31 October 2010

I was there...

I was there when you accessed your computer from a dumb terminal. It was an IBM 360/370. The printer room could have been a garage for a Volkswagen Beetle. Needed a full time printer operator 24/7 just to feed it processed trees called green bar. And all terminals lead back to the fifth floor in another building with a raised floor and glass walls. That is where IT legions serviced the Emperor IBM.

I was there in 1977 when Poly Morphic Systems's Poly 88 came on line. It was a kit and you had to assemble it yourself. Or, since I was working in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, I could afford to have an engineer in the US build one and ship it to me in Saudi as an electronic typewriter. Had 16k of ram on two boards. Basic took up 11k leaving 5k for working memory. WOW, but it was Freedom from the IBM Romans that controlled all the WAYS to the mainframe in Rome.

I was there in 1983 when Gavilan Mobile Computer came on line. Had a battery and floppy disk, unlike the Grid also available at the time. Your applications were now able to go where they were needed. Untethered and free to roam. Well, at 11 pounds, short battery life and a list price of 4,000 USD (in 1983 dollars), a few of us were allowed to roam. No one then could imagine where this would go. But indeed, go somewhere it has.

I was there when a small group of developers from Sausalito, CA brought Web NOS to market about 20 years ago. Josh, Delfin, Kim, Luc, Steph, and others were on to something. Trade marked WEB before anyone else realized that networking could become a web. It was a Peer to Peer networking system so there was no need for Rome. But if you wanted to build an empire, you could use it as a PC SBC platform.

The beauty of the WEB NOS was the simplicity. The brilliance was it allowed ARC-net based IPX/SPX to share the same network with TCP/IP on Ethernet. Old an new coexisted in harmony.

Everyone knows what happened next. The technologies were acquired by Microsoft. Became the foundation for Windows for Work groups. Asked Delfin what he was going to do next. He told me he was off to Hawaii and that Josh was going to Redmond.

Citrix popularized SBC computing with its ICA protocol. A desktop experience over a dial up connection. And it worked well for the niche it was designed to reach. I was slow to convert. Reminded me of Rome and Romans.

Some of us also remember the dark days back in the 90's when it was thought that Microsoft was going to introduce its own protocol RDP and cast Citrix out to sea. Did not happen and that was the right thing to do. Then.

Early in this decade I had a “ah ha” moment. I was siting at a bar over looking a bay that flows in to the Gulf of Mexico. A few sailboats moored just off shore with a single aging shrimp boat listing to port. Wish I could say there was a steel drum band playing in the background and young beauties on every bar stool swaying to the music. Nope. Country music playing on the jukebox with five year old smoked covered NASCAR posters on the walls. If a tourist walked in, they were very, very lost.

But there I was using my Microsoft based mobile phone accessing a web based management service for a cluster of MS 2003 servers. On my mobile phone screen was the log in screen for a server. Closest thing to an IT Corona moment I have ever had. Microsoft was on to something.

But Microsoft let it go. Was told by a Microsoft representative that this did not fit into the their “Ecosystem”. Sad because that log in screen contained some residual from the original Web NOS that had been carried over for those many years.

Very early one morning I was calling in the results of my previous few days testing of a new release of Web NOS to Sausalito expecting to get the answering machine. Josh answered the phone. After the briefing I remember asking Josh what was the purpose of that log in code. He told me and thought to myself that he made complexity visually simple. Not many people know what it did. But I still remember that morning talking with Josh and the Corona moment 15 years later. Bittersweet. It was the beginning of the end for Microsoft.

I think just about every one that follows IT has seen Mr. Ballmer on stage accusing everyone else of being a one trick pony. Often at the same time admitting maybe Microsoft does not get it right the first time, but by the second or third time they do get it. The era of three chances getting it right is over, for everyone. If everything you sell is PC centric, then your are a one trick pony. The shoe fits, wear it.

In a publicly held company, it is thought the responsibility of the Board of Directors is to represent the shareholders. That is the way it was. Changes in the way business must operate in the future, suggest that Boards must also represent stake holders, consumers and society. Ask Union Carbide after Bhopal. Ask just about anyone and everyone after Bhopal. The era of Directors cashing checks four times a year and nodding their heads in concurrence is over. Maybe not at Microsoft.

Good financial news today does not mean good business news for the future. Sometimes figures lie and liars figure. But it is the responsibility of the Boards to look over the horizon on behalf of management and provide them with safe harbor to weather the short term financial pundits, nay sayers and agents of the enemy, sorry, anyone that does not agree with management. But these same Boards have a fiduciary responsibility to warn management when there are tides, storms, reefs, shoals and darn big rocks out there. When the Boards are not capable of fulfilling their responsibility, then it is time for shareholders, stakeholders, customers and society to stand up and vote with their feet, voices, and all other available actions.

I believe Microsoft's' Board of Directors is letting Microsoft drift fatally on to the rocks. But I am just one voice. But this I also know. When 800 pound gorillas die, they get really big headlines. For one day.

This too shall pass.

Until the next post,

Steve

30 July 2010

Best Buy(R) and Clearwire(R) Unveil Strategic Wholesale Relationship and Plans to Offer Newly Branded 4G Mobile Broadband Service in the U.S.

