By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
January 13, 2011

At least 24 hours after holding a public hearing on its draft memorandum circular about minimum broadband speeds, the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) announced it has taken out the “bandwidth cap” clause to focus on the real intent of the memo, a deputy commissioner said Wednesday.

Speaking at the Communications Convergence Forum between Philippines and Korea organized by the Korean Information Security Agency, Jaime M. Fortes, deputy commissioner, NTC, said they have deleted the clause to foster less-emotional discussions on minimum broadband speeds in the country.

“We have taken out the provision because of reactions that the memo is not pro-consumer,” Fortes explained. “The provision was bad and counterproductive to increasing Internet usage in the country,”

Fortes echoed sentiments of various consumer groups during Tuesday’s hearing that imposing a bandwidth cap on broadband use is an impairment of the contract entered by both parties.

Asked if there are already reactions from telco players regarding NTC’s latest move, Fortes said: “Wala kaming pakialam sa concerns ng telcos (We don’t care about their concerns).”

In a release sent to the press by NTC’s public information office, the agency said they will continue with the proposed regional consultations “to give everyone concerned a chance to provide useful insights to improve internet service.”

The first consultation will most likely be held in Baguio, it said. Dates and other venues of consultations will be announced soon, it added.

NTC further said that it will post the new working draft on its Website shortly. As of writing, however, the new draft memorandum circular has yet to be made available on the agency’s Website.

Not Enough
Consumer group TXTPower.org, Inc., one of the strong advocates of the removal of the broadband cap clause in the draft memo, welcomed NTC’s move to slash the contentious provision out, but said that it is not enough.

“With the broadband cap already set aside, the NTC should use all its powers to address the mounting demands of Filipino internet users, big and small, for #betterinternet and to curb the abuses of the telcos,” Anthony Ian Cruz, the group’s President and CEO, said in its statement.

Cruz further urged the NTC to investigate telcos who are already imposing bandwidth cap on users of their unlimited service, saying: “the NTC must correct this absurd situation.”

The TXTPower.org, Inc. convenor likewise pushed for the agency to adopt the group’s eight-point proposal, as highlighted in its online petition.

Focus on Minimum Speed
With the bandwidth gap issue taken out of the equation, Fortes said the agency and other stakeholders can now engage on a healthy debate about the imposition of minimum speeds in broadband services.

According to position papers submitted to the NTC by major telcos, however, imposing a minimum speed on broadband services is at the most impossible, and at the least costly.

“Specifying a minimum speed of connection is like providing a dedicated/leased line for each subscriber,” PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.)’s paper said. “This would greatly impact network dimensioning, which would mean higher opex and capex, and would eventually translate to more expensive service rates for the consumers.”

Concurring with this opinion, 4G WiMax broadband provider Wi-Tribe said the imposition of a minimum speed requirement would only limit the access of users to broadband Internet services, which, they said, runs contrary to the Commission’s original mission.

“To comply with such legal guarantee, service providers will necessarily have to limit the number of possible users on the assumption that said users will access the network all at the same time, on a 24/7 basis,” the new entrant’s statement said.

“This will consequently increase rates since there would be less users sharing the costs of the network capacity,” it added.

The Wi-Tribe paper further said that there are other external factors that affect broadband speed which are beyond the providers’ control. “Unless the [NTC] has the capability to isolate the cause for the non-compliance with the required minimum speed guarantee on a per individual subscriber basis, then it would not be fair to penalize the service provider therefor,” it asserted.

Globe Telecom, for its part, said the connection rate at any given time is based on three factors: the Carrier to Interference Noise Ratio; the Received Signal Code Power, which is used as an indication of signal strength; and point-in-time data traffic on the wireless broadband base station.

“For wireless broadband connections, the laws of physics guiding radio propagation and the very nature itself of broadband services delivered over a wireless medium provides real world challenges to delivering CIR,” the company emphasized.

Formula not realistic
Both Smart and Wi-Tribe agree that the measure of minimum speed/service reliability proposed by the NTC is unrealistic, if not downright impractical.

The proposed measure for 80% service reliability denotes an equation of number of hours broadband is used in a day subtracted by the hours used below minimum connection speed in a day divided by the number of hours used in a day.

The resulting number shouldn’t go below the 80th percentile, the memo stressed.

Wi-Tribe said the formula may yield an inaccurate picture as to the true quality of the provider’s service. “For example, if a subscriber uses the service for only one hour out of the 720 hours in a month, and in that hour of use the speed falls below the guarantee, then the service provider will automatically earn a score of 0% service reliability,” it pointed out.

Smart, on the other hand, decried the formulas unrealistic—and inexistent—basis. “Worse, the proposed formula has not passed the scrutiny and test of the industry stakeholders who will be affected by its implementation,” the telco stressed.

At the end of the day, PLDT said imposing a minimum speed requirement would just open up the doors for more consumer ire. “Specifying minimum speed of connection with SLA would just invite more complaints and create unsatisfied consumers,” it said.

Globe, for its part, suggested separate measurement methods for fixed broadband, fixed wireless broadband, and mobile broadband, as these three have different propagation methods.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
January 12, 2011

If the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) will push through with its draft memorandum circular imposing minimum speeds and bandwidth caps on broadband subscriptions including BT Infinity, it will adversely affect the growth of the IT industry in the Philippines, a concerned professional from a local IT startup remarked during the public hearing on the issue Tuesday.

