2010-06-27

101006_african_women.pdf

Check out this website I found at wunrn.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

Energy [R]evolution 2010 | Greenpeace USA

Washington, D.C., United States — As oil continues gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, it could not be more clear that we need to stop investing in a broken energy economy and kickstart a clean energy revolution. The new report prepared by Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council, Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable USA Energy Outlook, is a comprehensive blueprint for building the clean energy economy of the future while leaving behind the dirty energy sources of the past.

The report provides a detailed, practical blueprint for cutting carbon emissions while achieving economic growth by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. This phase-out of fossil fuels offers substantial benefits such as energy security, independence from world market fuel prices, and reduction in pollution-related illnesses.

The USA clean enery scenario


The Energy [R]evolution shows how by 2050 renewable energy sources could provide around 96 percent of electricity produced in the USA and 98 percent of our total heating demand, accounting for around 88 percent of our overall primary energy demand.

Download the report (PDF)
The blueprint would create about 1.1 million jobs in the renewables sector alone, by 2030. The total fuel cost savings in the scenario described could reach a total of $7.4 trillion, or $173 billion per year.

We can begin making the Energy [R]evolution a reality by supporting policies that promote energy efficiency in building design and transportation, and that begin the process of transitioning to the use of renewable energy resources and away from reliance on coal, nuclear, and oil. The sustainable future of the planet is rooted in the investment in people and local communities who can install and maintain renewable energy sources, rather than further subsidizing dirty and finite fossil fuels.

Sen. Murkowski's "Dirty Air Act" would prolong our reliance on dirty fossil fuels


Despite the costs of the US reliance on fossil fuels, the US Senate is scheduled to consider a proposal tomorrow from Senator Lisa Murkowski that would protect oil companies and other big polluters from regulation under the Clean Air Act.

Your Senators can help jumpstart the energy revolution by defeating Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski's Dirty Air Act and having the courage to end our dependence on coal and oil.

Download the Energy [R]evolution iPhone app!


Greenpeace's global Energy [R]evolution scenario provides a practical blueprint for the world’s renewable energy future. Through the Energy [R]evolution iPhone app you can find out how the world can get from where we are today to where we need to be in the future in terms of phasing out fossil fuels, cutting CO2 emissions while ensuring energy security, bringing energy to an extra 2 billion people who currently have no access to electricity, and creating millions of green collar jobs. This is the future as it could and should be!

Download the app now!

Read more about the app

Greenpeace Energy [R]evolution iPhone app

            Share

via greenpeace.org

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

The Pursuit of Autonomy

At least since 1845, when Henry David Thoreau took off for Walden Pond to find out, before he died, whether he had ever lived, Americans have admired the individualist willing to leave society behind to discover his true self. But they have also admired him from a distance. For every lonesome cowboy, for every adventurer willing to fly solo across the Atlantic, for every monkish worshiper of solitude, most Americans, until well past the middle of the 20th century, were only too happy to find in faith, family or subdivision the security they needed to get through the insecurities of life.

America may once have been the land of the free and the home of the brave, but to the social critics of the 1950's it was a community of conformists. Americans lived in lonely crowds. The organization men wore gray flannel suits. The women were stunted by the feminine mystique. The children, rebels without a cause, grew up absurd and emerged uncommitted. Ruled by a power elite, the affluent society was shaped by hidden persuaders. Americans would have been better off if they had been able to come of age in Samoa.

None of this is true anymore. The institutions that once provided the security Americans craved have been transformed before their eyes. Corporations that used to offer lifetime employment now compete to lay off workers, unprotected by weakened unions. Government, once controlled by the sturdy WASP establishment, is increasingly led by conservatives, who detest government. Suburbs have merged with the cities from which they offered the promise of escape. And the family is no longer a haven; all too often a center of dysfunction, it has become one with the heartless world that surrounds it.

As the opportunities to discover isolated places like Walden Pond disappear, more Americans are following Thoreau's path, looking inside themselves for the certainties their institutions no longer seem to offer. They do not need to escape from society, because society has escaped from them. America, no longer a nation of sheep, has entered the age of autonomy. People may not have a clue about how to survive on the prairie in front of an open campfire, but they are pretty much on their own when it comes to finding a mate, rearing children, choosing a career or planning retirement.