This is a press release from Clearwire. Please keep in mind that Sprint Nextel Corporation owns a majority of Clearwire's shares. When you read Clearwire, you may or may not substitute the name Sprint Nextel. Read on.

Plans to Offer Newly Branded 4G Mobile Broadband Service in the U.S. 
Best Buy Becomes First Major Wholesaler, Outside of Clearwire's Strategic Investors, to Join Clearwire's 4G "Network of Networks" and Offer Service Under the Best Buy Name Best Buy ConnectSM 
Broadband Service to Offer New 4G Option 
Customers to Have Choice of Device and Plan That Best Fits Their Mobile Broadband Needs
MINNEAPOLIS & KIRKLAND, Wash., Jul 29, 2010 
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation ASDAQ:CLWR), a leading provider of wireless broadband services and operator of the fastest 4G network in the country, and Best Buy Connect, LLC, a subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) today announced the formation of a strategic wholesale relationship in which Best Buy will use Clearwire's 4G network to offer mobile internet service to customers under the Best Buy Connect service. Beginning in 2011, Best Buy will offer a new 4G tier for its recently introduced Best Buy Connect service. Best Buy Connect was conceived to help accelerate mobile broadband adoption by providing consumers the convenience of one-stop shopping for devices, service activation, billing and customer support from Best Buy.
"Our strategic wholesale agreement with Clearwire will enable Best Buy Connect to leverage the Clearwire 4G network's speed and bandwidth to deliver compelling new mobile broadband experiences for our customers," said Jed Stillman, vice president of Best Buy Connect. "This agreement paves the way to providing one-stop shopping and support for mobile broadband as more people become more connected across all kinds of devices. We believe consumers will appreciate the added advantage of relying on Best Buy Connect for both 3G and 4G mobile broadband services beginning next year."
"Best Buy is at the forefront of providing consumers with the best in consumer electronics products and services, and we are very proud to provide the mobile broadband network that will enable them to offer their own branded 4G service to their broad customer base," said Teresa Elder, president of strategic partnerships and wholesale at Clearwire. "This new agreement is particularly strategic for our 'network of networks' business model. Not only is this one of the first major wholesale agreements beyond our group of strategic investors, but it also demonstrates the interest in our network from companies outside of traditional service providers. We look forward to supporting Best Buy in the months and years ahead."
4G Coming to Best Buy Connect
Best Buy Connect will offer its customers 4G service options that use the Clearwire network currently available in dozens of cities across the United States, with network coverage expected to continue to expand.
Best Buy Connect joins a growing portfolio of exclusive branded content, connections and services that deliver the advantages of what Best Buy calls the "connected world" easily and seamlessly to consumers. Additional details can be found athttp://www.bestbuy.com/bestbuyconnect. Detailed company information about Clearwire is available at http://www.clearwire.com.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2010, we donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. 
For more information about Best Buy, visithttp://www.bestbuy.com.
About Clearwire
Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), through its operating subsidiaries, is a leading provider of wireless broadband services. Clearwire's 4G network is currently available in areas of the U.S. where approximately 51 million people live and the company plans to continue to expand its 4G coverage. Clearwire's open all-IP network, combined with significant spectrum holdings, provides an unprecedented combination of speed and mobility to deliver next generation broadband access. The company markets its 4G service through its own brand called CLEAR(R) as well as through its wholesale relationships with Sprint, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Strategic investors include Intel Capital, Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. Clearwire is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. Additional information is available athttp://www.clearwire.com.
Clearwire, CLEAR, the CLEAR logo and super fast mobile internet are trademarks or registered trademarks of Clearwire Communications LLC in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release, and other written and oral statements made by Best Buy and/or Clearwire from time to time, contains forward-looking statements which are based on management's current expectations and beliefs, as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made with information that is currently available. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, management's expectations regarding future financial and operating performance and financial condition; proposed transactions; network development and market launch plans; strategic plans and objectives; industry conditions; the strength of the balance sheet; liquidity and financing needs;business prospects; new strategies; the competitive environment and other events. The words "anticipate," "believe,""intend," "plan," "outlook," "will," "would," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "believe," "target," "designed," "plan" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward- looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of either company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from such statements.
In the case of Clearwire, some factors that could cause actual results to differ are:
Clearwire is an early-stage company with a history of operating losses and it expects to continue to realize significant net losses for the foreseeable future.
Clearwire's current and future plans are subject to a number of conditions and uncertainties, including among others, its ability to manage ongoing market development activities (including the development of over 10,000 sites), its performance in launched markets and its access to additional funding.
Clearwire regularly evaluate Its plans, and the company may elect to pursue new or alternative strategies which it believes would be beneficial to the company's business, including among other things, modifying the pace at which the company builds its 4G mobile broadband networks, augmenting its network coverage in markets it launches, changing its sales and marketing strategy and or acquiring additional spectrum.
If Clearwire's business fails to perform as the company expects, or if the company elects to pursue new plans or strategies, Clearwire may be required to raise substantial additional financing, and if it is unable to raise such financing on acceptable terms it may need to modify its plans accordingly.
Clearwire may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the transactions with Sprint and the strategic investors.
Clearwire is committed to using commercially reasonable efforts to deploy wireless broadband networks based solely on mobile WiMAX technology, even if there are alternative technologies available in the future that are technologically superior or more cost effective.
Clearwire currently depends on its commercial partners to develop and deliver the equipment for its legacy and mobile WiMAX networks.
Many of Clearwire's competitors are better established and have significantly greater resources, and may subsidize their competitive offerings with other products and services.
Clearwire's substantial indebtedness and restrictive debt covenants could limit its financing options and liquidity position and may limit the company's ability to grow its business.
Sprint Nextel Corporation owns a majority of Clearwire's shares, resulting in Sprint holding a majority voting interest in the company, and Sprint may have, or may develop in the future, interests that may diverge from other stockholders.
Future sales of large blocks of Clearwire's common stock may adversely impact its stock price.
For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please refer to Clearwire's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the information under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2010 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 6, 2010. 
Clearwire assumes no obligation to update or supplement such forward-looking statements.
In the case of Best Buy, among the factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements are the following: general economic conditions, changes in consumer preferences, credit market constraints, acquisitions and development of new businesses, divestitures, product availability, sales volumes, pricing actions and promotional activities of competitors, profit margins, weather, changes in law or regulations, foreign currency fluctuation, availability of suitable real estate locations, the company's ability to react to a disaster recovery situation, the impact of labor markets and new product introductions on overall profitability, failure to achieve anticipated benefits of announced transactions and integration challenges relating to new ventures. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the company's annual report and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Best Buy's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 28, 2010. Best Buy cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement that it may make.
SOURCE: Clearwire Corporation
Clearwire Media and Industry Analyst Relations:
Susan Johnston, 425-216-7913
susan.johnston@clearwire.com
or
JLM Partners for Clearwire
Mike DiGioia or Jeremy Pemble, 206-381-3600
mike@jlmpartners.com or jeremy@jlmpartners.com
or
Best Buy Public Relations:
Paula Baldwin, 612-291-6126
paula.baldwin@bestbuy.com