Saying the cap will limit the kind of applications developed by startups for consumption by local audiences, Marco Palinar of Sine Func, Inc., a local web development firm, asserted that the cap is detrimental to developers as they would now have to keep it in mind when creating their applications.

The NTC issued in early December a draft memorandum circular imposing, among other things, for telcos to declare the minimum speeds of their broadband Internet offerings and maintain it 80% of the time, and allowing them to set a maximum amount of data per subscriber per day.

“If you are a part of the IT industry, it’s a kind of a limitation. Instead of being at par with the start-ups in Silicon Valley that can dream of whatever, we are now suddenly limited by the capacity of our target audience. It’s a big blow to the IT industry,” Palinar explained.

The Philippines isn’t exactly a breeding ground of tech start-ups compared to the US’ Silicon Valley, considered to be an incubation hub of future IT mega-companies, and where recent successes such as Google and Facebook took off.

Reports peg the number of independent software development firms in the Philippines at around 400 firms. Issuing a broadband cap, according to Palinar, would just stunt this meager growth.

Palinar cited the example of videos, considered by many IT vendors and telcos as a “killer application,” to which every Internet user can subscribe. “[With the cap], the experience of the users will be limited. [They would have to] constantly mind if they have already reached their daily caps,” he added.

Palinar said the data cap is not fair to consumers because the repercussions are practically unilateral. “With the [imposition of the] data cap, if, for example, you reach your limit of 25 gigabytes per month, you get cut off without bias,” he said. “But what is the effect on the telcos [if they don’t meet the service guarantee]? There is a lot of wiggle room here for the telcos.”

PH as Social Media Capital
Consumer group TXTPower.org, Inc., meanwhile, through its President and CEO Anthony Ian Cruz, maintained that the Philippines has achieved its status of being one of the social media capitals of the world due to the encouragement of telcos to use their services.

“Now we are shocked that they are taking it against [users] that we are allegedly abusing their services,” Cruz lamented, adding that the country achieved such a status while “enduring so-called broadband Internet connections from the telcos.”

Cruz added that if the memo is adopted fully by telcos, it will destroy social media in the Philippines, adversely affect many industries, and be bad for the interest of the country. “It’s not just for consumers,” he stressed.

TXTPower.org, through its position paper submitted to the agency, called on the NTC to put its foot down and begin with basic definitions of broadband and other such connected terms as GPRS, EDGE, 3G and 4G, among others, before agreeing on measures that impose minimum speeds and bandwidth limits.

“Without such definitions, the Commission, the Republic, the consumers and end-users and the telecommunications supposedly offering broadband services are at a loss. Without such definitions, it would be foolish to ask telcos to arbitrarily and baselessly prescribe minimum speeds and impose so-called data caps,” the group’s position read.

Broadband as VAS
The problem with the current situation, according to Douglas Mallillin, deputy commissioner, NTC, is that broadband is defined in Republic Act 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines as a value-added service.

“[The law] was drafted in 1995. Back then, it had a picture of voice [as a basic service], but it did not envision yet the Internet being mobile,” Mallillin explained.

As such, current applications outside voice—including SMS and the Internet—are considered deregulated, which means the government will allow the market to develop until such a time that it reaches a plateau and can be considered a basic service.

The problem, Mallillin said, is that the NTC doesn’t have the power to redefine what can be considered as a basic service. “The law made the definition. What is needed are slight amendments to give it a more technology-neutral tone, since the industry is very dynamic. The law was from 15 years ago, but you cannot change the definition if you do not change the law,” he added.

Caps expected
It is the “deregulated” nature of broadband Internet that telcos are now trying to use to justify the imposition of bandwidth caps, along with the doctrine of Fair Use.

In a position paper submitted to the NTC on December 17, Atty. Rodolfo Salalima, president, Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO), asserted that “requiring the providers of [broadband Internet] service to specify the minimum connection speed, service reliability, service level, and service rates would amount to regulating the same, contrary to the Commission’s own rules.”

Salalima added that the NTC should give way to the dynamics of the free market, where users are left to choose the providers of their choice based on their individual requirements.

The PCTO president also underscored the fact that due to the expectedly high volume of users, no minimum speed can be declared at any given point in time. “That is the reason why global industry practice specifies a maximum data connection rate for best efforts services but not a minimum,” he added.

Salalima also stressed that they agree with the “maximum volume of data” clause of the draft memorandum circular “as this is consistent with the demands of fair use.”

“Let me clarify, therefore, that the Fair Use doctrine is not an isolated policy,” Salalima said during the public hearing. “It is being used in so many countries. It has been a policy of the telcos. The origin of fair use is that it is, in fact, the bastion of consumer rights.”

He went on to explain that something is wrong with a proportion where only a few users hog up majority of the Internet bandwidth. “My understanding is that only 5% to 7% of consumers are using about 80% of the bandwidth while the others are using the remaining 20%,” he related.

Fair Use as Mask
TXTPower.org’s Cruz said the telcos are now hiding behind the mask of ‘Fair Use’ to hide their own abuses. “It takes two to tango. It’s a contract to enter in a fair use policy, so telcos must first promise to deliver basic service. The cart should not come before the horse,” he decried.

The concept of Fair Use in regulating broadband Internet usage can only succeed if the telcos have the guts and infrastructure to deliver, Cruz added.

“We are in favor of true Fair Use, but not as an excuse to deny the Philippines of broadband definition and standards,” he clarified.

Telcos’ Wish
The contentious paragraph 5 of NTC’s draft memorandum circular regarding minimum speed of broadband connections states that “service providers may set the maximum volume of data allowed per subscriber/user per day.”

