Quest Software Simplifies Email Migration for Customers With Windows Azure

Press release:

Quest Software Simplifies Email Migration for Customers With Windows Azure

Aug 31, 2012

Microsoft partner creates Windows Azure cloud solution to move customers to Microsoft Office 365 email.

inShare1

REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 31, 2012 — Quest Software is simplifying how customers of all sizes move their email to the cloud with its email migration solution, Quest OnDemand Migration for Email. The solution is based on Windows Azure and helps customers migrate to Microsoft Office 365. By running the solution on Windows Azure, Quest was able to give companies large and small a fast, low-cost, low-risk way to migrate email to cloud environments.

Quest recognized that many customers wanted to migrate their email messaging from both on-premises infrastructures and other cloud solutions to Office 365 but had questions about the migration, noting that several email migration tools in the market were difficult to set up and required the deployment of on-site servers for large mailbox migrations. As a result, Quest created an email migration solution that could be delivered using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployment model with Windows Azure in which customers do not need to install or maintain any software for the move, helping save time and money.

“We wanted customers to gain instantaneous access to our migration product via any Web browser and start migrating users within minutes, not weeks,” said Ron Robbins, product manager, Migration Solutions at Quest Software.

By hosting its solution on Windows Azure, Quest can scale to meet its customers’ needs — from small businesses with hundreds of mailboxes to large enterprises with tens of thousands of mailboxes — all while keeping its migration service affordable. Quest’s pay-as-you-go pricing model, which is enabled by Windows Azure’s pricing model, also gives customers the flexibility to migrate all their users at once or spread the investment over time.

To date, Quest has migrated tens of thousands of email seats to Office 365 using OnDemand Migration for Email, and does so with exceptional levels of performance and availability from Windows Azure. Microsoft’s cloud platform also gives Quest the ability to expand its global reach.

“We can expand our markets because Windows Azure has datacenters worldwide,” Robbins said. “Deploying our own SaaS infrastructure worldwide would be cost-prohibitive, but with Windows Azure we can reach new markets without infrastructure concerns.”

Read more about Quest Software’s development of Quest OnDemand Migration for Email on Windows Azure in the case study.

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available in theMicrosoft Customer Spotlight newsroom.

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

Nuance Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search Apps Now Available in Saudi Arabia

Dragon Apps Make Debut in the Middle East, Providing Saudi Consumers wtih a Faster and Easier Way to Send Text Messages and Emails, Update Twitter and Facebook, Search for Web Content and More Just by Speaking

Burlington, Mass. and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – March 28, 2012 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced that its Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search applications for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are now available for free in Saudi Arabia in the Apple App Store, supporting the Standard Arabic language. Already downloaded by tens of millions worldwide, Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search allow people to quickly and easily dictate SMS text messages, emails, social media updates, mobile Web searches and more, up to five times faster than typing.

The launch of Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search in Saudi Arabia marks the first deployment of Standard Arabic Dragon voice recognition for iOS applications, and the debut of the Dragon Apps in the Middle East. According to a recent Arab Advisors survey of mobile phone users in Saudi Arabia, 47 percent of respondents who use applications prefer to use them in the Arabic language, and that iPhones have a 40 percent share of all smartphones operating systems in Saudi Arabia.

“We are very excited to bring the power of voice to Saudi Arabia via Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search, marking our debut in the Middle East as part of a response to global demand for voice interfaces and applications,” said Anil Kumar, Regional Director, Nuance Middle East and Balkans. “With availability in 29 countries, Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search make it incredibly easy for mobile consumers all over the world to bring their ideas to life by just speaking.”

Dragon Dictation is iOS-5 compatible and features a pop-up toolbar with app icons that enable users to easily send their dictated text to email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, or the clipboard. Dragon Dictation also includes a convenient Auto Save function that retains dictated text when the user is interrupted by an incoming phone call.

Dragon Search is now also available on the Saudi Arabia App Store, allowing users to simply speak any search query in Standard Arabic to quickly and easily find information and answers on the mobile Web. Dragon Search is the only app to feature Nuance’s unique and innovative Dragon Search Carousel, which delivers faster, smarter search results within seconds across multiple channels all at once including Google, Yahoo!, Twitter, iTunes, Wikipedia and YouTube.

Both Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search are available for free from the Saudi Arabia App Store.

Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search are also available in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia, Denmark, Brazil, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland App Stores. In addition to Standard Arabic, the Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search support U.S, UK and Australian English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Taiwan Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Bahasa Indonesia, Hungarian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, European and Canadian French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, European and Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, European and Americas Spanish, and Swedish. And with multilingual capabilities, all Dragon app users are able to easily switch between supported languages as they come available.

To learn more, visit www.NuanceMobileLife.com. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter @NuanceMobile, and become a Fan of Dragon Mobile Apps on Facebook.

Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world.  Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications.  For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

AT&T Brings First LTE Windows Phone to Market with Nokia Lumia 900, Available for Customers April 8 for $99.99

AT&T Brings First LTE Windows Phone to Market with Nokia Lumia 900, Available for Customers April 8 for $99.99

Dallas, Texas, March 26, 2012

ShareThis

The Nokia Lumia 900, the Windows Phone named “Best of CES” for all smartphones, will be available exclusively in the U.S. from AT&T* on April 8 for $99.99.  One of the first 4G LTE Windows Phones in the world, the Nokia Lumia 900 gives AT&T customers more 4G LTE choices than ever before and the largest selection of Windows Phones in the U.S.  For more information, customers can visitwww.att.com/lumia or AT&T’s Consumer Blog.

Customers who can’t wait to get their hands on this new smartphone can pre-order it in cyan or black beginning March 30 by visiting http://www.att.com/lumia or any AT&T company-owned retail store. Qualified business customers who receive wireless service discounts can pre-order the Lumia 900 online, beginning the afternoon of March 30, at http://www.att.com/nokialumia900.

Running on AT&T’s superfast 4G LTE network, the Lumia 900 delivers an unsurpassed mobile experience. With 4G LTE speeds, the people-first style of Windows Phone 7.5 and outstanding design lets customers access their emails, music and social media quickly and helps them look good while doing it.  The Lumia 900 will be available in unique and eye-catching cyan blue and a matte black on April 8, with a newly announced high-gloss white version on sale beginning April 22.

“AT&T and Nokia’s relationship spans many years and we’re thrilled to introduce their first 4G LTE Windows Phone only for our customers,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president – Devices, AT&T Mobility.  “The Lumia 900 is impeccably designed with clean lines and a camera that rivals stand-alone digital cameras on the market today.  Combine that with the people-first Windows Phone experience and our 4G networks – the nations’ largest – and it’s clear that this is one of the best phones customers can find.”

The Nokia Lumia 900 has a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display for rich, bright images both indoors and out and a long-lasting 1830 mAh battery for enjoying content.  

Its 8 megapixel camera includes Nokia's exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, with large aperture (F2.2) and wide angle focal length (28mm) for high-quality, uncropped images even in low-light conditions. The front-facing camera boasts a large aperture and a wide angle lens that ensures sharp, bright images for high-quality video calling, right out of the box.  Additionally, customers can enjoy their favorite music and videos from their Lumia 900 wherever they are with the Nokia Purity HD On Ear Stereo Headset by Monster, also available beginning April 8.**

The Nokia Lumia 900 offers AT&T customers a range of leading content experiences such as:

·         AT&T U-verse Mobile lets U-verse TV subscribers browse the U-verse TV program guide, schedule and manage their DVR recordings, and watch hit TV shows while on the go. The U-verse Mobile library includes more than 100 TV series and more than 700 TV shows from a variety of genres.

·         Nokia Drive, available to download from Windows Phone Marketplace, provides free voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation with a dedicated in-car user interface that turns the Nokia Lumia 900 into a GPS navigation device.

·         The exclusive ESPN sports hub is pre-loaded on the Nokia Lumia 900, and provides a one-stop sports application for news, videos and scores. 

Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets.  4G speeds delivered by LTE, or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, where available.  Deployment ongoing.  Compatible device and data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.  Learn more at att.com/network.

