RSA Helps Customers Simplify PCI Compliance in Virtualized Environments

EMC Press Release

RSA Helps Customers Simplify PCI Compliance in Virtualized Environments

Successful Collaboration of the RSA Archer® eGRC Suite, RSA® Data Loss Prevention Suite, the RSA enVision® system and RSA NetWitness® technology Help Customers Face PCI Requirements in Virtualized Environments

VMworld – San Francisco, CA - August 28, 2012

News Summary:

• RSA’s PCI Solution Guide is QSA-reviewed guide that is designed to provide formal guidance for enterprises deploying virtual infrastructure in Payment Card Industry(PCI) regulated data centers.
• The RSA PCI Solution Guide is an addendum to the VMware Solution Guide for the Payment Card Industry

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Full Story:

RSA, The Security Division of EMC((NYSE:EMC), today announced the publication of the RSA PCI Solution Guide, a QSA-reviewed guide that is designed to provide formal guidance for enterprises deploying virtual infrastructure in Payment Card Industry (PCI)-regulated data centers. The RSA PCI Solution Guide is an addendum to the VMware Solution Guide for the Payment Card Industry. The RSA PCI Solution Guide augments the native security offerings in the VMware vCloud® Suite to cover additional control areas required for PCI compliance, helping to enable retailers to accelerate and simplify the transition of mission critical operations to virtualized data centers.

“Customers are eager to virtualize even their most sensitive systems, including PCI payment processing, and by integrating with RSA’s core set of security management and compliance tools customers can supplement our native security offerings to accelerate deployments and reduce the complexity of meeting audit requirements,” said Parag Patel, vice president, Global Strategic Alliances of VMware. “VMware and RSA are committed to helping regulated organizations move along in their journey to the cloud by providing in-depth and validated guidance to the compliance community and customers who are subject to PCI compliance.”

“RSA has a comprehensive security management and compliance suite, including RSA Archer, RSA Data Loss Prevention, RSA enVision and RSA NetWitness technology, which can all be leveraged to help better protect credit card data in virtual environments and address PCI compliance requirements,” said Carol Clark, RSA Senior Director of Security Management and Compliance product marketing.  “RSA is an integral part of VMware’s security and compliance strategy that helps enables customers to migrate to virtual and private cloud environments securely.”

The RSA Archer eGRC platform is engineered to provide a GRC framework that is part of the reference guide to PCI compliance, enabling RSA to address the PCI controls that need to be monitored and reported on in a VMware environment. The integration between RSA Archer eGRC and VMware vCenter™ Operations™ demonstrates the capability of end-to-end visibility, automated compliance and effective remediation.

About RSA

RSA, The Security Division of EMC, is the premier provider of security, risk and compliance management solutions for business acceleration. RSA helps the world´s leading organizations succeed by solving their most complex and sensitive security challenges. These challenges include managing organizational risk, safeguarding mobile access and collaboration, proving compliance, and securing virtual and cloud environments.

Combining business-critical controls in identity assurance, encryption & key management, SIEM, Data Loss Prevention and Fraud Protection with industry leading eGRC capabilities and robust consulting services, RSA brings visibility and trust to millions of user identities, the transactions that they perform and the data that is generated. For more information, please visit www.EMC.com/RSA.

EMC and its RSA Security Division Honored With Four CRN “Company of the Year” ARC Awards

EMC Press Release

EMC and its RSA Security Division Honored With Four CRN “Company of the Year” ARC Awards

Recognized by CRN for the Sixth Consecutive Year, EMC Voted Best in Class for Product Innovation, Support and Partnership, Receives Top Honors for, Enterprise Network Storage, Backup & Recovery Software and SMB Network Storage; RSA Awarded Network Security Software Title

HOPKINTON, Mass. - August 22, 2012

News Summary:

• Recognized by CRN for the sixth consecutive year, EMC has been named "Company of the Year" in the Enterprise Network Storage, Backup & Recovery Software and SMB Network Storage categories of the 2012 CRN Annual Report Card (ARC) survey.
• RSA, The Security Division of EMC, also received "Company of the Year" recognition in the Security Software category.

