Archive for September 27, 2010

PAETEC Buys Again

PAETEC Buys AgainPAETEC has expanded again. PAETEC Holding Corp.(PAET) recently announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Cavalier Telephone Corporation. The acquisition will add Cavalier’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Intellifiber Networks’ fiber-optic network to PAETEC’s existing service footprint.

Intellifiber Networks is Intellifiber Networks logoone of the largest network providers in the nation with a high-capacity fiber network spanning nearly 17,000 route miles and representing over $2 billion of investment. The expansive 12,262 route mile intercity network spans the Midwest and Eastern U.S., as well as 4,689 route miles throughout several existing PAETEC metro areas,  allowing for broad connectivity options for customers. Intellifiber offers scalable network solutions for service provider, enterprise, and government customers. Their offerings include private networks, low latency routing, SONET services, wavelengths, Ethernet, and data options.

The expanded PAETEC fiber network will encompass a combined 10,609 metro fiber-route miles and 37,023 total fiber-route miles and a combined 1,178 collocations. After the closing of this transaction, PAETEC expects to have a local presence in 86 of the top 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). The transaction will further solidify PAETEC as one of the largest competitive local communication service providers in the United States

PAETEC logoMarketWatch reports PAETEC Holding Corp. will acquire Cavalier Telephone Corporation in an all-cash $460 million transaction. Cavalier will become an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PAETEC Holding Corp. Cavalier is a privately held company whose majority owner is M/C Venture Partners, a private equity firm based in Boston.

This planned acquisition of Cavalier fits our strategic plan to add both fiber assets and regional density to better serve our customers and realize increased network synergies, both in the local loop and long haul,” Arunas A. Chesonis, chair, and CEO of PAETEC told MarketWatch. “Cavalier’s fiber infrastructure, network assets, and corporate culture make it a perfect match for PAETEC and dramatically strengthen the company in the Eastern United States.

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Hourglass Syndrome

Hourglass SyndromeA July 2010 technology online study conducted by Harris Interactive (NASDAQ: HPOL) and sponsored by Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), reveals that eight out of 10 (80%) U.S. adults get frustrated waiting for technology, and over half (51%) have done something out of character when frustrated while waiting for technology. Intel calls this the “Hourglass Syndrome.

Intel logoIntel says that of those who suffer from the hourglass syndrome:

  • 69% admitted acting inappropriately while waiting.
  • 62% of U.S. adults admit to yelling or cursing out loud when their technology can’t keep up with them.
  • 29% hit their computer mouse.
  • 24%  bang on their computer screen and keyboard, hopefully not to the extent as the guy in the video.

The integral role technology plays in everyday life causes the hourglass syndrome phenomenon says the chipmaker. Intel marketing experts say the “malady” has developed with the modern pace of life. In an environment where mobile devices are constantly on to answer emails within minutes of receiving them, people feel anger and frustration when outdated technology fails to keep up with the speed of life.

Margaret (Margie) Morris, a clinical psychologist and health technology researcher at Intel, states in the Intel press release;”We are closely connected with our devices  … They become extensions of ourselves and become critically involved in our relationships with others, how we express ourselves, and our efforts to manage stress. We enjoy the freedom to communicate and work from anywhere, so we rely on the technology to work. When it lets us down, the disappointment runs high and sometimes spills over into our feelings about ourselves.

Of those who have acted or seen someone act inappropriately in public due to frustrations with technology:

  • 70% saw strangers.
  • 46% have seen family or friends.
  • 33% have seen co-workers act out in frustration while waiting for technology.

According to the online survey taken between July 27-29, 2010 sluggish technology often causes people to miss out on something while they are waiting. 35% of U.S. adults said that they missed out on something while waiting for technology, such as losing an opportunity to take part in an online sale (13%) or buy airline, concert, or sporting event tickets. “Intel understands how stressful technology can be,” said Karen Regis, Director of Intel’s Consumer PC Marketing in the press release. “We are determined to design products that can improve the quality of your life and lower your stress levels, as opposed to increasing them.

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Kudos to Intel for the imaginative use of pseudo-science to wrap a marketing message for Intel Turbo Boost Technology in a factoid.  GigaOm points out that Intel, “helpfully notes that Hourglass Syndrome “is not a real syndrome or medical condition.”

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Steve Jobs – Ninja?

Steve Jobs - Ninja? Apple CEO Steve Jobs was at the heart of another wild rumor circulating on the inter-tubes. This rumor claims the Apple boss was stopped at Japan’s Kansai International Airport for carrying ninja stars in his carry-on luggage. Rumor has it Mr. Jobs was stopped when he about to board a private plane in late July. Apple officials disputed the claims from SPA! magazine in an article on Bloomberg.

Taiwanese agency Next Media Animation, has created more “proof” of the alleged incident. The Apple-related tabloid provided the following animation.