25 July 2010

Low Cost access –Cum-Computing Device Unveiled by Shri Kapil Sibal

How about a 35 USD Tablet?

"The Union Minister for human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal unveiled a low cost computing-cum-access device, here today. The price of the device exhibited today is expected to be around $35 per piece, gradually dropping down to $20 and ultimately to $10 a piece. Since this effort of continuous reduction in price and enhancement in capabilities would require a constant endeavour for R&D, IIT Rajasthan and some other IITs and technical institutions are setting up research teams to cover a wide range of issues in achieving our ultimate goal in terms of price and quality.

The three cardinal principles of the Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality could be served well by providing connectivity to all colleges and universities, providing low cost and affordable access cum computing devices to students and teachers and providing high quality e-content free of cost to all learners in the Country. National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT) encompasses all the three elements. Connectivity to Universities and Colleges has already started. Nearly 8500 Colleges in the country have already been connected, high quality e-content in various subjects is being created and under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), nearly 500 web based and video courses are available and uploaded on “sakshat”, YouTube and NPTEL portals and another 1100 courses in various disciplines of engineering and science are getting generated in 4 quadrant approach.

The ministry started its efforts , subsequent to lukewarm response from known corporates in this sector, by holding discussions on this concept with a group of Professors / experts at IISc, Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Bombay. B.Tech and M.Tech students were guided to produce the mother board for such low cost devices with ample flexibility to change components. One mother board design was generated under Ministry’s guidance in the B.Tech project of a student at VIT, Vellore. The cost of bill of material worked to 47 $ at that point of time. The PCB of the mother board was got fabricated at IIT Kanpur. It could be seen that by customising the device to the needs of learners across the country, and utilizing the processor capabilities of processors suitable for the purpose, it was possible to substantially reduce the prices of such access-cum-computing devices. Then started a wave of collaboration with such interested partners.

. A number of teams have been moving back and forth independently but constantly interacting with the HRD Ministry and improving upon design parameters and customization guidance for Indian students. The efforts of some of the teams working with those design philosophies were presented today. The aim is to reach such devices to the students of colleges and Universities and to provide these institutions a host of choices of low cost access devices around Rs. 1500/- ($35) or less in near future.

MV/Hb"

For additional information visit the links below.


What Could You Do With a $35 Tablet? By Tony Bradley, PC World
 
India Government Unveils A $35 Tablet, Rest Of The World Envies Posted on 24. Jul, 2010 by TabletMan in Tablets


Until the next post,

Steve

10 June 2010

Ulteo and Microsoft

Found this in my email. It is most interesting. What do you think!

MICROSOFT IS HELPING ULTEO TO DELIVER AN ENTERPRISE CLASS TIGHTLY INTEGRATED WINDOWS + LINUX BASED ULTEO VIRTUAL DESKTOP AND APPLICATIONS DELIVERY SOLUTION

Veröffentlicht am 06/08/2010

Paris June 8th, 2010: Ulteo has been selected to join Microsoft France idEES, a special Microsoft program supporting innovative high potential software startups.

Ulteo is a commercial enterprise open source software startup that develops and distributes the Open Virtual Desktop (OVD) solution. The Ulteo OVD allows organizations of all sizes to cenrally manage and remotely publish end users' Linux and/or Windows business applications instead of installing the applications on the end users' local computers. 

