IBM and Siemens Business Services to Modernize IT for the German Federal Armed Forces

The German Federal Armed Forces have commissioned a consortium consisting of Siemens Business Services (SBS) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) to modernize and manage its non-military information and communications technology. The 10-year contract is worth approximately 7.1 billion euros including value added tax and will go into effect immediately. Through the HERKULES project, the German Federal Armed Forces will bring their data centers, software and applications, PCs, telephones, and voice and data networks up to the latest standard.

A company called BWI Informationstechnik GmbH (BWI IT), which is based in Meckenheim near Bonn, has been set up to supply the relevant IT services. SBS and IBM -- who are equal partners in the consortium -- together hold 50.1 percent of the shares, while the Federal Government holds 49.9 percent.

As part of the process of modernization, IBM and SBS will support the German Federal Armed Forces in revising workflows and replace the software currently in use with standard software. Together, they will also set up a help desk for users. Within the project, IBM and SBS will focus on these distinct areas:

IBM will be responsible for modernizing both the applications and the operation of the data centers. In this context, individual and standard software (SAP), web-based applications belonging to the intranet of the German Federal Armed Forces, and communication programs such as Lotus Notes will be maintained. In addition, there will be a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), so that documents sent electronically can comply with signature and encryption regulations.

SBS will be responsible for operating and modernizing the decentralized systems at more than 1,500 locations in Germany. These will include some 140,000 PCs, 7,000 servers, 300,000 fixed-network telephones and 15,000 mobile phones. Activities will also include managing local and inter-regional data networks and voice networks.

IBM has been an IT partner of the German Federal Armed Forces for almost fifty years. "With HERKULES, the German Federal Armed Forces are going for innovation and transformation. The close cooperation between employees of the Federal Government and industry, working together in integrated teams, will ensure that this important project is brought to a successful conclusion. The ongoing regeneration of the systems will keep information and communications in the German Federal Armed Forces at the leading edge," explains Rudolf Bauer, Executive Director of IBM Germany, and the person responsible for the company's IT service business.

This cooperation between the German Federal Armed Forces and industry is currently the largest public-private partnership (PPP) in Europe. Going forward, up to 2,950 German Federal Armed Forces IT employees will be working within the project. Says Jürgen Frischmuth, a member of Group Executive Management at Siemens Business Services: "As Siemens, we are not only bringing comprehensive expertise in IT and processes to this project; we are also contributing the experience we have gained in many successful partnerships between the state and business, both at home and abroad." SBS has been a partner of the German Federal Armed Forces for many years.

Siemens Business Services is an internationally leading IT service provider. This Siemens Group offers services all along the entire value chain -- from consulting to systems integration, right through to the management of IT infrastructures. Thanks to its comprehensive know-how and sector-specific expertise, the company provides measurable added value for its customers. With regard to outsourcing, Siemens Business Services is among the top ten providers worldwide. With around 34,000 employees, the Group posted sales in fiscal 2006 (ending 30 September 2006) of EUR 5.2 billion, 75 percent of which was achieved outside the Siemens organization. Further information at: www.siemens.com/sbs

Federal Court Orders Intel Corporation and Third Parties To Produce Foreign Discovery in AMD VS. INTEL U.S. Antitrust Suit

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced a significant legal victory in its ongoing antitrust suit against Intel Corporation. In an order effective yesterday, the Federal District Court in Delaware overruled Intel’s objections and ordered it to produce documents and other evidence bearing upon Intel’s exclusionary conduct outside of U.S. borders.

AMD believes that the production of this foreign discovery will contain evidence of anticompetitive business practices that show clear violations of not only the Sherman Antitrust Act but also generally accepted anti-monopoly laws worldwide.

"Intel's acquiescence to the Special Master's findings is a big win for AMD,” said Thomas M. McCoy, AMD executive vice president, legal affairs and chief administrative officer. “This case remains firmly focused on the worldwide misbehavior of a global monopolist. This ruling also removes any basis for Intel or its foreign customers to withhold evidence of Intel's exclusion, regardless of where it occurred. We will proceed vigorously to prove that Intel abuses its global monopoly power by limiting or excluding competition, which ultimately hurts consumers worldwide.”

Yesterday’s order resulted from Intel’s decision to accept Special Master Vincent Poppiti’s findings of December 15th, which recommended to presiding Judge Joseph Farnan that "as the undisputed geographic market is global, and approximately 68% of the total worldwide production of computers powered by x86 microprocessors are sold to non-U.S. customers evidence of foreign exclusionary conduct is essential for AMD to demonstrate" that Intel has violated U.S. antitrust laws. Judge Farnan appointed Special Master Poppiti to preside over all discovery disputes in the case.

Special Master Poppiti’s December 15 recommendation that Intel be ordered to produce foreign discovery is available for download at http://www.amd.com/breakfree

AMD’s Position on Fair and Open Competition
AMD stands for fair and open competition and the value and variety competition delivers to the marketplace. Innovative AMD technology allows users to break free to reach new levels of performance, productivity and creativity. Businesses and consumers should have the freedom to choose from a range of competitive products that come from continuous innovation. When market forces work, consumers have choice and everyone wins. For more information, please visit http://www.amd.com/breakfree

Debevoise and Deloitte to start their work at Siemens

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP – the law firm retained by the Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board of Siemens AG in connection with current investigations by the Munich Department of Public Prosecution – has already begun their work. They will be assisted by forensic accountants from the international organization Deloitte Touche Tomahtsu. Both companies have committed large and experienced teams to this investigation.

Dr. Gerhard Cromme, Chairman of the Siemens Audit Committee, has met personally with leaders of the investigation team at Debevoise and Deloitte. He reiterated that the Audit Committee has mandated Debevoise as the independent counsel to conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation to determine whether anti-corruption regulations have been violated and to conduct an independent and comprehensive assessment of the compliance and control systems of Siemens. He further stated that the independent quality of this investigation is very important. Debevoise will report exclusively to the Audit Committee.

Dr. Cromme also underlined that the Company will cooperate with law enforcement authorities and regulators. Debevoise has already contacted the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Department of Justice and will continue to do so on a regular basis throughout the investigation. The Munich counsel of Siemens has informed the Munich State prosecution on the investigation of Debevoise and Deloitte.

IBM Milestone Demonstrates Optical Device to Advance Computer Performance

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced its researchers have built a device capable of delaying the flow of light on a silicon chip, a requirement to one day allow computers to use optical communications to achieve better performance.

Researchers have known that the use of optical instead of electrical signals for transferring data within a computer chip might result in significant performance enhancements since light signals can carry more information faster. Yet, "buffering" or temporarily holding data on the chip is critical in controlling the flow of information, so a means for doing so with light signals is necessary. The work announced today outlines just such a means for buffering optical signals on a chip.

"Today's more powerful microprocessors are capable of performing much more work if we can only find a way to increase the flow of information within a computer," said Dr. T.C. Chen, vice president of Science and Technology for IBM Research. "As more and more data is capable of being processed on a chip, we believe optical communications is the way to eliminate these bottlenecks. As a result, the focus in high-performance computing is shifting from improvements in computation to those in communication within the system."

Long delays can be achieved by passing light through optical fibers. However, the current "delay line" devices for doing so are too large for use on a microchip, where space is precious and expensive. For practical on-chip integration, the area of a delay line should be well below one square millimeter and its construction should be compatible with current chip manufacturing techniques.

IBM scientists were able to meet this size restriction and achieve the necessary level of control of the light signal by passing it through a new form of silicon-based optical delay line built of up to 100 cascaded "micro-ring resonators," built using current silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication tools. When the optical waveguide is curved to form a ring, light is forced to circle multiple times, delaying its travel. The optical buffer device based on this simple concept can briefly store 10 bits of optical information within an area of 0.03 square millimeters. That's 10 percent of the storage density of a floppy disk, and a great improvement compared to previous results. This advancement could potentially lead to integrating hundreds of these devices on one computer chip, an important step towards on-chip optical communications.

The report on this work, "Ultra-compact optical buffers on a silicon chip," by Fengnian Xia, Lidija Sekaric and Yurii Vlasov of IBM's T.J.Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., is published December 22 in the premiere issue of the journal Nature Photonics. This work was partially supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Defense Sciences Office program "Slowing, Storing and Processing Light."

About IBM Research Division

IBM Research is the world's largest information technology research organization, with about 3,000 scientists and engineers in eight labs in six countries. IBM has produced more research breakthroughs than any other company in the IT industry. For more information on IBM Research, visit http://www.research.ibm.com

Photos available at:

http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/pr.nsf/pages/news.20061222_ringresonator.html

Additional information on silicon nanophotonics available at: http://www.research.ibm.com/photonics

IBM Accelerates the Delivery of New Asset Management Solutions From MRO Software

MRO Software, an IBM (NYSE: IBM) company, today announced availability of the latest version of IBM Maximo, used by customers to manage mission-critical assets such as production equipment, facilities, or transportation fleets.

