Lenovo Acquires Stoneware to Expand Secure Cloud Computing

Press release:

Lenovo Acquires Stoneware to Expand Secure Cloud Computing

Lenovo grows its technology portfolio and advances its PC Plus strategy

Stoneware brings substantial experience and expertise in secure cloud computing

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. and Carmel, IN, September 18, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced the acquisition of Stoneware Inc., to enhance and expand its cloud computing solutions, a key component of Lenovo’s product portfolio. Stoneware has built a strong, profitable, and growing business by delivering innovative software technologies, which are helping people and organizations make the complex environment of cloud computing that much simpler.

 

As a result of this acquisition, Lenovo will add significant new technologies and accelerate its capabilities for both commercial and consumer cloud offerings, particularly the ability to provide secure content across multiple devices in education and government.
 

Lenovo’s product portfolio will benefit from the experience and expertise of the Stoneware team. Stoneware already has several strong, highly innovative cloud products – including webNetwork and LanSchool – that serve millions of users primarily in education and the public sector. Lenovo will help extend the reach of these products as well as new offerings through its global reach as the world’s second largest PC maker and number one commercial laptop company. Lenovo will also help develop the opportunity to extend this technology, beyond the current strongholds that Stoneware has in government and in education, into more consumer-focused offerings over time.
 

“Adding Stoneware cloud computing into the Lenovo line up presents a significant opportunity to leverage their success, and enhance our PC Plus offerings, all to the benefit of our customers,“ said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, and president, Product Group, Lenovo. “We have a history of innovation and embracing new technologies, and the talented team at Stoneware will fit in perfectly with our long-term strategy.
 

With today’s typical technology user carrying multiple devices, the PC Plus era is here, and Lenovo is aggressively expanding its product offerings and capabilities to help people and businesses connect across any device to the content and communities that matter most to them. Customers simply want a better way to connect their PC with their tablet with their smartphone, and with Stoneware, Lenovo aims to help them get there.
 

The purchase of Stoneware is critical to Lenovo’s broader PC Plus strategy. As a recognized leader in PCs, with the momentum of an expanding tablet and smartphone business and a newly formed joint venture with EMC, Lenovo aims to offer end-to-end secure solutions to business customers and compelling cloud-based technology to consumers.
 

“We are pleased to be joining forces with Lenovo”, said Rick German, CEO, Stoneware. “Lenovo is one of the largest and fastest growing technology companies in the world and for Stoneware, a small company with roots in the heartland of the United States, we are delighted to be given the opportunity to deliver real benefit to customers on a global stage.”
 

While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition is not material to Lenovo’s earnings. Stoneware has 67 employees, located in either Indiana or Salt Lake City, Utah. As part of this agreement, it is expected that all U.S.-based Stoneware employees will join Lenovo, and that there will be no job losses as a result of today’s announcement.
 

The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2012 and in the coming weeks the Stoneware team will be fully integrated into Lenovo. The Stoneware team will remain in Indiana and Utah and will continue to sell both webNetwork and LanSchool while serving customers and partners with the same level of dedication and excellence.
 

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company and the world’s second largest PC company, serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the Company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com.

Synaptics Introduces Advanced Touch Experience in Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820

Press release:

Synaptics Introduces Advanced Touch Experience in Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820

Super Sensitive Touch™ built on ClearPad™ Series 3 enables enhanced touch support on Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphones

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Sept. 5, 2012 – Synaptics Inc. (NASDAQ: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions, today announced that the new Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will be the first smartphones in the world to use a new advanced multi-touch experience based on the Synaptics ClearPad capacitive touchscreen sensing technology.

Synaptics ClearPad Series 3, the premier mobile touch solution for premium high end smartphones, has raised the bar for high performance touch on the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 with the introduction of support for gloves and fingernails.

Previously, people were unable to use their smartphone touchscreens with gloved fingers or long fingernails, requiring them to remove their gloves, or awkwardly position their fingers with long nails in order to operate their phones. For the first time ever, ClearPad Series 3 technology instantly optimizes the touch experience by automatically detecting the presence of skin, gloved fingers, or fingernails, giving users a seamless multi-touch experience regardless of input methods.

“With Synaptics’ continuous innovation on touch, we are able to pioneer new technologies that improve smartphone user experience,” said Kevin Shields, senior vice president, Smart Devices, Nokia. “Nokia has been a leader in display technology, and we are setting a new standard with Super Sensitive Touch technology on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820.”
Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone 8 device, the Lumia 920, features an impressive smartphone display based on exclusive technology called Nokia PureMotion HD+. With better than HD resolution, overdrive technology for keeping moving images pixel-perfect and sunlight enhancements for easy viewing even in the brightest sunlight, the 4.5 inch display of the Lumia 920 produces a totally immersive experience. PureMotion displays are super-sensitive with any touch interaction, enabled by the ClearPad Series 3 technology.

“We are excited to participate with Nokia as they unveil their first Windows Phone 8 devices by enabling advanced features such as gloved finger support,” said Kevin Barber, senior vice president and general manager of Synaptics Handheld Division. “Synaptics and Nokia have partnered for many years and we’re pleased to continue the innovation with the introduction of these new devices.”