The Ulteo OVD brings multiple key benefits to organizations: it reduces the costs of managing the end user environment (applications and data) and allows the end users access from any connected computer (work, hotel, home, customer or supplier sites, etc.). Other benefits include increased data security and increased agility for IT departments, for faster roll-out of new versions and new features of their business applications portfolio to end users.

This Microsoft - Ulteo partnership includes technological, marketing and commercial aspects and it is part of the idEES program (Initiative for the Economic Development of the Software publishers and Start-up) of Microsoft France.

“Because of its selectivity, this partnership is a great recognition for Ulteo. From the start, we have developed the Ulteo OVD on top of both the Linux and the Windows platforms. Joining the Microsoft special idEES program allows us to provide an even tighter integration between Windows Server, Active Directory and Ulteo so that any Windows enterprise customer can benefit from Windows applications delivery with the Ulteo OVDThierry Koehrlen, CEO & co-founder of Ulteo.  solution” says

“We want to offer and guarantee Windows customers a joint solution that provides them with a real enterprise-ready, interoperable virtual desktop solution. By leveraging the Windows Server Terminal Services infrastructure, the Linux-based Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop solution can centrally manage and remotely publish to end users both Windows and Linux applications in a seamless manner.”

The combined product solution could be similarly used in publishing only Windows applications - either from a portal or a desktop published in a browser, securely accessible both internally or externally for any organization.

“Ulteo's offer perfectly matches the global Microsoft openness and interoperability strategy, mixing Microsoft and non-Microsoft environments" adds Alfonso Castro Director of Interoperability Microsoft France. "By joining the IdEES program, Ulteo is a great example that Open Source startups can work tightly with Microsoft's platform. They can count on us to support them in that strategy.”

Ulteo is already working on integrating its Open Virtual Desktop solution with additional Microsoft technology and products like Sharepoint, the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol - and also Microsoft HyperV, App-V and Azure.

“At Microsoft, we are very interested in Ulteo because they are solving a big problem - but also because the combination of Ulteo and Microsoft products gives more choices to the IT departments to build an open virtual desktop and application delivery solution”, says Julien Codorniou, Director of Business Development at Microsoft France. 
“Ulteo is very modular and can work with different Microsoft products and in different configurations. For example the combination of the Microsoft and Ulteo solutions can publish Windows and Linux applications remotely, either from the customers servers/data centers and/or from a cloud solution built by software vendors, telco companies or systems integrators.”

The Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop v2.0 is currently available for download in English, French and Russian at http://www.ulteo.com and the Ulteo OVD 2.5 is in beta test and will be released within the next few weeks.


About Ulteo
Ulteo is the Open Source Enterprise Virtual Desktop and Application Delivery Solution company (open source SBC & VDI solutions), co-founded by veteran open source entrepreneurs Gaël Duval (founder of Mandrake Linux, a popular Linux distribution) and Thierry Koehrlen (co-founder of Intalio, the leading Open Source BPMS & Cloud company). 

More at www.ulteo.com

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

More on www.microsoft.com

Contacts: press at ulteo dot com

Until the next post,

Steve 

14 February 2010

Open Kernel Labs (OK Labs) and Citrix on a mobile phone


CHICAGO – February 2, 2010 – Open Kernel Labs (OK Labs), the leading global provider of embedded virtualization software for mobile phones and broadband Internet devices, and Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS), today announced the “nirvana phone” reference architecture, using virtualization to enable both mobile communications and office desktop-type productivity.  The nirvana phone concept goes beyond traditional smart phones by allowing users to access their corporate virtual desktop and applications from a single device, in any location. With support for docking to full-sized displays, keyboards, mice and other PC-type peripherals, nirvana phones will offer mobile workers a complete “virtual desktop in your pocket”, allowing them to take their desktop anywhere without the need to carry around a full laptop.



The nirvana phone reference architecture emerges from the partnership between OK Labs and Citrix, together with key ecosystem partners ranging from semiconductor suppliers and handset OEMs to enterprise IT suppliers and mobile network operators (MNOs). The design builds on Mobile-to-Enterprise (M2E) virtualization and readily-available functionality like mobile virtualization, cloud computing and wireless connectivity (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth).  The nirvana phone reference architecture also incorporates emerging capabilities in mobile chipsets and handsets like full resolution video and HD output.  The jointly-developed reference architecture can be viewed at http://www.ok-labs.com/whitepapers/sample/the-nirvanaphone-concept-spec-and-reference-architeture

“The nirvana phone takes smartphones to the next level by bringing M2E from paradigm to platform and ultimately to product,” noted Chris Fleck VP of Community and Solution Development, Citrix.  “As HD video and other capabilities come on line in mobile chipsets, Citrix and OK Labs are working together to give OEMs a clear path to building handsets that meet the needs of IT organizations and mobile workers alike, delivering virtual desktops and applications to virtualized mobile devices.”



 “The nirvana phone will provide groundbreaking capabilities without breaking IT budgets with exotic technology,” said Steve Subar, President and CEO, OK Labs. ”The nirvana phone represents a near-term paradigm shift – OK Labs, Citrix, and our ecosystem partners envision real-world converged nirvana devices enabled for both mobility and desktop productivity entering the market within 12 to 18 months.”

