Intel has upgraded the wireless networking capabilities of its Centrino line of notebook computer chips to allow broader network access with improved security. The Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker also said it had developed new software to allow easier user configuration and troubleshooting. Centrino, the brand for Intel's portable computing products, was launched in March 2003 with a major marketing campaign to promote the company's Pentium M microprocessors and wireless networking chips. The world's largest chipmaker has helped make Wi-Fi networking, a wireless technology for connecting computers to the Internet, a phenomenon in hotels, cafes, homes and businesses in cities around the world. By 2007, there will be an estimated 700 million Wi-Fi users worldwide, according to research firm Pyramid Research. Currently, Centrino-based notebook computers can connect to the two most popular version of Wi-Fi, known as 802.11b and 802.11g. The chip introduced on Thursday can also connect to 802.11a networks, which are far less common but have advantages for both speed and interference avoidance. The chip also includes a support for a wireless security technology called 802.11i, which Intel said offers corporate users the best protection for securing information flowing across wireless networks from hackers.

Agilent announced that NVIDIA selected the Agilent 93000 SOC Series for testing its current PCI Express-based devices. The BIST Assist 6.4 solution, an extension to the 93000 SOC Series' single scalable architecture, enables NVIDIA to benefit from the industry's lowest-cost test solution for high-speed interfaces such as PCI Express and maximizes its investment in test equipment. Traditional at-speed test approaches of automated test equipment (ATE) and bench instruments offer the highest fault coverage but at a price that is not competitive for volume manufacturing of cost-sensitive consumer devices. BIST Assist 6.4 combines the fault coverage of traditional ATE and the low cost associated with loopback. This allows for a scalable, cost-effective, high-speed serial link testing solution that maximizes capital equipment investment. Agilent BIST Assist 6.4 enables signal integrity testing of high-speed serial interconnects up to 6.4 Gb/s using a cost-effective loopback/BIST (built-in self-test) and reduces costs by more than 50 percent over conventional at-speed production solutions. "By using the Agilent 93000 SOC BIST Assist 6.4, NVIDIA can unleash the full performance potential of the high-speed PCI Express interface in our graphics processors," said Keith Katcher, director of test and product engineering, NVIDIA Corp. "BIST Assist 6.4 is an example of our commitment to extending test capabilities that maximize capital equipment investment for our customers," said Tom Newsom, vice president of Agilent Technologies and general manager of Agilent's SOC Business Unit. "As designs become increasingly complex, Agilent is dedicated to continuous innovation for delivering next-frontier testing solutions that allow our customers to benefit from technology advances."

Art Technology Group (has agreed to buy Seattle rival Primus Knowledge Solutions for about $31 million in stock. Primus sells customer information systems for use in call centers and other customer support functions, competing against RightNow Technologies, eGain Communications and ServiceWare Technologies. For the year ended June 30, the companies had a combined annual revenue of more than $90 million and employed 479 people. They expect to cut $10 to $15 million in costs as a result of the merger, which they plan to complete by the end of the year.

AOpen announced its newest entry in the small form factor barebones PC arena -- the EZ661 series of the increasingly popular AOpen XC Cube product line. The XC Cube EZ661 series of barebones PCs supports Intel Pentium 4 Prescott CPUs of up to 3.4GHz with Intel's Hyper Threading Technology, and has an external bus speed of 533/800 MHz. The EZ661 also features a powerful 275-watt power supply as well as two S-ATA connectors. "AOpen has developed a special 4-way voltage technique to efficiently stabilize the CPU," said Chris Liu, Senior Director, XC Cube Business Management, AOpen Inc. Additionally, the XC Cube EZ661 uses a patented heat sink engineered with four copper heat-reducing tubes to efficiently cool the CPU, and ultra-thin copper heat-dispersing fins with a side-blowing fan to vent hot air out through the ventilation holes of the system. This advanced breakthrough reduces the chance of overheating and affords customers a greater degree of reliability. "With AOpen's innovative cooling technology, the CPU can reliably perform with continuous stability for long hours and at high speeds. And, with the CPU running at full speed, AOpen's unique SilentTek silencing technique provides a low-noise, pleasant and quiet working environment," Liu went on to say. The XC Cube EZ661 is specifically designed for home and office use and includes: Built-in 5.1 channel sound; onboard graphics; built-in 1GB/sec high-speed internet support; four USB ports, three IEEE 1394 ports; two 3.5" hard disc drive bays and a 5.25" drive bay; as well as AGP and PCI slots. The entry-level model EX661L is very similar to the EZ661, but supports either Pentium 4 or Celeron CPUs, features a smaller 220-watt power supply and does not come with S-ATA connectors. The stylishly designed AOpen EZ661 and EX661L both come with a one-year limited warranty and will be shipping to customers in North America by mid-September, 2004. The EZ661 has an MSRP of $250 USD and the entry-level EX661L has an MSRP of $200. For more information on this exciting product, contact Michele Sun at: 408-232-1253 or by e-mail at: Michele_Sun@aopen.com.

