ACM TechNews - Friday, June 16, 2000

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ACM TechNews
Volume 2, Number 69
Date: June 16, 2000
Site Sponsored by Gateway (http://www.gateway.com)

Top Stories for Friday, June 16, 2000:
http://www.acm.org/technews/current/homepage.html

"Microsoft Confronted by Crucial Legal Test"
"Justice Dept. Asks Appeal Judges to Let Supreme Court Act
 First in Microsoft Case"
"Germany Looks Outside to Fill High-Tech Jobs"
"Governments Cut Red Tape With Internet"
"Lawmakers Seek Balance in Privacy Legislation"
"PC Surge Drives Indian Computer Industry Boom"
"Philippine President Signs Law to Punish Computer Crimes"
"Motorola Teams up With Three Firms for Venture Marrying
 Phones, Scanners"
"As ASPs Gain Converts, Network Is the Computer"
"New Law 'Could Lose Business $69Bn'"
"Instant Messaging Charges Forward in Electronic Communications Era"
"Vendors Preview Web Management Standard"
"Is the New Transora Exchange the Real Thing?"
"Top 10 System Security Threats Are Familiar Foes"
"Distributors Switching Focus to Web Business"
"Internet Reality Check"
"A Secure Place"
"Who Will Snag Europe's Web Surfers?"

******************* News Stories ***********************

"Microsoft Confronted by Crucial Legal Test"
A federal judge today is expected to outline the pretrial
guidelines for 27 of the civil antitrust suits against Microsoft,
which seek billions of dollars from the software giant for
allegedly using its monopoly power to overcharge consumers for . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item1

"Justice Dept. Asks Appeal Judges to Let Supreme Court Act
 First in Microsoft Case"
The Justice Department, 19 state attorneys general, and the trial
judge filed a brief Wednesday with the Court of Appeals
requesting that the federal court not hear Microsoft's case
before jurisdiction can be determined.  Microsoft filed a portion . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item2

"Germany Looks Outside to Fill High-Tech Jobs"
Germany is facing the lack of a trained workforce as it seeks to
take advantage of the Information Age.  German companies such as
Siemens and DaimlerChrysler say they need more high-tech
professionals than can be found domestically.  Chancellor Gerhard . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item3

"Governments Cut Red Tape With Internet"
States are increasingly appointing cabinet-level technology
chiefs, underscoring the priority being given to putting
government services online, analysts say.  Andersen Consulting's
USA Government practice is just one of several business units . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item4

"Lawmakers Seek Balance in Privacy Legislation"
Online privacy was a big story in Washington this week, as the
FTC provided Congress with a report on online profiling.  Jodie
Bernstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection,
testified that online advertisers are failing to provide . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item5

"PC Surge Drives Indian Computer Industry Boom"
The Indian computer industry, fueled by PC sales to homes and
offices, reported its largest boom in four years for the year
ended in March, according to a recent International Data (IDC)
report.  Sales of computers and related products rose 30 percent . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item6

"Philippine President Signs Law to Punish Computer Crimes"
Philippines President Joseph Estrada yesterday signed an
anti-cybercrime law that is meant to increase the security of
electronic documents and encourage data transfers and
transactions via electronic media.  The e-commerce law calls for . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item7

"Motorola Teams up With Three Firms for Venture Marrying
 Phones, Scanners"
Motorola has formed an alliance with Symbol Technologies,
AirClic, and Connect Things for the joint development of
technology that could enable customers with mobile phones to scan
bar codes in print ads or on products and then have access to the . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item8

"As ASPs Gain Converts, Network Is the Computer"
The application service provider (ASP) market is expected to grow
tremendously over the next several years, as more companies
realize the benefits of outsourcing e-business projects.
Although ASPs have traditionally been considered a cheap option . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item9

"New Law 'Could Lose Business $69Bn'"
The U.K. government's Regulation of Investigatory Powers bill
will drain confidence in e-commerce, place unfair financial
burdens on businesses and the U.K. economy, infringe upon
individuals' rights, and undermine the electronic security of . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item10

"Instant Messaging Charges Forward in Electronic Communications Era"
Instant messaging (IM) technology, once thought to be a hindrance
to production, is now beginning to be accepted by some companies
as a tool to improve communication and knowledge transfer.
However, some obstacles to widespread use remain, such as the . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item11

"Vendors Preview Web Management Standard"
The Web-based enterprise management (WBEM) standard, which, using
XML technology, makes managing systems over the Internet possible
and permits interoperability between managed systems, was given
an initial demonstration at the Distributed Management Taskforce . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item12

"Is the New Transora Exchange the Real Thing?"
Close to 50 companies in the consumer goods industry announced
the intention to build a behemoth online exchange called
Transora.  Members of the new exchange--who include Coca-Cola,
General Mills, Kraft Foods, and Unilever--would use the site to . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item13

"Top 10 System Security Threats Are Familiar Foes"
A group of computer security experts recently published a list of
the 10 greatest threats to network security, and the report
states that all of the problems have been around for years.  The
number one problem is technical flaws in the Berkeley Unix . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item14

"Distributors Switching Focus to Web Business"
Distributors Southern Marketing Affiliates (SMA) and ICM are
discrediting the popular notion that Internet companies will make
traditional intermediaries unnecessary and too costly.  "We keep
hearing words about the disintermediation of [distributors] by . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item15

"Internet Reality Check"
The Markle Foundation this summer is conducting a study aimed at
learning the average American's views on Internet issues such as
privacy, security, and regulation.  Markle intends for the study
to help influence political debate as legislators struggle with . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item16

"A Secure Place"
Corporations are increasingly outsourcing their IT security to
application service providers (ASPs), as security looms ever
larger in the public--and investors'--minds.  However, ASPs are
realizing that they need to prove that they can provide . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item17

"Who Will Snag Europe's Web Surfers?"
The loyalties of 100 million Internet users are at stake in the
battle for Europe's Internet market.  Strapping U.S. Web
companies such as AOL and Yahoo! face a far different challenge
in Europe than the one they faced at the outset of conquering the . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2000-2/0616f.html#item18

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