IT News Week 5 Mar 2016

For IT News Week 4 Mar 2016.

For this week / last week, here are / were the biggest news.
  • PR - Apr 1, 2016 - Huawei reports revenue of CNY395 billion in 2015
  • PR - Apr 1, 2016 - Symantec : Most prevalent Android ransomware in the West arrives in Japan
  • PR - Apr 1, 2016 - Microsoft’s Lumia 650 now up for grabs via pre-order, starting today!
  • PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Accessories for Diffractive Optical Elements
  • PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Paragon Software Celebrates World Backup Day with a Gift Offering of 100 Free Licenses of Backup and Recovery 15 Home
  • PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Oracle Unveils Suite of Breakthrough Services to Help Simplify Cloud Adoption
  • PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Malaysian University Tunku Abdul Rahman joins Cloudera Academic Partnership to empower students with big data analytics skillsets
  • PR - Mar 30, 2016 - IBM Named Hybrid Cloud Development Platform Leader in TBR Survey
  • PR - Mar 30, 2016 - Steltix Version Workbench Achieves Oracle Validated Integration with Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • PR - Mar 29, 2016 - Shenzhen, China - Giada Launches the Super-Compact i80
  • PR - Mar 28, 2016 - Central Market and 11street Take 19th Century Malaysian Handicrafts Online


PR - Apr 1, 2016 - Huawei reports revenue of CNY395 billion in 2015

Today, Huawei announced its financial results for 2015, reporting that its Carrier, Enterprise, and Consumer Business Groups (BGs) all achieved strong year-on-year growth. The three BGs generated CNY395 billion (US$60.8 billion) in annual revenue worldwide, an increase of 37% YoY. Net profit was CNY36.9 billion (US$5.7 billion), up 33% YoY.

In 2015, Huawei's three business segments experienced significant growth:
  • The Carrier BG generated CNY232.3 billion (US$35.8 billion) in annual revenue, up 21% YoY. Widespread rollout of 4G networks accounted for a large portion of this growth.
  • The Enterprise BG generated CNY27.6 billion (US$4.3 billion) in annual revenue, an increase of 44% YoY. In particular, Huawei's enterprise business experienced rapid growth in the public safety, finance, transportation, and energy sectors.
  • A major highlight of the company's performance in 2015, Huawei's Consumer BG reported CNY129.1 billion (US$19.9 billion) in annual revenue, up 73% YoY. This increase was a direct result of increased demand for high-quality products that deliver a premium user experience, as well as Huawei's growing influence as a consumer brand.
  • Over the past 20-plus years, Huawei has remained focused on ICT infrastructure, steadily investing in R&D. In 2015 alone, Huawei invested 15% of its annual revenue – CNY59.6 billion (US$9.2 billion) – in research and development. Huawei's total R&D investment over the past decade exceeds CNY240 billion (approximately US$37 billion).
Sabrina Meng, Huawei's CFO, noted: "We wrapped up 2015 in a robust financial position, with stable cash flow from operating activities, increased cash availability, and effective risk control. In 2016, we will continue to focus on our pipe strategy, staying customer-centric in all we do. We will press ahead with management transformation projects to better prepare ourselves for the future, and continue boosting the efficiency of our operations to ensure sustainable growth."

PR - Apr 1, 2016 - Microsoft’s Lumia 650 now up for grabs via pre-order, starting today!

Malaysians can now look forward to the latest device to join the Lumia portfolio; the Lumia 650, starting at a recommended retail price of just RM899! Built for business users and Windows fans alike, it is available for pre-order starting today till 7 April exclusively via the Microsoft Online Store on Lazada, while it will be available in Microsoft Authorized Reseller and Microsoft Mobile Reseller stores nationwide from 8 April onwards.
Microsoft Lumia 650

Bringing the power of Windows 10 and latest Microsoft Office apps to your pocket, the Lumia 650 fits perfectly into business deployment and enterprises, with beautiful craftsmanship and protection against modern security threats.

Even more, customers can also take this opportunity to grab some fabulous offers when they purchase a Lumia 650 during this promotional period:
  • Pre-order - 1-7 April: First 150 customers will receive 13,899 AirAsia BIG points, which can be redeemed for a free return ticket to their dream destination – whether it’s Phuket or Krabi – together with a RM 25 Lazada rebate voucher.
  • Retail availability - 8-15 April: As an introductory offer, customers can also enjoy 13,000 AirAsia BIG points, which can be redeemed for a free return ticket to their chosen holiday destination.
PR - Apr 1, 2016 - Symantec : Most prevalent Android ransomware in the West arrives in Japan

One of the most prevalent Android ransomware threats in the West has now expanded to Asia, choosing Japan as its first target. This Android.Lockdroid campaign began on March 11 and it poses as a system update which then locks the device from use.