The A Consulting Team, an end-to-end IT services and e-services provider, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2004. Revenue for the second quarter increased 9% to $6.3 million from $5.8 million in the first quarter and 20% from $5.3 million in the second quarter of the previous year. TACT reported net income of $298,000 or $0.14 per basic and $0.13 per diluted share. This compares to net income of $220,000 or $0.10 per basic and diluted share for the first quarter of 2004 and a net loss of $(221,000) or $(0.11) per basic and diluted share in the second quarter of the previous year. The Company's gross margin was 30% during the second quarter, compared to 29% in the previous quarter and 25% in the second quarter of 2003. Selling, general and administrative costs increased to $1.4 million during the quarter reflecting the Company's decision to increase its sales and recruiting staffs to support improved customer activity. This represents a 17% increase over the previous quarter level and a 12% increase over the second quarter of the previous year. "We have now posted five consecutive quarters of revenue growth. Our pipeline remains strong and we are optimistic that our third quarter will be another solid quarter," commented Shmuel BenTov, TACT's Chairman and CEO. "In order to accommodate an improved market demand with the level of quality service that our customers have come to value and to effectively pursue business opportunities, we have selectively added to our sales, recruiting and professional staff." Richard Falcone, TACT's Chief Financial Officer, added, "At the end of the second quarter TACT's book value increased to $2.52 per share from the previous quarter level of $2.28. Our current ratio also improved to 2.83 from 2.52 and we continue to have no long-term debt. Financially, TACT is very sound. We emerged from a difficult economic cycle stronger than when we entered it and we are profitable. Our operational strategies that navigated TACT through this cycle, have positioned us to benefit from a market strengthening." We expect our sales force will provide us with the opportunity to continue our top-line growth into 2005."

CDW recently announced average daily sales for July 2004 were $22.7 million, an increase of 32 percent compared to average daily sales of $17.2 million for July 2003. Total sales for July 2004 were $478 million based on 21 billing days. Total sales for July 2003 were $378 million based on 22 billing days. Strong double-digit growth was generated by both the corporate and public sector segments in July 2004. In addition, double-digit unit volume growth was achieved in most product categories. Notebook CPUs, notebook accessories, desktop CPUs, server CPUs, software, and data storage unit volumes increased more than 30 percent for the month on a year-over-year basis. "Our July sales results demonstrate the dedication of all CDW coworkers to continue to outperform the market," said John A. Edwardson, chairman and chief executive officer. "We remain well positioned to continue to gain market share and grow profitably."

TECH DATA AND EMC CORP TEAM UP -- Federal government contracts can be extremely lucrative to any reseller with the appropriate mix of product offerings. Tech Data, a national distributor, has recognized this and has expanded its relationship with EMC. Tech Data is now offering additional EMC products solely for federal IT contracts. The range of products includes the EMC CLARiiON networked storage solutions, EMC Centera address storage systems and finally EMC software. Tech Data's expansion of EMC products allows the national distributor to provide resellers with more leverage to win those highly sought after government contracts.

Verio announced an incentive program for viaVerio business partners that offers extra commission on the sales of IntelliSecurity Managed Solutions. Verio will pay an extra five percent commission, above normal contractual commission percentages, on the monthly recurring revenue of the IntelliSecurity component of each deal sold during the promotional timeframe. The incentive is available to viaVerio business partners who sign on to the viaVerio partner program between August 31 and September 30, 2004. With regulatory compliance standards, services such as IntelliSecurity Managed Solutions can help viaVerio business partners deliver a range of security options, including managed firewall protection, intrusion detection services, and a range of professional services such as security audits, penetration testing and vulnerability scans designed to ensure businesses meet these new requirements and effectively safeguard their data. In addition, managed services such as IntelliSecurity help partners expand their core competency and contribute to a recurring revenue stream. According to a recent report issued by the Yankee Group, the market for managed security solution providers (MSSPs) will reach $3.7 billion USD by 2010. Commission of sales of IntelliSecurity Managed Solutions applies to the life of the original contract signed and is available to contracted viaVerio Business Partners, either direct or master agent, who have IntelliSecurity sales between the contract sign date and December 31, 2004. Minimum qualifying monthly recurring revenue is $500 USD. Information about the viaVerio Partner Program may be found at www.verio.com/partnerprogram.