The clause, according to NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, was not present during the earlier stages of the draft memo, but was simply requested by responding telcos upon meeting with them a few months back.

“We called up a meeting with ISPs, first to focus on their advertisements. Most of them state they have ‘speeds of up to xMbps,’ but it doesn’t state the minimum. It means there is a chance for the speed to hike, but there is no minimum for speed on a regular basis,” he explained.

Cordoba said during the meetings with telcos that it was the telcos who raised concerns that there are some users who are hogging the bandwidth by using the Internet for 24 hours straight or for commercial purposes.

“The cap [idea] started as a proposal from the telcos, saying there must be some safeguards so that they can meet the minimum [required speed],” deputy commissioner Mallillin added.

Cordoba, however, clarified that the memo is not final, as it will still go through further studies and consultations. “It’s a work in progress, we haven’t finalized everything. We are all here so that we can get all your inputs,” he stressed.

As a result of the public hearing, the NTC resolved to conduct public consultations in key regional cities to get a pulse of their broadband woes, before finalizing the memo. Consumer groups and other industry stakeholders welcomed this development.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
January 5, 2011

HONG KONG – Russian-based IT security firm Kaspersky Lab is pinning its sights on the corporate market in the next five years, with the 2011 release of a bevy of products aimed at protecting corporate users from ever-evolving malware hounding firms today, company executives announced here recently.

The 2011 business security products will include several new additions to the corporate space lineup, including: Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Mac, Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Linux, and Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Smartphones, among others.

Traditionally well-known in the consumer space with the massive success of its antivirus and Internet security products, Kaspersky Lab’s foray into the corporate space comes at a time when many firms around the world are beleaguered with constant malware attacks that deplete resources.

“Now, we hope our success in the consumer space will help [reap] even more success [for the company] in the corporate space,” remarked Maxim Mitrokhin, director of operations, Kaspersky Lab APAC. “Now, we have a good chance to increase our penetration in the corporate space, and we will use our visibility in the consumer market to achieve it.”

Corporate Roots
Despite coming off as a newcomer—a potential dark horse—in the enterprise security market, Mitrokhin said Kaspersky actually has its roots planted in the corporate space. “Around seven years ago, we are popular in the corporate world. Our first wave [of development] was hatched in the corporate setting, with our technology licensing business,” he emphasized.

Mitrokhin also added that it was Kaspersky who first offered a security solution for Linux systems, about 10 years ago.

Despite this revitalized focused in the enterprise space, Mitrokhin said one thing has not changed: “From the point of view of protection, we are still very famous for very fast detection and repair of threats, especially malware.”

The Kaspersky executive said they are continually adding and analyzing their systems in order to improve threat detection from the point of view of malware behavior. “We understand threats, but we also analyze what most malwares are doing,” he stressed.

Malware-centered
It is this deep understanding of malwares that Kaspersky is banking on for its corporate products, saying that “anti-malware protection is the foundation of any security strategy,” and that most threats today are pushed to vulnerable users through malwares.

For its 2011 release, Kaspersky is taking a multi-tiered approach which hopes to fill every possible gap in the enterprise, which cybercriminals could exploit.

The offerings are subdivided into three layers of protection residing at the gateway layer, the mail subsystem layer, and the workstation and server layer.

Under the Kaspersky Open Space Security(KOSS)-1 layer for endpoint systems, the security firm offers the Endpoint Security 8 software for Linux, Mac, and Smartphones.

On the KOSS-2 layer for file servers, Kaspersky has the AV 8.0 for Windows Server EE and Linux File Server. For the KOSS-3 layer for mail, Kaspersky offers Security 8.0 for Microsoft Exchange and Anti-Virus 8.0 for Lotus Notes.

Meanwhile, for the KOSS-4 layer for Web protection, Kaspersky has the AV 8.0 for Microsoft ISA/TMG.

New products available for the corporate space also include the AV for Storage (for EMC Solera systems), Security Center (Managed Services Edition), Hosted Mail Services and Hosted Web Services.

Mobile Security
One of the newer and more notable corporate releases for Kaspersky this year is its mobile security offering in the form of Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Smartphones.

Currently, according to Keith Maskell, vice president for corporate business, Kaspersky Lab, the offering works on Windows Mobile 6.5, Symbian S60, and BlackBerry OS devices, although future ports to new and more popular operating systems are in the pipeline.

“Aside from antivirus, the smartphone product also contains anti-theft features, which, [in the corporate space], is equally important as antivirus, because it gives the ability to wipe data remotely,” Maskell noted.

Aside from anti-theft modules, the Endpoint Security 8 for Smartphones will have a centralized policy-based deployment, management, and reporting via Kaspersky Administration Kit 8, for firms with a lot of mobile devices.

It also has an anti-spam protection feature for SMS and calls, which produce white and black list of contacts, and has the ability to fine-tune incoming messages.

Maskell said development of the endpoint security version for Android devices is currently under way, while Alexey Kalgin, product director, corporate business division, Kaspersky Lab, says the version for the newly released Windows Phone 7 is currently in the development stages.

“We are currently working [on the WP7 version] with some delay because it is the first time that Microsoft has developed its software from scratch,” Kalgin explained, adding that they are looking at a 2011 target release date for the WP7 version.

The iOS version is a different story altogether, according to Kalgin and Maskell. “The business case for iOS is not clear. It’s not easy to develop a security product [for it],” the latter said, adding that as long as an iOS device is not jailbroken, then it’s secured.
“But we still need to track this,” Maskell stressed. “Any device that is accessing the network can become a point of attack.”