Maximo is the industry-leading asset management solution that IBM recently added to its Tivoli software portfolio with the acquisition of MRO Software, which was completed in October of 2006.

IBM Maximo 6.2 extends IBM's Tivoli service management portfolio beyond data center and IT management to assets as diverse as oil and gas refineries, power plants, facilities and vehicle, aircraft and marine fleets. By tracking and proactively managing these assets with IBM Maximo, customers can improve asset efficiency, extend asset life cycles and improve asset reliability. Organizations with well-managed assets recognize benefits such as improved production levels, increased regulatory compliance and improved reliability.

The new Maximo 6.2 is the result of increased development resources and investment provided by IBM. With a focus on the long-term success in the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and IT Asset and Service Management markets, IBM has increased the Maximo product development investment in support of these markets, as well as in the Maximo EAM Industry Solution products. IBM also added resources in the form of developers, business process consultants and industry experts as part of the accelerated development program.

In addition to the availability of Maximo 6.2, the company also outlined plans for future product releases for the EAM and industry-specific markets. Scheduled for release in 2007 is a version of Maximo to support the needs of third-party providers of asset management services. This market has specific requirements including third-party billing, contractor management, service level management and the ability to track customer agreements. The Maximo solution will meet those and other needs specific to this market. Also planned are solutions for the transmission, distribution and nuclear utilities and government markets, in addition to product enhancements for calibration, asset configuration, transportation and life sciences.

"We continue to see an increasing demand for Maximo solutions in our traditional core EAM market for customers seeking to more efficiently manage their critical operating assets. With the addition of IBM's EAM and development resources, we've been able to accelerate the delivery of new enhancements and modules for this market," said Jack Young, vice president, products and technologies, MRO Software, an IBM company. "With the added resources, we're working to speed the release of these products, and increase our commitment to this market."

As part of the Maximo 6.2 launch, the company also released a white paper outlining future deliverables and an overview of the current market drivers. These drivers include the ongoing push for systems consolidation and the convergence of operational and IT assets. To read the white paper, please visit: http://www.mro.com/corporate/pdf/TIE10308-USEN-00.pdf

Maximo 6.2 is available today through IBM and IBM Business Partners. For more information please visit www.mro.com

About MRO Software, an IBM company

MRO Software, an IBM Company, is the leading provider of asset and service management solutions. The Company's solution suite, Maximo is delivered on a Web-architected platform and increases productivity, optimizes asset performance and service levels, reduces costs and enables asset-related sourcing and procurement across the entire spectrum of strategic assets.

Maximo solutions allow customers to manage the complete life cycle of all assets strategic to their business. Using Maximo, customers improve production reliability, labor efficiency, material optimization, software license compliance, lease management, warranty and service management across their asset base.

Maximo solutions are used by more than 300,000 end-users in a wide variety of industries around the world. Additional information can be found at http://www.mro.com

EPIC: Leading Supplier to the Telecommunications Industry Selects Epicor® Manufacturing Enterprise Resource Planning Solution

Epicor Software Corporation (NASDAQ: EPIC), a leading provider of enterprise business software solutions for the midmarket and divisions of the Global 1000, today announced that Samkwang Technical Plastics has selected Epicor’s industry leading manufacturing enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite, Epicor Vantage, to further streamline its manufacturing facility in Korea.



Founded in 1974, today Samkwang is a $167 million company delivering advanced telecommunications technology to industry leaders around the globe. Samkwang primarily manufactures Mobile Phone Covers and Windows, and is a key supplier to companies like Nokia. Samkwang is a customer-focused organization, with an unwavering commitment to deliver high quality solutions, competitively priced to meet the needs of its global customers. Epicor Vantage will be implemented at Samkwang’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Korea, to further automate production and streamline business processes – thus providing quicker response to customer demand.



“Samkwang is dedicated to achieving world-class production to meet our customers’ needs,” says John Kim, management support team manager for Samkwang. “We’re constantly looking for ways to increase our efficiency through technology, and Epicor was a natural choice for us with its enterprise solutions built on 100% service-oriented architecture to deliver the flexibility and agility that we need.”



Epicor Vantage is a global ERP software solution offering a full range of Manufacturing and Distribution functionality, plus embedded Customer Relationship Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Financial Management and Business Intelligence. Vantage’s distributed common database provides the ability to access the right information, from the right source, at the right time, thus empowering all users throughout the supply chain to make valid, informed decisions. For mid to large sized progressive make-to-order (MTO) and mixed-mode manufacturers, Vantage offers powerful business intelligence, and delivers greater business agility through a flexible service-oriented architecture (SOA).



“Epicor offers manufacturers proven enterprise solutions that support a rapid return on investment,” said Rod Winger, director of product marketing for Epicor. “Like Epicor, Samkwang’s business philosophy places its customers at the center of its business – with a focus on continuous improvement to deliver the best value to its customers – Epicor Vantage will be a key ingredient, enabling them to further streamline business operations and meet customer expectations.”

GENZ: Genzyme Files for Approval of Sevelamer Carbonate for Patients on Dialysis

Genzyme Corp. (Nasdaq: GENZ) announced today that it has filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval of sevelamer carbonate for the control of serum phosphorus in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. Sevelamer carbonate will be marketed under the trade name RenvelaTM (ren-VEL-uh).

Renvela is being developed as a next generation phosphate binder to replace Renagel® (sevelamer hydrochloride), the most-prescribed phosphate binder in the United States. Genzyme is seeking approval for use of Renvela in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. Like Renagel, Renvela is a non-calcium, non-metal, non-absorbed phosphate binder and will be available in 800mg tablets.

"Submission of this NDA marks an important milestone as we prepare to introduce our next generation of sevelamer," said John P. Butler, president, Genzyme Renal. "Development of this therapy demonstrates our commitment to meeting the needs of all patients who can benefit from using sevelamer."

In addition to today's filing, Genzyme is advancing a clinical program investigating the use of Renvela for hyperphosphatemic patients with chronic kidney disease who have not progressed to dialysis. Enrollment has been completed in the study evaluating Renvela for this indication.

Enrollment is also complete in a study comparing a powder form of sevelamer carbonate dosed once a day to Renagel tablets dosed three times a day. Development of a powder form of the product would offer a more convenient option for patients, thereby improving compliance.

About Renagel

Renagel controls serum phosphorus in patients with CKD on hemodialysis. Controlling serum phosphorus is an important element in the care of hemodialysis patients. Elevated serum phosphorus levels are common in dialysis patients and associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Renagel provides the added benefit of significant LDL cholesterol reduction (32 percent).

The National Kidney Foundation's 2003 K/DOQI guidelines for Bone Metabolism and Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease recommend sevelamer hydrochloride as a first-line treatment option to control phosphorus. Renagel is the only phosphate binder available that does not contain either calcium or a metal. It has an established safety profile, is not systemically absorbed and provides phosphorus control without the concerns of calcium or metal accumulation. Renagel is used by more than 350,000 people worldwide

Product Information

Renagel is indicated for the control of serum phosphorus in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis. Renagel is contraindicated in patients with hypophosphatemia or bowel obstruction. In a 52-week study, the most common side effects included vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and dyspepsia. Drug-drug interactions may occur with some medications and should be taken into consideration when instructing patients how to take Renagel.

For more information about Renagel, including complete prescribing information, please visit www.renagel.com

L.L. Bean and IBM Improve Web Shopping Experience for Consumers

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that its Boston Center for Solution Innovation won two prestigious MITX Awards for Best User Experience and Best Consumer Goods experience. IBM received these accolades for the design and development of a new website feature for its client L.L. Bean, a leading retailer of quality outdoor gear and apparel.

IBM Global Business Services consultants applied their user experience design and technology development expertise to create a rich internet application for L.L. Bean's outerwear product line. In response to the way consumers find, browse and purchase their products online -- and to help generate excitement over a re-designed outerwear product line -- IBM helped L.L. Bean create this next-generation web experience.

The Holiday Outerwear Guide allows consumers to compare multiple product collections within multiple departments by product specification, color selection, and compare prices, without having to reload the page. This enables consumers to target the products that specifically meet their needs and helps to drive increased sales and strengthened customer relationships.

The annual MITX Awards is the largest awards competition in the country that recognizes achievements in the development and implementation of interactive technologies. Winners were announced in 25 categories, including five "Best of" awards, at a ceremony attended by more than 800 industry professionals held in November at the Boston Copley Place Marriott. Entries were judged by over 100 industry professionals representing various disciplines including creative directors, designers, technologists, online media representatives, investors and business professionals.

"This year's award submissions showed the most impressive elevation of ambition in quality, functionality, creative and technological achievements we've seen to date," said Kiki Mills, executive director of MITX. "These awards provide a forum to showcase the finalists and winners, and acknowledge the sophisticated work that is being created locally for nationally and internationally recognized brands."