Symantec has observed several methods on how the Android.Lockdroid ransomware is distributed:
  • For most cases, Android.Lockdroid needs to be manually downloaded from adult sites to infect devices. It could also automatically arrive on the device when the user clicks on links, many of which are advertising, on these websites.
  • The malware may pose as a pornographic video app and try to trick users into installing it.
  • Some variants pretend to be system updates and attempt to deceive users into believing that a patch is required for their operating system.
However, it has been noted that The March 11 campaign mainly distributes the system update variants.

Once the malware has access to C&C servers, it uploads device information to determine the phone’s language.

PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Accessories for Diffractive Optical Elements

Holo/OR’s diffractive optical elements are mainly used for high-power laser beam shaping and splitting. The specifications provided are only valid for one optical assembly.

In many cases, the use of these elements is economical, despite their limited variability; however, a better variability is demanded. LASER COMPONENTS now introduces two new accessory products to the market: Holo/OR‘s DOE TUNER and the BEAM EXPANDER.

DOE Tuner

The DOE TUNER is a variable beam expander with a zoom range between 0.8 and 1.2. If the DOE TUNER is placed before a diffractive TopHat element in the beam path, the smallest ideal spot can be finely adjusted; when placed before multi-spot elements, the spot size can be adapted – without affecting the distance between the spots.

When placing the TUNER behind the DOE and before a focusing lens, the spot size can be adjusted in beam shaping elements; in multi-spot elements, the spot size can be adjusted in combination with the distance between the spots.


PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Paragon Software Celebrates World Backup Day with a Gift Offering of 100 Free Licenses of Backup and Recovery 15 Home

Paragon Software Group (PSG), a leader in data backup, disaster recovery, and data migration solutions, congratulates all PC users on the occasion of World Backup Day 2016. Today all PC users will have a chance to win Paragon Backup and Recovery 15 Home - the industry's most comprehensive and hassle-free data management tool, enabling PC users to handle all backup, disaster recovery and data management tasks with easy. Simply visit http://blog.paragon-software.com/world-backup-day/ and enter to win!

Updated recently with the latest technologies, Paragon Backup and Recovery 15 Home offers everything you need for system and hard disk management.

The latest Adaptive Restore 3.0 helps you recover your system backup on different hardware. All required drivers will be added smoothly, making your operating system bootable on a new machine or on the altered hardware.

PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Oracle Unveils Suite of Breakthrough Services to Help Simplify Cloud Adoption

While an increasing number of organisations are eager to move to the cloud, many have been constrained by inevitable business, legislative and regulatory requirements. To assist Malaysian businesses in making this transition, Oracle, the Cloud company, today revealed a new family of offerings designed to enable businesses easily move to the cloud and remove some of the biggest obstacles to cloud adoption.

These first-of-a-kind services provide CIOs with new choices in where they deploy their enterprise software and a natural path to easily move business critical applications from on-premises to the cloud. Businesses will now be able to reap the performance, cost and innovation benefits of Oracle Public Cloud Services and run them wherever they want.

The Oracle Cloud has shown strong adoption, supporting 70+ million users and more than 34 billion transactions each day. It runs in 19 data centers around the world.

PR - Mar 31, 2016 - Malaysian University Tunku Abdul Rahman joins Cloudera Academic Partnership to empower students with big data analytics skillsets

Cloudera, the global provider of the fastest, easiest, and most secure data management and analytics platform built on Apache Hadoop and the latest open source technologies, today announced that Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) has joined the Cloudera Academic Partnership (CAP) program. The partnership will allow UTAR students access to a curriculum, software and skills training for the Hadoop platform.

Globally, industries are facing a talent crunch for data professionals. In Malaysia, the number of IT graduates produced each year, which numbers about 30,000, is not enough to cater to the growth of the industry, according to the country’s National ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Association (PIKOM). The Association also believes that the current workforce requires upgrading and upscaling.

Cloudera’s Senior Director of marketing for APAC, Daniel Ng said: “A rapidly evolving data landscape is giving rise to a strong demand for skilled professionals that are able to deploy and manage big data initiatives on the Apache Hadoop data platform. CAP is one of the ways that Cloudera is leading the way in putting more data-skilled talents into the workforce.”

How does Cloudera CAP work?

Through the CAP program, Cloudera provides partner institutions with a complete, free, industry-standard Hadoop curriculum that can be incorporated into computer science and business analytics courses. Teaching staff and students affiliated with CAP program institutions can freely download a wide selection of Cloudera supplementary training material and receive discounts on all Cloudera Certification examinations. Teaching staff also qualify for deep discounts on Cloudera University professional training delivered by Cloudera's team of expert Hadoop instructors, and benefit from up-to-date classroom tools, instructor forums, dedicated program support, and the world's largest Hadoop knowledgebase.


