CeBIT2012: Matrix42 Extends Workplace Automation Solution with Enhanced Virtualization Capabilities.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Matrix42 (www.matrix42.com), a leading provider of Workplace Management solutions, today announced the availability of Empirum V14 Service Pack 2, further extending Matrix42's Workplace Automation solution and providing customers with additional support for managing virtual and physical environments. SP2 includes improved virtualization management of Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, as well as ongoing support for other Citrix platforms.

SP2 was developed using Microsoft and Citrix best practices, and provides users with Citrix Provisioning Service technology for any device, including Citrix XenApp Server, enabling even faster implementation for the customer and easier management of virtual desktops. Additionally, users can now publish applications in a virtualized environment using any available method of deployment. The Service Pack also contains add-ons for physical desktops and optimizes the performance of virtual desktops. Altogether, significant cost savings can be achieved by implementing Citrix Power Management to manage virtual desktops.

"Today's workforce is not easily satisfied – they want freedom and flexibility in their day-to-day and do not want to be tethered to the office desk or corporate computing devices," said Patrick Sauerwein, product manager at Matrix42. "Our approach is to provide organizations with the solutions to help satisfy not only users, but corporate standards. With the SP2 update for Empirum, we've extended and optimized our desktop virtualization capabilities in order to support the increasing number of virtualization projects our customers are handling, many of which are a direct reflection of this changing work culture. SP2 gives IT needed flexibility to manage its diverse and demanding workforces."

New features and add-ons include:

• Expanded and improved virtualization management for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp
• Easy creation of VHDs and fast deployment of Citrix XenApp servers using Provisioning Services
• Optimized Citrix XenApp deployment with Provisioning Services
• Ability to create disk images on physical and virtual devices
• Support of work groups for flexible software assignments
• Cost savings possible with Power Management for virtual desktops
• Support of the latest best practices of Microsoft and Citrix
• Ability to configure vDisk access modes and write cache handling
• Ongoing support for Citrix platforms
  • Citrix XenDesktop 5.5
  • Citrix XenApp 6.5
  • Citrix XenServer 5.6 SP2
  • Citrix Provisioning Services 5.6 FP2
• General improvements
  • Implementation of more than 400 customer requests
  • Optimal integration in Matrix42 Service Management

About Matrix42

Matrix42 is the leading supplier for Workplace Management solutions. Matrix42 Workplace Management enables the seamless management of physical, virtual and mobile environments. It combines Client Lifecycle, Cloud, SaaS, Virtualization and Service Management into a holistic solution enabling users to have transparent access to their data and services everywhere, from any virtual or physical device at any time. Founded in 1992, Matrix42, with headquarters near Frankfurt, Germany, has been established in the dynamic IT market for almost 20 years. More than six million clients are managed by Matrix42 software with more than 2,500 customers worldwide, including market-leading enterprises such as Infineon, Magna, Lufthansa Systems and Puma and integrators like Raiffeisen IT, msg systems and Bechtle. In early 2008, Matrix42 became part of the Asseco Group. With over 8,000 employees and a market capitalization of around 1.2 billion euros, Asseco is one of the largest European software companies.

SOURCE Matrix42

CeBIT2012: MultiTouch 3d motion sensor display . Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

A joint venture undertaken by MultiTouch and the European Insistute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) ICT Labs has produced the first 3D motion sensing multi-touch wall which is currently being displayed at CeBIT 2012, Hannover, Germany. 

The display wall comprises eight MultiTaction Cell 55in modular multi-touch displays and four Microsoft Kinect 3D motion-sensing cameras. It presents a Bubblescreen application which allows an unlimited number of participants to use the 5m-long screen at any one time. 

A person who passes the display is picked-up by the cameras and bubbles on the screen react by following the subject's movement, luring the target to the fully interactive interface developed by EIT ICT Labs researchers, where they can then playfully learn about the company’s activities.

“The wall is an example of how EIT ICT Labs boost European competitiveness by bringing academic research, education and business together,” said Professor Marko Turpeinen, node director EIT ICT Labs Helsinki. “Cooperation with MultiTouch has brought added value to both parties”

Co-operation between the two companies has enabled EIT ICT Labs researchers to learn more about the delivery of information in public spaces using large interactive displays all over the world.