Full Story:

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) today announced that for the sixth consecutive year it has been named Company of the Year in the Enterprise Network Storage and Backup & Recovery Software categories and for the second year in a row named Company of the Year in the small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) Network Storage category of the prestigious 2012 CRN Annual Report Card. RSA, The Security Division of EMC, has also received top honors as Network Security Software Company of the Year. The ARC awards are considered the definitive benchmark for measuring excellence in the IT Channel community, serving as the industry standard for excellence in vendor and Channel Partner relationships. Representatives from EMC and RSA accepted their awards at a ceremony during the annual XChange Americas Conference in Dallas, Texas on August 21.

The UBM Channel ARC research team surveyed more than 3,700 North American solution providers across 23 categories to evaluate their satisfaction with vendor products, support and channel programs. The Company of the Year recognition is given to a vendor that scores the highest marks across each of the award sub-categories — Product Innovation, Support, and Partnership. EMC secured the highest marks for all three in each category it participated.

EMC's continued streak of taking top honors in the ARC survey is a direct result of its commitment to delivering industry-leading products and listening to partner feedback to make significant changes, including its go-to-market approach and enhancements to its Velocity Solution Provider Partner Programto provide the most Channel-friendly experience in the industry. Key changes and enhancements made over the last 12 months include:

• Integration of EMC's business unit Channel organizations to provide a single contact to give Partners a more simplified and consistent engagement model across all of EMC's lines of business.
• EMC's recognition as Company of the Year in the SMB Network Storage category is marked by the success of the EMC VNXe® – the world's simplest, most efficient, and affordable unified storage system – as a Channel-only product that solves the unique storage requirements for SMBs, as well as the departmental needs of enterprises, remote and branch office deployments, and governmental opportunities..
• The EMC Data Domain® DD160, with all the benefits associated with Data Domain deduplication storage systems, was also introduced as a Channel-only product. In addition, the introduction of EMCAvamar® 6.1 and EMC NetWorker® 8.0 have expanded the backup and recovery opportunity for partners.
• The introduction of EMC VSPEX™ Proven Infrastructure ¬supports Partners desire to more easily sell multi-vendor solutions. The simple, efficient and flexible VSPEX reference architectures enable EMC's Channel Partners to sell complete, highly-flexible solutions to their customers, adding significant value to Partners' sales processes while increasing their mindshare in customer environments by allowing Partners to brand their own VSPEX solutions.
• In 2012 EMC announced Enterprise Select, a new go-to-market strategy in which Partners can exclusively sell to hundreds of enterprise accounts that were previously EMC-direct.

Sweeping all categories in which it participated, RSA's Network Security Software Company of the Year title is due to the strength of the RSA SecurWorld™ Partner Program, with recent program enhancements focused on fostering dynamic and mutually-beneficial relationships between RSA and its Channel Partners. During the past year, RSA has more tightly aligned the benefits and rewards provided through the SecurWorld program with its Partners' go-to-market models. Through the new solution-centric role-based training framework, RSA Partners are more quickly equipped to sell and support RSA's suite of products. Partners retain their tier status for one year, and through quarterly compliance reviews, have the opportunity to accelerate to a new tier more quickly. Another addition to the RSA SecurWorld program is the availability of the "Authorized" entry-level tier with access to deal registration.

EMC Partner Quotes:

Gary Vaughan, President & Co-founder, Clearpath Solutions Group

"The company is listening to Partner feedback and taking action to provide more sales opportunities and make it easier to do business through improved field engagement and the enforcement of the Rules of Engagement. The commitment from all levels of EMC executive management to supporting and deepening the relationships with Partners is evident and indicates there is a bright future for EMC and Partners like Clearpath."

Bob Olwig, Vice President, Corporate Business Development, World Wide Technology, Inc.

"EMC has taken many steps this year to evolve the Velocity program to provide the right training and support for us to successfully address the increasingly complex requirements of our customers as they adopt cloud computing. We appreciate the straightforward, easy to adopt programs, products, and solutions like VSPEX that will help grow our business and provide our customers with the best possible technology and experience."

