates of your laptop’s location, but it can also set off an alarm on the computer, lock it down or use its webcam to see who is using it.

GadgetTrak Laptop Security

This software program, available for Windows or Mac computers from gadgettrak.com, will track your computer using its wi-fi connection and can be used to take a still photo of the person in front of your missing laptop. Once installed, users can check on their computer at trak.me. The software is available free for 30 days and costs $19.95 per year for a single laptop.

Source:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/how-to-locate-your-stolen-gadget/story-fn7celvh-1226196330231

We are pleased with our third quarter results as we were able to see growth in revenues and income, with our Technology Solutions Segment having a particularly strong quarter,” said Nancy Hedrick, CEO of CSI. “Our Financial Management Applications Segment continues to see an improvement in overall revenue and has a healthy backlog of activity for the upcoming quarters. We are continuing to invest in our Cloud Services Segment and, although revenue was improved over last year, this segment is not yet profitable. We do have numerous Cloud Services implementations underway and expect to have continued revenue growth in this segment in the months ahead.”

Financial Results:

Three Month Financial Results for the Period Ended September 30, 2011

CSI posted revenues of approximately $17.3 million for the third quarter of 2011, an increase of $2.8 million, or 19% compared to the third quarter of 2010. The revenue increase was due to a $2.6 million increase in Technology Solutions Segment revenues and a $0.1 million increase in both the Financial Management Applications Segment and Cloud Services Segment revenues.

CSI’s gross profit for the third quarter of 2011 was $3.4 million, an increase of $0.4 million, or 13%, compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase was due to a $0.6 million increase from the Technology Solutions Segment, partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease from the Cloud Services Segment, while gross profit for the Financial Management Applications segment was relatively flat.

CSI’s operating income for the third quarter of 2011 was $0.8 million, an increase of $0.1 million, or 9%, compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in operating income came from the increase in gross profit, partially offset by an increase in operating expenses, particularly selling expenses.

Net income for the third quarter of 2011was approximately $0.8 million, or $0.12 earnings per basic share and $0.06 earnings per diluted share, compared to a net income of approximately $0.4 million, or $0.06 earnings per basic share and $0.03 earnings per diluted share for the same period of the prior year. The increase in net income was due to the increase in operating income and reduced income tax expense.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for the third quarter of 2011 was approximately $1.4 million, an increase of $0.1 million, or 7%, compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in EBITDA was primarily due to the increase in operating income compared to the prior year. (EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliation to GAAP measure net income which follows below.)

Nine Month Financial Results for the Period Ended September 30, 2011

CSI posted revenues of approximately $40.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $0.5 million or 1% compared to the same period of the prior year. The revenue decrease was due to a $0.4 million decrease in Technology Solutions Segment revenues and a $0.3 million decrease in Financial Management Applications Segment revenues. These decreases were partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in Cloud Services revenues.

CSI’s gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $8.1 million, a decrease $0.3 million, or 4%, compared to the same period of the prior year. The decrease was due to a $0.5 million decrease from the Financial Management Applications Segment and a $0.4 million decrease from the Cloud Services Segment, partially offset by a $0.6 million increase from the Technology Solutions Segment.

CSI’s operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $0.5 million, a decrease of $0.7 million, or 59%, compared to the same period of 2010. The decrease in operating results came from the decrease in gross profit and increase in operating expenses, particularly selling expenses.

CSI’s net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was approximately $0.4 million or $0.06 earnings per basic share and $0.03 earnings per diluted share, compared to a net income of approximately $0.5 million, or $0.08 earnings per basic share and $0.04 earnings per diluted share for the same period of the prior year. The decrease was due to the decrease in operating results, partially offset by reduced interest expense and reduced income tax expense.

EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was approximately $2.2 million, a decrease of $0.7 million, or 25%, compared to the same period of 2010. The decrease in EBITDA was primarily due to the decrease in operating income compared to the prior year. (EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliation to GAAP measure net income which follows below.)