"IBM is a driving force in developing and designing innovative Web applications that help companies create easy-to-use online experiences," said Gorham Palmer, User Experience Director, IBM Global Business Services. "Our work for L.L. Bean provided a rich and compelling targeted online experience that helped to drive demand for its redesigned outerwear product line. The MITX Awards is an honor and demonstrates our commitment to provide our clients like L.L. Bean with the most innovative user experience design, tools and resources to drive traffic and sales."

IBM developed the new feature using Macromedia Flash technology to provide a rich, compelling and optimized user interface. The outerwear online component was integrated using IBM's WebSphere Commerce framework and leverages Java Server Pages to generate dynamic XML to feed the Macromedia Flash movie.

About MITX

Established in 1996, MITX -- the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX: "my-techs") -- is the industry and professional organization where technology, marketing and digital media intersect. Reaching more than 6,000 professionals in New England, MITX is a dynamic and growing community for thought leadership, building business relationships and professional training and development. Members of the MITX community take advantage of events, sponsorships, speaking opportunities and networking to make meaningful business connections and exchange innovative leadership, management and technical ideas. With more than 60 events each year, MITX provides its members with the opportunity to promote their companies to targeted audiences. MITX events also provide a valuable forum for networking to source potential business leads, partnerships, ideas, funding and other likeminded peers in the industry. MITX is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. For more information please go to www.mitx.org

About L.L. Bean, Inc.

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading retailer of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. While its business has grown substantially, L.L.Bean still upholds the values of its founder and continues his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. Visit L.L.Bean anytime at www.llbean.com or visit its newest store at Wayside Commons in Burlington, Massachusetts.

VRSN: One Communications Selects VeriSign to be Premier Provider of SS7 and Database Services

VeriSign, Inc., (NASDAQ: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure for the networked world, today announced that One Communications has selected VeriSign to be its premier provider of Signaling System 7 (SS7) and database services for its voice network. By outsourcing its SS7 network to VeriSign, One Communications can more quickly deploy new revenue generating services while realizing the benefits of VeriSign’s reliable and scalable infrastructure.

One Communications was formed in July 2006 through the merger of CTC Communications, Conversent and Choice One Communications, creating the largest privately held competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in the United States. Choice One had already been a longtime VeriSign customer. The convergence of three separate networks presented One Communications with the challenge of creating a single, efficient network in a cost effective manner.

"Based on our past experience with VeriSign, we were confident that they would be able to help us quickly integrate our SS7 network services—allowing us to optimize performance and realize the synergies associated with a common platform,” said Jim Weidman, vice president of engineering, One Communications. “Their commitment, open communication, and knowledge were assets that contributed to the overall success of the project,” he added.

In addition to VeriSign’s SS7 network, the company was able to deliver Calling Name, Toll-Free Services and Local Number Portability, helping One Communications to improve overall performance and profitability.

"VeriSign operates the largest independent SS7 network in North America, which we employ to offer our customers a wide selection of innovative database services to meet their diverse needs,” said Bill Wolfe, senior vice president, VeriSign Communications Services. “That breadth of technology allowed us to quickly achieve network synergies across each of the three networks One Communications was managing, creating a smooth transition."



About One Communications
One Communications—the largest privately held competitive local exchange carrier in the U.S.—is a leading provider of integrated telecommunications solutions serving more than 160,000 businesses, from large to small, in 16 states throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest regions. The company operates a robust, facilities based IP network with 10,000 route miles of fiber connecting over 700 collocation facilities. With more than 2,000 employees and $800 million in annual revenue, One Communications is uniquely positioned to offer a robust portfolio of advanced telecommunications solutions backed by a higher level of personal attention. Visit One Communications online at www.onecommunications.com

SAP Successfully Implemented Change in Share Capital

SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today successfully implemented the increase of the company’s subscribed capital from corporate funds, which was approved by the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 9, 2006. After the close of stock exchange business on Wednesday, December 20, 2006, SAP AG shareholders received three additional shares (“bonus” shares) for each share they already hold. Today, SAP AG shares opened at €39.60.

Total shareholders’ equity was not affected since this measure simply involved a shift between individual components of shareholders’ equity. The subscribed capital rose from approximately €316.9 million to approximately €1,267 million, and SAP AG issued some 950 million new shares. The new shares qualify for dividend with effect from the beginning of fiscal year 2006.

As a result of the change in share capital, the ratio between the ADR and the underlying ordinary shares changed from 4:1 to 1:1, meaning that now one SAP ADR is the equivalent of one SAP ordinary share. ADR holders did not receive additional ADRs.

AMD Opens Advanced Architecture and Technology Lab

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the formation of a new Advanced Architecture and Technology Lab led by Rich Witek, AMD corporate fellow and chief architectural officer. The new lab will focus on technology and platform development beyond the five-year time horizon, further extending AMD’s strong tradition of advanced silicon planning.

“With the help of Rich Witek and some of the brightest minds in the Pacific Northwest, AMD is furthering our advanced development work,” said Phil Hester, AMD senior vice president and chief technology officer. “This forward-looking strategy underscores our commitment to consistent, ongoing innovation in design, software planning, system structures and chip architectures. The Advanced Architecture and Technology Lab helps ensure we are putting in place the foundation for continued innovations beyond the five-year time horizon, allowing AMD to continue delivering the technology our customers need to be successful.”

Rich Witek has been with AMD since 2002 and has more than 30 highly accomplished years of hardware and software experience. He helped architect the ARM, StrongARM, Alpha processors and PowerPC. He also holds 22 patents in the areas of CPU, cache and system design; and has co-authored numerous Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) technical papers.

AMD plans to gradually increase the staff to between 30 and 40 people. AMD is also looking into opportunities to open Advanced Architecture and Technology Labs in other global tech hubs.

CMCSA: Ziddio Teams With Endemol, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival to Provide Professional Outlets for Online Creativity

Ziddio, Comcast's newly launched, user-generated site, and Endemol, the world's largest independent production company, today announced a partnership that will offer users the chance to transform their creative ideas into a real television show.

"Ten Day Take," the new contest offered by Ziddio and Endemol, is a call to users for the next great program idea, and offers the winner a chance to have their video submission fast-tracked into production in Hollywood with the support of Endemol's production resources and a $50,000 production budget. Both the pilot and the shoot itself, which will be completed in ten days and documented "reality style" in a series, will be available on Ziddio and on TV through Comcast's signature ON DEMAND service.

"We recognize the increasing demand for user-generated content and its growing place in the entertainment industry," said Liz Schimel, Senior Vice President, Entertainment, Comcast Interactive Media. "Ziddio is leveraging Comcast's content relationships and multiplatform reach to provide amateur creators great opportunities to showcase their content, including real-world, professional outlets for their creative talent."

"We are thrilled to launch this new partnership that now allows anyone with a great concept for a show to take it from idea to broadcast, which is indicative of where we see the industry moving," said Jon Vlassopulos, Vice President, Business Development, Digital Media and Strategic Planning, Endemol USA. "We are also proud to be presenting our first digital reality series, Ten Day Take, which gives people insight into how shows get made in Hollywood."

In addition, Ziddio is collaborating with HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival to feature "No Talent Nation," a search for comic talent. Aspiring comedians can submit short comedy or musical parody videos which will be featured online and ON DEMAND, and ten winners will get the chance to perform live at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen from Feb. 28 to March 4, 2007. The contest is being sponsored by the premiere online digital music service Rhapsody.com.

Ziddio is a new, user-generated site launched in beta last month by Comcast Interactive Media. The site brings together premium networks and partners to host co-branded contests with unique prizes and the chance for users to showcase their content across multiple platforms -- online, on Comcast's ON DEMAND service and on linear networks. Previous contests include "Join the Jedi Order" with HBO/Cinemax and "Clean House Search for the Messiest Home" with the Style Network, where the winner will be featured on a special episode of the network's "Clean House" series.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 11 million high-speed Internet customers, and 2.1 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

About Endemol

Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the breakout hits, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Fear Factor and Big Brother. Endemol USA is a division of Endemol Holding, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in twenty-one countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol Entertainment is a fully owned subsidiary of telecommunications giant Telefonica S.A., one of the largest companies in Spain.

About USCAF

Since its inception in 1995 by HBO, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen has become known as a primary launching pad for comedic talent and for hosting one-of-a-kind events such as reunions of Swingers!, Monty Python, SCTV, Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Saturday Night Live, as well as of the casts of The Larry Sanders Show, Cheers, Animal House, Waiting for Guffman and In Living Color; The AFI Star Awards to Goldie Hawn, Jim Carrey, Diane Keaton, Mike Myers, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Rob Reiner, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg; the original The Simpsons Live, and the Freedom of Speech Awards which have honored Russell Simmons and Def Comedy Jam, George Carlin, Bill Maher, Dick Gregory, The Smothers Brothers, Michael Moore, August Wilson and Garry Trudeau.