UBM Quote:

Kelley Damore, Vice President & Editorial Director, UBM Channel

"When it comes to the strength of relationships, quality of products and return on Partner programs, solution providers want to hear from their fellow VARs about the IT vendors that consistently exceed expectations. The Annual Report Card gives solution providers the opportunity to share feedback and recognize the vendors who truly demonstrate Channel excellence. We congratulate EMC and RSA for being recognized as the best of the best."

EMC Quotes:

Leonard Iventosch, Vice President, Americas Channel Sales, EMC Corporation

"EMC is making the largest investments in its history in the Channel. With their extensive experience and skill at taking on more and more of the sales cycle, EMC's Velocity Partners are critically important to extending our reach into the existing customer base and to finding new customers. We are extremely honored with the results of this year's CRN ARC survey. As the results clearly show, EMC's commitment and actions in the Channel are being leveraged and appreciated by our Partners."

Bill Taylor, Vice President of Global Channels and Alliances, RSA, The Security Division of EMC

"We are committed to the success of our SecurWorld Partners and are consistently working to enhance our channel program to not only ensure mutual profitability but also provide training and support that help partners grow their businesses. We are honored to be included in this year's CRN ARC Survey. It truly validates the work we've been doing to create program that our partners are proud to be a part of."

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about partnering with EMC and RSA
• Follow @EMCChannel and join the #EMC conversation on Twitter
• Learn more about how Trusted IT from EMC = Trusted Business at: www.emc.com/trust
• Connect with EMC via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and ECN
• Connect with RSA via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and the RSA Speaking of Security Blog and Podcast

About EMC

EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.

About UBM Channel: (www.ubmchannel.com)

UBM Channel is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, UBM Channel has the unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. UBM Channel is a UBM company. To learn more about UBM Channel, visit us at www.ubmchannel.com.

UBM plc (www.ubm.com)

UBM plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries is organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.ubm.com.

Problems Riddle Moves to Collect Credit Card Debt

The New York Times
Monday, August 13, 2012

Problems Riddle Moves to Collect Credit Card Debt

By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG

The same problems that plagued the foreclosure process - and prompted a multibillion-dollar settlement with big banks - are now emerging in the debt collection practices of credit card companies.

As they work through a glut of bad loans, companies like American Express, Citigroup and Discover Financial are going to court to recoup their money. But many of the lawsuits rely on erroneous documents, incomplete records and generic testimony from witnesses, according to judges who oversee the cases.

Lenders, the judges said, are churning out lawsuits without regard for accuracy, and improperly collecting debts from consumers. The concerns echo a recent abuse in the foreclosure system, a practice known as robo-signing in which banks produced similar documents for different homeowners and did not review them.

"I would say that roughly 90 percent of the credit card lawsuits are flawed and can't prove the person owes the debt," said Noach Dear, a state civil court judge in Brooklyn, who said he presides over as many as 100 such cases a day.

Last year, American Express sued Felicia Tancreto, claiming that she had stopped making payments and owed more than $16,000 on her credit card.

While Ms. Tancreto was behind on her payments, she contested owing the full amount, according to court records. In April, Judge Dear dismissed the lawsuit, citing a lack of evidence. The American Express employee who testified, the judge noted, provided generic testimony about the way the company maintained its records. The same witness gave similar evidence in other cases, which the judge said amounted to "robo-testimony."

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Visa and MasterCard Investigate Data Breach

Excerpt from an article in

The New York Times

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Visa and MasterCard Investigate Data Breach

By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG and NELSON D. SCHWARTZ

Visa and MasterCard are investigating whether a data security breach at one of the main companies that processes transactions improperly exposed private customer information, bank officials said Friday. The event highlighted a crucial vulnerability that could affect millions of credit card holders.

The breach occurred at Global Payments, an Atlanta company that helps Visa and MasterCard process transactions for merchants. One bank executive estimated that about one million to three million accounts could be affected. That does not mean that all those cards were used fraudulently, but that credit card information on the cardholders was exposed.

