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The article offers suggestions on how information technology (IT) companies can manage operating systems (OS). It states that companies should see whether OS supports their existing applications and thus have right selection criteria. It mentions that rather than having a separate team to select it, there should be more collaboration and all the teams need to create a common vision for what OS will provide. It highlights that they should be committed to desktop management.

The article offers information on the result of the study on embedded system market 2008. The study was presented at the 2008 Embedded Systems Design Conference, providing updated trends on several system applications including industrial control, video and imaging, and aerospace. It is mentioned that the number of systems engineers and developers increased in 2008.

The article discusses the factors that information technology (IT) and business organizations should consider when evaluating delivery of any business application via the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The factors include the integration tools and support offered by the software vendor and the analysis options provided by the SaaS application. The questions that organizations should ask when evaluating SaaS vendors are presented.

A list of the top computer viruses and worms as of July 2006 is presented. The viruses and worms listed include Brain, CIH, Melissa, Iloveyou,Code Red, SQL Slammer, Blaster, Bagle Sobig.F, MyDoom, Sasser. Information about the time the viruses and worms broke and their mechanism of action are provided.

This article seeks to explore the murky realm of x86 programming to uncover the chip's built-in privilege-protection mechanism. Privilege protection does in hardware what most operating systems and kernels do in software. It protects different tasks from each other and allows only the correct tasks to access sensitive data, disable interrupts, modify operating-system tables, and other important tasks. Like the segmentation, the x86's privilege protection is tricky to set up but pays off handsomely in run-time reliability and security.

Focuses on the acceleration of algorithms in hardware and software repartitioning. Differences between implementing an algorithm as a custom instruction versus using a hardware peripheral; Reduction on the instruction set computing architectures; Types of implementations of hardware-accelerated modules.

Reviews the project management software TestTrack Pro 5.1 from Seapine Software Incorporated.

Focuses on the use of tablet personal computers (PC). Developments in tablet PC; Description of its software and physical features; Tips on buying a tablet PC. INSET: Microsoft--Driving the Standard?.

Discusses the roles and responsibilities of a requirements analyst in a software project. Tips in performing the tasks of a requirements analyst; Soft skills which a requirements analyst needs in order to succeed; Training needed for the position.

Features Java Messaging Service (JMS), a middleware providing asynchronous messaging. Process of asynchronous messaging; Problem with out-of-sequence delivery; Advantages of using JMS in sending messages. INSETS: Out-of-This-World Debugging by G. Hohpe;JMS and Web Services by G. Hohpe;Messaging: A Brief History by G. Hohpe.

Focuses on portal components or portlets in computer software development. Description of portlets; Role of portal components in creating frameworks for portal development; Applications for portal components. INSET: Java Portlet APIs.

Discusses the possibility that computer software will be able to adapt without human intervention. Implications of the possibility to employees and executives in the computer industry; Need for self-healing systems; Challenges associated with the implementation of self-managing technology; Efforts of Microsoft Corp. to develop self-healing features in software. INSETS: Industrious Ants Teach Powerful Lesson In Simplicity;You're Perfect--Don't Change A Thing.

Presents several new computer products and services for business as of May 29, 2000. Features of Cybex Computer Products' SwitchViewSC; Price of Icode's ACCWARE ONLINE software; Uses of Callisto Software's Orbiter 3.5 software; Updated version of UniPress Software's Footprints 4.0.

Presents news briefs on computer-related issues in the United States as of May 2000. Companies affected by the `I Love You,' virus; Features of the E-Business Infrastructure software of Chordiant Software Inc.; Deals signed by CyberBills Inc. and Aether Systems Inc. with Visa International Inc.

Presents news briefs on the computer industry in the United States (US) as of January 2000. Capabilities of Wireless Personal Trust Agent software from VeriSign company; Legal arguments filed by Microsoft Corp. in its antitrust trial against the US Department of Justice; Earnings of Microsoft Corp. for second quarter of fiscal 2000; Decline in net income of Lucent Technologies Inc. for first fiscal quarter of 2000.

Deals with distributed objects, a computer program that gives developers the ability to cut and past applications employing reusable chunks of codes, in the United States computer industry. Function of distributed objects; Objective examination on distributed objects; Plans of Microsoft Corp. regarding distributed objects; Deployment of object components. INSETS: Objections overruled;Double trouble?.

Presents information on several computer input-output equipment and software in the United States as of October 4, 1999. Features of the SuperScript 4200N printer from NEC Technologies Inc.; Compatibility of the ADDS 60 video-display text terminal from Boundless Technologies; Capabilities of the Mobile Services for Domino 1.0 developed by Lotus Development Corp.; Design of NetCountant software from NetScout Systems.

Presents an update concerning the information technology. Issue on computer software quality; Information on IT executive's technology and business priorities for 1999; Forecast on the revenues of IT companies for 1999. INSET: Behind the Scenes.

Presents products from the UNIX Review Outstanding Product Awards for 1997. Vibe DE Java development environment, by Visix Software Inc.; Maestro job-scheduling package, by Unison Software; Actuate Reporting System, by Actuate Software Corp.

Focuses on the competing major application models from Microsoft, OMG and Sun Microsystems. Component features added to OMG's Corba 3.0; Difficulty in moving into Sun Microsystems' Enterprise JavaBeans; Licensing deals for Microsoft's COM.

Reports that venture capitalists are regaining their focus on hardware and software systems for telecommunications after concentrating much on the Internet. Significance of the move; Examples of investments made by venture capitalists; Shift in focus in Internet investing.

The article reports on the release of Windows Vista and Office 2007 by Microsoft Corp. The company is expecting a wave of upgrades from users seeking the latest functionality. Some users want to keep their old operating systems running for as long as possible. Office 2007 and Zune music player will not install on Windows 2000.

The article introduces some of the less-known and less-used Web browsers. A "social browser" is the description of Flock because it was designed to make it simple for anyone to contribute to the Web. The ability to switch engines on the fly is the most interesting feature of Netscape.

Letters to the editor are presented in response to previous articles on embedded systems. These include "The Grand Challenge," by Jim Turley in the November 2005 issue, "Bugopedia," by Niall Murphy in the December 2005 issue, and "In praise of XP: why software projects fail," by Nate McKie and David Elfanbaum in the December 2005 issue.

Reviews the CounterPoint software from Mirage Networks.

Reviews the Telelogic Logiscope 6.1 software from Telelogic.

This article presents information on the computer industry in the United States. The computer industry is about to embark on its next big transition, a shift from 32-bit Windows computers to a new breed of 64-bit PCs and servers. It promises to be as significant as the revolutionary changes brought on 12 years ago by Microsoft's 32-bit Windows NT, which ushered in an era of sophisticated client-server applications. Yet, while the performance benefits of 64-bit Windows are compelling, it could be years of countless upgrades before many companies complete the move.

Focuses on how Oracle Corp. (OC) continues the customer crusade of its acquired PeopleSoft (PS) Inc. Outline of the company's Project Fusion to develop a suite of merged OC, PS and J.D. Edwards & Co. software; Retainment of as much as 95 percent of PS customer base; Implementation of PS services-procurement module and extension of its other applications worldwide.

Reports on the growth of open-source technology, and its implications for Linux and other open-source software companies. Fast-growing popularity of Linux and other open-source products; Increase in the number of open-source software projects; Red Hat Chief Executive Officer Matthew Szulik's claim that open source will help establish a shared worldwide computing environment.

This article discusses several business strategies for agilizing the rational unified process. Collaboration is the foremost hallmark of agility. To achieve this within the rational unified process, first build a team of people who want to work together, then learn from each other and succeed together. Second, support everyone's learning efforts with training, mentoring and coaching. Third, break down communication barriers. Fourth, recognize common processes that indicate serious communication problems. Ensuring an active stakeholder participation is also critical to making the rational unified process agile. Agilists will explicitly include business stakeholders in the Analysis and Design discipline, and not just the Business Modeling Requirements disciplines as the rational unified process does, to make it clear that stakeholders are valuable team members. The next strategy for agilizing the rational unified process is to accept that it is natural for your stakeholders' priorities and comprehension of their requirements to evolve. Manage schedule openly and honestly. A wonderful side effect of regularly delivering working software is that stakeholders quickly realize that they will eventually get the functionality that they want. With this approach, one does not need a change-control board as suggested in the rational unified process. INSET: Recommended Resources.

Discusses developments in the open-source software industry in the U.S. Background on several organizations that shaped the open-source movement, including the Free Software Foundation; Significance of the difference between free software and open software; Impact of the open-source movement on the computer industry.

Focuses on the standard management for software engineering. Cost of developing embedded code; Installation of version control system; Standardization of firmware.

Presents an article on writing a computer code for shipping objects while working on the SocketServer exercise.

Discusses the need to balance portability with performance when working with Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). Key features and complexity of J2ME; Guidelines in selecting an ideal IDE.

Presents news briefs on several computer products. Features of the Ghost 6.0 software of Symantec Corp.; Capabilities of the Instant GigaDrive of Linksys Group company; Target market of the InstallAnywhere Enterprise Edition software of Zero G Software company.

Reveals the benefit of Chase Manhattan Global Investment Bank from BusinessObjects SA's business intelligence suit earlier in 1999. Functions of BusinessObjects 4.1 in the firm; Most attractive feature of the suite, for Chase Manhattan; Problem with the use Microsoft Access and Excel in the early 1990s.

The article reports on the enterprise application integration of technology infrastructure for managing multiple computer software applications by application service providers. The integration process enables business developers to perform different applications and helps to manage large number of users and transactions within an enterprise. Furthermore, the applications include the integration of service oriented architecture that enhances performance of various computer operations, open source software, and the distribution of enterprise service bus that provides foundational services in the implementation of enterprise messaging system.

The article reports on the significance of enterprise application software for application service providers. The use of computer architecture helps in increasing customer satisfaction and aids towards efficient operation of an enterprise. The enterprise application performs business functions hosted on a server that provides services to users mostly over a computer network. Computer applications include the enterprise mashup technology, adopting the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services that formally specify business processes and interaction protocols. On the other hand, the service-oriented architecture expresses a perspective of software architecture that aims to achieve loose coupling among interacting software agents.

The article focuses on the relationship between Information Technology (IT) executives and software as a service (SaaS). It has been said that It executives did not values SaaS due to its competition with SaaS vendors when it comes to particular functions or types of computer software application. However, IT executives have to embrace SaaS to demonstrate their ability to facilitate and support business initiatives. In addition, SaaS offers several benefits including flexible payment terms and tiered feature sets, cut deployment burdens and time to deployment. INSET: NO EXIT?.

The article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of computer security software host intrusion prevention system (HIPS). It is an antivirus (AV), an anti-malware and a network intrusion-prevention tool. It has been showed to be the most comprehensive desktop-protection product in 2006. What makes HIPS worth the cost of upgrading from AV is it buffer-overflow protection. Core HIPS functions which protect the host system include port protection, memory protection, AV and file/registry protection. However, it is unable to normally notify the user that a remedial action was taken or that a process is stopped or a port is shutdown, but rather relies on the application to notice the failure and notify the user. INSETS: NWC REPORTS: HOST INTRUSION- PREVENTION SYSTEMS;HIPS VS. NAC.

The article discusses the author's installation of the latest version of the Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) software for his Sherline milling machine. The ability of the EMC code to run efficiently in standard Ubuntu Linux with RTAI is explained. The author cites the reason why the old rule of thumb that real-time performance increases with each new central processing unit generation has become invalid. Information on how the Internet interprets censorship is also presented, based on the views of computer programmer John Gilmore.

The article presents the author's discussion of the forcing methods, which was referred as mandatory error codes in the article "Three Ideas," by Andrei Alexandrescu, previously published in the online "Dr. Dobb's Journal." Information on a template class called ErrorCode is presented. In using the kind of framework featured in the article, several factors must be considered including the need to change the assumption that an ErrorCode must be used. One of the ErrorCode examples illustrated in the article disarms ThrowableErrorCode and grants access to the error code.

The article presents the author's discussion of the ant colony optimizers model which is an optimization algorithm technique used for a wide range of problems. Any colony optimization is considered as one example of a swarm algorithm. Swarm-based systems are known to be highly fault-tolerant because if one component in a swarm fails, it does not affect the overall performance of the system. In this article, the author also illustrates how virtual colony can solve a problem related to operations research.

The article presents information on the Essential Unified Process (EssUP). EssUP is a new process that forms part of modern software development practices. Several reasons are cited as to why a new process is needed. Among these reasons are the need for the process to support both the developers and process experts, and the need for the process to provide agility with discipline. The way EssUP is presented differs from the way other processes or methods are presented. It encompasses an idea that is new to the process industry.

The article focuses on virtualization application, which involves the process of wrapping the application in a layer that isolates it from the operating system and other applications and whatever the application does, it cannot affect or be affected by other running applications. Application virtualization lets a user easily distribute applications and run multiple versions of one application on the same machine. It also eases removing applications from a workstation. Companies offering this include Altiris Inc., Softricity Inc. and Thinstall.

This article deals with the process of serialization in which database objects are converted to some external form. Most useful applications depend on information of a more permanent nature than that generated during a single execution. Hence, the lives of such master files transcend that of the execution of any of the applications that use them. Other applications involve the communication of messages between separate programs, often referred to as client and server. While the life of a message is often much shorter than that of a database record, the creation of both involves the use of some data format external to the applications that manipulate them.

This article discusses ways to create and filter events that are easy to use. Creating your own events and filtering events is still hard and error prone. Thus, the ability to create an easy and error-free manner require computer users to know the exact match between the arguments they pass to the event and how the arguments are processed in the event-handler function. However, this process is time consuming and prone to error. In addition, computer users can also get into trouble if some other event has the same ID. Therefore, the users should be able to define a dynamic event and it should return the same ID every time the function is called.

This article assesses the influence of program languages on the idioms of C++ computer system. The slice view which is also known as array view is the only view concept that assures contiguous storage. Hence, this is analogous to the situation with software test description:: vector, which is the only standard container that guarantees contiguous storage. However, the fact that slice views are always up to date with respect to their underlying storage also carriers risks and imposes limitations on their use.

This article presents information on the features of the GNU Autoconf computer program. The program promotes adaptability within the build process by similarly deferring decision. Autoconf has the capacity to develop any kind of file based on a template but is typically used to create makefiles. In addition, the program language has the ability to parse a file typically called configure.ac as well as expands any m4 macros it encounters. Similar to a preprocessor anything the program does not recognizes a macro it adds to configure untouched which means a configure.ac could contain a mix of macros and raw shell code.

This article deals with the functions of the Template Class array. The template class states two arguments. First of all is the type of the elements that the object will hold and the second is the number of elements. Thus, like a C-style array, an array object holds a fixed-size array of objects. In addition, an array object can be initialized with an aggregate initializer, just like a C-style array. Hence, an array or class type is not an aggregate if it has any user-declared constructors or any private and protected non static data members.