Kalgin said they are still opportunities on how to bring the endpoint security module to the iOS, given that it is only this year that Apple included a multi-tasking feature for its mobile operating system. “[To do this], you’ll need a software running in the background all the time. We are not sure if that is possible in the recent 4.0 firmware update,” he explained.

Kalgin also added that to be able to implement an antivirus solution for iOS devices, they would have to gain low-level access to the OS and its features, something that Apple—notorious for its strict and closed policies—is not famous for. “We have contacted Apple but they said they are interested in delivering security by themselves. It’s possible to port this to iOS, but it will be limited to some features only,” he shared.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
January 4, 2011

CORON, PALAWAN — Erstwhile computer chip manufacturer Intel is all set to change its course and break out of the its decades-old mold, with the impending release of processors with integrated video modules, a “compute continuum” platform, and software applications that enhance the entire computing experience, a ranking executive remarked here recently.

In response to changes in computing behavior these days, Ricky Banaag, country manager, Intel Philippines, said during the Synergy Forum jointly organized here by Intel and HP that they are poised to fill what is called the “compute continuum,” or a standard level of experience across many devices.

“We are seeing a continuum [today], an interaction that can be observed across all devices,” he emphasized. “What is common is that the user wants the same degree of experience across all devices—from smartphones to netbooks to desktops.”

Banaag said it is important for the company to provide a platform that will host a similar computing experience across many devices, as well as the ability to share data among them. “What’s important is that we are looking at not just a single processor or product coming from Intel,” he added.

Visual Power
The company strategy rests on several tent poles, chief among them is its upcoming release of the second-generation Core processors, code-named Sandy Bridge, which will feature integrated graphics onto the die itself, eliminating the need to purchase a separate video card for most use cases.

“Integrated graphics was a key component [of this release]. Usage models now really require graphics capabilities especially now with video and games,” Banaag noted.

Intel says the graphics capabilities integrated with the unreleased Sandy Bridge processors are equivalent to P3,000- to P5,000-worth of video cards available in the market today, pumping up the value that comes with Intel CPU purchases today.

“We’re looking at a continuum of solutions based on Intel’s chip architecture,” Banaag said. “In 2007, traditionally we would just provide the silicon. Today, not anymore. We are going to develop the platform, enrich visual computing, and look at software and services as key factors to achieve our goals.”

Meego and Atom
Another tent pole for Intel’s “Compute Continuum” strategy is its small form-factor chip, the Atom, which is widely used today to power netbooks.

Intel, however, plans to go beyond the netbook alone and expand Atom’s reach to include mobile devices, video displays, and embedded systems, to name a few.

“In order to harness our strengths, we actually have three elements: an operating environment, developer programs and support, and application distribution channels,” outlines Randy Kanapi, market development manager, Intel Philippines.

At the cornerstone of these elements is Meego, Intel’s operating system collaboration with Finnish phone manufacturer Nokia, which will “provide a unified operating environment for the Atom processors, regardless of platform,” according to Kanapi.

The Linux-based OS—an offspring of the merge between Intel’s Moblin and Nokia’s Maemo—was developed in February 2010 and is structured to enable developers to create a wide range of applications that is multi-platform and multi-form-factor.

“[With Meego], you are able to reuse the code [across different platforms] because it’s loosely based on Linux,” Kanapi added.

App Store
For the app-hungry users of today, Intel will also offer an App Store, called AppUp, to enhance the experience across different devices.

Kanapi said Intel’s AppUp store is a relatively young platform, and contains very few applications to date—which are mostly games and are designed for netbooks.

But he added that Intel has already infused funding to encourage developers to create more applications for its store, and will issue revenue sharing models to those who manage to get in. “Right now, however, it’s still in a stage where we are just about to see the adaptability, and is only gaining momentum,” Kanapi said.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 22, 2010

With the release of new guidelines set by the PCI SSC (Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council) governing safe and secure processing, transmission, and storage of credit card information, firms can turn to IT security firm Symantec to help them follow the controls suggested in order to remain compliant with the standards.

The new standards, released in late October, contains 132 changes from the past guidelines, 115 for which are simple clarifications to past rules, 15 additional guidance and two evolving requirements, shared Nigel Tan, principal consultant, Asia South Region, Symantec.

The two evolving requirements are “changes to ensure that the standards are up to date with emerging threats and changes in the market,” the company added.

One of the major changes firms should consider, the company stressed, is the availability of multiple avenues of detection of and response to unauthorized wireless access points or networks. “Addressing wireless networks has been a significant problem, especially for large retailers, and some relief may be in sight,” it said.

According to Tan, Symantec can help firms tighten their security controls through their Control Compliance Suite 10.0, which is expected to provide even greater visibility into an organization’s security and compliance posture while still lowering cost and complexity.

“Visibility is one of the main hindrances to compliance,” Tan explained. “[Firms] do not know what is on their environment, [so they do now know how to] identify gaps, prioritize risks, or face new threats.”

Among other hindrances to compliance include: time to coordinate, report, and test control measures; and the cost of audit fees, penalties, fines, and technical expertise.

Tan stressed that despite these hindrances, firms must have a security focus within their organization. “Companies must design [their infrastructure] with security in mind. It may be a lengthy process, but it will benefit the organization in the end,” he related.

Additionally, implementing stop-gap or compensating controls may not be an effective solution, as they add to the complexity of the whole compliance process, Tan added.