MultiTouch, originally established by researchers from Aalto University, which is one of the core partners of EIT ICT Labs Helsinki, has sold interactive displays in over 40 countries around the world and recently launched its third-generation MultiTaction product line.

“The display array, made of stackable MultiTaction Cells, recognises unlimited touch points which means we can accommodate a very large number of users. The Bubblescreen application using Kinect was developed by EIT ICT Labs with MultiTouch Cornerstone SDK. It is a fantastic example of how by merging technologies we can create new, innovative ways for human-computer interaction,” said Hannu Anttila, wp sales of MultiTouch.

With a dancing CCTV robot opening the show on its first day, all eyes will be on Cloud technology at CeBIT 2012. IBM introduced its latest cloud-based desktop streaming service and hardware - Secure Desktop Enterprise - to allow businesses to stream desktops with minimal fuss. 

Meanwhile Fujitsu has developed over 40 software applications to help business with the transition to cloud technology, and other companies following suit.

CeBIT runs until 10 March.

www.multitouch.fi

eit.ictlabs.eu

CeBIT2012: SAP to Extend Business Opportunities for Partners With Launch of SAP® Business One OnDemand.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

SAP AG today announced the SAP® Business One OnDemand solution, a new offering that aims to build upon the broad market success of the SAP Business One application, addressing small enterprise preferences for minimal up-front cost and lower IT operations. The announcement was made at CeBIT 2012, being held March 6-10 in Hanover, Germany.

To be offered by trusted partners, including Hungarian Telecom, itelligence, Seidor, Singtel, Versino and Virtustream, the on-demand solution is planned to be comprehensive, easy to consume and available with transparent, predictable costs. It will target smaller companies seeking a single offering with deep business functionality, as well as support for sales, purchasing, inventory and finance business processes.

SAP intends to provide SAP Business One OnDemand through qualified partners as well as further extendibility and industry offerings as required. The recommended concept to partners is a monthly subscription fee per user. Initially, the solution is planned for availability in 18 countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. As a comprehensive partner-hosted cloud environment targeting smaller companies, SAP Business One OnDemand is intended to complement the currently available SAP® Business ByDesign™ solution for midmarket customers.

"Small and midsize companies continue to be a relatively untapped market for SaaS / hosted solutions, especially small firms," said Ray Boggs, vice president, IDC. Boggs indicated that this will likely change as over half of small firms plan to add enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and other advanced software while looking at cloud-delivered solutions: "Not everyone will move to the cloud, of course, but interest is clearly growing even among the smallest firms."

SAP Business One OnDemand will be suitable for customers seeking to implement their first holistic ERP software as well as for affiliates of large enterprises with deep industry functionality requirements. Customers may want to choose the cloud deployment model or combine it with on-premise deployment, avoid a lump-sum cash outlay or capital investment and help heavily reduce IT operation costs by not having to hire experienced IT staff for maintenance of the underlying infrastructure.

 Together with perpetual license options for on-premise or hosted installation, the on-demand option aims to provide customers unprecedented licensing and delivery flexibility to adopt the world-class SAP Business One application on their own terms, based on their individual IT and financial needs and preferences.

Building on Broad Market Success

Building on the significant channel success of SAP Business One, SAP intends to offer SAP Business One OnDemand exclusively via its vibrant partner ecosystem, which provides local industry expertise to customers.

 A compelling set of new features are planned, aiming to allow partners to operate the solution for their customers in a cost-efficient way, building on proven architectural principles of SAP software. SAP is planning various ways for partners to participate in the delivery of SAP Business One OnDemand. Hosting partners will need to obtain an SAP hosting certification. Reselling partners or value-added resellers (VARs) without SAP hosting certification will be able to subcontract to a certified SAP hosting partner.

"Small companies with little infrastructure and outsourced IT are expecting cloud offerings, sometimes in easy combination with their existing software," said Eric Duffaut, president, Ecosystem & Channels, SAP AG. "Together with our partners, SAP is committed to providing customers of all sizes with choice and a solution that fits their needs. Now, small companies can use SAP Business One on premise or in the cloud to run their businesses better."

To read more about what partners have to say about the solution, see: "Partners on SAP Business One OnDemand." For more information, including additional news and coverage from CeBIT 2012, visit the Events Newsroom.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 183,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of Sybase) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

© 2012 by SAP AG. All rights reserved. 