Mobile-to-Enterprise (M2E) Virtualization

Citrix Systems is both a strategic investor and a key partner for OK Labs, working with the company to provide solutions for delivering enterprise applications to mobile with M2E virtualization. The companies’ combined technologies, including Citrix desktop virtualization and the OKL4 mobile virtualization solutions, promise easily-deployed and securely-managed access to enterprise and desktop applications from wireless devices.  M2E virtualization enables end users to leverage a single device, bridging corporate and personal worlds without risk of compromising company data, applications, or networks.
Learn About the Nirvana Phone – February 9, 2010 Webinar

The joint event from OK Labs and Citrix will give participants insight into the details of the nirvana phone design and the benefits it provides. 


To register for this informative event, visit http://bit.ly/67QG73

Open Kernel Labs

OK Labs is the global leader in virtualization software for mobile devices, consumer electronics, and embedded systems. Backed by the largest independent team of microkernel developers, OKL4 is deployed on more than 500 million mobile phones worldwide. Device OEMs, semiconductor suppliers, and mobile network operators depend on OK Labs to deliver high performance solutions that decrease BOM cost, reduce complexity, and speed time-to-market. 



For information on the OK Community, please visit the Community Portal at http://www.ok-labs.com/community/community-portal.  Participants can join the Developer Mailing List athttp://www.ok-labs.com/community/mailing-list-signup.

About Citrix

Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leading provider of virtualization, networking and software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies for more than 230,000 organizations worldwide. Its Citrix Delivery Center™, Citrix Cloud Center™ (C3) and Citrix Online Services product families radically simplify computing for millions of users, delivering applications as an on-demand service to any user, in any location on any device. Citrix customers include the world’s largest Internet companies, 99 percent of Fortune Global 500 enterprises, and hundreds of thousands of small businesses and prosumers worldwide. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies worldwide in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1989, annual revenue in 2008 was $1.6 billion.

For Citrix Investors

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance.  Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with revenue growth and recognition of revenue, products, their development and distribution, product demand and pipeline, economic and competitive factors, the Company’s key strategic relationships, acquisition and related integration risks as well as other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein. 



###


Open Kernel Labs, OK Labs and Secure HyperCell™ Technology are trademarks or registered trademarks of Open Kernel Labs or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT:
Karin Gilles    

Citrix    

+1 408 790 8544    


Trish Colby    

LinuxPundit.com    

+1 408 828 2861    


Martha de Monclin

Page One Europe

+44 777 168 2434


Marti Konstant

Open Kernel Labs

+1 312 933 0101

29 November 2009

November 25th, 2009 - Ulteo introduces open source virtual desktop OVD 2.0. This new release delivers both Linux and/or Windows applications as complete virtual desktops – and also via web portal.

I have the new version up and running. So simple that this widows guy could set it up by just reading the installation PDF.  The only client requirement is that you have a Java enabled browser. Have tested it with Firefox, IE8 and Opera with no problems.
Delivering Linux and/or Windows applications to virtualized desktops and/or web portals

Open Virtual Desktop (OVD) 1.0 was about delivering Linux and/or Windows applications to virtual desktops accessible from within or outside an organization. OVD 2.0 takes this concept even further by providing key additional features: “Some IT departments have the requirement of delivering complete desktops to end-users, but others would prefer to deliver individual applications. With OVD 2.0, users can simply click a link on a web page to launch a single application without the overhead of a complete desktop”, says Thierry Koehrlen CEO & co-founder of Ulteo. “Users can now log into their corporate portal and simply click a link to launch a remote Windows and/or Linux application, or they can click an icon to open a document with an associated remote application.”

Ulteo OVD 2.0 provides more implementation choices to IT departments “OVD 2.0 is about providing more choices from an architecture perspective as well” adds Gaël Duval, Ulteo CTO and co-founder.
“We are very focused on what our community of users is asking for.

They wanted more options with Ulteo OVD, so we're happy to provide shared directories for greater user collaboration, the foundation for a wider assortment of supported databases, single sign-on, support for different web portal, ECMs, support for Windows Server 2003 and 2008, hypervisors, and more. OVD 2.0 delivers an impressive set of new features; upcoming point releases will further increase the list of supported products so that OVD will seamlessly fit into most current and future environments. For example, OVD can now run on Amazon's EC2 cloud computing environment. This ability was made possible with the help of the Open Source community which allows us to deliver an impressive list of features much faster than on our own.”

Ulteo OVD: a flexible Open Source Virtual Desktop solution for public and private organizations of all sizes, and also for telco and cloud companies

"In our daily interactions with the community of Ulteo users (Desktop Architects, System & support Administrators, IT managers), several key reasons are given for the adoption of Open Virtual Desktop" comments Thierry Koehrlen. “The number one reason is the ability to deploy Windows or Linux applications, and even a mixture of both, to a unified desktop environment. Ulteo users also greatly appreciate the cost reductions provided by our product, plus the fact that Ulteo Enterprise subscription plans provide a comprehensive and affordable support solution. The simplicity and ease-of-use of the system is another popular reason. And finally, the openness of the code and development process guarantees both flexibility and the ability to customize the product for any organization."

Mike Norman, Open Source Analyst at http://www.virtualizationpractice.com  sums it up: “Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop (OVD) delivers Terminal Services, Linux and Windows desktop applications through a single portal to any Java-enabled browser, without installing a client application. In a market dominated by high-cost proprietary solutions, it offers a cost-effective Open Source desktop connection broker for enterprise applications and application service providers.”

Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop 2.0 is now available for download at:


Read more about the features at:


For more information please go to:


Media inquiries: please contact press(at)ulteo(dot)com

Customer and partner inquiries: please contact sales(at)ulteo(dot)com

About Ulteo

Ulteo is the Open Source Enterprise Virtual Desktop and Application Delivery Solution company co-founded by veteran open source entrepreneurs Gaël Duval (founder of Mandrake Linux, a popular Linux distribution) and Thierry Koehrlen (co-founder of Intalio, the leading Open Source BPMS). Ulteo is proud to have won the “Best Open Source Start-up” award at the Open World Forum 2009.

Until the next post,


Steve

05 July 2009

Press Release: Comcast Begins National Rollout of High-Speed Wireless Data Service

Portland first to launch Comcast High-Speed 2go™ with Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and more launching before year-end 2009

Philadelphia, PA - June 29, 2009

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information, and communications products and services, launches its anticipated high-speed wireless data service tomorrow in Portland as the company kicks off its nationwide rollout of Comcast High-Speed 2go™.

Comcast’s High-Speed 2go is a fourth-generation or 4G wireless high-speed data service that provides the fastest available wireless Internet in the nation via wireless data cards. Comcast will be selling this wireless service bundled with one or more of its popular Internet, phone and television products, providing mobile broadband where ever and whenever customers need to be connected.

“With Comcast’s wideband Internet, we already offer one of the fastest wired connections available today. Now with the launch of High-Speed 2go, we also deliver the nation’s fastest wireless Internet,” said Cathy Avgiris, senior vice president and general manager for wireless and voice services at Comcast. “Innovation through mobility is one of many advances Comcast is providing consumers in the area of entertainment, information and communications. Comcast High-Speed 2go now gives consumers the best of both worlds, the fastest fast at home and on the go. In today’s world, consumers don’t want to be disconnected for even a minute and now Comcast provides wired and wireless access – a combination consumers won’t want to live without.”

Comcast is selling two different data cards and service plans:

  • Comcast High-Speed 2go Metro service uses a 4G-only data card giving customers the fastest wireless service within the 4G metro coverage area. The Metro device operates only in a 4G service footprint.
  • Comcast High-Speed 2go Nationwide service delivers the fastest metro 4G service plus coast-to-coast access on Sprint’s national 3G network. The Nationwide device automatically switches between available 4G and 3G networks.

The world-class services Comcast is known for in the home are beginning to be extended to where consumers work, live and play. High-speed mobile Internet is one of the first products consumers want as a natural extension of Comcast’s super fast wired high-speed Internet. The combination of the two is a unique proposition and the only package of its kind available in Portland today.

Bundled Pricing
For the first time, consumers will have bundled access to both the fastest wired and wireless internet in the nation - sold together at launch as a “Fast Pack”www.comcast.com/highspeed2go for additional pricing plans and service packages. for as low as $49.99 per month for one year. Both new and existing Comcast customers will be eligible for special bundled pricing, with Triple Play customers receiving 4G wireless as an add-on for as low as $30 per month. Visit

The $49.99 Fast Pack Metro service includes Comcast’s 12 Mbps home Internet service, a free WiFi router for mobility and extended coverage in the home, and 4G service that will provide up to 4 Mbps download speed when customers are on the go. For an additional $20 per month, consumers can upgrade to the Fast Pack Nationwide service that includes the same services plus nationwide 3G mobile network access.

Comcast also will be selling High-Speed 2go to small-to-mid-sized businesses through Comcast Business Services sales teams. As the nation’s largest video provider, largest residential ISP and the third-largest residential phone provider, Comcast now has the ability to provide wireless mobility to consumers in a combination that is both competitive and differentiated from any bundled services on the market today.

Comcast is selling wireless data services following its investment in Clearwire in November 2008. Comcast’s 4G service will be provided via the Clearwire network, and its 3G service will be provided by Sprint’s nationwide 3G network. Comcast is one of the first investors in Clearwire to bring a service to market and expects that it will continue to add value to existing bundled products.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 6.8 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

22 November 2008

Ulteo unveils the first Open Source virtual desktop

Received an email from Ulteo about their entry into the Server Based Computing market. Then ZDnets' Paula Rooney article appeared in the news column to the left or click here to read. Maybe there just might be something here that will grow legs.

From the news page at Ulteo Published on 11/19/2008

Following its commitment to desktop virtualization solutions, Ulteo, an Open Virtual Desktop Infrastructure company, announced today that they were releasing the first installable version of their Open Virtual Desktop solution for enterprises. Delivering faster deployment times and ease of management for the IT department, this first release can be integrated easily into an existing professional Linux or Windows IT environment. The solution can be up and running in a few minutes, delivering rich desktop applications to corporate users.

Virtual desktops help reduce end user desktop TCO, but businesses can go much further with the open source Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop Solution

Ulteo enters the corporate market as a pure Open Source player, and leverages the experience it acquired during the past two years with virtualization products & services that were previously offered on their own servers.

The Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop is a great solution for corporations who want to reduce the Total Costs of Ownership of the end user desktop, a cost that cripples IT budgets. Moreover, the Ulteo open source business model remove the typical upfront licence fee and replace it with a much more affordable subscription support plan instead. “With Ulteo businesses save money even in the first year of virtual desktops deployment and that counts in the current economic environment” says Thierry Koehrlen, CEO and co-founder of the company.

The Ulteo solution also helps IT departments to increase the end users systems uptime and mobility and therefore their productivity.

“This first version of the Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop is great for all the companies who are seeking to leverage open source applications and Linux within a Linux or a Windows environment. And in February 2009, Windows applications will be available too, integrated into a unified interface" Koehrlen advises.

Ulteo makes virtual desktops easier for the IT department:

Ulteo's solution has been designed with a radical approach: in particular, no installation is needed on the Desktop client, and nothing has to be replaced or modified in the existing infrastructure.

IT administrators appreciate the simplified quick installation, configuration and deployment process of the Ulteo virtual desktops. They also appreciate the value of accessing to the code so that the solution can be customized to fit even better their specific needs.

Advanced features include a full administration console, desktop sharing, application server replication and many others.

The Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop is ready for business:

The product has already served more than 140,000 desktop sessions over the last few months and has been tested through external Proof of Concepts with some early adopters’ organisations. “So we are very excited to share it now with the rest of the world and to expand the community of users and developers around it” reports Gael Duval, CTO and co-founder of Ulteo.

Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop is Open-Source and IT departments have the choice to either use the free version with community support, or benefit from commercial licensing terms that offers extended support to organizations wishing to enter a commercial and privileged relationship with Ulteo.

For more information please go to http://www.ulteo.com

Media enquiries: please contact press(at)ulteo(dot).com

About Ulteo Ulteo is and Open Source Enterprise Virtual Desktop and Application Delivery Solution co-founded by veteran open source entrepreneurs Gaël Duval (founder of Mandrake Linux, a popular Linux distribution) and Thierry Koehrlen (co-founder of Intalio, the leading Open Source BPMS).
Until the next post,

Steve

08 November 2008

Nasty packages for computer peripherals

This post is going to be different. I am going to endorse a product. Not just list a product, but endorse it. It is not Server Based Computing hardware, nor software, not cabling or any computer vendor. But it will be welcomed in every server room in the world. It is a device to open those nasty packages that computer peripherals are wrapped in. To this day I do not know how they make that exotic metal alloy look like clear plastic.

The “OpenIt!” product is a combination scissor/shears, knife and screw driver. I have used each of those devices individually to open those nasty plastic packages. The major difference is that the shear blades are angled and offset. In the past when using regular scissors to open those nasty packages, the plastic come in contact with you hand. Not good. The offset and angled cutting blades allow you work around the package without coming in contact with the plastic.

OpenIt! Includes a small interchangeable Phillips head and straight slot screw diver. Those is also a retracting knife to cut plastic or tape that enclose software or DVDs. I found this device at a Walgreens in the hardware section. Not much money for something that does what this product does.

Until the next post,

Steve

05 November 2008

FCC ADOPTS RULES FOR UNLICENSED USE OF TELEVISION WHITE SPACES

Let the air wave wars begin. And it is unlicensed!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 4, 2008

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Robert Kenny: (202) 418-2668
Matthew Nodine: (202) 418-1646

FCC ADOPTS RULES FOR UNLICENSED USE OF TELEVISION WHITE SPACES

In its continuing efforts to promote efficient use of spectrum and to extend the benefits of such use to the public, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted a Second Report and Order (Second R&O) that establishes rules to allow new, sophisticated wireless devices to operate in broadcast television spectrum on a secondary basis at locations where that spectrum is open. (This unused TV spectrum is now commonly referred to as television “white spaces”). The rules adopted today will allow for the use of these new and innovative types of unlicensed devices in the unused spectrum to provide broadband data and other services for consumers and businesses.

The rules represent a careful first step to permit the operation of unlicensed devices in the TV white spaces and include numerous safeguards to protect incumbent services against harmful interference. The rules will allow for both fixed and personal/portable unlicensed devices. Such devices must include a geolocation capability and provisions to access over the Internet a data base of the incumbent services, such as full power and low power TV stations and cable system headends, in addition to spectrum-sensing technology. The data base will tell the white space device what spectrum may be used at that location.

Wireless microphones will be protected in a variety of ways. The locations where wireless microphones are used, such as sporting venues and event and production facilities, can be registered in the data base and will be protected in the same way as other services. The Commission also has required that devices include the ability to listen to the airwaves to sense wireless microphones as an additional measure of protection for these devices.

All white space devices are subject to equipment certification by the FCC Laboratory. The Laboratory will request samples of the devices for testing to ensure that they meet all the pertinent requirements.

The Commission also will permit certification of devices that do not include the geolocation and data base access capabilities, and instead rely solely on spectrum sensing to avoid causing harmful interference, subject to a much more rigorous approval process.


In a process that will be open to the public, applications will be released for public comment prior to agency action. Such devices will be tested by our Laboratory to a “Proof of Performance” standard both in the lab and in a variety of real-world environments to ensure they do not cause interference to licensed services when in use. The staff report and recommendation will also be released for public comment. For now, certification of any such device will require approval by the full Commission.