MSFT: Microsoft Declares Quarterly Dividend, Dividend of $0.10 per share payable in March

Microsoft Corp. today announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share. The dividend is payable March 8, 2007 to shareholders of record on February 15, 2007. The ex-dividend date will be February 13, 2007.

HPQ: HP Brings Mobile Device Management to Enterprise Customers with Acquisition of Bitfone Corp.

HP announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Bitfone Corp., a privately held global software and services company that develops software solutions for mobile device management for the wireless industry.

The acquisition is part of HP's strategy to grow its mobile enterprise business. Acquiring Bitfone will strengthen HP's ability to provide customers with a flexible, modular approach to building a mobile infrastructure by allowing them to choose what they need to meet their business needs.

"Mobile device management is a key component to driving widespread mobile IT deployments," said Dave Rothschild, vice president, Handheld Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. "With the acquisition of Bitfone, HP adds mobile device management to a comprehensive management suite that already includes servers, desktops and notebooks."

The acquisition adds a strategic component to HP's device management software portfolio that is designed to accelerate customers' ability to manage their mobility infrastructure in a reliable, secure and cost-effective way.

Mobile devices are increasingly becoming part of the core IT infrastructure and there is a growing requirement that they need to fit into existing management systems and frameworks. This acquisition provides HP the software tools to help business customers reduce device support costs and smooth device deployments, migration and replacement.

"As a leading technology innovator in the mobile device management and wireless space, Bitfone has built a world-class software platform over the past six years," said Gene Wang, chairman and chief executive officer, Bitfone Corp. "We are proud to be joining HP, where we can continue to innovate and provide software solutions that deliver a more compelling mobile experience."

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions and is expected to be completed by February 2007.

Following completion, Bitfone will be integrated into the Handheld Business Unit of HP's Personal Systems Group.

About Bitfone Corporation

Bitfone Corporation is an innovative global software and services company focused on maximizing the mobile experience for subscribers, enterprises, operators and OEMs. Bitfone's innovative solutions provide the essential mobile foundation enabling valuable real-time access to the mobile device to enhance wireless services and promote widespread adoption. Bitfone is a private company headquartered in Laguna Niguel, Calif., with offices in Canada, China, Korea and the U.K. and approximately 134 employees. For more information, visit http://www.Bitfone.com

ORCL: Oracle Europe, Middle East & Africa Announces Key Customer Wins for Second Quarter, Fiscal Year 2007

Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ GS: ORCL) reported notable key customer wins within the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region during the second quarter of fiscal year 2007. Customers are endorsing Oracle's strategy to offer a broad portfolio of innovative, open-standards software, to enable them to make better decisions, to become more competitive, and to lower costs and increase performance. During the period, Oracle reported a 35 percent increase in as reported applications revenues in the region over the same period last year.
"We see sustained demand across our product offerings including those from acquisitions, and are winning new customers against our competitors," said Sergio Giacoletto, Executive Vice President, Oracle Europe, Middle East and Africa. "Our technology products and our applications, both horizontal and industry-specific solutions such as retail, healthcare and manufacturing, are forming the strategic business-critical foundation for our customers' success and future growth."

Customer wins this quarter include large enterprise customers such as banks and telecommunications companies who are deploying Oracle® Database 10g, Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle SOA Suite as their strategic global architectural platform; public services where transparency and cost-efficiency are priorities; and smaller businesses who need affordable applications such as Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne that will grow with their businesses. Customer solutions range from real-time high volume transaction processing using Oracle Times Ten In-Memory Database, Schengen information systems, RFID logistics checking systems, disaster recovery systems, compliance, fraud prevention, complex asset management, and the delivery of shared services. Standardisation, consolidation and centralisation of disparate systems remain key trends.

Customers endorse Oracle products and services
As a driving force in one of the world's most dynamic telecommunications markets, Etisalat, the UAE's leading telecommunications provider, is maximizing human capital - one of the company's most critical assets. To achieve this, Etisalat has deployed the Oracle's Human Resources Management System (HRMS) to complement the company's existing Oracle Financials, Supply Chain, Logistics and Contracts modules of the Oracle E-Business Suite software. "Our people are the backbone of Etisalat's strength, and they constitute a strategic investment in the long-term growth of the company," commented Abdul Azuiz Al Sawaleh, Chief Human Resources Officer, "Enabling us to implement world-class Shared Services Systems, linked with compensation schemes, training, analytics and other human resource-linked activities, the Oracle HRMS solution integrated with Oracle E-Business Suite will deliver speedy returns to our HR team as well as senior management."

In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is live on the first stage of their Shared Services roll-out. "DEFRA is a sophisticated and experienced user of the Oracle E-Business Suite," said Roger Atkinson, Chief Operating Officer, DEFRA Shared Services Organisation. "Our latest purchase allows us to build on our establishment of our in-house Shared Services provider and to start delivering the benefits of standards-based, world class business applications to organisations both within the DEFRA family and potentially in the broader base of the UK Government."

The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has selected Oracle Database 10g and Oracle Fusion Middleware to streamline operations and maximise efficiency. "In order to operate with maximum efficiency, a financial institution at the size and focus of NBK needs to have the best business processes in place," said Dr. Fadi Chehayeb, CIO at NBK. "During the selection process, it became increasingly obvious that Oracle E-Business Suite, with its comprehensive range of modules specifically adapted for the banking industry, was difficult to match."

Industry Awards and Recognition in EMEA during the first half of Fiscal Year 2007
Oracle's products, services and excellence as an IT company received positive endorsement during the second half of fiscal 2006 in a number of honours, and awards, for example:

Best Business Software Company - First Place (Middle East Arab Technology Award) - Oracle Corporation Middle East
Company of the Year (Scottish Business in The Community) - Oracle Scotland
Database Product of the Year 2006 (Databazovy svet ) - Oracle Database 10g R2 Enterprise Edition
Top 10 best places to work in 2006 (Great Place to Work® Institute Danmark in cooperation with business weekly Berlingskes Nyhedsmagasin) - Oracle Denmark


Key Industry Sectors Selecting Oracle Offerings during the Second Quarter Fiscal 2007
Many organisations in EMEA adopted or expanded implementations of Oracle Database, Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle Grid technologies and Oracle Applications, including Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft Enterprise, Siebel CRM, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World in the second quarter of fiscal 2007 across a wide range of industries. Customers include:

Public Services
CIRB (Belgium); Mechanical and Electrical Department - Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (Egypt); Ministry of Communication and Information Technology - Land Registration (Egypt); Ministry of Finance (Greece); Central Data Processing and Registration Office (Hungary); National Development Agency (Hungary); National Communications Authority (Hungary); City of The Hague (Netherlands); Ministry of Finance (Poland); Correios de Portugal - state postal service (Portugal); Ministry of European Integration (Romania); Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saudi Arabia); Turkish Navy (Turkey); Ministry of Family Youth and Sport of Ukraine; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK)

Financial Services
Drei Banken EDV GmbH (Austria); ecetra Internet Services AG (Austria); Raiffeisen International Bank Holding (Austria); Erste Bank der österreichischen Sparkassen AG (Austria); Cetrel (Belgium); Hrvatska poštanska banka d.d. Zagreb (Croatia); Central Bank Of Egypt - CBE (Egypt); Banque Misr (Egypt); GaVi GmbH (Germany); Bank of Attica (Greece); BPU (Italy); Banca Intesa (Italy); Capitalia (Italy); National Bank of Kuwait; Bank Aljazira (Saudi Arabia); Jadwa Investment (Saudi Arabia), Pelayo (Spain); La Caixa (Spain); National Bank of Fujairah (United Arab Emirates)

Telecommunications
Telecom Egypt; Deutsche Telekom (Germany); Kabel Deutschland (Germany); Lannet (Greece); OTE Hellenic Telecommunications (Greece); ON Telecomms S.A. (Greece); KPN (Netherlands); TP SA (Poland); Dialog (Poland); VimpelCom (Russia); Mobile Telesystems (Russia); Turkcell (Turkey); Ukraine Mobile Communications (Ukraine); Etisalat UAE (United Arab Emirates); Ericsson/Etisalat Misr (United Arab Emirates)
Manufacturing, Transportation, Automotive & Logistics
NMBS (Belgium); Vaisala Oyj High Tech (Finland); CMA CGM (France); Lafarge (France); Schenker (Germany); Softlab (Germany): Mazzucchelli 1849 SPA (Italy); Rolfo SPA (Italy); Daimler Chrysler Customer Assistance Centre NV (Netherlands); Grontmij (Netherlands); Abdul Latif Jameel (Saudi)

Retail
Prenatal (Netherlands); Ruch SA (Poland); Consum (Spain); Teknosa (Turkey)

Other Industries
Education and Professional Services: Vedior (France); Professionecasa SPA (Italy); Gabetti Property Solutions SPA (Italy); Fundeon (Netherlands); Haagse Hogeschool (Netherlands), UTI Grup (Romania); Utilities: CEZ Bulgaria (Bulgaria); Hrvatska elektroprivreda d.d.(Croatia); Energa SA (Poland) Healthcare & Pharmaceutical: Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany); Adhesie (Netherlands); Consumer Products: Bakoma (Poland) Media and Entertainment: De Persgroep NV (Belgium); TVP National Television (Poland); Hospitality, Food & Drink: AC Hoteles (Spain); Nueva Rumasa (Spain)

IVGN: Invitrogen Introduces New Patent-Protected E-Gel Product

Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN), a global leader in life sciences, announced the availability of E-Gel(R) CloneWell(TM) SYBR(R) gels, the newest addition to the company's patented E-Gel(R) line of products. These gels provide a fast and convenient way to obtain improved cloning efficiency without exposing the user to harmful UV trans-illumination.