On the surface, America seems as conformist as ever, its malls indistinguishable from one another, its entertainment strikingly homogenous and its coffee, though much improved, still remarkably uniform. But deep inside, Americans are exploring a new frontier. Though they still believe in God, uphold the family and love their country, they increasingly decide which God best suits their temperament; which family structure works for them; and whether their country's government is worthy of their trust.

In March, The New York Times Magazine conducted a poll that asked Americans not about their party affiliations but about their beliefs, fears, anxieties, fantasies and opinions. The results of the poll demonstrate the degree to which Americans find themselves falling back on their own resources when it comes to thinking about the conditions for a good and meaningful life.

The Inner God

No one should ever underestimate Americans' faith in faith. Despite a widely perceived trend toward secularization, 49 percent of the respondents to the Times survey said they were about as religious as their parents; 21 percent said they were more religious. That said, Americans are not theological. Doctrinal disputes leave most people cold. Americans want a capacious God who smiles on everyone, not a jealous God protective of one particular version of his teachings.

Paradoxically, Americans have a specific distaste for the theological doctrine that has informed our national morality from the beginning: Puritanism. The Puritans believed in an inherent human depravity that could be countered only by God's willingness to extend, even arbitrarily, his grace. Such Calvinistic teachings have no place in the American mind today. Americans are inveterate optimists; 75 percent believe in the intrinsic goodness of people, which suggests, whether they fully realize it or not, that they no longer subscribe to the Judeo-Christian notion of original sin. Americans are simply too nice to see Satan everywhere around them.

via nytimes.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

This battle could be an online Vietnam for America - Herald Scotland | Comment | Guest Commentary

WHO says the internet is boring?

While the nerdier side of this nerdy world was busy lionising the dubious charms of the new iPhone last week, one group of cyber-activists were involved in a life or death struggle against the American government. In a story out of a le Carré novel, the founder of a website called Wikileaks emerged from hiding on Friday amid claims he was the subject of a US manhunt.

His site is famous as a kind of online clearing house that publishes classified information. It has posted BNP membership lists, operating procedures for Guantanamo Bay and Sarah Palin’s private emails, which they justified by claiming she used her account to get around public records laws.

Julian Assange, a 39-year-old Australian computer hacker and journalist with the bottle-blonde, slightly dazed look of Andy Warhol, disappeared for a month, only to emerge last Friday at a conference in Brussels. He had gone to ground after a Wikileaks source, a young intelligence officer called Bradley Manning, was imprisoned incommunicado in Kuwait. Manning is said to have leaked 260,000 sensitive ­diplomatic cables and two videos, which he claimed are military footage of collateral damage incidents in which civilians were killed. The mass of documents expose “almost criminal political back dealings”, Manning has claimed, as well as illustrating “how the first world exploits the third”.

Manning is now locked up away from the eyes of the world and although Assange has hired three top lawyers to represent him, he says they have not yet been able to meet him. Wikileaks is expected to start releasing some of the videos and information it has on Monday, which will compound the case against Branning, who leaked it after becoming concerned about his country’s conduct. Assange has been advised to avoid travelling in America, with some reports suggesting the US has sent agents to try and find him.

The case depicts the opening skirmishes in a battle that is only just beginning. On one side, net warriors who believe in the free flow of information are set on releasing anything they can get. They are free of journalistic ethics and unwilling to bow to any call to withhold information, even if it compromises troops’ lives.

