EIC Squared: SAP, Sun, AMD and Microhoo    
May 9, 2008
Source: Google

In this week's EIC Squared podcast, ZDNet's Larry Dignan and I 
discuss the latest news from SAP, Sun Microsystems, Advanced Micro Devices, and Microhoo. At SAP's Sapphire conference this week, company executives explained the delayed rollout of the new on- demand enterprise suite, Business ByDesign. SAP CEO Henning Kagermann said that the total cost of ownership (TCO) equation on Business ByDesign and the upgrade procedures weren't good enough:

"We know we can have TCO, but need NetWeaver enhancements. There's a very close link between the TCO of Business ByDesign and NetWeaver. The TCO is not so much hardware; There are too many 
processing steps in our hosting. We can continue to do manual steps when first upgrade Business ByDesign from 1.0 to 1.1, but it's not predictable in way where every client got it at once and in the same way."Larry remarks on AMD's lack of transparency about its chip fabrication plans and product roadmap, and I recap my visit to JavaOne, where I met rocker Neil Young and interviewed Sun CEO Jonathan 
Schwartz about his plans for JavaFX and cloud computing. Schwartz has a good plan, but getting developers on board will take some heavy lifting.  

Decider 1, RIAA 0 
May 9 , 2008 
SOURCE: TNN

"The model of the future is what Trent Reznor is doing today. What that means for the RIAA and its members is that it renders them obsolete." 

His is the second TalkBack post commenting on our story about an executive from the Recording Industry Association of America predicting that digital rights management is set for a comeback. David 
Hughes, who heads up the RIAA's technology unit, argued that because "any form of subscription service or limited play-per-view or advertising offer still requires DRM" then it naturally followed that "DRM is not dead." 
Um, not so fast. As Greg Sandoval's piece noted, the top four music labels are warming up to unprotected music files while an increasing number of online stores now offer some open MP3s. If DRM is "not dead," that's not to say it's positively thriving. But Hughes maintains that the signposts are about to blow in a different direction. He told attendees at a music conference Thursday in Los Angeles that the move toward subscription services will necessarily return DRM to center stage. 

I don't buy that, but I can't claim to be clairvoyant, so we'll see who's right six months from now. More immediately, does the RIAA understand how much ill will DRM fosters among music listeners? All he 
has to do is plug in the right search terms on Google. By now, who would be surprised to learn that DRM has only widened the gulf between the record labels and their audience? I've got to assume that 
the record labels aren't this clueless about their customers. (Then again, maybe I'm guilty of a Panglossian world view.) 

Nearly two years ago, Chris Pirillo posted a neat little rant on why DRM drove him batty. The sad truth is that two years later, his complaint remains as relevant as it was when he authored the following lines 
in May 2006. 

I've currently got a subscription to Napster, a trial account with Rhapsody, and another trial account with MTV's URGE. That's three separate subscriptions I've got floating across all my systems. Now, I've 
already downloaded Pearl Jam's new album through Napster. I can't listen to it in either Rhapsody or URGE. I've paid for it already! So, let's say I turn off Napster and switch to URGE. I'd have to download 
the album again. What's more, Windows Media Player / Windows Explorer doesn't tell me where the album came from - I have to guess. I have to play (by trial and error) to see which albums are supported 
by which service. THIS IS MADNESS! Why can't the individual file detect which service I'm paying for and then adjust itself accordingly? Why must I maintain three DRM'ed versions of the same song? 

Is that the sort of publicity Hughes and the RIAA think will work to the advantage of the music industry? C'mon. 

IBM prepares students in Asia to meet global software skills demand    
May 9, 2008 
SOURCE: REUTERS

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a new program to help university students in Asia enhance their skills to compete in a global market. The new program will allow students at more than 2,100 institutions in India, China, Singapore and Vietnam to enhance their credentials and better compete for the growing number of technology positions available in the region. 

Year-to-year demand for IBM software certification has surged because certifications help the industry locate and hire top software developers by creating an industry-leading method of building and validating skills. Giving students access to online exams will help increase the number of qualified, skilled software developers available to meet a growing opportunity for software innovation worldwide. 

According to online employment resource Monster.com, 1.5 million skilled IT experts will be needed by 2012 -- a trend that is fueling major opportunities for innovation and career growth for IT students 
especially in India, China and Southeast Asia. 

For a discounted rate of $30, students at universities across these four countries now have access to 25 Web-based exams covering IBM's Rational software delivery portfolio. Twenty-two different certifications are available in emerging technology job areas such as architecture management, change and release management, process and portfolio management, and quality management. 

IBM plans to offer this discounted certification testing to students worldwide starting in the second half of 2008. 

"Our customers and partners have told us how invaluable IBM's certification offer is in cultivating their skilled workforce," said Jim Corgel, general manager of IBM's ISV and Developer Relations. "In Asian countries such as Vietnam, the IT industry is anticipated to be a key driver of the local economy. By expanding this program to the region, we are developing a loyal community of highly skilled certified 
professionals who continue to innovate around open standards and collaborative technologies." 

In India and China alone, the number of certifications has increased an average of 5 percent. Interest for certifications in Vietnam and Singapore is expected to rise at a similar pace as these emerging 
markets continue to attract global IBM customers. 

At Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) in Singapore, more than 157 students have attained IBM certifications with 60 certified on Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software. 

"We are constantly reminded that the IT workforce is very competitive. To stay ahead, we need to continually increase our credibility and distinguish ourselves. Achieving the IBM certification has increased my self-confidence and competency, and the greatest reward was in gaining employment in Standard Chartered Bank as a software developer," said Miss Lin XinZhen, a graduate in Diploma in Information Technology at Nanyang Polytechnic who has been certified in Rational Application Developer V6.0. "I am very grateful to NYP, especially to my dedicated lecturers, for providing guidance and encouragement to attain the IBM certification." 

In China, IBM offers Rational curriculum support to more than 50 partner universities, covering 20,000 students each year. In 2007, 163 students passed IBM Rational Application Developer global certification. With 22 Rational software products available to students at a minimal cost, the number of students who attend Rational credit courses and obtain Rational certifications will grow. 

"IBM's certification program has become an essential part in the curriculum and skill training both for undergraduate and graduate students," said Professor Zhang Jiawan, Vice Dean of Software Studies at Tianjin University who teaches J2EE Application Development courses to over 100 students a year. "It helps our students to learn the latest in industry-leading software engineering techniques, tools and the software development process. It enriches our students' engineering experiences by promoting their practical skills and specialty standardization, and also broadens options for career planning." 

Certification exams are administered by IBM proctors at a participating university's computer lab or on IBM-supplied computers at a designated testing site. The proctors ensure that tests are successfully taken via the Prometric Prime system in a secure, closed-book environment. 

The new program offers convenient testing and complements the existing Test Center network available through Prometric, which delivers certification testing for 19 different IBM software and 
hardware products. 

IBM also recently announced its DB2 Certified Professional Program which offers DB2 9 Fundamentals certification exams free of charge and provides a 50 percent discount on all IBM WebSphere, SOA and 
XML certification exams. 

IBM's Academic Initiative provides courseware, software, instructor preparation, discounts on certification testing, and a résumé database to increase student exposure to IBM customers and business partners.