ClearPad Series 3 offers up to 10 finger full-time tracking and fast refresh rates, with industry leading signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), delivering high performance to the most demanding smartphones. Synaptics’ patented SignalClarity™ technology improves tracking accuracy, finger separation, and environmental and electrical noise robustness for an unmatched user experience. Synaptics’ Design Studio™4 (DS4) accelerates the ClearPad development cycle by enabling customers to evaluate and optimize the performance of their touch experience, enabling OEMS to implement their custom ClearPad sensor solution more efficiently.

For up-to-the-minute Synaptics news, follow @SynaCorp on Twitter. For more information on Synaptics’ products and solutions, please visit www.synaptics.com.

About Synaptics
As a leading developer of human interface solutions which enhance the user experience, Synaptics provides the broadest touch solutions portfolio in the industry. The ClearPad™ family supports touchscreen solutions for devices ranging from entry-level mobile phones to flagship premium smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs. The TouchPad™ family, including ClickPad™ and ForcePad™, is integrated into the majority of today's notebook PCs. Synaptics’ wide portfolio also includes ThinTouch™ supporting thin and light keyboard solutions, as well as key technologies for next generation touch-enabled video and display applications.
(NASDAQ: SYNA) www.synaptics.com

# # #

Lenovo Reveals Portfolio of Idea PCs Primed for Windows 8

Press release:

Lenovo Reveals Portfolio of Idea PCs Primed for Windows 8

New IdeaPad Laptops and IdeaCentre Desktops Designed for Mobility and
Productivity in the PC-Plus Era

IFA 2012, Berlin– August 31, 2012: Today at the IFA consumer electronics show, Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) introduced a comprehensive update of its Idea-branded consumer PCs, including a new IdeaPad® U Series Ultrabook, IdeaPadY and Z Series laptops, and IdeaCentre®A and B Series all-in-one (AIO) desktops. Powered by third generation Intel® Core™ processors or AMD A-Series processors, Lenovo’s new PCs offer consumers a variety of style, color and performance options, designed for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

 

“Our latest Idea-branded products offer more comfort, simplicity and responsiveness than ever before,” said Wei Jun, vice president, Idea Product Group, Lenovo. “Designed for an optimal Windows 8 experience, users can enjoy up to 10-finger multi-touch for versatile computing; Intelligent TouchPad for easy scrolling, zooming and rotating; Lenovo Cloud for media sharing between devices; and the Windows Store for access to thousands of entertaining and useful apps. These new Idea PCs embody our commitment to deliver products that reflect the style and energy of the user.”

 

IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook – Ultra Thin, Ultra Light

Following in the footsteps of its fashionable predecessors, the U310 and U410, the 15-inch IdeaPad U510 combines the best features of a traditional laptop with the sleek aesthetics and desirable qualities of a tablet. Measuring just 21mm thickand weighing under 2.2kg, the U510 combines high-performance technologies for ultra-responsive computing and instant-on system resume in just over a second, including up to a third generation Intel Core i7 processor, and as much as 1TB of HDD storage with an optional 32GB solid state drive cache, and a battery life of up to six hours. The U510 is also equipped with an integrated DVD reader/writer or Blu-ray Disc™ drive.

 

IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 – Multimedia Powerhouses

The latest offerings in Lenovo’s Y Series, the IdeaPad Y400 and Y500, are mobile gaming and multimedia powerhouses. Designed to perform, the Y400 and Y500 feature the unique UltraBay—an interchangeable bay that users can instantly swap out for dual graphics capability, increased storage space or an additional fan for cooling. Whether editing photos and videos or playing computer games, the laptops can handle almost any intensive task thrown at them. Each model is equipped with up to third generation Intel® Core i7 processors, NVIDIA® GeForce® GT655M 2GB dual graphics, up to 16GB DDR3 memory, and as much as 1TB of HDD storage. With looks to match, they also feature an eye-catching carbon fiber patterned cover, 14-inch and 15.6-inch LED backlit widescreen HD displays, and a dual-layer backlit AccuType keyboard with a large one-piece touchpad. The IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 also include JBL® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® v4—a perfect audio complement when watching HD videos.

 

IdeaPad Z400 and Z500 – Slim, Powerful Laptops

The Z400 and Z500 are 25 percent slimmer than a standard laptop², without compromising on processor or graphic performance. Equipped with up to third generation standard voltage Intel Core i7 processors, instead of the low-voltage processors used on ultraportable notebooks, the Z400 and Z500 are available in a range of colors, including coral blue, dark chocolate, peony pink, and enamel white, have a soft-touch exterior and a 14-inch or 15.6-inch LED backlit HD widescreen display, respectively. Combined with the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics technology, smart features like Intelligent Touchpad and access to Lenovo Cloud, the Z400 and Z500 laptops offer users a slim laptop with robust performance.