Users of these new products can avoid gel slicing and UV exposure, leading to a safer and more efficient DNA recovery method. The DNA is stained with non-toxic, non-mutagenic SYBR(R) Safe stain, which is visualized with the Safe Imager(TM) device to deliver DNA free of strand breaks and mutations, resulting in higher cloning efficiencies.

The E-Gel(R) CloneWell(TM) SYBR(R) Safe gels are the latest Invitrogen products to be launched that are protected by a U.S. patent. The company holds more than 800 patents on key technologies that accelerate research and scientific discovery. The patents span the spectrum from molecular biology to stem cells.

In October, Invitrogen was named as an inaugural constituent of the Ocean Tomo 300 Patent Index, the first equity index based on the value of corporate intellectual property. The Index is priced and published by the American Stock Exchange and is a diversified, market-weighted index of companies that own the most valuable patents relative to their book value.

The Index is the first major, broad-based market equity index to be launched in 35 years. Its purpose is to provide a tool for identifying and valuing innovation and intellectual capital.

"Invitrogen is very pleased to be included as an inaugural member of the Ocean Tomo 300 Index," said Greg Lucier, Chairman and CEO of Invitrogen. "Innovation is the cornerstone of our business and we take great pride in how our scientific breakthroughs can accelerate research and development that will one day lead to lifesaving therapies."

The company has vigorously defended its patents against any type of infringement. Last month the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas entered a favorable decision to Invitrogen in their ongoing patent infringement lawsuit against Stratagene, Inc. Invitrogen was awarded more than $16 million in damages for Stratagene's infringement of its competent cell patent. The court also entered an injunction against further infringement by Stratagene.

IBM DB2 Drives Oracle Out at Automotive Business Management Provider

IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced that Arkona, Inc. (OTCBB: ARKN), a leading supplier of business management solutions for the automotive dealership industry, has selected IBM DB2 for its database infrastructure.

Arkona will use DB2 as the database for Axway Synchrony Gateway (formerly Cyclone Interchange), which helps auto dealers maintain a wide array of key business activities from business-to-business communications to specific industry functions such as parts inventories and maintenance records. DB2 was chosen for its database reliability and significant time and cost savings for Arkona.

"Customers are telling us that they face tight budgets and significant time constraints on their staffs," said Arvind Krishna, vice president, IBM data servers. "DB2 incorporates advanced autonomic features that enable our customers to manage their expanding data servers with their existing staff while recognizing an increase in performance and reliability."

Arkona's decision to develop their applications with DB2 demonstrates the momentum behind IBM's cross-company Information on Demand initiative, which is aimed at helping customers find, access and manage information as a strategic business asset. Other customers recently choosing to move their databases from Oracle to DB2 include: American Electric Power, Central Michigan University, Farmers Insurance and Teleglobe. These new customers have cited the product's combination of industry-first features, along with new security and disaster recovery enhancements, as the reasons for their migration.

For more information about IBM, visit www.software.ibm.com/data

RVSN: RADVISION Signs New Distribution Agreement with Imago

RADVISION® (NASDAQ: RVSN), a leading provider of video network infrastructure and developer tools for unified visual communications over IP, 3G, and emerging next-generation networks, announced today that it has entered into a marketing and distribution agreement with Imago Group PLC, Europe’s largest distributor of videoconferencing products. The agreement, which closed in September 2006, is expected to boost sales in several key markets, most notably the UK and France.

"We are excited about our alliance with RADVISION,” said James Vickerage, Head of Marketing for Imago. “Endpoint-agnostic video network infrastructure strengthens our portfolio significantly, along with the addition of innovative 3G capabilities and a scalable desktop conferencing platform like Click to Meet®. These will open many opportunities for qualified Imago resellers. We are witnessing strong growth in demand for video-based communications from resellers that do not specifically specialize in videoconferencing. RADVISION’s interoperable platforms for scalable desktop and mobile deployment will deliver real added value to their offerings.”

Under the agreement, Imago will market, distribute and support RADVISION’s full line of products, including the SCOPIA v.5 platform, SCOPIA 3G Gateway and the award winning Click to Meet desktop collaboration suite, to qualified resellers. Imago Group PLC has offices throughout the UK and France.

“In addition to offering highly practical and competitive bridging solutions, RADVISION’s videoconferencing endpoint-independent infrastructure will help us penetrate new market segments,” added Nicolas Jouan, Managing Director of Imago France.

"Imago is an important player in the videoconferencing space, with broad reach in key markets,” said Bob Rickwood, General Manager of RADVISION’s operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Adding our solutions to Imago’s rich portfolio of equipment from leading manufacturers, including several of our partners, will give RADVISION a much stronger presence in the UK, France and Germany as well as in China, where Imago is also active. We look forward to working together to deliver more powerful unified communications solutions to customers in the enterprise, government and education markets.”

JNPR: Juniper Networks, Inc. Announces Completion of Independent Investigation of Historical Stock Option Practices

Juniper Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ-JNPR) today announced the completion of the independent investigation related to Juniper Networks' historical stock option granting practices. This comprehensive seven-month review was conducted by Juniper Networks' Audit Committee, which was assisted by both independent counsel and forensic accountants. The investigation involved the review of more than 785,000 documents. Juniper Networks' Board of Directors has reviewed and adopted the Audit Committee's findings.

As previously announced, the Company reached a conclusion that the actual measurement dates for financial accounting purposes of numerous stock option grants issued in the past differ from the recorded grant dates of such awards. The Audit Committee determined that there were numerous instances in which grant dates were chosen with the benefit of hindsight as to the price of the Company's stock, so as to give favorable prices. In this regard, the Audit Committee identified serious concerns regarding certain former management. In addition, formal documentation often lagged the referenced grant date and there was insufficient exercise by management of responsibility for the stock option process. The Company currently anticipates that it will record additional non-cash charges for stock-based compensation expense of approximately $900 million, 99.9 percent of which relate to options granted between June 9, 1999 and December 31, 2003.

Juniper Networks' CEO, Scott Kriens, received two stock option awards with measurement date issues. However, both options were canceled unexercised in 2001. Kriens has not exercised any stock options since 1998, approximately a year before the Company's IPO.

The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors expressed their continuing confidence in Scott Kriens and the current management of the Company.

"As the leader of this company, I would like to express our regret, to everyone who relies on Juniper, for the difficulties this situation has caused for us all. In prior years, we should have had better stock option granting processes, controls and oversight in place, and we did not," said Scott Kriens, Juniper's CEO. "While we cannot undo the past, we will focus going forward on the filing of our financial statements, further improving the robustness of the Company's stock option granting procedures, the ongoing cooperation with government agencies and the continued execution of our business strategy."

The Company intends to file its Form 10-Q for each of the quarters ended June 30, 2006 and September 30, 2006, and any other required financial restatements during the first quarter of 2007. Juniper received a written notification from the staff of The NASDAQ Stock Market that the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Panel has granted the Company's request for continued listing on The NASDAQ Stock Market, subject to the conditions that the Company shall file on or before February 12, 2007 a written summary of the audit committee's finding and its Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2006 and September 30, 2006. It is our intent to come into compliance with the NASDAQ listing qualifications.

SCHW: Fixed Income Investors Get Expanded Trading Hours, Access to Extensive Inventory, More Research and Improved Screening Tools on Schwab.Com

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. is making it easier to invest in fixed income vehicles -. a key component to a well-balanced portfolio, especially for people in or near retirement. The company has enhanced its BondSource(TM) platform, allowing investors to more easily view its wide range of fixed income choices and access enhanced research and screening tools. And now investors can research and trade 22 hours a day, every day of the week.

"Investors' needs are changing," said Jim White, senior vice president of Fixed Income Trading. "We have seen online fixed income trading double over the past two years, as investors are increasingly looking for ways to reduce portfolio risk while earning an income stream in retirement."