The bank official, who insisted on anonymity because the inquiry is at an early stage, said that Visa and MasterCard notified his company on Thursday, but that banks had been frustrated with the pace of disclosure by Global Payments. He said that Global Payments, which is one of the biggest transactions processors, had provided little information on where the breaches took place, how accounts were hacked and other details that could indicate which customers might be vulnerable.

Banks said that when they could identify victims, they would notify them and replace credit cards, if necessary.

While far from the largest breach of credit card data in recent years, the latest incident, which is being investigated by major banks and federal authorities as well as the card companies, underscores concerns about the vulnerability of electronic financial data.

"Welcome In" to American Express' Newest Brand Campaign Entitled, "The Membership Effect"

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."Welcome In" to American Express' Newest Brand Campaign Entitled, "The Membership Effect"Television Spots Featuring Actor/Comedian Aziz Ansari, Restaurateur Thomas Keller and Small Business Saturday Highlight Unique Benefits and Value American Express Provides Consumers and Merchants

Broadcast and Cable Presence for Ads Across Two Dozen Networks

NEW YORK,  March 28, 2012 -- 

American Express announced the launch of its latest television and digital brand campaign entitled, "The Membership Effect," which chronicles the power of the unique benefits and innovations available to the millions of American Express Cardmembers and merchant partners connecting globally every day.

The campaign is the centerpiece of a broader effort that American Express is taking to educate its customers about the potential that American Express offers to connect people to possibilities through the power of its network, or "The Membership Effect." The American Express network connects millions of consumers, merchants and businesses around the globe in a payments and commerce ecosystem that creates value for all its participants. American Express is built on relationships, insights gleaned from data, and the ability to use these assets to enhance lives and build business success for its customers.

The campaign aims to showcase how American Express delivers benefits, rewards, savings and experiences for customers and services and relationships that help its merchant partners succeed through television spots featuring actor/comedian Aziz Ansari, chef/restaurateur Thomas Keller and the Company's Small Business Saturday initiative.

The campaign also introduces a new tagline for American Express, "Welcome In," to highlight that membership in a networked world is inclusive, ambitious and emphasizes the advantages that come from belonging to the American Express community, called out as "the power of all of us."

The campaign kicked off on March 15 and has aired during primetime lineups on CBS, NBC and Fox and will include such network hits as American Idol, Glee, CSI, Big Bang Theory, Saturday Night Live, Touch, Smash and The Voice. Thirty-second and sixty-second versions of the Keller and Small Business Saturday executions will air across more than two dozen broadcast and cable networks including AMC, ESPN, TBS and Comedy Central throughout the spring. The digital campaign includes a heavy presence across Facebook, Twitter and Apple's iAd mobile platform.

Two new executions featuring Ansari begin airing today.

"Through the unique American Express ecosystem of buyers and sellers, we have the ability to offer our Cardmembers and merchant partners additional value and service. Nowhere is that more evident than with our collaborations with Facebook, foursquare and, most recently, Twitter -- which allow us to connect and facilitate both experiences and commerce between Cardmembers and merchants," said John Hayes, Chief Marketing Officer, American Express. "The Membership Effect captures that idea, of how American Express is creating powerful connections and shared value between the members of the American Express community of consumers, merchants and small business owners."

Several American Express programs that capitalize on the power and potential of "The Membership Effect" are highlighted in the advertising campaign, including:

Creating Rich Experiences for Cardmembers
American Express partnered with Aziz Ansari to develop three humorous spots showing how he is able to take advantage of exclusive offers for American Express Cardmembers by "syncing" his Card to Facebook, Twitter and foursquare. A :60 spot takes Ansari on a journey with the help of his American Express Card following his quest to win the heart of a young woman, and two :30 versions show Ansari feeding his love of kayaking and the tuba. The ads illustrate how American Express uses social media platforms to add value to Cardmembers by allowing seamless redemption of merchant offers without the need for coupons or special codes.