Manufacturers may continue to provide additional information to the Commission to support the use of higher power devices in adjacent channels. In addition, the Commission will explore in a separate Notice of Inquiry whether higher-powered unlicensed operations might be permitted in TV white spaces in rural areas.

The Commission will closely oversee and monitor the introduction of TV white space devices. The Commission will act promptly to remove from the market any equipment found to be causing harmful interference and will require the responsible parties to take appropriate actions to remedy any interference that may occur.

Action by the Commission November 4, 2008, by Second Report and Order (FCC 08-260). Chairman Martin, Commissioners Copps, Adelstein, and McDowell with Commissioner Tate approving and dissenting in part. Separate statements issued by Chairman Martin, Commissioners Copps, Adelstein, Tate and McDowell.

For additional information, contact Alan Stillwell at (202) 418-2470 or alan.stillwell@fcc.gov.

FCC


News and other information about the FCC is available at www.fcc.gov
Until the next post,

Steve

13 October 2008

NComputing Wins Bid to Provide Computing Access to 1.8 Million Students in India


REDWOOD CITY, CALIF., October 13, 2008 – NComputing, the leading provider of low-cost computing solutions, today announced that it was chosen to supply a massive 5,000-school educational computing initiative in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The initiative will provide computing access to 1.8 million children throughout the state. Andhra Pradesh is the largest and most populous state in South India. Andhra Pradesh will contract leading education IT firms to build the computer labs in 5,000 schools totaling 50,000 computing seats over the coming few months. The win marks the largest single deployment of NComputing's solution in India. The decision to deploy NComputing's low-cost and eco-friendly solution establishes the government of Andhra Pradesh as an innovator in educational computing and provides a blueprint for other governments and institutions considering similar projects.

By leveraging NComputing, the government will save $20 million in up-front and ongoing costs. The government will also use 90% less electricity compared to a traditional all-PC solution. "NComputing is proud to have been chosen by Andhra Pradesh to fulfill its vision to improve learning and computer literacy throughout the state," said Stephen Dukker, chairman and CEO of NComputing. "At about $70 per seat, our solution is the ideal platform to enable schools, businesses, and governments to maximize their PC investment. We are the world leader in desktop virtualization and the scale of this deployment further extends our leadership position."

The NComputing solution is based on a simple fact: today's PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications only use a small fraction of the computer's capacity. NComputing technology creates multiple virtual desktops on a single PC so that many users can tap the unused capacity and share it as if each person had their own computer. Andhra Pradesh chose the NComputing X300 solution, which enables up to seven users to simultaneously share one PC.

The computing labs will be used to teach computer skills and office productivity (spreadsheets, word processing) as well as subjects like reading and math. The entire system will run on the Microsoft Windows Server operating system and use Microsoft Office Suite. "India holds a strong position in the knowledge economy today due to the country's consistent investment in education over the years," said Javier Arrupea Gitlin, director, Microsoft Unlimited Potential Group. "In India and around the globe, Microsoft is committed to enabling affordable access to computing for education. Through Microsoft's Unlimited Potential commitment, we are continually looking for innovative and affordable technology solutions that can sustain social and economic progress. Initiatives such as this announced today that leverage the value toeducational computing provided by the Windows Server platform represent yet another solution that can help move us towards this goal."

"With the modernization of India's economy, students are eager to learn the computer skills that will prepare them for the digital workplace – but most government school students have never even had the chance to type on a keyboard or click a mouse," said Mr. Raj Shah, chief marketing officer of NComputing, "This computerization project shows how forward thinking governments can use proven and practical technologies like NComputing to bridge the digital divide."

The project is based on an innovative outsourcing model. The Andhra Pradesh government will outsource the entire project for five years to leading educational IT companies, including Educomp, Everonn, NIIT, and Social Computers. The model is referred to as Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) and requires the companies to install, staff, and manage the labs. This arrangement helps ensure that the labs are installed quickly and performance benchmarks are met. The five-year period also enables school staff to develop their own competencies in managing the labs and computer-aided teaching.

NComputing's technology is used by 20,000 organizations in more than 90 countries. In the United States, NComputing has been deployed by over 4,000 school districts in classrooms, computer labs, and libraries. Although smaller in scale than Andhra Pradesh, school districts in North America face many of the same challenges including tight budgets, demand for wider computing access, limited IT support staff, and a desire to use "green" technology.

NComputing has received numerous green computing awards because it uses just 1 watt of electricity (compared to 110 watts or more for stand-alone PCs). "Our students are learning about global warming and increasingly engaged in school initiatives to lower the carbon footprint," said Richard Potter of Medicine Hat School District. "We rebuilt our computer lab with NComputing and a few PCs and the students planted a hundred trees to create a carbon-neutral computer lab."

NComputing recently announced that Will Poole, former corporate vice president of Microsoft's Unlimited Potential Group, has joined as co-chairman.

About NComputing, Inc.
Winner of the Wall Street Journal's Technology Innovation Award, NComputing, Inc. was founded with the goal of making desktop computing affordable for everyone. Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, NComputing is a privately held virtualization software and hardware company. The company's patented technology drastically lowers desktop computing costs, improves manageability, and reduces both energy consumption and e-waste.



Media Contacts:
Renee Deger
GlobalFluency
(650) 433-4153
cvanhaver@globalfluency.com

David Rand
NComputing, Inc.
drand at ncomputing dot com