Conference Call Reminder for Today The Company will host a conference call today, Monday, November 14, 2011 at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss the Company’s financial and operational results for third quarter of 2011, which ended September 30, 2011.

Conference Call Details Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 Time: 4:15 p.m. (EST) Dial-in Number: 1-877-941-8416 International Dial-in Number: 1-480-629-9808

It is recommended that participants phone-in approximately 5 to 10 minutes prior to the start of the 4:15 p.m. call. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately three hours after the completion of the call for 30 days, until December 14, 2011. To listen to the replay, dial 1-877-870-5176 if calling within the U.S., 1-858-384-5517 if calling internationally and enter the pass code 4486135.

The call is also being webcast and may be accessed at CSI’s website at www.csioutfitters.com . The webcast will be archived and accessible until December 14, 2011 on the Company website.

About Computer Software Innovations, Inc. CSI provides software and technology solutions to public sector markets. CSI software solutions have established the Company as a major software provider in the southeast education market including through its award winning financial management solutions for the education and local government market sectors. CSI’s Version3 products, which include identity and access management and cloud based communication and collaboration solutions, expand CSI’s presence throughout the US. The CSI@K12 Education Cloud provides the education community with enterprise class, hosted voice, hosted email and hosted web solutions.

The CSI 21st Century Connected School solution has established the Company as a major technology provider to the southeast education market. CSI 21st Century Connected School is a seamless integration of instruction, collaboration, and network solutions. CSI financial management applications and the 21st Century Connected School solutions have been a significant factor in nearly doubling company revenue in the past four years to over $50 million and increasing education revenue contribution to approximately 90% of total revenue.

The CSI solution portfolio encompasses proprietary financial management software specialized for the public sector, lesson planning and identity and access management software, cloud-based communication and collaboration solutions, SharePoint development, network infrastructure and end device solutions, IP telephony and IP convergence applications, network management solutions and managed services, and interactive classroom technologies.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/computer-software-innovations-inc-announces-third-quarter-2011-financial-results-2011-11-14?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Computer Software Innovations, Inc. CSWI +60.00% , CSI Technology Outfitters(TM) (“CSI”), today announced that it will host a conference call on Monday, November 14, 2011, at 4:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time to discuss the Company’s financial and operational results for the quarter ending September 30, 2011.

Conference Call Details:

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 Time: 4:15 p.m. (EST) Dial-in Number: 1-877-941-8416 International Dial-in Number: 1-480-629-9808

It is recommended that participants phone-in approximately 5 to 10 minutes prior to the start of the 4:15 p.m. call. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately three hours after the completion of the call for 30 days, until December 14, 2011. To listen to the replay, dial 1-877-870-5176 if calling within the U.S., 1-858-384-5517 if calling internationally and enter the pass code 4486135.

The call is also being webcast and may be accessed at CSI’s website at www.csioutfitters.com . The webcast will be archived and accessible until December 14, 2011 on the Company website.

About Computer Software Innovations, Inc. CSI provides software and technology solutions to public sector markets. CSI software solutions have established the Company as a major software provider in the southeast education market including through its award winning financial management solutions for the education and local government market sectors. CSI’s Version3 products, which include identity and access management and cloud based communication and collaboration solutions, expand CSI’s presence throughout the US. The CSI@K12 Education Cloud provides the education community with enterprise class, hosted voice, hosted email and hosted web solutions.

The CSI 21st Century Connected School solution has established the Company as a major technology provider to the southeast education market. CSI 21st Century Connected School is a seamless integration of instruction, collaboration, and network solutions. CSI financial management applications and the 21st Century Connected School solutions have been a significant factor in nearly doubling company revenue in the past four years to over $50 million and increasing education revenue contribution to approximately 90% of total revenue.