Delivering Value to Businesses
The spots featuring Thomas Keller share how "The Membership Effect" benefits him as a small business owner and American Express merchant partner. Throughout the spot, Keller shares how American Express harnesses the power of its network of buyers and sellers to grow his business and provides insights and tools that help him expand his customer base and support the local economy in Yountville, California, home to his first restaurant The French Laundry, and beyond.

Consumers and Communities Connecting to Support Small Business
American Express' successful Small Business Saturday initiative – which drives millions of consumers to small businesses around the country – is profiled in multiple television spots to highlight the role that American Express, consumers and merchants play to support an important economic engine: small business.

For more information on "The Membership Effect," visit americanexpress.com/me. All of the spots can be viewed online at youtube.com/americanexpress.

About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress,twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.

Why Hackers Set Their Sights on Small Business

If you run a small business, and think that none of your data was of interest to a hacker, consider this: what if a hacker could take stolen bank account or credit card information from your computer and package it with the same information from a hundred or a thousand other small businesses? Would it be worth something then?

"SMBs don't know how defenseless they've become, especially to automated and industrialized attack methodologies by organized crime," Christopher Porter tells PCWorld. Porter, a principal with the Verizon RISK Team, is the author of a new report from Verizon on security risk.

"[Hackers] scan the Internet, looking for remote access services, and then try the default credentials. Once they gain access, they automatically install keyloggers to collect password information [as it's typed in]," Porter says. "Then they send the information it out via e-mail or by uploading it to an FTP server or a web site. They aggregate the data and sell it on the black market."

Hackers could use the keylogger to figure out how access and drain a small business' bank account, but more commonly, Porter said, they'll target point-of-sale systems, as four Romanians did recently. "That kind of attack is increasing, because they're low-risk and low-cost attacks for organized crime." Because they're geographically widespread, it's hard for any one police department to follow up.

For more, click the link below: 

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/252302/why_hackers_set_their_sights_on_small_businesses.html#tk.nl_bdx_h_crawl

American Express Partners with Office Depot to Offer Prepaid Card

American Express Partners with Office Depot to Offer the American Express® Prepaid Card in More Than 1,100 Stores NationwidePartnership Marks First Reloadable Prepaid Card Available in Office Depot Stores

NEW YORK,  March 21, 2012 -- 

American Express announced today that the American Express Prepaid Card, a prepaid reloadable Card with no monthly or maintenance fees, will soon be available in retail at select Office Depot stores. The Card will roll out in more than 1,100 stores across the United States in the coming weeks(1) and provide Office Depot customers with a smarter spending and budgeting tool that can be used anywhere that American Express® Cards are accepted.

"We are excited to partner with Office Depot to provide consumers with a Prepaid Card that is simple to use, safer than cash and backed by the benefits and service of American Express," said Alpesh Chokshi, President, Global Payment Options, American Express. "This Prepaid Card is a smart solution for small businesses or families looking to manage their day-to-day finances and we look forward to working with Office Depot to provide a new payment option for their customers."

"Office Depot is pleased to offer a prepaid reloadable card for the first time to our customers," said Farla Efros, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Office Depot. "Reloadable prepaid cards are quickly gaining traction for many different uses. We are excited to offer the American Express Prepaid Card which delivers premium value with no hidden fees, enables our customers to use the card immediately upon purchase and is backed with the safety and security that is synonymous with American Express."

The temporary one-time load Card(2) is available for purchase for $4.95 in more than 1,100 Office Depot stores nationwide or free online at americanexpress.com/prepaid. The temporary Card can be funded with multiple loading options at the register with any dollar amount from $25 to $500.

Customers can order their permanent Card with full benefits online at the Card's website with no fees for monthly maintenance, activation, balance inquiries, alerts, Card replacement, foreign currency conversion or loading via bank account or direct deposit. Once Cardmembers receive their permanent Card, funds can be loaded online through a bank account, such as savings or checking account, direct deposit, and through cash loading(3) via MoneyPak or the Vanilla Reload Network by InComm, a new loading option for the Card. The permanent card comes with ATM access and there is no fee from American Express for the first monthly ATM cash withdrawal, after which a $2.00 fee applies per withdrawal (bank network charges may also apply to any ATM cash withdrawal). Permanent Cardmembers also have the ability to create, manage and specify additional user cards for others such as family members, colleagues, babysitters and contractors.