 

IdeaCentre A520 – Slim, Stunning and Space Saving 23-inch AIO PC

The stylish IdeaCentre A520 is cast from the same striking mold as its multi-award-winning predecessor, the IdeaCentre A720, but with a more compact 23-inch frameless 1080p full HD display that starts at US$999. The A520 supports 10-point multi-touch with a widely adjustable screen angle (from -5 to 90^o flat) and IPS LED with perfect picture at any angle, so users can watch movies, play touch-based games or enjoy video chat in any position. The A520 comes with up to 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 processors with  Intel HD Graphics 4000 and as much as 8GB DDR3 of memory with up to 1TB of HDD storage. Additional features include Dolby® certified speakers with Dolby® Home Theater® v4, optional Blu-ray Disc, and a range of touch-optimized multimedia applications and games.

 

IdeaCentre B340, B345 and B545 AIOs – The Home Entertainment Hub

Lenovo B Series all-in-one desktop PCs come packed with fun entertainment features right out of the box. Multimedia entertainment comes alive on the 21.5-inch (B340 and B345) and 23-inch (B545) with full HD widescreen frameless displays that support state-of-the-art 3D vision—with two pairs of glasses included—and 10-point multi-touch technologies. The B Series all-in-ones use more powerful processors and components designed for desktop tower PCs. Available with up to 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 or AMD quad core processors and cutting-edge NVIDIA® GeForce® 615 2GB (B340) or AMD Radeon™ HD7470A 1GB (B345 and B545) graphics, users can also enjoy a great gaming experience. VESA mount compatibility gives users flexibility on where to situate their all-in-one in the home, while optional TV tuner provides great access to HDTV.

 

Pricing and Availability¹

The IdeaPad U510 will be available September 2012 starting at US$679.

 

The IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 will be available October 2012 starting at US$649.

 

The IdeaPad Z400 will be available November 2012 starting at US$549.

 

The IdeaPad Z500 will be available September 2012 starting at US$549.

 

The Lenovo IdeaCentre A520 will be available October 2012 starting at US$999.

 

The IdeaCentre B340 and B345 will be available October 2012 starting at US$599.

 

The IdeaCentre B545 was available in April starting at US$699.

 

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter, Facebookand Youtube.

 

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries, and the world’s second-largest PC vendor. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com.

 

¹Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

 

²The phrase “standard laptop” refers to products such as Lenovo G470/570/480/580, IdeaPad Y470/570/480/580, Z470/570/480/580 which have maximum thickness ranging from 32-35mm.

 

# # #

Lenovo Announces Smarter, Slimmer Android Tablets at IFA

Press release from Lenovo:

Lenovo Announces Smarter, Slimmer Android Tablets at IFA

 Latest Tablets Offer Optimized Multimedia Experiences at Attractive Price Points

IFA 2012, Berlin– August 30, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced that it has expanded its Ideatab® product line with the Ideatab S2110, A2107, and A2109. Powered by the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system, the new product lineup provides smarter, slimmer tablet designs with a variety of multimedia options at attractive price points.   

 

“The newest line of Ideatab products provides an option for everyone who wants to keep all of their favorite books, songs and movies at their fingertips, no matter where they go,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, and president, Mobile Internet and Digital Home business.  “Whether consumers crave a pocket tablet with 3G connectivity or seek a premium entertainment tablet for games and graphics, Lenovo has it, and at every price point.” 

  

Ideatab S2110

The Ideatab S2110 is a premium entertainment tablet with an optional detachable keyboard dock to provide a true PC+ experience that moves easily between the tablet and PC worlds. At just 8.69mm and only 580g, it is one of the thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablets available today. The tablet’s IPS (In-Plane Switching) screen with 178-degree viewing angle and unique 10-point multi-touch display is ideal for two-player gaming, and a Micro-HDMI port enables full HD viewing of 1080p on an HDTV. When attached the to the keyboard dock, the S2110 delivers double battery life for up to 20 hours of activity, as well as an SD card reader and USB ports to connect a thumb drive, external hard drive or mouse. The S2110 is also equipped with a 5Mp, auto-focusing rear-facing camera and an LED flash, in addition to a 1.3Mp front-facing camera, 1GB memory, WiFi connectivity, and a textured back cover that provides a more comfortable grip.

 

Ideatab A2107, A2109

The Ideatab A2107 and A2109 are affordable tablets that offer essential entertainment, social media, and productivity capabilities—all protected by the same metal alloy roll cage inspired by Lenovo ThinkPad products.

 

At seven inches—the same size as a standard book page—the A2107 display is designed for on-the-go reading, Web browsing and email. The A2107 also provides hassle-free entertainment with two speakers, a micro-SD card, Bluetooth 4.0, a built-in FM radio, 720p HD resolution, and up to ten hours of active use. In addition to a WiFi model, a 3G version gives users anytime, anywhere information access and fast A-GPS capability.

 

With a powerful quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU and graphics card, the A2109 is an optimized entertainment tablet that features a 9-inch, four-point capacitive display with 1280x800 resolution, 1080p output via the tablet’s Micro-HDMI port, and two speakers with SRS TruMedia audio enhancement. At just 570g with a sleek metal shell backing, the A2109 also includes 1.3 megapixel front and 3 megapixel rear-facing cameras, dual microphones, GPS, a Micro USB port, and up to 16GB of storage with MicroSD card support up to 32GB.