Weighing up against these online anarchists are governments like the US and China who have an interest in keeping certain information secret. Don’t forget, the penalties for crossing Washington can be harsh: ask Scottish hacker Gary McKinnon, the autistic man facing a life sentence in an American prison. America has taken steps to try and discredit Wikileaks, according to documents released by the site. But this incident will only draw attention to the site, which will prompt people with more sensitive information to come forward. This online Vietnam is just starting and there is no telling how long it could go on.

twitter.com/jasperhamill

via heraldscotland.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

Welcome to the National Security Agency - NSA/CSS

RSS Feed for NSA News Stories

Latest NSA News

Latest NSA News

Declassified UKUSA Signals Intelligence Agreement Documents Available

-->

Today, the United Kingdom's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) are making publicly available declassified intelligence documents relating to the UKUSA (pronounced "Eu-Koo-SA") Agreement made between Great Britain and the United States. These declassified documents cover the period 1940�1956 and are available on the NSA website and the UK National Archives website.

Read Full Story

Read Full Story-->

via nsa.gov

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

Newly released GCHQ files: UKUSA Agreement

Newly released GCHQ
files: UKUSA Agreement

Files released in June 2010

The files contain details of the recently avowed UKUSA Agreement - the top secret, post-war arrangement for sharing intelligence between the United States and the UK. Signed by representatives of the London Signals Intelligence Board and its American counterpart in March 1946, the UKUSA Agreement is without parallel in the Western intelligence world and formed the basis for co-operation between the two countries throughout the Cold War.

Start by reading our highlights guide (PDF, 165kb) to help you navigate your way through the files.

Due to the large size of some of these files, we recommend you save them to your computer before opening them. Please right click on the links and select the ‘save’ option.


The fruits of the agreement are illustrated by end-product reports below from the early years of the Cold War. They show the type of material which was shared by the signatories to the agreement and include military intelligence as well as fascinating details of daily life inside the Soviet Union.


 

Related items

View National Security Agency (NSA) - the US intelligence agency - files covering the agreement: www.nsa.gov (files will be released 14.00 hrs Friday 25 June GMT)

Some of those involved

Harry Hinsley, Sir Edward Travis and Brig Tiltman in Washington, November 1945

“I am afraid of leaving the kids here. What about a war, all of a sudden?”

Evidence of the state of mind of a private citizen in USSR - HW75/192

via nationalarchives.gov.uk

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

Shashi Tharoor

Fibre boat, the solace at the crossing

June 21, 2010

Amboori: The solace at the crossing is the fibre boat. The fibre boat is a great blessing for about 200 families and adivasis of the Parathi area which became an island when the Neyyar dam was constructed. Ropes are attached on both sides of the fibre boat. By pulling the rope
Read more

via tharoor.in

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

Bill Nighy interviews the G8 Big Heads

via youtube.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

OKANA LAUNCH INDUSTRY-LEADING OUTSOURCED OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND CLOUD-BASED MANAGED SERVICES FOR IDOL

OKANA LAUNCH INDUSTRY-LEADING OUTSOURCED OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND CLOUD-BASED MANAGED SERVICES FOR IDOL

Reduce Internal Costs by Outsourcing Internal IDOL Operational Support to Okana, from Basic Second Line to Fully Managed Autonomy IDOL Solutions in the Cloud

London, March 4th 2010 - Okana Systems Limited,  a leading Meaning Based Computing solutions company, today announced extended availability of their IDOL Operational Support to all Autonomy IDOL customers, including the provision of fully managed Cloud-based IDOL services and solutions.

Okana has provided Operational Support services to existing customers for a number of years, a service which complements Support & Maintenance for licensed Autonomy products. With the trend for outsourcing IT operations ever present, Okana has now responded to increased demand for Operational Support services by making this fully available to all, not just those who have already benefitted from an Okana Implementation.

“One of Okana’s founding objectives was to help customers derive maximum value from their investment in Autonomy Technology. Providing operational support cover to our direct customers for production solutions we have delivered has been a critical part of our service for some time. Extending this offering to all Autonomy IDOL customers was a natural next step.” said Karl Hampson, Okana’s Co-Founder and Managing Director. ”The addition of Cloud-based  Managed Services for IDOL customers who literally just want their solution delivered straight to the browser is particularly interesting as a rapid, flexible and cost-effective way of deploying and managing both Online and Enterprise Autonomy solutions.”

Okana‘s Operational Support and Managed Services packages are already in use by a growing number of major Okana and Autonomy customers across a broad range of IDOL Meaning Based Applications, industries and geographies. 