The temporary card can be used anywhere in the United States that American Express is accepted and the permanent card can be used internationally. The funds on the temporary and permanent card do not expire, and if lost or stolen, the funds can be replaced.

New Features for the American Express Prepaid Card
In conjunction with today's announcement, American Express is also rolling out new features on the permanent American Express Prepaid Card. Available today, these include:

• Direct deposit: American Express Prepaid Cardmembers can now load their Card, up to $5,000 monthly, from their paycheck using direct deposit. This feature allows Cardmembers the ability to set up recurring loading directly from their employer.
• Increased Limits on ATM Cash Access: The ability to access cash is an important feature for consumers with general purpose reloadable cards. In response to consumer demand, American Express Prepaid Cardmembers can now withdraw up to $400 per day from ATMs.
• Additional Cash Loading Options: Cardmembers can now load their Cards via cash using the Vanilla Reload Network by InComm at Office Depot locations or other participating locations nationwide, giving American Express Prepaid Cardmembers the convenience and ease of more reload options.

Benefits and Protections
Permanent Cardmembers are also entitled to valuable protections and benefits (subject to terms and conditions), including:

• Purchase Protection(4) which can protect against accidental damage or theft of eligible items for 90 days from date of purchase, up to $1,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per Cardmember account per calendar year.
• Roadside Assistance which provides dispatch services including towing, battery recharge, gas delivery, locksmith service and changing a flat tire.
• Global Assist ® Services provide trip planning assistance as well as emergency assistance when the Cardmember is traveling more than 100 miles from home.
• Entertainment Access provides Cardmembers access to special savings, exclusive events and advance tickets to some of the hottest events in music, sports and theater.
• Exceptional 24-7 customer service that Cardmembers have come to expect from American Express.

Online management tools provide controls and full transparency for how the Card is being used. Permanent Cardmembers can:

• View real-time transaction history and monitor spending.
• Receive email or text alerts for low funds or notifications when a transaction has occurred. (Check with your mobile service provider for fees that may apply to text messages.)
• Disable/enable ATM access for the Card.
• Inquire about Card balance 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
• Schedule reloading of funds automatically.

For more information, visit americanexpress.com/prepaid.

News Release from GE Capital

15 March 2012

GE Capital Retail Bank and The Tile Shop Renew Consumer Financing Program

National Tile Retailer Extends Financing Program through its 57 U.S. Locations and Online Store

KETTERING, OHIO and PLYMOUTH, MINN. – March 15, 2012 – GE Capital Retail Bank and national tile retailer, The Tile Shop, announced today a multi-year extension of their credit card program, which originated in 2009. GE Capital’s Retail Finance business, the operating entity that provides financial solutions to retailers and dealers to help build their customer sales, will continue to manage The Tile Shop relationship and service the account.

Under the agreement, GE Capital will offer The Tile Shop credit card as part of its Home Design^SM program through the retailer’s 57 stores and for online purchases at www.tileshop.com. Special financing options are available for any type of installation product or service, including one-of-a-kind accent tiles, stone, marble, design, tools and accessories.

“Our focus is to provide our customers with the products and resources to transform their homes, including flexible payment options,” said Carl Randazzo, national sales manager for The Tile Shop. “GE Capital shares our commitment to a great customer experience and continues to bring their decades of expertise to help us build loyalty and satisfaction.”

The Tile Shop is known for being at the forefront of the do-it-yourself industry, and offers customers design guidance, extensive product knowledge, and thousands of stone and tile products for almost any home application project.

“We are proud to continue working with The Tile Shop to deliver value to their business and support their stores in building relationships with their customers,” said Steve Roe, general manager, flooring for GE Capital’s Retail Finance business. “Our objective is to offer their customers payment options that enable them to accomplish larger home projects to improve and enjoy their spaces.”