With a daily average inventory of roughly 25,000 fixed income investment products from more than 300 suppliers -- comprising one of the largest inventories at any brokerage firm -- investors have a multitude of choices to suit their needs. Because of fluctuating interest rates, it is important for investors to consider both their long and short term investing strategies. The BondSource platform gives them the ability to customize their fixed income portfolio by choosing among a wide set of criteria including investment type, grade, maturity and representative yield.

"Although the market has recently favored cash and other short-term investments because of high short-term rates, both fixed income and growth investors can benefit by investing in longer-term investments now to add more stability to their portfolios," said White. "It's the story in which both the tortoise and the hare win."

Schwab added new functionality that allows investors to see all types of fixed income products on a single page. An expanded matrix lets them compare yields by maturity for all fixed income products, including a variety of CDs, U.S. Treasuries and zero income bonds, government agencies, mortgage-back securities, hybrid preferred securities, and investment-grade corporate and municipal bonds (including credit ratings). The BondSource matrix shows 11 maturities ranging from one month to 30 years. A sample of the matrix is available at http://www.schwab.com/bondsource_preview

The unique inventory sorting logic ranks the available investment selection by the highest yield to maturity whether it is from Schwab's own inventory or not. Unlike some rate pages, the yields seen in the matrix are live and executable with a mouse click. The system sorts through thousands of line item per product and displays the highest yield at the time on the rates page. By clicking on the rate, investors are taken to the offering page where they can find details about the bond and execute the trade.

Resources Available to Fixed Income Investors
Schwab offers a suite of fixed income services including:

-- Multiple regional fixed income trading centers
-- Bond specialists with an average of 15 years of industry experience who can assist clients, create investment ladders and provide trade history
-- New Issue Bond Alert Service
-- Extensive online articles from proprietary and third party sources
-- Educational Web casts
-- Online economic events calendar
-- Briefing.com Bond Market Analysis
-- Toll-free number for assistance

Brokerage Products: Not FDIC Insured * No Bank Guarantee * May Lose Value

IBM Signs IT Services Agreement With Scotiabank Mexico

IBM (NYSE: IBM) has entered into a multi-million-dollar deal with Scotiabank Mexico to integrate its IT operations, including mainframe and midrange servers, site support, large-scale printing and help desk support.

The agreement covers the bank's 7,000 employees and 400 branches in Mexico. The agreement was signed earlier this year.

Additionally, IBM is implementing a new Disaster Recovery Plan that will allow the bank to restore its critical IT operations quickly in the event of a disaster.

IBM uses its global presence to support leading financial services institutions. Scotiabank is Canada's largest international bank and offers a full range of financial products and services to individuals.

Scotiabank Mexico and Grupo Financiero Scotiabank Inverlat, S.A. de C.V. are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Bank of Nova Scotia.

For more information about Scotiabank visit: www.scotiabank.com (or www.scotiabankinverlat.com for the Spanish version).

IBM Tops Analyst Rankings of Worldwide and US Application Management Services Companies for Fourth Consecutive Year

IBM today announced that it has been ranked as the world's leading application management services company for the fourth consecutive year, according to IDC. In its recent study, "Worldwide and US Application Management Services Vendor Shares, 2005: IDC's Top Ten Vendors," IDC reports that IBM (NYSE: IBM) holds the number one position in worldwide application management services revenue. Additionally, according to IDC, IBM is the top vendor in application management services in the US, collecting 20.6 percent of total US revenues in 2005. [1]

"IBM continues to show itself as a nimble and innovative competitor in Application Management Services," said Barry Rubenstein, Program Manager, Application Outsourcing & Offshore Services at IDC. "IBM is differentiated in its ability to shift work around its global network of service centers, as customer and delivery needs dictate, and it is utilizing its presence in emerging markets such as Brazil, Eastern Europe, India, and China as a beachhead for clients looking to enter those markets. Not only is IBM able to deliver services from nearly any location, it is also able to use that presence to help clients become more global themselves -- a two-way street that truly unleashes the power of globalization."

"IBM has been able to consistently remain the market leader in application management services by meeting our clients' needs for application development and management services, while harvesting best practices and deploying them globally, and continuously investing in skill development around the world," said Katherine Hegmann, General Manager for Application Services, IBM Global Business Services. "By providing our clients with new efficiencies and innovation in the applications that run their businesses, we enable them to focus their resources on growth and delivering increased value to their customers."

IBM's growth in application management services was driven by investments in new capabilities to strengthen its position in developing and managing applications, as well as continued focus on furthering its global reach and delivery. Additionally, IBM's investment in standardized services to provide customers with Services Oriented Architecture, has fueled growth in its application management services business. IBM recently signed application management services contracts with Thomson Scientific and HypoVereinsbank.

IBM's portfolio of application management services addresses client needs for business and technology expertise, increased productivity, flexibility, and value. The portfolio includes offerings ranging from: IT focused staff augmentation -- where IBM application experts team with companies to address skill and resource shortages; business application modernization -- where IBM aligns companies' business objectives and IT investments; and assisted transformation -- where IBM optimizes applications to help companies drive revenue, focus on core competencies and improve speed to market.

IBM is also continuing to grow in locations around the world, most recently announcing an agreement with the Chengdu High-Tech Zone in China, to establish a Global Delivery Center within the Chengdu Tianfu Software Park. Scheduled to be operational by February 2007, this new center will provide multilingual application development and maintenance services to clients globally in English, Japanese and Chinese, and to IBM's Global Procurement Center, recently located in Shenzhen, China.

IDC's market share study evaluates the top 10 application management services vendors, both worldwide and in the United States, and ranks them based on these two geographic regions according to 2005 revenue from contracts primarily designed to provide application management services. It provides an analysis of the competitive landscape in 2005 and discusses key trends in areas such as hosted application management services, high-end services, the increasing importance of packaged applications, and the evolving role of global sourcing.



1 [1] Based on IDC, Worldwide and U.S. Application Management Services Vendor Shares, 2005: IDC's Top 10 Vendors, Doc #203995, Oct 2006.

MSFT: More Customer Momentum Around the Microsoft-Novell (NOVL) Agreement

Deutsche Bank AG, Credit Suisse and AIG Technologies today became some of the first customers to tap the benefits of the recently announced collaboration between Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. on interoperability between Microsoft® Windows® and Linux.* Under three separate customer agreements, Microsoft will deliver to each company SUSE® Linux Enterprise subscription certificates, allowing these customers to take advantage of the Microsoft and Novell agreement. Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and AIG Technologies, which is a member company of American International Group Inc., highlighted the benefits of interoperability, the patent cooperation agreement and the road map for bidirectional virtualization solutions as the deciding factors in their choice.

Deutsche Bank, already a significant user of Novell and Microsoft products, was pleased that the collaboration would improve interoperability among various systems. “Employing both Windows and Linux in our company always seemed the right thing to do, but making the systems work together would require a significant amount of time and resources,” said Clemens Jochum, chief technology officer of Deutsche Bank AG. “Microsoft and Novell’s agreement gives us the benefit of choice of platforms and tremendous flexibility that will help make our company more competitive and efficient.”

“For us, interoperability is key,” said Tom Sanzone, chief information officer at Credit Suisse. “We see both Windows and SUSE Linux as strategic platforms going forward, and we’re very pleased to see Microsoft and Novell, who support these platforms, step up and work on interoperability. This is a great model because it provides a bridge to connect the open source and proprietary software to benefit customers. We commend the two companies for taking this step.”

“It’s critical that our technology offerings be forward-looking, integrated and positioned to support our mission of delivering high value at market price,” said Mark Popolano, global chief information officer for AIG. “Microsoft and Novell’s commitment to working together to deliver interoperability and IP assurance helps us achieve that mission. Our goal of engaging in this pilot program is to explore how we can become a more flexible organization.”

On Nov. 2, 2006, Novell and Microsoft announced a series of agreements to jointly build, market and support new solutions to improve interoperability, deliver powerful new virtualization capabilities, make Microsoft and Novell products work better together, and give customers peace of mind that both companies stand behind the products they deliver.

“Deutsche Bank’s, Credit Suisse’s and AIG Technologies’ decisions to deploy SUSE Linux Enterprise, following so closely on the heels of our announcement with Microsoft, are powerful, early proof points of the value of our joint collaboration, and we expect more success stories like this over the coming quarters,” said Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Novell. “By solving a real customer problem, taking the complexity out of the customers’ hands and addressing it ourselves, we create a compelling incentive for customers to deploy Linux. This shows that SUSE Linux Enterprise is, in fact, absolutely ready for the datacenter.”

“Customers have been very clear that they want Windows and Linux to work better together in mixed-source environments,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “We are pleased that customers such as Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and AIG Technologies have moved so quickly to act on the value of the interoperability commitments and intellectual property benefits of our collaboration with Novell.”

