IMs Challenge E-mail's Dominance

1. IMs Challenge E-mail's Dominance

While email remains the dominant form of electronic communications, its status is under attack by the use of instant messaging and the emergence of new communications technology, a research firm said Thursday.

For more on this:
- read full story from messagingpipeline.com, Dec 22 2005


2. 2006 full of broadband promise

In the Chinese calendar the symbol changes every year. 2006 will be the year of the dog but in the world of technology, broadband has remained top dog for the last five years.

For more on this:
- read full story from messagingpipeline.com, Dec 26 2005


3. Google Assured Liquid Shot at AOL

On December 20, AOL announced that Google would take a tiny stake for big bucks. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents filed on Friday show the search goliath's exit strategy.

For more on this:
- read full story from internetnews.com, Dec 27 2005


4. Google Base: Froogle Local +

In November, Froogle quietly went local.

At that time, searchers using Google's product search and comparison tool, launched in December 2002, were encouraged to put in a location as well as a keyword by text under the query bar saying, "E.g. 'digital camera' or 'car near San Francisco.'"

For more on this:
- read full story from internetnews.com, Dec 23 2005


5. Microsoft, Google Reach Deal Over Employee

Microsoft Corp. said late Thursday that it had reached a settlement with rival Google Inc. and former employee Kai-Fu Lee, ending a legal battle that had exposed behind-the-scenes rancor between the companies.

For more on this:
- read full story from washingtonpost.com, Dec 23 2005


6. China to get tough on cellphone fraud, spam

China will require all mobile phone subscribers to register using their real names next year, in a bid to curb rampant spam and growing fraud conducted over mobile services, the official Xinhua news agency said.

For more on this:
- read full story from Yahoo! News, Dec 29 2005


7. Update: Virkel virus hits MSN Messenger beta

MSN Messenger users who may think they're getting a sneak peak at the latest version of Microsoft (Profile, Products, Articles) Corp.'s instant messaging client are in for a nasty surprise, a Finnish security firm warned Tuesday. A variation of the Virkel instant messaging virus has been circulating amongst MSN users, posing as a leaked beta version of MSN Messenger 8, according to F-Secure (Profile, Products, Articles) Corp.

For more on this:
- read full story from infoworld, Dec 27 2005


8. Windows Vista: Beware of Metadata Slips

A feature expected in the next version of Windows that will allow users to tag documents and other files with "metadata" could lead to embarrassing information disclosures if companies are not careful, according to research from Gartner Inc.

For more on this:
- read full story from eweek.com, Dec 23 2005


9. Nortel buys Tasman to boost VoIP line

Toronto-based Nortel Networks said Tuesday it plans to acquire Tasman Networks for $99.5 million in cash.

For more on this:
- read full story from CNET news.com, Dec 27 2005


10. Stronger Sense of Identity

Opinion: Forces external to enterprises combined to renew focus on identity management this year. These included an increase in phishing e-mail scams and government regulation, combined with maturing identity management products and refinement of industry technology standards.

For more on this:
- read full story from eweek.com, Dec 19 2005