Tan suggested that compliance efforts should originate and be driven from top management, and that “firms must do risk ranking in order to raise the visibility to the business.”

Symantec combines its comprehensive compliance experience with customized consulting services and market-leading technologies—such as the Control Compliance Suite—in order to aid firms on their way to PCI-DSS 2.0 compliance.

Tan said these solutions are coupled with Symantec’s largest Global Intelligence Network, which closely monitors new and emerging threats sprouting around the world.

The PCI-DSS guidelines are standards that have been around for several years now, and aim to protect sensitive credit card information across the many human hands and systems that process them every day around the world.

It is a standard which governs every individual or institution that deals with payment card data, and enforces incentives or penalties to companies who agree or fail to comply.

Some penalties for failure to comply with the PCI-DSS guidelines include: higher [processing] rates for failed merchants; fines for uncompromised records; and suspension of use privilege for card brands.

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Smartphone player HTC launched two new Android-powered smartphones under the “Desire” line, sporting the revitalized HTC Sense user experience interface which promises a holistic experience for mobile phone users, a top executive remarked recently.

For the longest time, HTC Sense has come to be known by users as the user interface that sits on top of the vanilla Android OS that comes with new HTC smartphones.

“What most users don’t know is that HTC Sense is not just the UI, it’s the entire experience of using the smartphone,” explained Mark Sergio, country manager, HTC Philippines.

Users of HTC phones, for example, can do simple gestures to mute their phones in inappropriate circumstances, or turn it over to reject a call during a meeting.

A new and differentiated mapping experience—called Locations—can also be used with HTC Sense, where users can have instant and on-demand mapping without download delays or having to incur mobile roaming charges.

HTC’s Locations app comes with a compass which can automatically determine which direction the user is facing, a useful yet commonly absent feature in most mapping applications.

Coupled with the HTCSense.com Web service, HTC phones are given a new level of manageability. Aside from having the ability to customize their phones with wallpapers, sounds, and widgets, HTCSense.com gives users the power to locate a misplaced handset by triggering it to ring loudly, even when on silent mode.

Furthermore, the phone can be remotely locked and have a personalized message displayed to facilitate its safe return to the owner in the event of loss/theft.

HTCSense.com also allows cloud syncing of vital information stored on the phone, such as contacts and text messages. “We believe the future [of computing] will be built on user-generated content, so for now, we do not give a finite space for this service yet,” Sergio said.

HTC’s continued effort to provide a different kind of experience to its users stems from its drive to address market segments they have not tapped before, which consist of young and non-business users.

“Before, we are focused on business users, so consumers are usually deterred by the complexity of our smartphones,” Sergio decried. “We have gone from a niche player and into a consumer-oriented company, for we believe that the phone is more personal now.”

HTC recently launched two additions to its “Desire” lineup of phones, namely: HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z, the latter coming with a slide-out keyboard for tactile text input.

Both phones are running on Android’s latest version, v2.2 Froyo.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

The sixth iteration into HP’s StorageWorks XP family of enterprise-class storage systems—HP StorageWorks P9500—will have smart tiering and application performance extenders, which can enhance availability of mission-critical applications and data, an executive revealed recently.

Smart tiering, explained Humprey Sy, business manager for HP StorageWorks division, Southeast Asia, automatically does storage tiering based on access and frequency of data.

“Smart tiering automatically moves data to make efficient use of storage resources,” Sy said.

Large enterprises often use different kinds of storage devices in one array, so automatically tiering data based on the frequency of use will free up resources on high-quality drives that are accessed most frequently, he releated.

Before smart tiering, administrators resort to manual storage tiering, which takes a lot of time and effort, and often causes operational downtimes.

Another innovation in the storage space is HP’s Application Performance Extender, which claims to “consolidate infrastructure without impacting mission-critical SLAs,” by giving priority access from server to storage, depending on the mission-criticality of an application as determined by an administrator.

“[This feature] prioritizes storage input-output on applications and servers,” Sy shared. “[Naturally], higher priority is given to applications with higher requirements.”

With these new features, Sy said enterprise will be on their way to simplifying mission-critical availability of their storage arrays.

Additionally, the new StorageWorks P9500 unit will give administrators the power to manage more terabytes of data, as it allows scalability from five to 2000 drives without disruption at half the footprint of its immediate predecessor.

“The new StorageWorks array uses 2.55” SFF drives which doubles power efficiency and I/O per square foot while cutting floor space in half,” Sy claimed.

With the new array offering, enterprises can serve customers on a 24/7 basis, deliver faster performance and more transactions, consolidate and maximize storage resources, and scala not just at capacity level, but also on performance.

Moreover, firms can benefit from HP’s revitalized software licensing model, which makes use of meter-based licensing to give companies the chance to gauge their license purchases.

Meter-based licenses are “similar to prepaid credits,” Sy expounded, which firms can buy on a per-day basis.

Using meter-based licensing makes sense especially in the storage space, Sy claimed, because applications used such as creating duplicate copies of data or backing up huge volumes normally take a couple of days, and would not need a permanent license.

HP StorageWorks P9500 is part of the IT giant’s push towards a converged infrastructure in the data center, which aims to construct a shared pool of resources end-users can utilize based on their needs.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

Despite Intel’s push to put its Atom chip in every device possible—including smartphones—current mobile chip leader Qualcomm remains nonchalant about its position in the mobile processors market, a local executive remarked recently.

With its powerful Snapdragon processor being utilized by most high-end smartphones today, Mantosh Malhotra, country manager, Qualcomm Philippines, said they are seeing remarkable growth in the mobile segment over the years.