 

Pricing and Availability¹

The Lenovo Ideatab A2109 and S2110 are available now with prices starting at $299 and $399 respectively. The A2107 will be available later in 2012. All products will be available through Lenovo sales representatives and business partners in the US.

 

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter andFacebook.

 

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company – and the second largest PC company in the world, serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the Company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina.  For more information, see www.lenovo.com.

 

###

 

¹Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

Lenovo Ushers in New Affordable, Thin and Light S Series Laptops

Press release from Lenovo:

Lenovo Ushers in New Affordable, Thin and Light S Series Laptops

 Full-featured laptops tout ultraportable design withmainstream performance and price

IFA 2012, Berlin – August 30, 2012: Today at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) announced the expansion its ultraportable IdeaPad® product line with the IdeaPad S300, S400, and S405 laptops. These affordable thin and light laptops strike a balance between portability and performance for consumers who want more computing power than a netbook and longer battery life than a traditional laptop, without the premium price of an Ultrabook™.

Measuring just 21.9mm thin (less than one inch) and weighing 1.8kg (less than four lbs), the S Series features a sleek exterior design with a stylish metallic finish powered by either 3rd generation Intel® Core™ or AMD A-Series processors. The S Series laptops combine comfort, simplicity and responsiveness to give consumers an inexpensive PC with quality construction and solid performance.

“As a global leader in the PC market, Lenovo’s success rests on our ability to deliver consumer-centric innovations in products that deliver a blend of mobility, performance and price,” said Bai Peng, vice president and general manager, IdeaPad Business Unit, Lenovo. “Customers don’t just want a functional product, though; they also want one that speaks to their sense of style and individuality. The new Lenovo IdeaPad S Series laptops give everyday consumers exactly what they need by matching small size and light weight with the power needed for everything from Web browsing to productivity tasks, all in an affordable package.”  

Powerful and intelligent

Equipped with the latest technology, the Lenovo IdeaPad S300 and S400 laptops are available with Intel’s 3rd generation Core™ i3 or i5 processors, while the IdeaPad S405 is packed with up to AMD A8 quad core processors. Up to 500GB hard disk storage capacity (up to 1TB HDD in the S405) offers plenty of space to store music, movies and documents, and an optional 32GB solid state drive on the S400 and S405 can help speed boot time and application responsiveness. In addition, intelligent energy management features not only increase time spent between charges—up to 5 hours—but also protect the long-term durability of the battery.

All of the new S Series laptops offer Microsoft Windows 7 Home Professional and will be eligible for the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade program. Designed for Windows 8, the updated S Series’ intelligent touchpad gives users a more controlled experience when scrolling and zooming, while the AccuType keyboard with individual rounded keys provides a platform for comfortable and accurate typing.

Users can also take advantage of innovative ease-of-use features such as Lenovo Quick Start “instant on” functionality to get online in seconds. Even data protection is made easy with Lenovo’s OneKey™ Rescue System, which offers an amazingly simple and quick way to back up and restore data, recover corrupted system files and run a complete virus scan.

Slim and stylish multimedia companion

Less than an inch at their thickest point and weighing under four pounds, Lenovo’s new consumer laptops feature a contemporary design with a tactile metallic finish available in a variety of colors including, crimson red, silver grey and cotton-candy pink. With up to a 14-inch HD widescreen display, HDMI output, stereo speakers and Dolby® Advanced Audio™ v2 certification, the new S Series laptops offer premium features for immersive entertainment and multimedia activities. 

Pricing and Availability¹

The Lenovo IdeaPad S300, S400, and S405 will be available starting today through Lenovo sales representatives and business partners in the US starting at $499.  

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter , Facebook andYoutube.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries, and the world’s second-largest PC vendor. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com

.

¹Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

# # #

The Hard Choices Ahead for H.P.

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Monday, August 27, 2012

The Hard Choices Ahead for H.P.

By QUENTIN HARDY

How soon before the next big, tough decision at Hewlett-Packard? It could be as early as October.

On Oct. 3, H.P. will hold its industry analyst day in San Francisco, when it is expected to spell out growth projections for the coming fiscal year, which begins Nov. 1. If those numbers are too low, or if Wall Street finds them improbably high, the stock is likely to fall.

That could create renewed pressure on Meg Whitman, H.P.'s chief executive, to do something radical. This is likely to mean further layoffs, another big write down or even a sell off of some of H.P.'s largest pieces.

Those are all radical moves, but the eroding value of H.P. makes the need for remedies hard to overstate. Between Tuesday morning and the close of trading on Thursday, H.P. lost some $4.8 billion in market capitalization, which in its current state was about 12 percent of H.P.'s total value. Since February, the company's stock market value has fallen 41 percent.

The current stock price of H.P. "indicates a company that is bankrupt in six years," said Amit Daryanani of RBC Capital Markets. While he did not think that projection is really prophetic, he thinks a breakup will at some point become possible. "A couple more quarters like Wednesday, and you have to ask if it's better to split up the company so some of the smaller companies can prosper."