SAP and the SAP logo are registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company. Sybase and the Sybase logo are registered trademarks of Sybase Inc. Sybase is an SAP company. Crossgate is a registered trademark of Crossgate AG in Germany and other countries. Crossgate is an SAP company.

Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: 

Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24

United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

For more information, press only:

Angelika Pfahler, +49 6227 7-63596, angelika.pfahler@sap.com, CET

SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EST; press@sap.com

Torrey Fazen, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (617) 912-5401, torrey.fazen@bm.com, EST

SOURCE SAP AG

CEBIT 2012: Windows 8 Consumer Preview Is Ready for Business.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Is Ready for Business.

At CeBIT, Kevin Turner demonstrates how Windows 8 delivers a no-compromise experience.

In his CeBIT keynote speech today, Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft Corp., showed how Windows 8 will bring together the potential of a tablet with the power of a PC. He also invited IT professionals around the world to test the recently released Windows 8 Consumer Preview, now available for download at http://preview.windows.com. 

 The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a more robust experience for testing the world's most popular operating system and is available to the widest range of people yet following the initial release of the Windows 8 Developer Preview late last year.

"Windows 8 will deliver no compromise experiences on a range of devices from tablets and PCs to desktops. It will give people functionality they love and the enterprise-grade capabilities that IT departments demand," Turner said. "We encourage IT professionals to begin using it to get a firsthand experience of how Windows 8 will give people a beautiful, fast and fluid experience with the mobility and familiarity they need to effortlessly move between what they want to do and what they need to do."

"We believe Windows 8 will bring an evolutionary solution to Windows users that delivers business productivity, while helping IT to manage and secure new devices using their existing infrastructure and tools," said Al Gillen, program vice president, system software, IDC. "Windows 8 will help bridge the demands that end users are placing on IT departments with what IT wants for its business — a smooth transitional path to add tablet devices into an existing Windows client infrastructure."

Windows 8 highlights for enterprise organizations include the following:

• Great user experience. Windows 8 bridges the gap between a personalized experience for users and the security and management features that IT professionals trust. Features include the new Windows 8 Start screen and fully immersive Metro style apps. People can be more productive with both multitouch and traditional keyboard and mouse interfaces. Critical line-of-business apps also can benefit from an immersive full screen, allowing people to easily interact with the app.
• Tablets without compromise. Windows 8-based business tablets are built for touch and are deeply personalized. Powerful, connected Metro style applications are the focal point to create an immersive experience that helps eliminate distractions while having the productivity benefits of a PC. In addition, it works well with a mouse and keyboard. It also enables organizations to use Windows 7 productivity and line-of-business applications, and IT departments can leverage their existing infrastructure to help manage, secure and support it.
• New possibilities for mobile productivity. For people who are increasingly mobile, Windows 8 helps them stay connected and productive in a more secure way. Windows 8 includes Windows To Go — the ability to provide users with a full corporate copy of Windows 8 (along with users' business apps, data and settings) on a USB storage device. Windows 8 also includes improvements to DirectAccess and built-in mobile broadband features that natively support 3G and 4G telecommunication. And Windows 8 can stay always connected with Metro style apps.
• End-to-end security. Features such as Trusted Boot and improved BitLocker drive encryption, AppLocker and claim-based access control help protect corporate data across the client device, the network and back-end infrastructure.
• Advancements in virtualization. With Windows 8, users can get a virtualized experience with high-definition graphics, support for touch and support for USB devices on a local PC. It will be easier for IT departments to implement virtual desktop infrastructures in a more cost-effective way. In addition, Windows 8 includes Microsoft Hyper-V, a high-performing client virtualization technology that enables enterprise developers to develop, debug and test multiple configurations of apps and operating systems on a single PC instead of each configuration requiring its own PC.
• Improved management. Windows 8 easily integrates into most existing client management infrastructures, and management tasks are easier with Windows PowerShell automation.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview will be available worldwide for download to users running Windows 7-based PCs in English, French, German, Japanese and simplified Chinese.

As Tami Reller, chief financial officer and chief marketing officer, Windows and Windows Live Division, shares in this video at http://win8.ms/lfolnd, Windows 8 will give businesses a personalized experience that is both convenient and productive to fit well with today's changing work styles.

 The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available for download and evaluation at http://preview.windows.com. Additional resources and information are available at http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/business or http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/windows.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Some information relates to a prerelease product, which may be substantially modified before it is commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.