The CSI solution portfolio encompasses proprietary financial management software specialized for the public sector, lesson planning and identity and access management software, cloud-based communication and collaboration solutions, SharePoint development, network infrastructure and end device solutions, IP telephony and IP convergence applications, network management solutions and managed services, and interactive classroom technologies. More information about CSI CSWI +60.00% is available at www.csioutfitters.com

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Among other things, these statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations and future business plans, operations, opportunities and prospects. In addition, we and our representatives may from time to time make written or oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in our reports to stockholders. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words or phrases “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project” or words of similar import. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current knowledge and assumptions about future events and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, prospects, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Many factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. You are accordingly cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that we make them. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by or on our behalf.

In our most recent Form 10-K, we have included risk factors and uncertainties that might cause differences between anticipated and actual future results. We have attempted to identify, in context, some of the factors that we currently believe may cause actual future experience and results to differ from our current expectations regarding the relevant matter or subject area. The operations and results of our software and systems integration businesses also may be subject to the effects of other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to:

– a reduction in anticipated sales; — an inability to perform customer contracts at anticipated cost levels; — our ability to otherwise meet the operating goals established by our business plan;

– market acceptance of our new software, technology and services offerings; — an economic downturn; and — changes in the competitive marketplace and/or customer requirements.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/computer-software-innovations-inc-announces-third-quarter-2011-results-conference-call-2011-11-07?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Advanced Computer Software Group (LON:ASW) announced this morning that it has signed a 10-year, £17 million contract with Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Care and Public Safety to supply a province-wide finance, procurement and logistics IT system.

The IT system is part of the ‘Business Services Transformation Programme’ that is aimed at saving Northern Ireland’s health and social care services more than £8 million per annum over a 10-year contract. The contract will help to streamline processes as well as reduce administration and purchasing costs, said Advanced Computer Software today.

“This key contract win is a clear demonstration of our group-wide capabilities to provide a range of interlocking services and products to enable our customers to materially improve their operational efficiencies and reduce costs,” commented Vin Murria, Advanced Computer Software’s chief executive.

Advanced Computer Software supplies patient management software to the healthcare sector and back office systems for business and organisations that are both in the public and commercial sectors. The firm’s annual turnover is more than £95 million, with 850 staff serving approximately 7,000 customers in the UK.

Originally established to consolidate the fragmented ‘primary care’ software market, the group now comprises three divisions aimed at addressing the needs of both public and private sector organisations. Its Health and Care division sells a range of products to the National Health Service and the private sector, including: patient workflow and case management for social care providers; mobile applications for care in the community; and rostering applications for social care settings.

Source:http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/34974/advanced-computer-software-group-signs-17-million-deal-with-ni-health-department–34974.html

Indian authorities seized computer equipment from a data center in Mumbai as part of an investigation into the Duqu malicious software that some security experts warned could be the next big cyber threat.

Two workers at a web-hosting company called Web Werks told Reuters that officials from India’s Department of Information Technology last week took several hard drives and other components from a server that security firm Symantec Corp told them was communicating with computers infected with Duqu.

News of Duqu first surfaced last week when Symantec said it had found a mysterious computer virus that contained code similar to Stuxnet, a piece of malware believed to have wreaked havoc on Iran’s nuclear program.

Government and private investigators around the world are racing to unlock the secret of Duqu, with early analysis suggesting that it was developed by sophisticated hackers to help lay the groundwork for attacks on critical infrastructure such as power plants, oil refineries and pipelines.

The equipment seized from Web Werks, a privately held company in Mumbai with about 200 employees, might hold valuable data to help investigators determine who built Duqu and how it can be used. But putting the pieces together is a long and difficult process, experts said.

“This one is challenging,” said Marty Edwards, director of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. “It’s a very complex piece of software.”

He declined to comment on the investigation by authorities in India, but said that his agency was working with counterparts in other countries to learn more about Duqu.

Two employees at Web Werks said officials from India’s Department of Information Technology came to their office last week to take hard drives and other parts from a server.

They said they did not know how the malware got on to Web Werks’ server. “We couldn’t track down this customer,” said one of the two employees, who did not want to be identified for fear of losing their jobs.

An official in India’s Department of Information Technology who investigates cyber attacks also declined to discuss the matter. “I am not able to comment on any investigations,” said Gulshan Rai, director of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, or CERT-In.

UNLOCKING THE SECRET

Stuxnet is malicious software designed to target widely used industrial control systems built by Germany’s Siemens. It is believed to have crippled centrifuges that Iran uses to enrich uranium for what the United States and some European nations have charged is a covert nuclear weapons program.

Duqu appears to be more narrowly targeted than Stuxnet as researchers estimate the new trojan virus has infected at most dozens of machines so far. By comparison, Stuxnet spread much more quickly, popping up on thousands of computer systems.

Security firms including Dell Inc’s SecureWorks, Intel Corp’s McAfee, Kaspersky Lab and Symantec say they found Duqu victims in Europe, Iran, Sudan and the United States. They declined to provide their identities.

Duqu — so named because it creates files with “DQ” in the prefix — was designed to steal secrets from the computers it infects, researchers said, such as design documents from makers of highly sophisticated valves, motors, pipes and switches.

Experts suspect that information is being gathered for use in developing future cyber weapons that would target the control systems of critical infrastructure.

The hackers behind Duqu are unknown, but their sophistication suggests they are backed by a government, researchers say.

“A cyber saboteur should understand the engineering specifications of every component that could be targeted for destruction in an operation,” said John Bumgarner, chief technology officer for the US Cyber Consequences Unit.

That is exactly what the authors of Stuxnet did when they built that cyber weapon, said Bumgarner, who is writing a paper on the development of Stuxnet.

“They studied the technical details of gas centrifuges and figured out how they could be destroyed,” he said.

Such cyber reconnaissance missions are examples of an increasingly common phenomenon known as “blended” attacks, where elite hackers infiltrate one target to facilitate access to another.

Hackers who infiltrated Nasdaq’s computer systems last year installed malware that allowed them to spy on the directors of publicly held companies.

In March, hackers stole digital security keys from EMC Corp’s RSA Security division that they later used to breach the networks of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.

Researchers said they are still trying to figure out what the next phase of Duqu attacks might be.

“We are a little bit behind in the game,” said Don Jackson, a director of the Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit. “Knowing what these guys are doing, they are probably a step ahead.”

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/enterprise-it/security/India-shuts-server-linked-to-Duqu-computer-virus/articleshow/10529541.cms

Indian authorities seized computer equipment from a data center in Mumbai as part of an investigation into the Duqu malicious software that some security experts warned could be the next big cyber threat.

Two workers at a web-hosting company called Web Werks told Reuters that officials from India’s Department of Information Technology last week took several hard drives and other components from a server that security firm Symantec Corp told them was communicating with computers infected with Duqu.

News of Duqu first surfaced last week when Symantec said it had found a mysterious computer virus that contained code similar to Stuxnet, a piece of malware believed to have wreaked havoc on Iran’s nuclear program.

Government and private investigators around the world are racing to unlock the secret of Duqu, with early analysis suggesting that it was developed by sophisticated hackers to help lay the groundwork for attacks on critical infrastructure such as power plants, oil refineries and pipelines.

The equipment seized from Web Werks, a privately held company in Mumbai with about 200 employees, might hold valuable data to help investigators determine who built Duqu and how it can be used. But putting the pieces together is a long and difficult process, experts said.

“This one is challenging,” said Marty Edwards, director of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. “It’s a very complex piece of software.”

He declined to comment on the investigation by authorities in India, but said that his agency was working with counterparts in other countries to learn more about Duqu.

Two employees at Web Werks said officials from India’s Department of Information Technology came to their office last week to take hard drives and other parts from a server.

They said they did not know how the malware got on to Web Werks’ server. “We couldn’t track down this customer,” said one of the two employees, who did not want to be identified for fear of losing their jobs.

An official in India’s Department of Information Technology who investigates cyber attacks also declined to discuss the matter. “I am not able to comment on any investigations,” said Gulshan Rai, director of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, or CERT-In.

UNLOCKING THE SECRET

Stuxnet is malicious software designed to target widely used industrial control systems built by Germany’s Siemens. It is believed to have crippled centrifuges that Iran uses to enrich uranium for what the United States and some European nations have charged is a covert nuclear weapons program.