Much of H.P.'s problem is a legacy of past successes, mixed with bad acquisitions. It is so big in things like personal computers, servers, and printers that little else matters. Those are growing slowly, if at all; on Thursday, the International Data Corporation projected worldwide demand for PCs would rise just 0.9 percent this year. Part of the reason, IDC said, is that many buyers are waiting for Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 8, which is expected in the fourth quarter.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Press release:

Lenovo Again Included in Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index

PC maker earns #1 slot for IT companies, AA rating and second consecutive spot on “Honour Board” for ongoing commitment to sustainability

Tuesday, August 21, 2012 1:40 pm EDT

Dateline:

Hong Kong

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"The last year has been tremendous for Lenovo. We are now the second-largest PC manufacturer in the world, and very close to becoming the industry leader. This was achieved while maintaining and extending our dedication to sustainability and our core values."

Lenovo Group, the world’s second-largest PC manufacturer, has been selected as a constituent stock the 2012 Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (HSCSI) with an improved AA rating. This is the third year of the index and the third in which Lenovo has been selected, acknowledging Lenovo’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. The HSCSI is a tradable index and useful indicator for investors seeking socially responsible companies to include in their portfolios. Research for the index covered 95 percent of market capitalization in the Hong and Mainland China markets.

Lenovo’s AA ranking is an improvement from the A+ rating it received last year and is representative of Lenovo’s continuous efforts to be both sustainable and socially responsible. For the second consecutive year, Lenovo has earned a position on the index’s Honour Board, which puts it among the top 10 of the 636 companies whose corporate sustainability performance was examined. In addition, Lenovo is the top rated company in the Information Technology sector and the only company in its sector among the Hong Kong top 20.

“As we continue to commit ourselves to sustainability and social responsibility, it is an honor to be recognized for our efforts by this important index,” said Peter Hortensius, Lenovo’s SVP and President, Product Group, who also serves as the company’s chief sustainability officer.  “The last year has been tremendous for Lenovo. We are now the second-largest PC manufacturer in the world, and very close to becoming the industry leader. This was achieved while maintaining and extending our dedication to sustainability and our core values.”

As a global company, Lenovo supports and implements sustainable business practices and is devoted to ensuring that its products, employees, sites and suppliers are following the commitments the company has made to environmental and socially responsible business practices.  Lenovo’s corporate social responsibility commitment encompasses:

• Protecting the environment as a strategic focus in all aspects of the company’s business, from product design and supplier selection to manufacturing and product life cycle management
• Focusing on product quality and safety throughout the entire life cycle
• Building a safe and healthy workplace where Lenovo treats its people as the company’s greatest asset
• Maintaining the highest ethical standards with a commitment to integrity and responsibility
• Donating time and resources to philanthropy to help those less fortunate and when disaster strikes

Additional details about Lenovo’s commitment to sustainability, and the company’s latest sustainability report, can be found online here: http://www.lenovo.com/csr.

Launched in 2010, the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series is Asia’s leading benchmark of the sustainability of Hong Kong listed companies – it is the first index series of its kind to focus exclusively on the environment, social and governance (ESG) performance of Hong Kong and mainland China stocks. The Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series is managed and compiled by Hang Seng Indexes Company, in collaboration with RepuTex-ESG, the ESG research arm of RepuTex Group. Full press release from RepuTex-ESG here: http://www.reputex.com/media-centre/media-release-asia-esg-performance-improves-across-the-board

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company – and the second largest PC company in the world, serving customers in more than 160 countries.

Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com

Accenture Develops Innovative Mobile App for the “Lux in Arcana – The Vatican Secret Archive Reveals Itself” Exhibition Featuring Never-Before-Seen Vatican Documents

Note to visitors: We have moved!  For current news and information, please visit our successor blogs:  http://JBK-BizTech.blogspot.com and http://JBK-Current-Events.blogspot.com.  Thank you.


Accenture Develops Innovative Mobile App for the “Lux in Arcana – The Vatican Secret Archive Reveals Itself” Exhibition Featuring Never-Before-Seen Vatican Documents

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March 28, 2012

Accenture Develops Innovative Mobile App for the “Lux in Arcana – The Vatican Secret Archive Reveals Itself” Exhibition Featuring Never-Before-Seen Vatican Documents

App enables all 100 priceless documents of the exhibition to be accessible

 on smartphones and tablet PCs; also features augmented reality solutions

ROME; March. 28, 2012 — Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announced today that it has developed a free mobile app that delivers rich multimedia content to the fingertips of visitors to an unprecedented exhibition featuring documents held in the Secret Vatican Archive that have never before been seen by the public and now can be admired at the Capitoline Museums in Rome.

The exhibition “Lux in Arcana – The Vatican Secret Archives Reveals Itself” features, among other things, documents such as ciphered letters, manuscripts, codices, and ancient parchments. The materials date from the eighth to the 20^th century and the exhibition marks the first time they have ever been shown away from Vatican City.  The items were unveiled at theCapitoline Museums in Rome on Feb. 29 and will remain on exhibit thru Sept. 9 of this year.