For More Information on Okana Operational Support and Managed Services please click here.


About Okana

Okana is a leading UK-based Meaning Based Computing (MBC) solutions company specializing in Autonomy-powered applications, professional services and support. Founded in 1999, Okana has delivered some of the world's largest and most complex Autonomy-powered MBC systems to platinum customers in both the UK and US. Okana's ability to execute, award-winning innovation and close working relationship with Autonomy help Okana to set the standard for Autonomy Meaning Based Computing solutions.


Okana Contact

Okana Systems Limited
+44 (0) 207-397-8588
ukenquiries@okana.com

via okana.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

AUTONOMY CORPORATION PLC ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2010

News

RESULTS DATE CHANGE | AUTONOMY CORPORATION...

AUTONOMY CORPORATION PLC ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2010

Record Q1 results with strong EPS growth in line with analysts' consensus estimates; EPS (adj.) up 44%; Revenues up 50%; Profit from operations (adj.) up 48%

Cambridge, England - April 21, 2010 - Autonomy Corporation plc (LSE: AU. or AU.L), a global leader in infrastructure software, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

Financial Highlights

Record first quarter revenues of $194.2 million (versus analysts' consensus of $193 million), up 50% from Q1 2009 including strong organic growth of 17%1
Gross profits (adj.) at $172.6 million, up 48% from Q1 2009; gross margins (adj.) at 89%
Q1 operating margins (adj.) at 44%
Record Q1 profit before tax (adj.) at $85.3 million, up 47% from Q1 2009
Record Q1 fully diluted EPS (adj.) of $0.25 (versus analysts' consensus of $0.25), up 44% from Q1 2009. Fully diluted EPS (IFRS) of $0.21 compared to $0.15 in Q1 2009

1 See supplemental metrics on page 3.

Commenting on the results, Dr Mike Lynch, Group CEO of Autonomy said today: "We entered 2010 with strong momentum after significant market share gains in 2009, aided by strong product positioning and increased marketing expenditure at a time when other companies were scaling back. This strength is now reinforced with discretionary spend being made available as companies look to invest for growth. Whilst Q1'10 reflected the expected seasonality as one of our traditionally weaker quarters, the stronger pipeline and improved closure rates mean that we are growing more confident about a possible recovery. Customers have resumed planning for larger projects, the main effects of which we expect to see in the second half."

Dr Lynch continued: "Also during the quarter, Chairman Robert Webb QC fulfilled his commitment to appoint two new non-executive directors to Autonomy's Board. We are privileged to be joined by Jonathan Bloomer and Dr Frank Kelly, each of whom brings a wealth of experience."

Dr Lynch concluded: "Understanding of the applicability of IDOL SPE continues to increase and interest in this nascent market together with new product launches in the meaning based marketing and protect areas strengthen our overall offering. We continue to make our technology available across a host of platforms from OEM and software license to appliance and cloud. These are likely to be strong growth drivers in 2010 and underpin our positive outlook, but we also remain mindful of the fragility of the global macro-economic environment. We have been able to raise sufficient capital at an attractive rate to facilitate the next phase of our strategy and so look forward to the rest of the year."

First quarter 2010 Highlights

Blue chip first quarter wins include: AT&T, Genentech, Lloyds Bank, American Automobile Association, Carnival Cruises, Citi, Kraft, O2, Samsung, Tesco, Visa, Bank of America and Bayer, as well as new and repeat licenses with multiple government, defence and intelligence agencies around the globe, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Commission, Canada, Spain and Abu Dhabi
11 OEM deals signed including new deals and extensions with Adobe, McAfee and Siemens
Repeat business accounted for 51% of revenue in Q1
Strong organic growth of 17% from Q1 2009
Record Q1 revenue of $194.2 million, up 50% from Q1 2009
Gross margins (adj.) in targeted range at 89%
Record Q1 profit before tax (adj.) of $85.3 million, up 47% from Q1 2009 (IFRS: $68.8 million, up 38%)
Operating margins (adj.) stable at 44% (Q1 2009: 45%)
Fully diluted EPS (adj.) of $0.25, up 44% from Q1 2009 (IFRS: $0.21, up 41%)
Positive cash flow generated by operations of $85.5 million (Q1 2009: $51.1 million), up 67%
Average selling price for meaning-based technologies continues to increase.
Deferred revenue increased to $172.2 million (Q1 2009: $163.7 million)
DSOs increased slightly to 93 days (Q1 and Q4 2009: 88 days) due to an outstanding government related debtor and the timing of significant commercial customer payments received just after quarter end. This is expected to return to the normal range of 85-90 days during Q2 2010.