“Our Snapdragon platform has seen a dramatic increase in computing speeds in the last three to four years,” Malhotra explained.

Malhotra said Qualcomm is at a competitive position since the processor chips they have been producing for the longest time were specifically targeted at mobile devices. “Intel wants to see mobile as an opportunity [for growth]. They are coming down from the PC and into the mobile,” he surmised.

If anything, Malhotra quipped, Intel’s move is an indication that mobile is really the way to go forward.

More than smartphones, however, Malhotra said Qualcomm is focusing its efforts on developing technologies for smartbooks, a new market segment that goes between smartphones and notebooks.

“Unlike netbooks which are basically cut down versions of the PC, smartbooks have the features of the phone with the functionality of a PC,” he explained.

The executive said they have already partnered with PC vendors such as Dell, Acer, and Lenovo to bring such products to the market. “We are trying to bring the price, functionality, and pictures together in one device,” he said.

For the upcoming year, Malhotra said they will continue to collaborate with partners to bring 3G to the masses.

One of these initiatives is called mirasol, a new screen technology for devices which uses ambient light and reflective technology to produce displays that consume very low power.

Asked how mirasol is in line with their mobile and 3G efforts, Malhotra said: “If a screen can help us push 3G further, why not? With a longer battery life—and a screen that can be used practically anywhere—usage of devices can go up, which means users will consume more data through 3G, which translates to more revenue for the operators.”

mirasol, however, is still in development and won’t be available commercially anytime soon, Malhotra stressed.

Malhotra likewise pointed out that mirasol is part of the company’s continued R&D efforts, which in 2010 has received at least 20% of their revenues in funding.

Qualcomm operates in three key segments today, namely: technology licensing, 3G chips, and mobile processors.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

An enterprising local phone manufacturer recently took a stab at the hotly contested tablet market with its recent release of an Android-based tablet device, among other Android-powered devices it is throwing into the local market, touting affordability as its main selling point.

Traditionally a manufacturer of inexpensive dual-SIM phones, Cherry Mobile recently signified its foray into the smartphone market with its release of three new Android-based devices, namely: Nova, Magnum HD, and the tablet Superion.

The Cherry Mobile Nova, its entry-level smartphone offering, boasts of the highest camera resolution for its P11,490 price range, according to Reggie Ramos, product development manager at Cherry Mobile.

The Nova features a Qualcomm MSM 7227 600 MHz processor, a capacitive touch screen interface, and comes equipped with Android OS v2.1 (Éclair).

The yet-to-be-released Magnum HD, however, is Cherry Mobile’s take on the large-screen smartphone segment. “The Magnum HD is ideal for techies, executives, and upper management employees who would want a bigger screen to do business with,” Ramos disclosed.

The Magnum HD goes head to head with HTC Desire HD and the Samsung Galaxy S in the large-screen category.

The cream of the Cherry Mobile crop, however, is the company’s take on Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, dubbed the Cherry Mobile Superion.

The Superion sports a seven-inch touchscreen interface running on the latest Android v2.2 (Froyo), and is capable of sending and receiving text messages and calls.

Because of the latter, reports are putting the Superion side by side with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which boats of practically the same feature.

The main difference, according to Ramos, and which he said consumers would easily appreciate, is the price point. “Our advantage is the price. People would [be looking for options], and they would see the price difference,” Ramos claimed.

The Superion retails for only P19,990, the same price point as most netbooks available in the market today.

Ramos said the Superion still takes superiority over netbooks, mainly due to its battery life and boot-up time. “Netbooks typically have only three hours of battery life. Additionally, if you need to use your device, netbooks take a long time to power up,” he added.

Ramos said they were able to bring the price of these devices down through a strategic partnership with Foxconn, a popular device manufacturing firm.

Cherry Mobile’s Android devices, however, are not their first takes on the smartphone market.

The company released the Eclipse early this year, a sub-P10,000 Windows 6.5-powered touchscreen device.

Ramos said producing a Windows Phone 7-powered device is currently in their roadmap, but refused to disclose any further details about it.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

A major local bank has recently released a USB 3G mobile internet dongle in its intensified push towards mobile banking adoption in the Philippines.

Through its 24/7 Globe Tattoo broadband stick, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) introduces a new way of banking that connects clients to the bank whenever and wherever they are.

The prepaid broadband stick allows access to the BPI Express Online and other accompanying websites without charging the dongle’s pre-loaded amount, giving virtually free access to mobile banking without having to leave the comfort of one’s home or office.

“We recognize the need of clients to do banking anytime, anywhere. The Globe Tattoo allows BPI clients mobile access to the Internet wherever they are. We also provided the Globe Tattoo with a call option so clients can access the BPI Express Phone for more banking services. This product truly fulfills the needs of BPI mobile banking customers so they can continue to enjoy a digital lifestyle,” explained Dong Ronquillo, head of broadband and landline marketing, Globe Telecom.

In addition, users of the limited edition mobile broadband stick, which sports a nationalistic design, can top-up their prepaid accounts using the BPI Express Online website, which will automatically debit the credits to their account.

Aside from that, the broadband stick can be reloaded through various loading centers and cellphone retail stores nationwide.

Globe Telecom has its own foray into mobile banking through its money transfer service called GCash, which in March has reportedly processed at least P3.5 billion a month from its more than one million subscribers.

GCash, according to the company, is most popularly used in the country for international and domestic remittance, as well as casual online transactions.