The mobile app developed by Accenture, which is the official technology partner of the exhibition, significantly enhances the experience of users by delivering supplemental details about the historical items to their smartphones and tablets for both Apple and Android. For example, the app displays technical data, photos and images, provides detailed background information, and features rich, multimedia content. The app allows users to see the documents by alphabetical or chronological order, by the typology (letter, agreement, papal document, etc.) and by the location in the Capitoline Museums halls. Visitors can also follow the path of the exhibition listening to the audio guide feature available through the app.

“Accenture has been an outstanding technology partner and we’re very pleased with the unique user experience that their mobile app delivers”, said Luca Carboni, General Secretary of the Secret Vatican Archive. “We believe the people expected to visit the exhibition will benefit tremendously from the rich content they can access through their devices as they tour the various exhibits.”

The app also features an “augmented reality” capability that can be used outside of the museum at some historical sites in Rome.  One example is the statue of Giordano Bruno in the piazza Campo de’ Fiori. Giordano Bruno, a Dominican friar and philosopher, was burned at the stake in 1600’s after being judged a heretic by the Tribunal of the Roman Inquisition. The app allows visitors to focus their smartphone or tablet on the statue and see Bruno’s pyre burst into flames on the device’s display.  It also allows visitors to open special contents related to Giordano Bruno’s trial and to call up videos with more information on his life and his ideas. Augmented reality is available also for the angels of the Castel Sant’Angelo bridge, carved by the Bernini, and for the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, close to the place where Galileo Galilei abjured.

“We’re delighted to be the official technology sponsor of this extraordinary and unprecedented exhibition from the Secret Vatican Archive,” said Fabio Benasso, country managing director,Accenture Italy. “Our country possesses a treasure trove of culture and art that reflects many of the world’s most historical events and should be shared by as many people as possible.

As an integral and longstanding member of the Italian business community, Accenture is proud to support this important initiative celebrating this part of Italy’s cultural heritage.”

The app is available in Italian and English, and is compatible with almost all mobile devices.  It can be downloaded from the Apple store or Google Play for free.

The exhibition “Lux in Arcana – The Vatican Secret Archive Reveals Itself” was conceived for the occasion of the fourth centenary of the Secret Vatican Archives foundation, in collaboration with Roma Capitale, Assessorato alle Politiche Culturali e Centro Storico - Sovraintendenza ai Beni Culturali di Roma and Zètema Progetto Cultura.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 246,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

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Cisco Unveils Visual Collaboration Solutions in the Post-PC Era, Extending the Reach of TelePresence with New Mobile-to-Immersive Offerings

PRESS RELEASE

Cisco Unveils Visual Collaboration Solutions in the Post-PC Era, Extending the Reach of TelePresence with New Mobile-to-Immersive Offerings

New Immersive Room System Transforms How TelePresence Can be Used in High-Impact Meetings; Integrates with New Jabber Releases for iPad, Windows

ORLANDO, FL – March 27, 2012 – At the Enterprise Connect trade show, Cisco today introduced new people-centric innovations aimed at making it easier for people to collaborate anywhere, anytime in the post-PC era. The innovations, ranging from new desktop and mobile Cisco Jabber™  collaboration applications to Cisco TelePresence® systems, make it easy for users to move from one collaboration solution to the next based on how they work and their immediate task at hand (for example, moving from instant messaging to voice to video with the click of a button). The new Jabber and TelePresence offerings, which include a new immersive TelePresence system with optimized collaboration capabilities, are completely integrated, giving customers more mobility options while also extending the reach of their telepresence investments. Cisco specifically announced:

·         Powerful tools to extend the reach of TelePresence. Cisco is extending Cisco Jabber to iPad and Windows, building on its extensive Jabber portfolio for Android, iOS, Mac, BlackBerry and Cisco Cius™ tablets. With this development, Cisco is enabling Jabber customers to collaborate from anywhere and across the most popular operating systems utilizing high definition video, voice, presence, instant messaging, desktop sharing, conferencing and visual voicemail. Cisco is also expanding native integration between Jabber and TelePresence, giving mobile users a way to initiate and connect into a TelePresence session whether in the office or on the go. 

·         A new three-screen immersive TelePresence platform. The Cisco TelePresence TX9000 Series delivers the highest quality video experience along with advanced collaboration capabilities*, further building on Cisco's wide array of TelePresence endpoints for customers of all sizes. The TX9000 integrates with collaboration tools like Cisco WebEx with One-Touch simplicity and is also designed to be interoperable with all standards-based endpoints from other vendors.

·         Numerous customer and partner use cases for visual collaboration. A variety of customers and partners across healthcare, financial services, and oil and gas industries are deploying Cisco collaboration solutions to increase productivity and enable their employees to work on their own terms.

These developments come at a time when people increasingly expect freedom of choice in how and where they work, and that includes having access to a variety of integrated collaboration solutions and interoperable endpoints–both hardware and software based. As a result, IT managers are looking to provide highly secure, enterprise-class options that enable employees to interact across a broad range of tools whether collaborating in dedicated immersive telepresence rooms or via PCs, Macs, tablets, or smart phones – and any standards-based endpoint within and between organizations.