Revenues

Revenues for the first quarter of 2010 totalled $194.2 million, up 50% from $129.8 million for the first quarter of 2009 due to strong organic growth and full quarter Interwoven contribution. During the first quarter of 2010 there were 19 deals over $1.0 million. In the first quarter of 2010, Americas revenues of $135.6 million represented 70% of total revenues, and Rest of World revenues of $58.6 million represented 30% of total revenues.

Gross Profits and Gross Margins

Gross profits (adj.) for the first quarter of 2010 were $172.6 million, up 48% from $117.0 million for the first quarter of 2009. Gross margins (adj.) for the first quarter of 2010 were 89%, compared to 90% for the first quarter of 2009. Gross profits (IFRS) for the first quarter of 2010 were $158.1 million, up 42% from $111.6 million for the first quarter of 2009. Gross margins (IFRS) for the first quarter of 2010 were 81%, compared to 86% for the first quarter of 2009.

Profit from Operations and Operating Margins

Profit from operations (adj.) for the first quarter of 2010 was $86.2 million, up 48% from $58.1 million for the first quarter of 2009. Operating margins (adj.) were 44% in the first quarter of 2010, consistent with 45% in the first quarter of 2009. Profit from operations (IFRS) for the first quarter of 2010 was $73.1 million, up 45% from $50.3 million for the first quarter of 2009. Operating margins (IFRS) were 38% in the first quarter of 2010 compared to 39% in the first quarter of 2009.

Taxation

The effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2010 was 28%, in line with the forecast 2010 full year effective tax rate (2009: 28%) and down from 31% in the first quarter of 2009. Pending the completion of a s382 tax study, which considers the potential availability of further US tax losses, the full year tax rate may decrease from the current forecast level of 28% should further acquired losses become available.

Foreign Exchange Impact

The effect on revenue in the first quarter of 2010 of movements in foreign exchange rates was a decrease of approximately $0.9 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. In the first quarter of 2010 the U.S. Dollar strengthened slightly versus Sterling to an average of $1.56 versus $1.63 in the fourth quarter of 2009 (Q1 2009: $1.44).

Net Profits

Net profit (adj.) for the first quarter of 2010 was $61.7 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, compared to net profit (adj.) of $40.2 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2009. Net profit (IFRS) for the first quarter of 2010 was $49.7 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, compared to net profit (IFRS) of $34.5 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2009.

IAS 38 Charges and Capitalization

Under IAS 38 the company is required to capitalize certain aspects of its research and development activities. R&D capitalization in the first quarter of 2010 was $6.6 million (Q1 2009: $3.3 million; Q4 2009: $5.6 million), reflecting a full quarter of Interwoven contribution. Q1 2010 R&D capitalization is offset by amortization charges of $3.5 million (Q1 2009: $1.8 million; Q4 2009: $3.2 million) arising from historical R&D capitalization. The capitalization and offsetting charges resulted in a net credit (before tax) in the quarter of $3.1 million (Q1 2009: $1.5 million; Q4 2009: $2.4 million), and a net margin impact of 1.6% (Q1 2009: 1.2%; Q4 2009: 1.1%).

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

Cash balances were $910.9 million at March 31, 2010, an increase of $668.1 million from $242.8 million at December 31, 2009. Movements in cash flow during the first quarter of 2010 of note included:

Repayment of the Interwoven credit facility of $54 million;
Acquisition of MicroLink LLC;
Net proceeds of Autonomy's convertible bond offering; and
Purchasing of inventory of $10 million for Q2 2010 sales, most of which have now completed.