Limited-time offer. Nokia Lumia 900 requires a new 2-yr wireless agreement with voice (min $39.99/mo) and min monthly data plan ($20/mo). Subject to Wireless Customer Agrmt. Credit approval req’d. Activ fee $36/line. Geographic, usage and other terms, conditions and restrictions apply, and may result in svc termination. Coverage and svcs not avail everywhere. Taxes and other charges apply. Data (att.com/dataplans): If usage exceeds your monthly data allowance, you will automatically be charged overage for additional data provided. Early Termination Fee (att.com/equipmentETF): After 30 days, ETF up to $325. Restocking fee up to $35. Other Monthly Charges/line may include a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge (up to $1.25), a gross receipts surcharge, federal and state universal svc charges, fees and charges for other gov’t assessments. These are not taxes or gov’t req’d charges. Visit a store or att.com/wireless to learn more about wireless devices and services from AT&T.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

News Release from Panda Security

FEB 16, 2012

  1

News

One Bot To Rule Them All

• The Ainslot.L bot scans computers and removes any other bots it finds
• It spreads in a fake email purporting to come from UK clothing company CULT
• The message is very well crafted to avoid raising suspicion

PandaLabs, the anti-malware laboratory of Panda Security –The Cloud Security Company– has reported on a new bot called Ainslot.L. This malware is designed to log user activities, download additional malware and take control of the system. Additionally, it acts as a banker Trojan, stealing log-in information related to banks. It also scans the computer looking for and removing other bots so that it becomes the only bot on the system.

“The fact that Ainslot.L removes other bots from infected systems definitely caught our attention”, explained Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs. “It eliminates all competition, leaving the computer at its mercy. It reminds us of the popular ‘Highlander’ movies, – There can be only one –.”

It spreads in a fake email purporting to come from UK clothing company CULT. The message, which is very well crafted, informs users that they have placed a £200 order on CULT’s online store and the invoice amount will be charged to their credit card. The text includes a link to view the order which actually downloads the bot onto the computer.

According to Corrons, “Phishing emails are not usually so well done. There is no doubt that this time fraudsters have been very careful to try to make these messages look as real as possible to get as many bites as they can”.

More information is available in the PandaLabs Blog.

Increased Efficiency with Windows 7-Based Tablets

News release from Microsoft:

News Press Release
Ben E. Keith Increases Efficiency With Rollout of Windows 7-Based Tablets

World’s second-largest wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch reduces the time it takes to complete store inventory by 50 percent with Windows 7-based MobileDemand xTablet T7000.

inShare4

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 14, 2012 — Ben E. Keith Co. has completed a successful rollout of more than 280 MobileDemand xTablet T7000 devices equipped with Windows 7. When the wholesaler implemented new Anheuser-Busch Mobility software, it also used the opportunity to upgrade its field devices to increase efficiency, accuracy and functionality for sales representatives who distribute 38 million cases of beer annually. “We needed just the right piece of equipment to meet the demands required of our sales representatives,” said Steve Fleming, vice president of Administration and Information for Ben E. Keith. “We decided to look for devices that offered the durability and functionality to let our reps hit the streets hard every day and sell with maximum efficiency.” Before the upgrade, Ben E. Keith reps used pocket-sized units that allowed them to take orders and send them to the warehouse. However, as the business grew and changed, the company recognized the necessity of improving the devices used in the field. Always a leader in implementing new technologies to help reps do their jobs, Ben E. Keith decided to replace the outdated handheld units. As Ben E. Keith began looking at more modern devices, such as tablet PCs, it quickly became clear what was important. Competing products lacked the integrated scanner and built-in numeric keypad that sales reps were looking for. In addition, consumer-focused tablets were not durable enough for the daily demands of beer distribution. The best device for durability, functionality and familiarity was the Windows 7-based xTablet T7000. With the new units, reps are able to work with a familiar Windows 7 user interface. The large screens enable quicker product lookups and allow reps to show new promotions or the latest TV commercial. The full Windows 7 operating system gives reps access to business applications, such as Internet, email, Microsoft Excel 2010, videos and presentations. Reps can also use tools for merchandising, shelf space or profit calculators. High-capacity batteries power the devices all day without being plugged in or recharged. “Having Windows 7 made it easy to use the tablets and make updates. And our reps were already familiar with the operating system, which made implementation and training seamless,” Fleming said. As a result of the implementation, sales reps have seen a significant reduction in the time it takes to complete store inventory. The new Windows 7 devices have improved pre-sales processes and sales rep productivity, and they have led to better customer service. They have also reduced errors and provided more uptime due to reduced device malfunctions — resulting in lower total cost of ownership. More information on Windows 7 Enterprise is available athttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/default.aspx. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed athttp://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

Beware of Valentine's Day Malware Distribution

News release from Panda Security:

Beware of Valentine’s Day Malware Distribution Campaigns, PandaLabs reports

• Here are some examples of malware that used social engineering to infect users on this festive occasion
• PandaLabs offers tips to avoid computer viruses on Valentine’s Day

Malware that uses events like Valentine’s Day, Christmas or Halloween as a lure to trick users and infect computers is now a well-established feature of the IT security calendar. Once again, this year it will be no surprise to see numerous emails in circulation with links for downloading romantic greeting cards, videos, gift ideas, or Facebook and Twitter messages related to Valentine’s Day.