These innovations also are occurring as the need for rich video solutions and mobility is burgeoning. According to Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index, globally, 3 trillion minutes or 6 million years of video content will cross the Internet each month in 2015 and by 2016, global mobile data traffic will reach 10.8 exabytes per month (130 exabytes annually); growing 18-fold from 2011 to 2016. By 2016, mobile video will represent 71 percent of all mobile data traffic.

Additional Announcement Details:

Extending the Reach of TelePresence from the Boardroom to the Desktop and Beyond

A little more than five years ago, Cisco drove the creation of TelePresence with the introduction of the first truly intuitive and lifelike, in-person video experience. Cisco is continuing to innovate with the newly designed three-screen TX9000 immersive system that is intended to combine the highest quality TelePresence experience with advanced collaboration and content sharing capabilities. The TX9000 builds on Cisco's broad portfolio of endpoints that extends from the boardroom to the desktop and beyond.

·         From Immersive Video to High-Intensity Collaboration

·         As the pace of business becomes more complex, the meetings that drive decisions are becoming more dynamic and data-centric, requiring multiple inputs for quick turns. These types of business-critical meetings range from brainstorming sessions to product engineering and design, acquisition integration, and crisis communication planning for globally distributed teams, require high-intensity collaboration capabilities that allow people to easily share and interact with content in TelePresence meetings in ways not previously possible. These advanced collaboration capabilities include sharing content on the main TelePresence screens, point and highlight capabilities, white boarding, moving content from screen to screen, and introducing data from multiple content sources*.

·         Advanced Cisco WebEx® integration enables one-button-to-push simplicity for scheduling and starting WebEx® and TelePresence integrated meetings with future capabilities to support adding WebEx ad hoc to any TelePresence call using the Cisco TelePresence Touch interface.

·         New Immersive TelePresence Benchmark

·         TX9000 boasts a new state of the art, sleek industrial design with modern look and premium finish.

·         Innovative camera configuration enhances eye-contact among participants while the technology and cameras blend seamlessly into the background.

·         The system is capable of supporting 1080p, 60 frames per second (fps) while data sharing capabilities support 1080p 30 fps.*

·         Easily start and manage meetings using the Cisco TelePresence Touch user interface with "one button to push" simplicity that provides a consistent experience across the entire Cisco collaboration product portfolio.

·         TX9000 can accommodate six users and the TX9200 comes with a second table that can seat up to 18 users.

·         Provides native interoperability support for SIP, BFCP, H.264 and Telepresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP).

·         Reduced Cost of Ownership and Ease of Set Up

·         TX9000 requires 20 percent less bandwidth than its Cisco predecessor.

·         Significant improvements in ease of partner installation allowing start up in as quickly as two days

·         System does not require any additional specialized lighting or audio.

·         Deployment flexibility options for wall-mounted or free-standing light reflector.

·         Pricing and Availability

·         The TX9000 is targeted to begin shipping in the second quarter of calendar year 2012 with the advanced collaboration and content sharing features targeted for availability later in the calendar year.* List pricing in the United States starts at $299,000. Regional variations may apply.

Extending Cisco Jabber to iPad and Windows and More TelePresence Users

People require a work experience that travels with them, across location, device, and platform. Cisco Jabber releases for iPad and Windows deliver advanced collaboration capabilities to your preferred device.

·         Jabber for iPad:

·         Allows users to access high-quality video, voice, presence, instant messaging, conferencing, and visual voicemail capabilities on the iPad.

·         Jabber for iPad delivers a complete collaboration experience for mobile workers who need instant access to information and decision makers and want to choose when, where, and how they work.

·         Jabber for iPad delivers a standards-based experience built on the same high-quality video engine as Jabber Video for TelePresence and Jabber desktop applications. Jabber for iPad uses H264, XMPP and SIP.

·         Jabber for Windows:

·         A unified client – meaning an end user has one place to go to be able to access a range of communication and collaboration tools including high-definition video, voice, presence, IM (point to point, group, persistent chat) desktop sharing and web conferencing, and visual voicemail access.

·         Cisco Jabber for Windows features a highly intuitive user experience, allowing for point and click access to multiple forms of communication and seamless integration into Microsoft Office.

·         Cisco Jabber for Windows integrates an advanced engine to deliver HD video to the desktop. This technology uses extremely efficient, industry leading codecs and enables customers to use standards-based H.264 HD quality video with common dual-core processor computers while improving performance over lower bandwidth networks.

·         Jabber for Windows uses also XMPP, SIP and BFCP standards.

Cisco Jabber releases for Windows and iPad can be used with on-premises and cloud-based deployment options. Target availability for Jabber for Windows and Jabber for iPad is in the second quarter of calendar year 2012. Cisco Jabber for iPad, Jabber for Windows and related server software are included as part of Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing.