Adjusting for purchase of inventory and monies received immediately after quarter end, primarily from government debtors, cash conversion was over 100%. Trade receivables at March 31, 2010, were $211.4 million, compared to $230.2 million at December 31, 2009. Accounts receivable days sales outstanding were 93 days at March 31, 2010, compared to 88 days at March 31, 2009 and at December 31, 2009. Deferred revenues were $172.2 million at March 31, 2010, compared with $173.5 million at December 31, 2009 showing normal seasonality. Despite the difficult economic climate, bad debt write off in the quarter was less than 1% of revenues.

Accrued income at March 31, 2010 was not material, at under 5% of revenues.

Supplemental Metrics

Autonomy is supplying supplemental metrics to assist in the understanding and analysis of Autonomy's business.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2010
Organic Growth* 17%1
Cash conversion (LTM CFFO/LTM adj EBITDA**) 81%
Cash conversion (lagged to account for growth and seasonality of the business) 89%
Cash conversion as a percentage of the theoretical maximum (87%) 93%
Product including hosted and OEM* $121m
IDOL Product $47m
IDOL Cloud $45m
Service revenues* $11m
Deferred revenue release (primarily maintenance)* $62m
OEM derived revenues* $29m
OEM Dev $3m
OEM Ongoing $26m
Deals over $1 million 19
Tax rate 28%
Available tax losses* $187m
LTM revenue with terms >365 days in normal range (  
Accrued income in normal range (  

* The above items are provided for background information and may include qualitative estimates.

** Adj. EBITDA is defined as operating cash flow before movements in working capital.

1 The company integrates acquired businesses immediately upon acquisition such that it is not possible to identify results from acquired businesses separately from the results of the group. In order to estimate organic growth the company has combined the reported results for Autonomy and Interwoven for Q1 2009 leading to a pro forma adjustment of $36 million from Interwoven revenues from January 1, 2009 up to March 17, 2009.

Q1 2010 Product Sales

During the first quarter of 2010, major customer wins included: AT&T, Genentech, Lloyds Bank, American Automobile Association, Carnival Cruises, Citi, Kraft, O2, Samsung, Tesco, Visa, Bank of America and Bayer. Repeat business from existing customers accounted for approximately 51% of revenue for the quarter. Q1 2010 business also included new and repeat licenses with multiple government, defence and intelligence agencies around the globe, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Commission, Canada, Spain and Abu Dhabi.

Strategic Partnerships and OEMs

Autonomy's OEM Program continued to grow strongly during Q1 2010. Agreements were signed with 11 customers during the quarter, including new and extended agreements with Adobe, McAfee and Siemens.

Q1 2010 Corporate Developments

During the first quarter of 2010 Autonomy continued to extend its market leadership with the introduction of key new and upgraded IDOL technologies, including the launches of:

World's first Meaning Based multichannel customer interaction analytics application;
New innovations across Autonomy's Meaning Based Marketing (MBM) platform;
Unique integrated web content management, search, optimization and rich media on a single platform;
DSMail self-service archiving solution for email management, governance and eDiscovery; and
Industry-leading eDiscovery technology now available on an easy to use appliance.

During the first quarter Autonomy was recognised in multiple ways for its market leadership and unmatched technology, including being:

Rated "Strong Positive" in Gartner's eDiscovery market report; and
Receiving top honours at the sixth annual law technology news awards for Autonomy's end-to-end eDiscovery platform.

Scheduling of Conference Call and Further Information

Autonomy's results conference call will be available live at www.autonomy.com on April 21, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. BST/4:30 a.m. EST/1:30 a.m. PST.

From time to time the company answers investors' questions on its website which may include information supplemental to that set forth above. Questions and answers can be found at: www.autonomy.com/investors/questions.