A recent survey of 201 IT professionals, jointly commissioned by Microsoft and Novell from independent market research firm Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates Inc., found that over 90 percent of respondents approve the collaboration, saying the agreement will benefit customers by increasing the interoperability of IT systems. A copy of the survey is available at http://www.novell.com/news/press/item.jsp?id=1257. To date, more than 16,000 new certificates for SUSE Linux Enterprise have been activated under the Microsoft and Novell collaboration agreement.

More information on the agreement can be found at http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft and http://www.microsoft.com/interop/msnovellcollab

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers infrastructure software for the Open Enterprise. We are a leader in enterprise-wide operating systems based on Linux and open source and the security and systems management services required to operate mixed IT environments. We help our customers minimize cost, complexity and risk, allowing them to focus on innovation and growth. For more information, visit http://www.novell.com

ADSK: Autodesk Solutions Bring Magic to the Big Screen This Holiday Season With the Covenant, Casino Royale, Stranger Than Fiction and More

Autodesk Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ADSK) media and entertainment products have helped digital artists create some of this season's blockbuster films. Post-production facilities relied on Autodesk solutions for visual effects creation, editing and finishing, color grading and 3D animation.

"Autodesk provides end-to-end solutions for the entire film workflow, from idea creation and story boarding to final production," explained Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media & Entertainment vice president. "This allows Autodesk to have a deep understanding of all aspects of the film workflow, enabling us to create unique solutions that meet the specific needs of post-production facilities. Also, facilities with an Autodesk pipeline enjoy the seamless movement of data through the various stages of film workflows."

The Autodesk Flame visual effects system was used by Buzz Image Group to create 33 shots for the supernatural film The Covenant. Flame artists at the facility composited 3D set extensions and actors shot on bluescreen and greenscreen into filmed backgrounds. Digital artists also used the system to create and adjust various elements such as lighthouse lighting and skies, as well as for various wire and lighting rig removals.

Furthermore, Buzz Image Group used Autodesk Flame to shape futuristic scenes for The Fountain. For one of this film's final scenes, the system was used to create the effect of skin ripping as plants grow through it. The facility's Flame work also involved compositing live and computer-generated (CG) growing plant elements into live-action footage. "Autodesk Flame allows us to take full advantage of our artists' talent and creativity," said Jacques Levesque, executive visual effects producer. "The system's speed and interactivity let us experiment in real-time until we perfect the shot."

Framestore CFC used the Autodesk Inferno visual effects system to create the title sequence for Casino Royale, the story of James Bond's first mission as a "double O" agent. As this was the 21st Bond film created, director and titles designer Daniel Kleinman wanted to refresh the franchise's famous title sequence. Using gambling-related imagery and fight sequences, Framestore CFC's Head of Inferno, William Bartlett, created a modern sequence with a retrospective feel.

Los Angeles-based LaserPacific Media Corporation used the Autodesk Lustre digital color grading system on a variety of this season's films, including Babel, The Black Dahlia, For Your Consideration and Stranger Than Fiction. For Stranger Than Fiction, the facility played a key role in integrating many of the film's visual effects shots. Lustre was used to build the film's timeline.

Colorist Mike Sowa also used the system to achieve the perfect color choices and saturation for the film. "We recalled the look, style and feeling of Jacques Tati's 1967 film Play Time," said cinematographer Roberto Schafer. "Now that Roberto has seen the tremendous degree of control, he is a firm believer in the DI process," added Sowa.

Autodesk 3ds Max 3D animation, modeling and rendering software was used by Youngu-art to model and animate legendary creatures that return to devastate planet earth in the Korean film D-War. "We chose Autodesk 3ds Max for its powerful polygon modeling, which allowed us to create the complex and detailed characters in a very intuitive and efficient way," noted Ho-Suk Jang, computer graphic supervisor for the film. "The software's biped character animation tools also allowed us to easily control the various types of characters as they interacted with crowds of humans."

Several other post-production facilities used Autodesk solutions to create this season's blockbuster films, including the following:

-- Mokko Studios completed 8 hero shots for The Fountain using the
Autodesk Toxik digital compositing software. In the Mayan pyramid
final scene, Toxik was used to composite live-action footage of Hugh
Jackman with various elements
-- For Night at the Museum Rhythm & Hues used Autodesk Maya to model
approximately 60 of the museum's characters and Autodesk Inferno
2007 for compositing and color correction. The facility also used
Inferno and Maya to bring a classic story to life in Charlotte's Web
-- Cinesite used Autodesk Maya 3D animation, modeling and rendering
software to create shots of a CG steam train for Miss Potter
-- For The Curse of the Golden Flower Moving Picture Company created 20
shots including a CG army using Autodesk Maya
-- Asylum used Autodesk Inferno and Autodesk Flame, as well as the
Autodesk Smoke editing and finishing system to shape Déjà Vu.
Autodesk Lustre digital color grading system was also used to
maintain color continuity. In addition, the facility completed work
for Apocalypto using Inferno, Toxik and Lustre
-- Look Effects created visual effects shots for Apocalypto, Blood
Diamond, Unaccompanied Minors and Rocky Balboa using Maya as well as
the Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Flint visual effects systems

VRSN: AxiomTV Selects VeriSign to Enable Superior Download of Family-Friendly Films

VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure for the networked world, today announced that AxiomTV will be the first movie download service launched on the new VeriSign® Intelligent Content Delivery Network (CDN), distributing secure, family-friendly films with an exceptional customer experience.

The VeriSign Intelligent CDN is the first solution to combine the power of VeriSign’s broadly deployed Kontiki peer-to-peer (P2P) technology with the capabilities of a traditional CDN, delivering faster download speeds while maintaining high standards for reliability and security. This solution fundamentally changes the economics of the broadband delivery of DVD-quality video and provides a significant technical advantage over existing CDNs.

“One of the greatest challenges media and entertainment companies face is how to meet the growing demand for more Internet-based content in an economically viable and secure manner,” said Todd Johnson, vice president for broadband content services, VeriSign. “By leveraging the patented Kontiki peer-to-peer technology and the latest streaming technology, the VeriSign Intelligent CDN offers an end-to-end solution which enables our customers to choose the right viewer experience for each specific piece of content. For short previews and user generated content it is likely to be streamed, for long form content, it likely to be delivered with P2P.”

VeriSign Intelligent CDN enables media companies, like AxiomTV, to safely distribute their copyrighted content with full digital rights management, at a lower cost and higher quality. With a legacy in Internet security, VeriSign is leveraging its scalable, global infrastructure to offer a range of streaming, download and play options in addition to the Kontiki P2P technology.

“We are a groundbreaker as the first Internet movie service focused on delivering family conscious entertainment as it pertains to online video,” said Daniel Cobb, president of AxiomTV. “As families bring their children online, we need to ensure that the movie content is not only high quality, and most of all, legal and secure. We chose VeriSign because they are the trust mark of the Internet. The fact that they have the highest quality video delivery and a global infrastructure is a bonus.”

VeriSign Intelligent CDN not only provides increased flexibility from a technology standpoint, it offers customers an economic benefit of approximately 40% when choosing a P2P delivery option.

"As global demand for online video increases, content owners and providers are looking for the most cost efficient and secure way to make their content available to viewers, on-demand," said analyst Allen Weiner, managing vice president, Gartner. "Growth in this market will be realized by those able to capitalize on the benefits of legitimate peer to peer distribution while providing a seamless customer experience for high quality video over broadband.”

Online purchases of media reached $19 billion in 2005 and will increase to $67 billion by 2010 according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2006-2010. Except for MP3 music, most of this content is still delivered by mail. Now, analysts suggest that Internet video services are on the brink of becoming the next mainstream phenomenon in the United States. According to InStat, the annual value of consumer video delivered over Internet Protocol networks will grow to $4.6 billion by 2008, an increase from only $1.38 billion in 2005 (Research and Markets).

The VeriSign Kontiki peer-to-peer technology is already deployed by some of the world’s largest broadcast media companies and enterprises. Current customers include AOL, BBC, Channel 4 and SkyTV.

About Axiom
Axiom.TV is the World’s first family friendly and parental controlled Internet TV channel. Focusing on families, Axiom.TV is developing a website that makes the movie download process user-friendly for all ages and for all computer skill-levels, taking the next step to blur the line between your PC, your TV and your DVD player. In addition, Axiom.TV will be the first movie download technology that will protect children from inappropriate content including pornography, violence and vulgarity through a military-grade web-blocking technology called “Mother.” The pre-launch dummy-website, axiomtv.com, gives a visual representation and overview of how Axiom.TV will work for its beta launch on January 8, 2007. The consumer launch is planned for February 1, 2007.

IVGN: Invitrogen Sets 4th Quarter and Full Year 2006 Earnings Release Date for Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq: IVGN) announced today that it will report financial results for its fourth quarter and full year 2006 results on Tuesday, February 13, 2007, after the markets close and will hold a conference call on the same day at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. During the call, the company management will discuss its financial and business results, as well as future expectations.