Both BPI and Globe Telecom are subsidiaries of Ayala Corporation, one of the biggest conglomerates in the Philippines.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

While major telecommunications firms in the country are up on their toes itesting their respective fiber-powered broadband deployments, networking solutions provider ECI Telecom makes its own case for fiber-to-the-home implementations with simpler and more cost-effective solutions.

With a massive push for data consumption by end-users, service providers are having a hard time managing their complex network of copper-based broadband lines, especially when what used to be simply one-way traffic has become highly interactive thanks to newly developed Internet applications.

“Service providers often build their wireline and wireless infrastructures separately,” noted Rondell Cruz, president, ECI Telecom Philippines. “Each group is building their own network, which is inefficient, CAPEX-loaded, and poses a lot of operational challenges.”

Cruz said there’s a big difference between copper and fiber deployments, and that service providers must act on future-proofing their networks now to get ahead of the competition. “Copper is very vulnerable to electromagnetic noise, which can impact the quality of the signal,” Cruz noted, adding that copper wires are also prone to pilferage by ill-intentioned individuals who sell them for profit.

With the price of copper and fiber meeting at a more common level, Cruz said there is no better time than now to start deploying fiber. “One compelling reason for service providers [to deploy fiber] is that the ROI can be delivered from enterprise and backhauling applications today, with residential revenues to follow,” Cruz added.

Another reason is clear to the eye, quite literally: copper-based broadband deployments normally “ride” through electrical posts, making it both an eyesore and a potential hazard given the current haywire setup of the posts today.

“The objective is to make fiber deployment simple. You can just imagine, visually, the management nightmare for copper, by looking at the electrical posts,” Cruz quipped.

ECI’s fiber solutions are deployed through a small cabinet box that can cater to any mix of FTTx architecture, supporting GPON, active Ethernet/point-to-point, and full traffic aggregation capabilities all in one platform. “The solution allows flexible slot assignment so that the service mix offered by the access network is adaptable to customer requirements—whether residential, business, wholesale, or wireless backhaul,” the company added.

With rapid urbanization and real property developments cropping up in the country’s capital, Cruz said this is a perfect opportunity for service providers to integrate fiber boxes into newly built buildings. “This is a [surefire] market for fiber deployment,” he added.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

Determined to promote the mainstream use of unified communications (UC) around the world, UC vendor Polycom announced earlier its plans to put UC capabilities not just in the office, but to the home and mobile phones as well.

The long-time UC vendor said growth from the UC market, which is currently pegged at US$3.75 billion in annual revenues and is projected to reach as much as $14.5 billion by 2015, can be had not just by traditional videoconferencing and telepresence applications, but by looking beyond horizontal applications as well.

“Emerging applications for UC include telemedicine, mobile video, customer service, cloud-based UC, B2B, and home-use UC,” related Randel Maestre, global head and senior director for industry solutions, Polycom.

The problem is that even though UC can be beneficial in most cases—like during the eruption of an Icelandic volcano when UC use spiked by as much as 180% due to use by grounded executives—“UC units are put on the sideline after use, gathering dust in the conference room,” Maestre lamented.

“Companies need to understand the benefits of the technology, [and have it] integrated into the way businesses are run,” he added.

Current productivity impact of UC include reducing recruiting time by 19%; reducing time to market by 24%; reducing downtimes by 27%; and reducing travel costs by 30%, the company claimed.

Maestre said Polycom is working closely with its partners to “put people on different devices,” and eliminate the stigma that UC systems are too complicated for use by the average end-user.

As an example, Maestre cited an upcoming product release from Polycom, dubbed the Polycom Touch Control, an Android-based touchscreen UC tablet device which aims to simplify video communication by replacing the complex remote control UC systems often come with. “[That way], people would not shy away from UC simply because they’re intimidated,” he quipped.

Polycom extends this “tablet” UC system to the Samsung Galaxy Tab, dubbed as the most capable Apple iPad rival to date, with its telepresence and content sharing application to be released on the first half of 2011. “We are releasing this to the Android [platform] first, but we will extend it to other mobile operating systems,” Maestre noted.

Mobile UC, according to Maestre, becomes a viable option for businesses and consumers alike due to their revolutionary compression technology called SVC, or scalable video coding, which is based on the H.264 standard.

“SVC allows the highest quality of videoconferencing [to be experienced] at different types of devices,” Maestre claimed, adding that SVC allows high-definition-quality video to be transmitted to mobile devices at almost half the bandwidth.

With the SVC technology coupled with Polycom’s open standards, Maestre said the company is poised to achieve its goal of putting UC in every access device possible.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 6, 2010

With the amount of power consumed by many of the world’s industries changing at a very dynamic pace, solutions to power management must take an integrated—and not siloed—approach in order to get the best benefits, executives from power management solutions provider Schneider Electric commented recently.

In a meeting with the press, Philip Reveilhac, president, Schneider Electric Philippines, revealed that in 2006, the amount of data generated globally amounted to just 161 exabytes. This year, the figure has multiplied to as much as 988 exabytes of data.

Reveilhac also noted that from 2002 to 2007 alone, the cost of electricity has multiplied three times. Additionally, the 12 trillion dollars spent globally for energy in the century has equaled the amount spent by the world in the last 20 years.

“This is the how new technology is moving,” Reveilhac emphasized. “Internet articles, for example, produce at least 20 milligrams of carbon dioxide every second. In just 10 years, the internet will already account for 20% of the world’s greenhouse gases.”