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After all, if it’s on the inter-tubes it’s got to be true!

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

D-Link Raises Net Security Bar

D-Link Raises Net Security Bar Help Net Security reports that D-Link (TSEC dlink) has upgraded its products to rival some of the “enterprise-level” devices I see at client sites. The vendor has enhanced its router security to a higher level of protection to guard against hacking, worms, viruses, and other malicious Web attacks. by incorporating DNSSEC, IPv6, and CAPTCHA.

DNSSEC is a suite of Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) specifications (Core DNSSEC RFCs are RFC 4033, RFC 4034, and RFC 4035) that adds security to the DNS to offer assurance that the information received from a Domain Name Server is authentic according to the article. The security extensions are designed to protect the DNS from man-in-the-middle and cache poisoning attacks, which can occur when hackers corrupt DNS data stored on recursive name servers to redirect queries to malicious sites.

DNSSEC applies digital signatures to DNS data to authenticate the data’s origin and verify its integrity as it moves across the Internet and can give users an effective means of verification that their applications, such as Web or email, are using the correct addresses for servers they want to reach.

D-Link is also providing additional security and future-proofing its routers, by migrating to IPv6 certification according to Help Net Security. With the growing number of Internet-capable devices on the market, the pool of IPv4 addresses has dropped to six percent and is expected to run out sometime in 2011. While this is a major motivation for IPv6, other improvements are also realized.

The IPv6 specification now specifies certain security measures that were not defined in IPv4, such as IPSec. IPSec is a method of authenticating and encrypting data transferred between pairs of hosts. Although it was possible to implement IPSec with IPv4, it was not part of the specification. IPSec is now a requirement, not an option, in the IPv6 specification.

CAPTCHAD-Link has previously implemented a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) to improve security. CAPTCHA is a challenge-response test that ensures that a response during a user login is not computer-generated but instead is truly entered by a human hand, by requiring a user to manually enter a small amount of text displayed in an image to help prevent automated registration and fraud.

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I looked at a production switch today that was still running only CatOS 9.0 (EOL 2009), they might be better protected with a new D-Link.

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

More Broadband for Michigan

More Broadband for MichiganWireless Internet service provider Air Advantage based in Frankenmuth, Michigan has been awarded $64 million. The award is a combination of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans. The award will create a wireless broadband and fiber-optic Internet network in Michigan’s lower peninsula according to an article on MLive.com.

In addition to the federal grants and loans, Air Advantage will contribute more than $10 million toward the project. “A big part of the (federal) grant is about providing people with more options, more affordable Internet access,” Dawn Zimmer, director of sales and marketing for Air Advantage told MLive.  “Even in 2010, it’s shocking the number of people who have no or very few Internet options.”

Award

The $64.25 million award consists of $31.95 million in grants and $32.3 million in loans. The loans must be used to buy capital equipment such as installation and service trucks, computers, transmitters and receivers. The award cannot be used for salaries or for the hiring of new staff, according to David Simmet, vice president of operations at Air Advantage in the MLive article.

With this funding Air Advantage will add more than 200 signal transmitting towers to the company’s existing network of 65 towers. Many of the existing towers are installed on area water towers, grain silos and cell phone towers. The project will serve 13 counties — Saginaw, Sanilac, Bay, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Midland, Oakland, Shiawassee, Saint Claire, and Tuscola.

The Regional Educational Media Center 10 (REMC 10) will see direct benefits from the stimulus funds awarded. About $9 million of the award to Air Advantage is earmarked for constructing a fiber optic network. The 350-mile fiber-optic network will run throughout the Thumb. The partners will contract the construction to a company with expertise in fiber-optic installation. The high-speed network will connect 26 school districts, governmental facilities and Central Dispatch in Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties, according to Robert Frost, director of REMC-10. Frost said the network will allow for more collaboration. Partners will be able to get collaborative pricing for network devices and services like servers, content filters, firewalls, and more. It will also allow for distance learning through high-definition video conference units.

Connects existing networks in Michigan

The new network will connect to existing networks in Bay, Lapeer, St. Clair and Saginaw counties. It will allow for a direct, high-speed connection to other schools, colleges and universities throughout the state. “…they are going to … change the face of the eastern side of Michigan,” Sheila Stamiris, director of the Frankenmuth downtown development authority told MLive. “It really is incredible.

The Air Advantage estimates it will hire for an additional 142 positions. The new employees will provide equipment installation, technical support, and billing. The firm expects to start hiring in the next few months. This would be a 600% increase in jobs since the firm started in 2002. Ms. Stamiris said this likely will put Air Advantage among the city’s 10 largest employers. “They will be doing a lot of things using Frankenmuth as a home base and we are extremely grateful to be in that position,” Ms. Stamiris told MLive.

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him at LinkedInFacebook and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.