Supporting Quotes: 

William Moore, executive vice president / chief technology officer, CareCore National

With Cisco's video solutions, disparate groups – anybody in the organization as well as truly anybody external – can interact with us face-to-face through TelePresence or using WebEx conference, allowing for more efficient communication and improved collaboration from any location.  Cisco Jabber gives the flexibility in the method of communication, starting with presence and IM, extending its reach to a higher level of communication via desktop sharing, conferencing, and TelePresence sessions.  With these tools, we are able to provide an in-person experience internally as well as with customers and vendors, saving time and improving customer interaction."

Andy Dignan, senior manager unified communications, CDW

"Cisco Jabber is an effective tool for addressing the rapid proliferation of mobile devices in workplaces. Today, several of our solution architects use the Cisco Jabber client on Windows, Mac, Cius, and iPhone devices, and are excited about the new iPad client with HD video.  The Jabber Web plug-in augments the client offering letting us embed real-time unified communications and collaboration into our web-based portal to find product experts, see presence, and click to make voice and video calls in real-time. By embedding UC into our workflow, we're increasing productivity which helps us better serve our customers."

Mike Fitzgerald, managing director and head of information systems, Eagle Investment Systems

"Eagle has a highly mobile workforce across the globe. We are pioneering a high performance workplace that provides flexibility by enabling communications from laptops, tablets, and smart phones. With the Cisco Jabber and TelePresence operating from a common architecture, employees can use any of these devices and any operating systems for collaboration, which includes real-time communication methods to improve their productivity."

Steve Moloney, global network and security manager, McDermott

"McDermott uses Cisco Jabber to provide a unified experience across the company's desktops, tablets, and smart phones, to extend the reach of our TelePresence suite. We believe the adoption of Cisco TelePresence and UC technologies will improve the telecommunication facets to support our complex offshore oil and gas engineering, procurement, construction, and installation projects."

Emrah Aygun, IT infrastructure manager, Turkiye Is Bankasi

"We strive to provide our employees and customers with consistent communications capabilities and a uniform user experience, regardless of what device they are using. In the coming months, we intend to deploy Cisco Jabber to all our 23,000 bank employees—on PCs, Cisco Cius, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry--to provide them with presence, instant messaging, voice, single number reach to mobile devices, unified messaging, WebEx meetings and TelePresence at their desk and on the go. This Cisco UC client deployment will be part of our "one vision" initiative for Turkiye Is Bankasi's future where our customers can communicate with their bank using different channels and locations, with the same service level throughout the nation."

Keld Jersild Olsen, chief executive officer, NetDesign

"As a long-time Cisco partner and early field trial account for the new Cisco TelePresence TX9000, we are excited to offer our customers the next generation immersive telepresence experience.  From the onset of immersive telepresence five years ago, it was about delivering the best face-to-face meeting experience in a controlled room environment where meeting participants felt as if they were in the same room, around the same table.  With the TX9000, Cisco is not only carrying the same robust feature set forward, but they are also delivering advanced collaboration tools which will provide the ultimate in-person meeting experience.  With its streamlined design, easier installation and innovative collaborative platform, the new TX9000 will strengthen our overall immersive telepresence portfolio and enable us to deliver a more compelling business transformation experience to our customers."
 

Torben Bonde chief information officer, Vestas

"We use TelePresence heavily, with two areas especially benefitting by it – our Turbines R&D department and our people development process. Vestas' Turbines R&D is the world´s biggest research and development department in the wind industry, and we use TelePresence for activities like product development, quality assurance and follow up, thus supporting a faster product to market strategy and a higher quality product.  We also use telepresence largely in our People and Culture area: doing job interviews and early Performance and Development Dialogue – thus saving a lot of cost and time on travelling."

OJ Winge, senior vice president and general manager, Collaboration Endpoints Technology Group, Cisco

"In a world that is increasingly mobile, social, visual and virtual, individuals are dictating how, when and where they communicate and collaborate inside and outside of the workplace. With today's TelePresence and mobility announcements, Cisco is continuing to make "any device to any device" a reality, while helping customers collaborate on their own terms on a range of devices that provide a rich and consistent user experience."

Cisco will showcase these new offerings along with other collaboration innovations during a keynote presentation and demonstration on March 27 at Enterprise Connect in Orlando, and additionally to virtual audiences through the March 2012 Cisco Collaboration Virtual Experience.

Additional Resources:

·         Learn more about these announcements and ask questions to Cisco product experts on the March 2012 Cisco Collaboration Virtual Experience.

·         Find more information about the Cisco TelePresence TX9000 Series.

·         Find more information about the Cisco Jabber portfolio. 

·         Social Media: Cisco Collaboration Community, Cisco Collaboration and Video Blogs, @CiscoCollab and@TelePresence on Twitter, Cisco Collaboration and Cisco TelePresence on Facebook.

Technorati Tags:

Cisco, video, TelePresence, high quality video, collaboration, interoperability, endpoints, post PC era, Jabber, Enterprise Connect, unified conferencing, mobile, iPad, Windows, Android, Cius,

*Enabled in future software release

About Cisco Collaboration

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go tohttp://newsroom.cisco.com.

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