For more than 75 years, GE Capital’s Retail Finance business has provided billions of dollars in consumer financing through major retailers and more than 200,000 small- and mid-sized businesses throughout the United States. GE Capital is a leading provider of consumer credit in the Flooring and Home Improvement industries and supports its clients with proprietary online technology such as Business Center, which includes service, marketing and sales tools, as well as the newly launched Learning Center, providing businesses with fast and easy access to training tools and resources on how to better understand and offer financing to consumers.

News Release from Microsoft - Protection

Microsoft Deploys IDV Solutions’ Software to Help Protect Its People and Facilities

Next-generation physical security visualization software supports faster and more informed decision-making than the previous generation.

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REDMOND, Wash. — March 14, 2012 — To help ensure the safety and security of its employees and contractors across more than 100 countries and nearly 700 facilities, Microsoft Corp. today announced it has deployed IDV Solutions’ new Visual Command Center software in its three Global Security Operations Centers. These centers are responsible for integrating and coordinating Microsoft’s security operations around the globe. The announcement was made at the Worldwide Public Safety Symposium in Redmond, Wash., an annual event designed to increase awareness of how technology can support the public safety sector and provide practical solutions that can be used to address daily challenges. Microsoft Global Security, which oversees the operation centers located in Redmond; Reading, England; and Hyderabad, India, monitors more than 27,000 pieces of hardware — including access card readers, cameras, fire panels, environmental alarms, biometric security systems and duress alarms — and manages more than 185,000 active cardholders and more than 30 million system events each month. “Microsoft Global Security’s charter is to establish and maintain a safe and secure working environment at all times, and we’re committed to supporting a cutting-edge technology environment to enable this,” said Michael Foynes, senior director, Global Security Operations, Microsoft. “IDV Solutions’ Visual Command Center is essential to maintaining our security mission — from routine day-to-day local operations to crisis management at our facilities worldwide, making a real impact on our ability to help keep our people safe.” As part of Microsoft’s command and control operations platform, IDV Solutions’ Visual Command Center integrates the gigabytes of data that pour in each second from multiple internal security systems and external data feeds around the world, uniting them in a dynamic, common operating picture that helps Microsoft Global Security make more informed decisions, coordinate responses and even save lives. “With Visual Command Center, organizations such as Microsoft are able to better integrate data from multiple security systems with information from around the world,” said Mark Morrison, chief executive officer and co-founder of IDV Solutions. “It helps them to identify and assess risk and, ultimately, to protect people and assets.” Visual Command Center is an evolution of Visual Fusion, IDV Solutions’ tool for data visualization. Like Visual Fusion, Visual Command Center unites data from multiple sources in the context of time and geography. Visual Command Center adds features that specifically address security professionals’ needs, such as real-time alerting, mobile applications and the ability to display multifloor building plans directly over building locations on a map. Also included in Visual Command Center is a bundle of subscription and open source data feeds selected for their relevance to security operations, including terrorism incidents, crime reports and global disaster alerts. Microsoft Global Security previously deployed Visual Fusion to help protect employees in the wake of civil unrest and political instability in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The technology was used to continually check the proximity of Microsoft office locations to the center of demonstrations; these maps then were disseminated to Microsoft Incident Management Teams with situation updates. Similarly, in response to the massive March 2011 Japanese earthquake, Microsoft Global Security used Visual Fusion to check the proximity of offices to the earthquake and tsunami disaster zones. “From everyday events like a burst water main to the large-scale impact of hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, situational awareness solutions such as Visual Command Center provide an intuitive geospatial display of information, which allows our Incident Management Teams to make more informed and precise decisions and better prioritize efforts and resources, an absolute must in immediate response actions,” said Mike Howard, chief security officer, Microsoft Global Security. The Worldwide Public Safety Symposium held March 13–15 in Redmond is attended by government officials, policymakers and information communication technology strategists from around the world, working together to deliver safer communities and national security. The conversation is at #2012PSS.