ChannelAdvisor announced the availability of the configurator functionality for PowerSellers and top eBay sellers. The ChannelAdvisor Configurator enables sellers to embed an applet in eBay listings that allows a buyer to create and dynamically customize, and then purchase the new customized listing. The ChannelAdvisor Configurator will be offered as part of the ChannelAdvisor Merchant software platform, which is designed to meet the needs of eBay's top sellers. "The ChannelAdvisor Configurator will help me dramatically increase my sales. I'm looking forward to having this up and running by the holiday season," says Chase Elliot, Manager of 47 St. Photo. "This is another example of why ChannelAdvisor is the thought leader in the channel management space and continues to offer the best product on the marketplace." The ChannelAdvisor Configurator provides sellers with many benefits such as allowing sellers to effectively and economically offer their entire catalog on eBay, enabling buyers to create and find the exact item they want and transactions close on eBay through a cost-effective eBay store listing. "ChannelAdvisor continues to develop and enhance the functionality that is essential for top sellers on eBay to stay competitive and take advantage of the upcoming holiday season as well as the longer-term opportunities," says Scot Wingo, CEO and President of ChannelAdvisor. "Adding the configurator capability to ChannelAdvisor Merchant allows our clients to dramatically increase their sales by enabling buyers to customize or configure the exact product they are looking for and also gives our customers a clear competitive advantage." Not all eBay categories are currently approved for use with the configurator. Some categories, which are tentatively approved, are: computers, electronics, cameras and photo, sporting goods, and automobile/boat parts. For sellers in other categories, ChannelAdvisor will work with eBay on a case-by-case basis in order to get program approval.

Sterling Commerce announced today that its July value-added network (VAN) volumes hit an all-time high, due in large part to retail industry growth and the company's overall market leadership. With 75 of the top 100 U.S. retailers using Sterling Commerce's VAN, Sterling Information Broker, the company has experienced an unprecedented growth in transaction volumes, which reached more than one hundred billion characters in both June and July. Top retailers such as Wal-Mart, The Kroger Co., and The Home Depot use Sterling Information Broker to track and handle vast amounts of transactions daily, control inventory, enhance production planning and manage their trading partner communities. Sterling Commerce's network momentum, combined with its position as the top provider of data synchronization solutions to the retail industry, has the company poised for further success in a rapidly growing market. "While we're pleased with our network growth rates, we're certainly not surprised at the correlation between the record-breaking growth of our transaction volumes and the rise in retail sales," said Nolan Rosen, chief marketing officer, Sterling Commerce. "Sterling Information Broker is a centralized intermediary enabling the integration of business information between retailers and their manufacturers, shippers and banks." Sterling Information Broker volumes rose in July to more than one hundred billion characters, representing a 17 percent increase over volumes in July 2003. Additional figures show that Sterling Information Broker experienced growth rates of four percent in 2002, seven percent in 2003, and 16 percent year-to-date in 2004. The company expects to see these rates climb as companies continue to implement radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems. "RFID implementations require that a vast amount of data be exchanged on each pallet, carton and individual item sent to every retailer, and Sterling Commerce's ability to not only handle this data, but to decipher and communicate it electronically across diverse environments has us well positioned to continue our leadership in the retail market, providing a comprehensive, integrated set of network and software solutions," said Rosen.

WatchGuard has joined forces with 1NService to offer WatchGuard's line of integrated security appliances designed for small- to medium-sized enterprises through 1NServices' consortium of value-added resellers. The partnership is a significant extension of WatchGuard's channel network, and enables 1NService to expand its offering of network security solutions for the SME market. 1NService is a consortium of 18 VARs across the US and Canada with aggregate revenues of over $250 million. Through its network of 3,000 technical personnel, six training centers and multiple network operations centers, the organization provides a range of security, networking, IP telephony, wireless and ebusiness solutions to more than 30,000 customers, including many small- and medium-sized enterprises. WatchGuard's Firebox X line of integrated security appliances with full model upgrade capability will be made available to 1NService's network of solution providers and their customers. The Firebox X line combines firewall, VPN, application layer security, intrusion prevention functionality, spam blocking, Web filtering and authentication in a single appliance. Together with 1NService's expertise and resources, including support, training and implementation services, the partnership will give VARs access to a comprehensive security solution that they can offer to growing businesses at an affordable price point. "When choosing a partner, we look for companies that understand our value proposition and have the right balance of products, services and target market knowledge. WatchGuard fits that model extremely well," said Rob Savette, president of 1NService. "WatchGuard recognizes the specific needs of SMEs more than most vendors, and that is reflected in their product and service offering. The model upgrade capability, for example, makes Firebox X ideal for the growing business, while the ability to offer add-on services and features via a software license key is appealing to both VARs and their customers." "Having had relationships with several 1NService members in the past, we expect that this partnership will help us continue to grow our business in North America," said Dale Bastian, vice president of worldwide sales at WatchGuard. "It also allows us to expand the services available to Firebox X customers through 1NService's extensive range of complementary offerings. In this way, the partnership strengthens our commitment to helping businesses meet evolving security challenges."

