Managed Services, Backup And Recovery, And Networking News From May 2014
Each month, Business Solutions reports news on business in the channel. This month in Managed Services, Backup and Recovery, and Networking news, SYNNEX offers hosted unified communications, GFI Software announces the latest version of its network vulnerability scanning and patch management solution, and Ingram Micro announces its selection as an IBM Global Training Partner. Parascript releases a study on “dark data” and F-Secure releases the results of its mobile threat report. Panasonic debuts SIP phones, Unitrends offers a bundled data protection package, and CompTIA updates its Security+ Exam and announces its acquisition of TechAmerica.
SYNNEX’ CLOUDSolv Provides Hosted Communications Option
SYNNEX Corporation now offers hosted unified communications based on the Avaya IP Office Platform available through the SYNNEX CLOUDSolv marketplace. SYNNEX’ offer of hosted IP Office gives resellers the option to move from a referral agent model to a recurring monthly service model that provides the opportunity for long-term, recurring revenue streams to the reseller. This model maintains the relationship between end customers and solutions providers. Resellers can also opt to participate as referral agents in this program. This hosted solution supports customers with 25 to 2,000 users and is available in two versions: Business Communications, including voice mail, and Full Unified Communications, including mobility and desktop integration. Both versions provide channel partners with tools that enable reseller-branded, cloud-based service delivery of Avaya’s IP Office solution, customer usage tracking, and monthly voice services billing.
GFI Software Enhances Vulnerability Assessment, Patch Management Solution
GFI Software has announced GFI LanGuard 2014 R2, the latest version of the company’s network vulnerability scanning and patch management solution. This version extends mobile-device auditing to support cloud-based services — including Office 365, Google Apps, and Apple Profiles Manager. It provides vulnerability assessment and patch management for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, as well as for mobile devices. Vulnerability assessment for network devices has been expanded beyond just Cisco and HP to include Linksys, Juniper, Dell, SonicWALL, 3Com, Nortel, IBM, Alcatel, and NETGEAR hardware.
Ingram Micro Selected As IBM Global Training Provider
Ingram Micro announced it has been selected as an authorized IBM Global Training Provider. Ingram Micro becomes one of five companies authorized to provide the complete portfolio of software and systems courses from IBM Training. Ingram Micro launched the training in the second quarter and plans to expand the services worldwide.
Parascript Sheds Light On “Dark Data”
Document capture company Parascript and the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) announced a study in the area of “dark data,” which includes signatures and other handwritten data. According to the study, “Shed the Light on Dark Data,” 40 percent of businesses surveyed say half or more of their inbound forms have handwritten data fields, and 55 percent say signatures are on half or more of these documents. Only 6 percent of companies surveyed, however, currently use ICR (intelligent character recognition) or unconstrained handwriting applications that allow handwriting to be recognized.
F-Secure Mobile Threat Report Serves As Warning To Android Users
F-Secure released a study devoted solely to the vulnerability of mobile apps. The study centers on information from Q1 2014, sampling hundreds of thousands of mobile apps.
Threats were identified by analyzing each app for malicious code. Key findings include:
- Android systems are by far under the greatest threat.
- Great Britain showed more malware activity than any other country. (Other countries facing notable threats include the U.S., India, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the Netherlands.)
- The most common type of trojan performed surreptitious SMS-sending (83 percent of trojans fell into this category).
- The second most common type is trojans involved in silent downloads, data theft, and banking fraud.
- The second most common type of malware was backdoors, at 5 percent.
In comparison to PC threats, mobile threats are still miniscule; however, F-secure found that its Mobile Security (for Android) solution was sending a steady stream of malware reports to its cloud-based telemetry systems.
Panasonic Debuts SIP Phones For Hosted And Open-Source Systems
Panasonic has introduced the KX-UTG200B and KX-UTG300B SIP (session initiated protocol) phones. The phones are fully interoperable with leading hosted and open-source based IP PBX (private branch exchange) platforms. They provide a range of enterprise-class functionality to business customers including call forwarding, intercom, voice mail to email, fax to email, dial by name directory, multiple extensions, one-touch conferencing, and other unified communications tools. The phones feature certification on BroadSoft Metaswitch and Digium Unified Communications platforms, color LCD, dual Gigabit network ports with PoE (Power over Ethernet), and integrated Bluetooth. As a stand-alone phone, each model allows up to 24 extensions to be monitored. By adding a KX-UTA336 expansion module to the KX-UTG300B, an additional 36 extensions can be monitored with a status update (limit two expansion modules per phone) allowing a user to see a possible total of 96 extensions per phone.
Unitrends Offers Bundled Data Protection Software Package
Unitrends recently unveiled the Unitrends Certified Recovery Suite (UCRS), a bundled software package available through partner sales channels. UCRS provides options for solutions tailored to specific physical and virtual backup, archiving, and disaster recovery needs. UCRS includes:
- Unitrends Enterprise Backup (UEB) for physical, virtual, and cloud data protection
- Unitrends Virtual Backup (formerly PHD Virtual Backup) for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Citrix XenServer protection
- ReliableDR for hypervisor-, array-, and backup-level VMware vSphere replication automation, orchestration, continuous testing, and disaster recovery.
CompTIA Updates Security+ Exam
CompTIA recently introduced a new version of its Security+ exam. Updates in the exam include:
- Expansion of common protocols and services
- More content devoted to risk, including risk due to systems integration with third parties and how to plan for it
- New emphasis on mobile security and BYOD (bring your own device)
- Risk mitigation in static environments including SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) and Android/iOS
- Expanded and elevated (scenario-based) authentication, authorization, and access control, including federation
Certification candidates currently preparing for the prior version of the CompTIA Security+ exam (SY0-301) are encouraged to continue with their preparation and to take that exam. It will be available in its English language version through Dec. 31, 2014. Exams in other languages will retire April 30, 2015.
TechAmerica Brings Public Sector Expertise In ICT To CompTIA
CompTIA has acquired TechAmerica, complementing its education, certification, advocacy, and philanthropy with TechAmerica’s public sector expertise and member base of large technology companies. The acquisition unites complementary segments of information and communications technology (ICT) under one umbrella. The combined organization now represents and supports member companies along a growing and diverse ICT spectrum, driving innovation, connectivity, jobs, and efficiency in business, government, and consumer sectors around the world. The combined entity retains the CompTIA name, brand, leadership and board of directors, with a member from TechAmerica’s board joining the CompTIA board. The new tagline, “The ICT Industry Trade Association,” will be added to CompTIA’s name to reflect this broader, industrywide focus.