Duqu appears to be more narrowly targeted than Stuxnet as researchers estimate the new trojan virus has infected at most dozens of machines so far. By comparison, Stuxnet spread much more quickly, popping up on thousands of computer systems.

Security firms including Dell Inc’s SecureWorks, Intel Corp’s McAfee, Kaspersky Lab and Symantec say they found Duqu victims in Europe, Iran, Sudan and the United States. They declined to provide their identities.

Duqu — so named because it creates files with “DQ” in the prefix — was designed to steal secrets from the computers it infects, researchers said, such as design documents from makers of highly sophisticated valves, motors, pipes and switches.

Experts suspect that information is being gathered for use in developing future cyber weapons that would target the control systems of critical infrastructure.

The hackers behind Duqu are unknown, but their sophistication suggests they are backed by a government, researchers say.

“A cyber saboteur should understand the engineering specifications of every component that could be targeted for destruction in an operation,” said John Bumgarner, chief technology officer for the US Cyber Consequences Unit.

That is exactly what the authors of Stuxnet did when they built that cyber weapon, said Bumgarner, who is writing a paper on the development of Stuxnet.

“They studied the technical details of gas centrifuges and figured out how they could be destroyed,” he said.

Such cyber reconnaissance missions are examples of an increasingly common phenomenon known as “blended” attacks, where elite hackers infiltrate one target to facilitate access to another.

Hackers who infiltrated Nasdaq’s computer systems last year installed malware that allowed them to spy on the directors of publicly held companies.

In March, hackers stole digital security keys from EMC Corp’s RSA Security division that they later used to breach the networks of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.

Researchers said they are still trying to figure out what the next phase of Duqu attacks might be.

“We are a little bit behind in the game,” said Don Jackson, a director of the Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit. “Knowing what these guys are doing, they are probably a step ahead.”

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/india-shuts-server-linked-to-duqu-computer-virus/articleshow/10525202.cms

The city is wasting more than $500,000 a year on computer software that staff rarely or never use, figures in an auditor’s report say.

There are about 1,100 different licensed programs installed on the city’s 6,700 desktop, laptop and tablet computers, but a recent study by city auditor David Wiun shows much of that software isn’t needed.

He surveyed a sample of 200 employees earlier this year and found 39 per cent of their machines have programs that aren’t required or get little use.

“The responses to the questionnaires show that city employees do not require all of the software licences the city has purchased,” Wiun wrote in a report this month.

“This means that the city is spending money on software licences that computer users do not use.”

Based on the results of the questionnaire, he estimated unused licensed software costs the city $156,000 annually.

In addition, Wiun looked at six programs information technology staff believe are used less than once a month by many employees who have them installed.

The programs are Microsoft Visio Standard and Pro for flow charts, Acrobat Standard and Pro to read PDFs, and Microsoft Project Standard and Pro for project management.

A licence for one of these programs can cost up to $1,134.

His report didn’t detail what this material costs the city annually, but Wiun said Wednesday he could come up with an estimate.

“Based on the six programs we looked at, and assuming that the results from our sample are representative of the usage of all licence holders, we believe the city could save approximately $400,000 if all of the licences that are rarely used are not purchased.”

The city last year spent $10.8 million buying or renewing software licences and programs.

It also uses software that doesn’t require a licence, such as material that’s free or developed by the city.

In 2010, a consultant from Deloitte pointed out several “challenges” for Edmonton’s software asset management program, which is intended to help reduce the risk of over-spending on licensing, according to the report.

The issues include strains on existing resources, lack of knowledge about contract and licensing terms, and a long audit and inventory process because information is collected and reconciled manually.

This increases the risk of such problems as higher costs for unneeded software and non-compliance with licensing contracts.

On the positive side, Wiun found employees are using all the computers leased for them.

Keith Chorley, director of infrastructure solutions for the IT branch, said they are working to save money on the unnecessary software that’s mentioned in Wiun’s report.