PeopleSoft announced that more than 40 leading organizations worldwide have selected PeopleSoft's Human Capital Management (HCM) Recruiting solutions in the first two quarters of 2004. New customers including Ingram Micro (NYSE:IM), British Telecom, and the AUS Department of Education are using PeopleSoft Recruiting to improve talent planning, talent acquisition, and on-boarding. "Ingram Micro selected PeopleSoft because best practice talent management is important to us," said Diana Janis, director of human resources and compliance, Ingram Micro. "PeopleSoft's recruiting solution will help streamline our recruiting process, and give us the additional resources and freedom to attract and qualify candidates from around the world via the web." PeopleSoft Recruiting solutions facilitate the hiring process with web-based tools that track and reward employee referrals, generate job requisitions, and automate resume processing by creating a searchable index of submitted resumes. The solution is enabling recruiters to expand their talent pool through the branding and customization of on-line career centers, and allows candidates to more easily apply for jobs on-line, review the status of jobs and inquire about new employment opportunities. Companies including the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa and Vail Resorts have used on-line career centers and kiosk based employment stations to reduce their time to hire by as much as 50 percent.

Black Dragon Software announced its Black Dragon Channel Partner Program for value-added resellers, systems integrators and IT service providers. Margins are available from a base 20 percent to 38 percent on business generated under $1 million. Black Dragon's Partner Program is a means for Black Dragon to help the channel jointly market, sell, and support the company's security risk measurement appliance, proVizor SRM. proVizor SRM uses proprietary "Time-to-Defeat" metrics to simulate attacks on the network in order to identify and then measure the resulting IT security risks. Early resellers and integrators that have signed up for the Black Dragon Partner Program include: AppTech of Tacoma, Wash.; NetStar Corp. of Detroit, Mich.; Paladin Technologies Inc. of Chicago, Ill.; r@eTECH of Tustin, Calif., and in Europe, Alpha Sistemi, based in Rome, Italy. Within one week of signing up to the program, IT services provider r@eTECH deployed Black Dragon's proVizor at FFF Enterprises Inc. of Temecula, Calif., the nation's largest distributor of human plasma products and biopharmaceuticals. r@eTECH deployed proVizor to analyze FFF's network for security vulnerabilities in order to ensure the most secure IT environment possible. "How can you defend your network without knowing where to defend it?" said Robert Caggiano, vice president for Security Practice at r@eTECH, the Tustin, Calif.-based IT solutions provider that deployed Black Dragon's proVizor at FFF Enterprises. "FFF is at the vanguard of IT security risk measurement, a concept new to the IT industry and the only known way to literally quantify your risk, giving your security policies new meaning and relevance they heretofore never had before." The program comprises four tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze, with various discounts offered depending on volume sold. A 20 percent discount is offered upon obtaining up to $199K in revenue; The Silver program applies a 25 percent discount, and Gold offers a 30% discount. Platinum VARs can receive up to 38 percent discount for obtaining over $800K in revenue. To join the program, interested VARs must first purchase the proVizor SRM appliance but at a significant discount.

RESEARCH

Studies Show Trend for Growing Workforce Optimization Market Moving Toward Software and Services

Witness Systems a global provider of performance optimization software and services, announced that its eQuality software suite and tightly coupled Witness Consulting Network exemplify the growing trend in which Global 2000 and small and medium-sized businesses prefer to purchase software and services separately from their hardware. Industry analyst research shows an increasing independence of software from underlying infrastructure and hardware. "Changes in the mix of hardware, software and services sold provide an encouraging outlook for the continuing diversification and higher-value activities being engaged in by recording vendors. A slight increase in the proportion of revenues from services confirms Datamonitor's expectation that software and services are set to take an increasing proportion of this market's revenue," said Evan Kirchheimer, lead analyst and manager for Datamonitor's CRM practice. "Datamonitor's expectation remains unchanged that vendors will continue this move into higher-value quality management and eLearning solutions."

eQuality's browser-based enterprise collaboration architecture serves as an integrated, closed-loop workforce optimization solution that enables companies to record, evaluate, analyze and learn from customer contacts. "We have long recognized that customers do not want to be tied to proprietary hardware when purchasing software and services for contact center performance optimization," said John Bourne, senior vice president of product management for Witness Systems. "Our strategy is to provide our customers with software solutions that are truly hardware and operating environment independent." Research from Tern Systems and COMMfusion in its study, "Voice/Data Call Recording Markets, Products and Suppliers," reports that for the quality monitoring and call center logging markets, software licenses and services accounted for 87 and 88 percent respectively of the total 2003 revenue for these markets, and is projected to grow 15-18 percent (CAGR) through 2008. "The proportion of hardware cost is relatively small and declining, primarily because products are based on open architecture, which yield multiple suppliers, competition, and lower price," said Tern Systems Founder, Walt Tetschner.