The Schneider Electric top executive also pointed out that despite these dynamic rates of change in power use, available solutions to mitigate its impacts remain to be component- and linear-based, causing a disjunction that doesn’t address the problem.

“We have at least 10 years to change the trend,” Reveilhac warned. “We can get the quickest wins from buildings & processes, as well as in point-of-use energy consumption, where strong and immediate input can take only one to five years to fix.”

It is in this regard that Schneider Electric is releasing its new EcoStruxure Active Architecture for Integrated Energy Management solutions, “an architectural approach which unites Schneider Electric’s unique expertise in power, data centers, process and machines, building control, and physical security to enable intelligent energy management solutions for customers seeking to optimize energy efficiencies across multiple domains of their business.”

The situation today is that organizations use siloed systems to manage their energy. Buildings, for example, use different systems to manage their electrical consumption, temperature, machines, data centers, and physical security.

“With an integrated system [like the EcoStruxure] approach, managers only use one system to manage everything,” Reveilhac explained. “Schneider Electric’s Integrated Management System uses IP as a common highway, and Web services as a common language.”

This non-proprietary umbrella approach to energy management is also able to manage products and solutions other than Schneider Electric’s, Reveilhac clarified, making it easy for managers to follow the new approach.

With EcoStruxure, managers can gain greater visibility into their systems and adjust power requirements accordingly. “A single software animates, controls and aggregates the energy data flowing from the components arranged within the EcoStruxure architecture,” the company further noted.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 2, 2010

To officially mark the anniversary of its Windows 7 launch in the country, arguably its most successful OS launch to date, with the release of its new suite of Windows Live Essentials 2011 apps that enrich the whole Windows 7 experience.

According to Mae Rivera-Moreno, Windows client product manager, Windows 7 is considered to be one of their highest selling operating systems in the world, seeing around 240 million installs globally just on its first year.

“It is growing faster than PC shipments for 2010, [registering] 50% faster growth than the local PC shipments,” Rivera-Moreno pointed out.

The Microsoft executive said this can be attributed to the fact that older PCs—which have been for many years running on the decade-old Windows XP operating system—have shifted to Windows 7 to see how it can work in their environment.

Another key factor to Windows 7’s resounding success is the software giant’s commitment to bring the same experience to the PC, the cloud, and across many other devices.

Augmenting Windows 7
To deliver a richer Windows 7 experience to its users, Microsoft has developed a suite of applications—both installed and cloud-based—through its 2011 release of the Windows Live Essentials.

Among the host of apps that get a “reboot” for the 2011 versions is the Windows Live Messenger application, which moves from being just an instant messaging software into a portal that pools all social media activities.

“Windows Live Messenger is getting a portal interface to reflect Pinoys’ social media habits,” explained Gian Javellana, online experience lead, Microsoft Philippines.

With the new Messenger application, users can just as easily connect with their friends from various social networking sites as they interact with them through instant messaging. The rehashed app also allows easier posting of status updates, photos, and other content to the various social media sites.

Another application that got a reboot is the Windows Live Photo Gallery, which featured a new and enhanced user interface with new useful features, making it a formidable alternative to the widely used Adobe Photoshop.

Photo Gallery users can now edit their photos on the fly and apply unique effects, such as an auto-stitch function for panoramic shots, and Photo Fuse, which melds two photos together, producing the best possible quality from two different shots.

Additionally, the new Photo Gallery application makes it easier for users to share photos online, by integrating sharing functions for popular image sharing sites such as Flickr, Facebook, and Microsoft’s own SkyDrive, which gives users free 25 gigabytes’ worth of space to keep their files in.

The Windows Live Essentials 2011 suite comes as a free download for all authentic Windows 7 and earlier users.

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By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
December 2, 2010

Global BPO company Accenture is not only expanding in the country with the opening of its three new sites, but they are making sure that their talents benefit from their training as well, the company’s global CEO remarked in his recent visit to Manila.

“Our present in the country should also benefit our talents, it has to be a two-way relationship,” said William Green, Accenture’s CEO, during the inauguration ceremony at one of the new Accenture sites in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, attended by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The other two new sites are located in Eastwood City in Quezon City, and another one in Cebu.

Accenture, through its “Skills to Succeed” program, aims to equip students with the right skills to make them job-ready. “We are a human capital company, after all,” Green echoed. “The goal is to train 250,000 people by 2015 that wouldn’t have otherwise been job ready.”

Green said they have set aside at least US$100 million in global funding for the program, which is implemented in their other sites around the globe as well.

“We’re excited about what we’re doing here for the Skills to Succeed program,” Green said. “It’s all about giving back, and making a difference.”

Currently, the program employs a host of students to receive training in one of its sites in Cebu. “As of the moment, there are still no plans of replicating the program to other cities. We are actually thinking of growing the number of students we have in Cebu before bringing it to other places,” explained Lito Tayag, country managing director, Accenture Philippines.

Still, the BPO firm said they are optimistic about the potentials of the program in the country. “We believe in the Filipino talent. We know that teaching these young people the very skills that they need to find job in the IT industry would be only possible if we train them properly,” Green related.

Green is in the country to inaugurate three new facilities in different cities around the country, which he said shows the momentum and the growth in commitment of the company to the country.

They currently employ 20,000 talents in the country, with a hope to achieve 25,000 in a few years’ time. “The breadth and depth of services in the Philippines is unique, since half of it is already IT-based,” Green emphasized.

In 2011, Accenture will celebrate its 25th year of operating in the Philippines.

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