PR - Mar 30, 2016 - IBM Named Hybrid Cloud Development Platform Leader in TBR Survey

IBM has been named the market leader in Cloud Application Development and Transformation by leading independent technology market research firm, Technology Business Research, Inc. (TBR). The recent report, Cloud Customer Research Topical Report: New vs. Legacy Applications, ranked IBM a leader in several categories including highest in customer satisfaction and in enterprise adoption for application transformation services.

The report is part of a customer research program that evaluates responses of more than 2,100 enterprises globally and analyzes the preferences around cloud and legacy application migration of nearly 700 enterprises.

IBM won high satisfaction scores because its cloud platform provides developers with application portability and flexibility, integration between other applications from the same vendor, and application program interface capabilities that extend to other vendors. In other words, IBM features an application development portfolio that is broad and expands cloud delivery methods, enabling hybrid development.

PR - Mar 30, 2016 - Steltix Version Workbench Achieves Oracle Validated Integration with Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

Steltix, a Platinum-level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced that it has achieved Oracle Validated Integration of Steltix Version Workbench 3.6 with Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 9.2.

In JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, most customer-specific configuration data is stored in parameter sets that are stored for specific programs or batch jobs that define the behavior of the program. These parameter sets are called “versions”. The Version Workbench makes maintenance of these versions much easier. To achieve Oracle Validated Integration, Oracle partners are required to meet a stringent set of requirements that are based on the needs and priorities of the customers.

“The Oracle Validated Integration recognition is fundamental for us to ensure that our customers understand the reliability of the tool. Version Workbench speeds up working with versions in Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, and works with processing options and data selections. Oracle Validated Integration reassures customers that all changes made with Version Workbench are completely aligned with the JD Edwards standards.

Without Oracle Validated Integration, the Version Workbench would be a tool for which the customer has to believe what we say; Oracle Validated Integration adds the credibility of Oracle and helps us position this time-saving tool with customers around the globe,” says Jan Jaap Weerstand, CEO of Steltix. PR - Mar 29, 2016 - Shenzhen, China - Giada Launches the Super-Compact i80

Giada Technology, the industry leader in embedded systems and expert in server technology, today officially announced the release of the i80 high-performance super-compact PC. The i80 embodies the core principles of Intel's NUC (Next Unit of Computing) concept, offering great power, connectivity and adaptability, but with a tiny footprint.

i80 high-performance super-compact PC
  • Skylake CPU Technology

    Powered by a 6th generation Intel Core CPU and the Skylake-U platform, the i80 provides a balanced system that's powerful and versatile when you need it to be, but also very compact and energy efficient.


  • Dual Monitor Support and Outstanding Graphics

    Despite its diminutive size, the i80 features dual independent monitor support, at up to 4K (4096 x 2304) resolution, via the HDMI and Mini-DP sockets. There’s efficient integrated Intel HD Graphics 520 built-in to drive video and graphics.


  • Dual Channel Memory Support

    Memory is expandable up to 16GB via two SO-DIMM sockets for DDR3L-1600 MHz memory modules, providing great support for today’s applications and far into the future. The dual channel capability significantly improves system and video performance. This core hardware offers great office and media benchmark performance.

PR - Mar 28, 2016 - Central Market and 11street Take 19th Century Malaysian Handicrafts Online

1street, Malaysia’s most exciting e-mall that offers 5million of products in Malaysia is pleased to announce its latest collaboration with Central Market, one of Kuala Lumpur’s oldest and most famous centres for Malaysian culture and handicrafts products.

Customers throughout the country can now browse and buy a huge variety of products from Central Market’s diverse mix of retailers, ranging from home & living, fashion, sports & leisure, electronics and even groceries.

(left to right) William Wong, 11street’s Seller Development Manager; Shaun Yap, 11street’s Seller Development Manager; Jong Eon Lee, 11street’s Seller & Strategic Business General Manager; Seon Oh, 11street’s Seller & Strategic Business Acting Vice President; Bruce Lim, 11street’s Merchandising Vice President; Hoseok Kim, 11street’s CEO; Wai Mun Cheong, Central Market’s Complex Manager; Gha Hunt Wong, Central Market’s Assistant Complex Manager; Noraini Ismail, Central Market’s A&P Senior Executive; Sam Yap, Central Market’s A&P Senior Executive and Bahjah Abd Nashir, Central Market’s Content Writer together witness the collaboration between 11street and Central Market during the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony.

“Collaborating with 11street has been a fantastic development for us. One of the secrets of Central Market’s unbroken track record of success has been its location within the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Being close to a public transportation hub has also played a role in making it a major attraction for both tourists and Malaysians alike,” Cheong Wai Mun, Complex Manager of Central Market.

The move has been warmly welcomed by Central Market’s tenants. One of them is Gadis Manis Malaysia, a brand that promotes Malaysian’s cultural diversity, with products such as bags, t-shirts, tableware, stationary and aromatic oils inspired by Malaysia’s nature, architecture and cultures.

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