“We’re doing that all the time. We’re conscious about trying to make sure that we’re getting the best use of the licences.”

In the longer term, they’re hoping to hire an outside expert early next year to work with city staff to design and introduce changes based on the Deloitte findings so software is used more efficiently, Chorley said.

Wiun’s findings were “not something we expected to see, but by having someone review that we plan on being proactive about whatever the gaps are.”

Chorley wouldn’t discuss details of the Deloitte findings for security reasons.

However, chief information officer Chris Moore suggests in the auditor’s report that one improvement would be to switching to a centrally managed software licensing system under his oversight.

If approved, implementation could begin by late 2012 and be phased in over two years.

But Wiun cautioned in his report that his two recommendations to Moore for changes are only worthwhile if there’s action.

“The implementation of these recommendations will only lead to savings for the city if the administration ensures that the software programs that are rarely or not being used are removed from city computers.”

While Coun. Kerry Diotte said he would like to see something happen sooner than that, he called Wiun’s report good news because it points out a place the city can save money.

“Overall, it’s disappointing that this kind of money has been wasted … obviously, somebody at the time thought (the software) was needed. If it’s not needed, let’s get rid of it. That’s a no-brainer.”

But the findings are a good start on the $50-million worth of savings and extra revenue council needs to find to balance the 2012 budget, Diotte said.

“This is the kind of stuff we have to be doing top to bottom, finding these savings, because it’s going to get ugly.”

Source:http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Edmonton+wastes+more+than+computer+software+auditor+finds/5577202/story.html

Heeding the call for more skilled software craftsmen, North Carolina-based RoleModel Software has just unveiled a new training model for educating the next generation of developers. Built on the premise that the best way to get a software craftsman is to grow one, the RoleModel Software Craftsmanship Academy is now accepting applications for its first semester, beginning in May 2012.
Led by well-respected instructors, the academy offers an immersive six-month course of study that launches students on the road to becoming proficient software developers. Due to its intensive nature, the course is only for the dedicated. Successful learners will master the basic building blocks of the software industry, culminating in a one-year paid internship at a software company.
The RoleModel Software Craftsmanship Academy is ideal for dedicated high-school graduates — including homeschoolers — who already have a firm grasp on the basics of computer programming. The academy also is tailored to college graduates, those who wish to switch careers, or those who realize that college hasn’t prepared them to become expert software craftsmen.
“Anyone who considers themselves a craftsman would take someone trained this way over someone trained in a university setting, every time,” said Ken Auer, a 25-year veteran of the software industry and creator of the academy. “In addition, you can’t argue with the economics of this model versus the college approach.”
The program is limited to eight slots — meaning the entry process is highly competitive. At the close of the 18-month training, internship, and final examination, successful participants will be “certified journeymen” capable of becoming well-paid and sought after software craftsmen.

Source:http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/448428

A computer software program shows that virtual monkeys randomly hitting keys on virtual typewriters are close to reproducing the works of Shakespeare, a U.S. programmer says.

Jesse Anderson said he initiated the program to test the oft-repeated theory that an infinite number of monkeys sitting at an infinite number of typewriters would eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare by chance, Britain’s The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

Anderson, a software developer from Nevada, started millions of small computer programs – his “virtual monkeys” – on a cloud computing system, and set them to creating random sequences of nine characters, UPI.com reported.

If a sequence appeared anywhere in one of Shakespeare’s works, it was matched against the relevant passage and checked off the list.

The “monkeys” have already created all the words in the poem A Lover’s Complaint and are 99.99 percent of the way through Shakespeare’s complete works, Anderson said.

The experiment doesn’t actually test the infinite monkey theorem because it saves correct sections of text while discarding all wrong guesses, experts said.

For the monkeys to type up the complete works with all words in correct order without mistakes would take much longer than the age of the universe, said Ian Steward, a professor of mathematics at Warwick University.

Source:http://www.thirdage.com/news/computer-software-program-shows-monkeys-typing-shakespeare_09-29-2011