This post was written by Jim Marino
DiVitas Networks’ newest mobile UC platform moves beyond the usual fixed mobile convergence features to include secured instant messaging, presence and visual voicemail. Such features made up for a disappointing setup experience. The management interface was not intuitive, and it lacked any integrated help resources to guide the user. DiVitas representatives claim a single server can handle up to 500 mobile users, depending on configuration. Pricing for the DiVitas solution is based on the number of users licensed within the system.
Viewsonic is targeting the ‘budget’ market with the VX2260wm, though you wouldn’t think so after a glance at the specifications. It’s nicely designed. Despite grievances with some areas of the VX2260’s performance, it’s important to remember that it’s very well priced for a 1080p display and it would be rather unrealistic to expect perfect performance at this price point. In this light it’s a capable display and, if you’re looking for a true widescreen and full HD experience without breaking the bank, it’s one of the best around.
Pioneer continues to churn out some of the best TVs on the market with Kuro PRO-151FD. The company has managed to eke out even more impressive black detail, delivered a slightly thinner panel with better energy efficiency, and made improvements in behind-the-scenes technology. Kuro PRO-151FD offers rich and realistic color reproduction, amazingly deep black levels, and video processing. One unusual feature is that in the Pure mode the set converts images to a 72 Hz video processing rate to remove motion blur. It’s a little pricey, but the Kuro PRO-151FD outdoes its predecessor.
Intel is looking at harvesting free energy to power devices such as mobile phones, as well as researching other technologies to reduce power in electronics devices and data centers. At an event late last week focusing on its “Eco-Technology” developments, the company’s CTO, Justin Rattner, outlined a series of long-term initiatives into power saving and generation. Most of the technologies discussed are under development in Intel labs and are unlikely to reach the marketplace in products for at least three to five years.
Although Lionbridge Technologies Inc. is playing a key role in globalization of hundreds of other companies from Microsoft to Merrill Lynch to Pfizer, it sure isn’t getting rich doing it. The company has been posting losses for the three consecutive quarters due to the very fact that no matter how high the company’s revenues go, its expenses seem to go higher. One answer to the puzzle seems to be that Lionbridge’s expansion has put it at the mercy of the same twin forces—technology and globalization—that drive demand for its services. Translation is still a labor-intensive process, and Lionbridge’s strategy of employing hundreds of managers, engineers, and translators in expensive regions like Europe may be backfiring with the weakness of the U.S. dollar against the Euro and many other currencies.
Innergie has announced that it has teamed up with Green Plug on the first implementation of Green Plug’s open systems intelligent power interface. At 2009 International CES, in Las Vegas Jan. 8-11, Innergie and Green Plug will demonstrate the Greentalk-enabled mCube90G powering a variety of consumer electronic devices, each with unique power requirements. The Innergie mCube90G features an innovative two-piece design, in which the smaller Auto/Air adapter can be detached, enabling use of an even more compact adapter when getting power from DC power sources, such as automobiles and airplanes.
Collexis Holdings Inc. has announced the formal launch of the Reviewer Finder product, an application which identifies the best reviewers based on their research profile. By using the proprietary Collexis Fingerprint technology, a submitted grant proposal or submitted scientific manuscript is analyzed and the resulting document Fingerprint is compared against more than 1.8 million expert Fingerprints — simultaneously checking for conflicts of interest based on co-authorship and organizational affiliation. The Collexis Reviewer Finder assists in reducing the time to identify the most qualified reviewers from hours to virtually minutes.
RepliWeb has announced that Burger King Corp. has selected its RepliWeb Deployment product to automate the distribution of critical business applications across its global IT infrastructure. Burger King has adopted standardization practices to accelerate access to IT resources across its global chain of restaurants. The company relies on RepliWeb’s enterprise-class software to deploy .NET applications and web server components driving greater efficiency, reliability and performance throughout its IT operations.
CDC Software, a wholly owned subsidiary of CDC Corporation and a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software applications and consulting services, has announced results from a Leadership Survey of its customers at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s (SIFMA) Technology Management Conference & Exhibit in New York. The survey revealed that globalization is a common thread that will continue to help their industry evolve, with seventy five percent of those surveyed seeing globalization as a primary factor that they believe will continue to enable the financial services industry to advance.