To listen to the live conference call, please dial 800-901-5231 (domestic) or 617-786-2961 (international) and use passcode 17485643. The call also will be webcast in a listen only mode on Invitrogen's Web site at www.invitrogen.com under the Investor Relations tab and will be archived at the site for one month. A replay of the call will be available for one week by dialing 888-286-8010 (domestic) and 617-801-6888 (international). The passcode is 14382291.

Invitrogen has regularly reported pro forma results that exclude merger related amortization and business integration costs to provide a supplemental comparison of results of operations. Management excludes these costs when analyzing operations since they are principally non-cash or other costs resulting primarily from business restructurings or purchase accounting, which are separate from ongoing operations. Management also believes that the pro forma results provide investors with additional useful information concerning the company's ability to generate cash flow. The financial information excluding these items should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of Invitrogen's pro forma financial results to financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP can be found in the "Investors Relations" section of Invitrogen's website at: http://www.invitrogen.com

Dell Announces Donald J. Carty To Serve As Company Vice Chairman And Chief Financial Officer

Dell announced the appointment of Donald J. Carty to serve as the Company’s Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, effective January 1, 2007.

Mr. Carty has been a member of the Company’s board of directors since 1992 and for much of that time has served as chairman of the Audit Committee. From 1998 to 2003, Carty served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of AMR Corporation. He also previously served as President of AMR Airline Group and American Airlines, Inc. Prior to that he was the Chief Financial Officer and held various other executive positions at AMR and its subsidiaries. Mr. Carty has also served as a director of a number of public companies, including Sears Holding Corporation, Barrick Gold Corporation, CHC Helicopter Corporation, and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. Mr. Carty is chairman of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University and of the Executive Board of the SMU Cox School of Business, and a member of the board of directors of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation.

Michael Dell, the Company’s founder and Chairman of the Company’s board of directors, said, "Don has had a long association with the company and we are delighted that he is joining our senior leadership team." Kevin Rollins, Dell CEO, noted that "Don’s remarkable management experience and his strong understanding of our company make him an ideal candidate to help lead our Dell 2.0 initiative."

Mr. Carty succeeds James M. Schneider, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Schneider will remain with the Company through the end of the current fiscal year to assist Mr. Carty in his transition. Mr. Schneider has recently agreed to become Executive Chairman of the Board of Frontier Bancshares Inc.

Mr. Schneider joined Dell in September 1996 from MCI Communications Corp., where he was senior vice president of finance. Before joining MCI in 1993, Mr. Schneider was associated with Price Waterhouse for 19 years, including 10 years as a partner.

Thomas W. Luce, III, a member of the board of directors, will assume Mr. Carty’s duties as Chairman of the board’s audit committee. Mr. Carty, who as CFO will report to Mr. Rollins, will continue to serve as a member of the company’s board of directors and will continue to work directly with Mr. Luce and the audit committee in connection with the ongoing investigation previously disclosed.

ADSK: Autodesk Receives Additional Nasdaq Notice

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced that, as expected, it has received an additional Nasdaq Staff Determination notice stating that the Company is not in compliance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4310(c)(14), due to the Company's delay in filing its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter ended October 31, 2006. The notice stated that the delay in filing could serve as an additional basis for delisting of the Company's securities.

As previously disclosed, Nasdaq initially informed the Company on September 13, 2006 that its securities would be delisted due to the Company's delay in filing its Form 10-Q for the second quarter ended July 31, 2006 unless the Company requested a hearing in accordance with applicable Nasdaq Marketplace Rules. Autodesk subsequently requested and was granted a hearing before the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel and requested an extension for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. As of today, the Company is awaiting a decision on its extension request. While the Company remains optimistic, there can be no assurance that the Panel will grant a request for continued listing. Shares of Autodesk common stock will continue trading on the Nasdaq pending the Panel's decision.

IBM and Business Partners Realize Significant Growth on the Mainframe and Linux

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a mainframe milestone as more than 390 IBM business partners now offer nearly 1,000 applications for System z customers running Linux, a 100 percent increase over the last year. IBM recently reported a 30 percent year-to-year growth of mainframe customers running Linux and this surge is giving IBM's channel partners the opportunity to capitalize on the mainframe's continued growth.

This increase in Linux application development for the mainframe is being driven by a number of factors, including the overwhelming acceptance of partitioned Linux virtual servers -- and the associated great price and performance -- which is driving new workloads on System z.

In addition, IBM Business Partners are reporting customer interest in new IBM technology including the z9 Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) and z Application Assistant Processor (zAAP) specialty engines. More than 60 percent of IBM mainframe revenue is now driven by new workloads, with approximately 20 percent of revenue and 30 percent of MIPS (million instructions per second) coming from Linux customers. This demand paves the way for independent software vendors looking to capitalize on the combined strengths of Linux and the mainframe.

IBM has also seen a significant increase in the number of venture-backed software companies using the mainframe. In fact, the number of start-ups using the IBM mainframe has tripled in the past two years.

"Mainframe strengths including computing power, security and scalability led to a 25 percent jump in hardware revenue in the third quarter of this year," said Buell Duncan, general manager of ISV and Developer Relations, IBM. "But this success is not ours alone. Our valued business partners are reaping the benefits as companies are looking for new, powerful solutions running on System z."

In addition, several independent software vendors (ISVs) and systems integrators (SIs) around the world are realizing double-digit growth for software applications and support for System z. Some of the ISVs and SIs offering these solutions and benefiting from the mainframe's continued momentum include:

-- San Antonio-based Sirius Computer Solutions, an IBM Premier Business Partner and provider of advanced infrastructure solutions, has seen System z sales grow 34 percent in the last year and had their best System z sales volume ever.

-- Omaha-based MSI Systems Integrators, an IBM Premier Business Partner and solution provider of hardware, software and services, bought 44 percent more System z hardware from IBM on behalf of their clients when comparing third quarter 2006 to third quarter 2005. For the 4th quarter, they are expecting growth in the System z business between 75 and 150 percent over 2005.

-- Toronto-based Glass House Systems, an IBM Premier Business Partner providing infrastructure expertise specializing in IBM servers, software systems, SAN and high-end storage subsystems, is forecasting 25 percent year-over-year revenue growth in System z sales primarily due to increasing momentum of new workloads.

"With the modernized capabilities of the mainframe, we're increasingly looking at start-ups that are developing their offerings to take advantage of the system's security, combined with advantageous data center simplification and interoperability," said Mike Gurevich, technology advisor of FTVentures, a private equity firm focused on services and software companies and also a strategic partner of IBM Venture Capital Group.

"Our portfolio company Nexxar recently implemented an IBM mainframe z9 server platform that is integrated with an open source client platform," said Gurevich. "Based on a single code, the integrated solution has significantly streamlined the start up's IT maintenance. The z9 has reduced 75 percent of the head count required to maintain the data center while the interoperability of z9 with open source has further simplified development and quality assurance efforts of the re-usable code, a significant cost savings for Nexxar. In addition, the z9 easily scales up as the company grows."

Customers appreciate the cost benefits and flexibility of Linux, coupled with the unparalleled security and scalability properties of the mainframe. As a result, IBM has made an effort to support ISVs and application developers to foster the growth of Linux on System z with technical support in 33 IBM Innovation Centers worldwide. These resources and benefits are all part of IBM's PartnerWorld program, which was just named the leading worldwide partner program by analyst firm IDC.

"Our goal to help companies position their IT environment as the change agent that makes them more competitive is strengthened by IBM's System z," said Harvey Najim, President and CEO, Sirius Computer Solutions, Inc. "We focus on preserving IT investments in mainframe solutions, taking advantage of the platforms' core strengths and enabling on demand features such as virtualization that help companies respond to customer demands and market opportunities."

Earlier this year, IBM announced Systems z for ISVs, a new worldwide initiative that provides software vendors with technical, sales and marketing resources to build applications that run on IBM middleware, including WebSphere Application Server and DB2, and System z. The initiative, offered through IBM's PartnerWorld Industry Networks, starts by providing ISVs with no-cost consulting sessions with IBM IT architects. IBM then creates a customized online environment where vendors can develop, port and test applications on System z, with IBM consultants supporting the ISVs throughout development and porting.

System z, the flagship for IBM Systems innovation and the hub of the infrastructure, provides an advanced combination of security and resiliency features to enterprises that require high levels of application availability and information processing, and the capability to reallocate resources on the fly to match changing business priorities. System z leadership in virtualization, storage connectivity, Linux, mixed workloads, and service oriented architectures (SOA) means that customers migrating to an IBM mainframe can realize compelling levels of value, help reduce total cost of ownership, and enhance overall workload performance. Other compelling System z mainframe attributes include specialty processors that help reduce IBM software usage costs and accelerate workload execution as well as industry leading security certifications.

IDC recently announced that IBM held 37.1 percent revenue share of high-end enterprise server sales in the third quarter of 2006.

For more information about IBM partner programs, visit http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld