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The article discusses the impact of cloud-based enterprise applications to a lot of industry. It states the $7.7 billion for less than $1 billion in cloud revenue paid by SAP AG, a European multinational software corporation on its acquisitions of SuccessFactors Inc. and Ariba Inc. It also mentions that social networking or collaboration applications, email and messaging are the categories of enterprise that Cloud software are moving into.

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.

The article discusses the usefulness of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) function, one of the common methods used in designing electronic systems in the U.S. CRC function is composed of a family of codes used to assure data accuracy in data stream and message transmission. CRC is performed in an embedded system through binary polynomial integration. Linear feedback shift register (LFSR) is used to measure the linear combination between the previous state and input bits.

The article focuses on the designs of the computer software and hardware using atomic transactions in the U.S. Atomic transaction has a great impact on future innovations particularly in embedded software, architect systems, performance verification and hardware designs. Automated teller machine (ATM) applications are common examples of atomic transaction databases. The term rewriting system (TRS) is a high-quality specification language in software/hardware developments.

The article reports on the increasing shortage of information technology (IT) professionals in the U.S. One main reason for this shortage of IT professionals is the trend that students, parents and counselors do not recognize IT potential. In addition, this shortage is also the result of the growth in IT-related positions which is driven by new opportunities to leverage technology in an organization.

The article discusses the impact of virtualization and multicore processors in software licensing in the U.S. According to the author, the concept causes delays in software licensing method and outdate pricing schemes wherein vendors are resorting to other alternative methods. It discusses the different situational experiences of computer companies as well as the preventive measures they integrate. It also offers information on impact assessment and five methods in virtualization approach. INSET: Software Licenses: Take Your Pick, by Andy Dornan.

The article discusses the effect of the development of VMware Inc.'s hypervisors on the operating system of Microsoft Corp. in the U.S. According to the author, the rise of hypervisors may supercede the classic operating system and may create a major threat to Microsoft. An overview of the progressive condition of VMware due to this virtualization is offered. It claims that virtualization cannot defeat the operating system of the Microsoft, but will shift the balance of power.

The article reports that secondary computer equipment resellers want to eliminate the cloud of suspicion over them that they are selling fake products. The United Network Equipment Dealer Association has been established to enforce ethical business practices and to ensure high standards of product quality. A survey has shown that almost 46 percent occasionally purchase used equipment.

The article presents a brief history of web software. In October 1969, multicomputer Arpanet, a predecessor of the Internet, had started. November 1983 marks the launching of routes Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) addresses by Domain Name Systems. The release of the 1.0 version of Google Inc.'s search engine happened in September 1999.

The article provides information on the 12 greatest Web software. The author chooses Tim Berners-Lee's platform as his first choice. Berners-Lee simplified the relationship between server and client insisting on a few simple standards that would allow widespread information sharing. He picks Digital Equipment Corp.'s AltaVista as the next Web software.

The article features the Z-Wave, a proprietary wireless protocol, manufactured by Zensys. The wireless protocol is intended for the residential and automation market. It is used to provide a simple and reliable method to wirelessly control lights and appliances at home. On the other hand, it functions in industrial, scientific and medical band using frequency-shift keying radio.

The article focuses on the development plans of Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) as discussed at the InformationWeek Fall Conference in Rancho Mirage, California. The company's CEO Mark Hurd, demonstrated that company will be focusing more on growth, efficiency and capital. While the company's chief information officer Randy Mott, identified three major growth areas for HP that focuses more on the radical centralization of the company's IT operations.

The article provides information on the development of the World Wide Web before and after its public introduction in 1991. It provides a timeline of the Web's evolution that started in 1945, when American engineer Vannevar Bush write an essay about a photo-electrical-mechanism system that links together research books through microfilm. It was then followed by several studies and developments related to the field, which was made publicly known in 1991 by Berners-Lee.

The article focuses on the challenges facing U.S.-based data storage hardware manufacturer EMC Corp. in its expansion into information management technology. With the acquisition of several software companies since 2000, the company was able to lessen its dependence on hardware sales, having 39 percent of its overall revenue from its software business by the end of June 2006. However, the company faces a challenge in helping customers understand its information infrastructure vision.

The article reports on the efforts exerted by vendors to reform enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications and make them more effective. The main challenge facing ERP vendors is to deliver software that supports business process improvements without the usual glitches associated with ERP. The development efforts of the vendors involve moving code and functionality from existing products into applications that are more contemporary in design and appearance.

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.

The article reports that computer manufacturers are increasingly developing cheap personal computers to target consumers in Russia, India, China and Latin America in 2006. The move is a reaction to the slowdown in growth of the personal computer markets of developed countries such as Japan, Europe and the U.S. It is also indicative of computer firms' recognition that developing countries require a different approach to product distribution and pricing.

The article features Microsoft's Windows Vista computer operating system, a bridge between conventional software and online services. The initial applications of the operating system are security and administration. The results of the "InformationWeek" research showed that those who plan to implement the Windows operating system cite improved data security as the top reason.

The article features HyperTransport Consortium's latest product, HTX. The product is an expansion connector specification that will benefit peripheral cards and systems manufacturers to overcome cost and performance barriers for the development of low-latency boards for applications that needs supercomputer performance.

The article discusses the future of information technology professionals in the U.S. It has been viewed that the U.S. businesses should stop taking the technology talent pipeline for granted. Students are uncertain about making a career in the information technology sector despite the current boom in the industry. They believe that the jobs aren't really out there, and they are going to be pressed down the corporate ladder. After bottoming out following the dot-com bust, IT employment is back to 2001 levels, about 3.4 million people. Yet ask a group of IT professionals whether they'd recommend the career to their kids, and many won't seem positive.

The article presents information on open-source business models for startup software companies. Many open-source startups aren't even creating their own software. They get off the ground by selling services to help businesses implement popular open-source projects. That was the approach of Gluecode Software Inc., which was founded with $5 million in venture capital around an open-source software stack that includes the free Geronimo application server. Open-source applications often represent the only opportunity for midmarket companies like construction-management firm Rudolph and Sletten Inc. to get packaged software to meet their sophisticated information technology needs.

This article presents the top hardware products for 2005. The OQO Ultra Portable computer is a full-blown Windows XP machine in the form factor of a personal digital assistant (PDA). Ravels lighter and fits in users' pocket or purse. For easy typing and cursor control, it has a complete, pull-out thumb keyboard, with TrackStik and mouse buttons as well as digital pen and thumbwheel. For those who hated to choose between the bulk of a laptop and the limited capability of a PDA--now users can have it all. The Nokia 9300 cellular telephone has flip-open footprint and wider screen for working on big documents and spreadsheets. It has 80 megabytes of memory. The 9300 nicely bridges the consumer and the office worlds with Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. But all this comes at a formidable price: $770. The Hewlett-Packard iPAQ h6315 Pocket personal computer does. More standard in its format, it can go tramping anywhere there is a T-Mobile network. And it is the first handheld to combine calling, Internet and wireless fidelity all in one. Comfort and geekery collide in the Bluebroc's C-Station. This minimalist sofa comes in 12 colors, cloth and leather, with a computer sticking out of the side. Prices start from a mere $3,814 for the cloth single-seater to a hefty $5,340 for the C2 leather model.

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues of "Software Development." Response to the article "Outsourcing Is Still In," by Alexandra Weber Morales; Reaction to the article "Usable UIs," by Scott Ambler; Response by Scott Ambler to a letter to the editor about his article.

Reports on the decision of the U.S. National Science Foundation to invest in the initiative called shared cyberinfrastructure. Intention of establishing a nexus of computers, high-speed networks, distributed database and middleware; Result of the declining reliance of companies on supercomputers; Debate over the funding of supercomputing research to compete with other countries. INSET: CHANGE: NCSA plans for future..

Reports on low-cost PC maker Dell Computer Corp.'s expectation of becoming a major business-technology provider. Chief executive officer Kevin Rollins' technology strategy and vision for the company; Positioning of Dell as a central force in business technology as a result of several years of cost cutting, standardization and optimization; Other business conditions favoring Dell, including the trend among firms to continually refresh their desktop PCs; Comments of chief information officer Randy Mott.

Focuses on business strategies of the International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) for technological innovation in the U.S. Development plans for autonomic computing systems; Impact of computing systems on business operation and performance; Analysis on IBM business-performance-transformation offering; Initiatives done to support its strategy. INSETS: THE UPSHOT;ACQUISITIONS WITH BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION IN MIND.

This article features stories that relate challenges encountered during the development of various computer software-related projects. A software developer was once working on a critical billing system used in a real-time environment. To make life much more fun, the system was in its end-of-life phase and a brand-new system was supposed to arrive at any time. The old model was built on the client/server model, with loads of unreadable stored procedures. The stress on the system was maximal, as it was on the team. This caused some billing items to be pushed to the next invoice, and sometimes even to the following one. Customers were furious that developers were the culprits behind the billing process that was causing them such grief. In another story, a company's systems engineering group had created a new division to develop products outside the umbrella of its main businesses, to transition from the mechanical to electro-mechanical age. Trouble was, although the engineering groups were new hires, the marketing group was part of the old guard, and this became a conflict. The engineering group was responsible for the overall architecture, specifications and project schedule. The specifications grew more and more obsolete, and eventually the entire project schedule began to slip.

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.

This article reports on the awards presented at Software Development West Conference and Exposition's evening gala on March 17, 2004. Fourteen Jolt Awards, 42 Productivity Awards and one Hall of Fame inductee were announced. Most notably, more open-source offerings were nominated and recognized than in years past--including the Eclipse IDE, Hibernate and Sun's Wireless Toolkit. Clearly, open source has become a major force, both supporting and shaping the developer community. This year, the number of categories expanded to recognize the increasing sophistication of software development tools in the mobile technology sector. Award categories include: Books: General; Books: Technical; Business Integration and Data Tools; Change and Configuration Management Tools; Design and Analysis Tools; Languages and Development Environments; Libraries, Frameworks and Components; Mobile Development Tools; Project Management Tools; Security Tools; Testing Tools; Utilities; Web Development Tools; and Web sites and Developer Networks. Overall, more than 300 vendors nominated their products in the 14 Jolt categories, and from these nominations, 90 products were selected as finalists.

Examines the continued commitment of U.S. firm IBM Corp. to mainframes decades after it introduced the System/360 in the 1960s. Statements by Erich Bloch, who led development of microcircuit technology for IBM in the 1960s, and by Bob Evans, who led the System/360 project; History of computer development at IBM; First use of 360 by Aetna and American Airlines.

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.

Focuses on the origin of microprocessors. Components of a silicon; Processes involved in mass-producing chips; Standardization of silicon wafer diameters. INSET: Moore's Law.

Looks into the actions taken by computer companies to deal with the storage capacity demands in the information technology operations of Wichita, Kansas. Reason behind the increase in demand; Plans made for the development of a large capacity storage area network; Trends seen in the conception of storage management devices. INSET: PROPER PROTOCOL: Next year may be too soon for iSCSI.

Looks into the moves made by information technology companies in dealing with changes in the market of the computer industry in the U.S. Features of the business-process center established by Advo Inc.; Reorganizations made by Parsons Corp. on its business transactions; Actions taken by Avnet Inc. to improve performance in the market. INSET: OFFICE OF THE CIO: New structure needed, some say.

Focuses on computer vendors in the U.S. Level of commoditization of computers; Desktop vendors' overall rankings. INSET: THE UPSHOT.

Focuses on the supply chain of the computer industry during Christams season. Increase in the sales of companies in the industry; Moves of manufacturers and suppliers in response to the improvement of the industry; Need of the industry to ensure the supply chain to meet demands.

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

Reports on the strategic plans of computer products vendor Michael Dell in the U.S. Expansion of the product categories; Increase of market share; Customer services. INSET: THE UPSHOT.

Focuses on the shared networked storage topologies that introduce security exposures. Form of networked enterprise storage; Advantage of the networked storage; Disadvantage of the storage area networks. INSET: BEST PRACTICES: Tips to secure network storage.

Describes the process of computer hardware design in Verilog for embedded computer systems. Comparative advantage of hardware and software designs; Types of internal signals used in Verilog; Tasks involved when writing a memory-mapped hardware module.

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.

Comments on the contribution of computer companies in the embedded system markets in the U.S. Design of personal computers (PC); Competition in the PC market; Benefits of computers.

Focuses on the viability of utility computing for companies. Flexibility of the approach; Implications of the approach for technology vendors; Venture of computer companies into utility computing.

Focuses on test-driven management in extreme programming (XP). Importance of conducting management tests for the XP team; Suggestions on formulating management tests; Benefits from the results of the tests.

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.

Focuses on the patenting process of computer industries in the U.S. Measures taken by Acacia Media Technologies to reprimand companies accessing digital video and audio over the Internet; Accounts on the lawsuits alleging patent infringement against 27 adult-entertainment companies; List of companies sending out patent-license solicitations. INSET: MADNESS IN METHODS? An eye on the U.S. Patent Office.