Social engineering is cyber-crooks’ preferred technique for deceiving users. In these cases it basically involves obtaining confidential information from users by convincing them to take a series of actions. Crimeware and social engineering go hand-in-hand: a carefully selected social engineering ploy convinces users to hand over their data or install a malicious program which captures information and sends it on to the fraudsters.

Cyber-crooks, however, are also exploiting other channels, such as Facebook, Twitter or Google+, and given the access to millions of users that these social networks provide, they have become just as popular among the criminal fraternity for spreading malware as email.

A new Facebook attack has recently been discovered that uses users’ walls to spread. An apparently harmless message invites users to install a Valentine’s Day theme on Facebook. However, if the user clicks the wall post, they are redirected to a page where they are prompted to install the theme. This installs a malware file which, once run, displays ads from other websites. It also downloads an extension that monitors Web activities and redirects sessions to survey pages that request sensitive information like phone numbers.

Some weeks ago, the PandaLabs blog reported on a link included in a Twitter profile that took users to a dating site: http://pandalabs.pandasecurity.com/sex-lies-and-twitter/. Special dates like Valentine’s Day can see a proliferation of malicious Twitter posts used to steal users’ confidential data and empty their bank accounts through social engineering.

Here is a collection of some of the Valentine’s Day-themed malware campaigns detected by PandaLabs, the anti-malware laboratory of Panda Security, in recent years:

Waledac.C: This worm spread by email trying to pass itself off as a greeting card. The email message included a link to download the card. However, if the user clicked the link and accepted the subsequent file download they were actually letting the Waledac.C worm into their computer. Once it infected the computer, the worm used the affected user’s email to send out spam.

I Love.exe you: This was a RAT (Remote Access Trojan) that gave attackers access to the victim’s computer and all their personal information. The Trojan allowed the virus creator to access target computers remotely, steal passwords and manage files.

Nuwar.OL: This worm spread in email messages with subjects like “I love You So Much”, “Inside My Heart” or “You in My Dreams”. The text of the email included a link to a website that downloaded the malicious code. The page was very simple and looked like a romantic greeting card with a large pink heart. Once it infected a computer, the worm sent out a large amount of emails, creating a heavy load on networks and slowing down computers.

Website that downloaded the Nuwar.OL worm

Valentin.E: This worm spread by email in messages with subjects like “Searching for True Love” or “True Love” and an attached file called “friends4u”. If the targeted user opened the file, a copy of the worm was downloaded. Then, the worm sent out emails with copies of itself from the infected computer to spread and infect more users.

Desktop wallpaper displayed by Valentin.E.

Storm Worm: This worm spread via email by employing a number of lures, one of them exploiting Valentine’s Day. If the targeted user clicked the link in the email, a Web page was displayed while the worm was downloaded in the background.

Web page displayed by Storm Worm

PandaLabs offers users a series of tips to avoid falling victim to computer threats:

• Do not open emails or messages received on social networks from unknown senders.

• Do not click any links included in email messages, even though they may come from reliable sources. It is better to type the URL directly in the browser. This rule applies to messages received through any mail client, as well as those in Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks or messaging applications, etc. If you do click on any such links, take a close look at the page you arrive at. If you don’t recognize it, close your browser.

• Do not run attached files that come from unknown sources. Especially these days, stay on the alert for files that claim to be Valentine Day’s greeting cards, romantic videos, etc.
• Even if the page seems legitimate, but asks you to download something, you should be suspicious and don’t accept the download. If, in any event, you download and install any type of executable file and you begin to see unusual messages on your computer, you have probably been infected with malware.
• If you are making any purchases online, type the address of the store in the browser, rather than going through any links that have been sent to you. Only buy online from sites that have a solid reputation and offer secure transactions, encrypting all information that is entered in the page.

• Do not use shared or public computers, or an unsecured WiFi connection, for making transactions or operations that require you to enter passwords or other personal details.

• Have an effective security solution installed, capable of detecting both known and new malware strains.

Panda Security offers you several free tools for scanning computers for malware, like Panda Cloud Antivirus:www.cloudantivirus.com