About Autonomy Corporation plc

Autonomy Corporation plc (LSE: AU. or AU.L), a global leader in infrastructure software for the enterprise, spearheads the Meaning Based Computing movement. IDC recently recognized Autonomy as having the largest market share and fastest growth in the worldwide search and discovery market. Autonomy's technology allows computers to harness the full richness of human information, forming a conceptual and contextual understanding of any piece of electronic data, including unstructured information, such as text, email, web pages, voice, or video. Autonomy's software powers the full spectrum of mission-critical enterprise applications including pan-enterprise search, customer interaction solutions, information governance, end-to-end eDiscovery, records management, archiving, business process management, web content management, web optimization, rich media management and video and audio analysis.

Autonomy's customer base is comprised of more than 20,000 global companies, law firms and federal agencies including: AOL, BAE Systems, BBC, Bloomberg, Boeing, Citigroup, Coca Cola, Daimler AG, Deutsche Bank, DLA Piper, Ericsson, FedEx, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, Lloyds Bank, NASA, Nestlé, the New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Shell, Tesco, T-Mobile, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. More than 400 companies OEM Autonomy technology, including Symantec, Citrix, HP, Novell, Oracle, Sybase and TIBCO. The company has offices worldwide. Please visit www.autonomy.com to find out more.

Autonomy and the Autonomy logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autonomy Corporation plc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Financial Media Contacts: Analyst and Investor Contacts:
Edward Bridges / Haya Herbert-Burns
Financial Dynamics
+44 (0)20 7831 3113 		Marc Geall, Head of IR and Corporate Strategy
Autonomy Corporation plc
+44 (0)1223 448 000

Download the full PDF version of the Q1 2010 Report (PDF)

Download the Presentation Slides (PDF)

via autonomy.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

OVER 250 AUTONOMY PARTNERS RALLY BEHIND MEANING-BASED COMPUTING

OVER 250 AUTONOMY PARTNERS RALLY BEHIND MEANING-BASED COMPUTING

Momentum Builds in Wake of Autonomy European Partner Summit

Cambridge, UK - May 30, 2007 - Autonomy Corporation plc (LSE: AU. or AU.L), a global leader in infrastructure software for the enterprise and proponent of Meaning-Based Computing, today announced continued momentum behind Meaning-Based Computing as more than 250 of its European resellers and Systems Integrators gathered in London last week as part of Autonomy's European Partner Summit. Keynoting the event, Autonomy's founder and chief executive officer, Dr. Mike Lynch O.B.E., outlined his vision for Meaning-Based Computing as the foundation for comprehensive information access and understanding within the enterprise.

"Going far beyond basic keyword search, Meaning-Based Computing will fundamentally change how organizations and individuals interact with computers and information by delivering true understanding of concepts in context," commented Dr. Lynch. "As unstructured information reaches primetime, now more than ever organizations need to understand all of the data they contain, no matter what the format, both for business insight and to mitigate risk. Autonomy and its partners are leading the charge in helping organizations extract meaning and value from their information."

In an informal poll of the 250 attendees, 52% identified Meaning-Based Computing as the technology that will have the greatest impact in the way that we interact with information and computers in the next ten years.

During the course of two days partners received a comprehensive overview of Autonomy's Meaning-Based technologies including the platform through which these technologies are delivered, the Intelligent Data Operating Layer (IDOL). Highly secure, fully scalable and language-independent, this infrastructure layer automatically analyses any piece of information from any repository in any format, including text, video, and voice. It performs over 500 functions on that data including advanced options such as hyperlinking, profiling, clustering, eduction and alerting, and can present the data to all of the business systems that need it, in the form they understand, whether it be business intelligence, human resources, finance, eDiscovery or security and surveillance amongst others.

"I was impressed with the sheer practicality of Autonomy's MBC technology. Its ability to derive meaning from any form of content in real-time makes it completely unique. Its architecture is especially suited for building an information platform delivering services to Portals and other Enterprise Applications, covering applications as varied as Content Management, Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Compliance," Suresh Satyamurthy, lead consultant, Consulting & Enterprise Solutions, Satyam Computer Services.

Autonomy also highlighted its strengths in eDiscovery - a fundamental requirement for enterprise search as organizations are faced with an increasing barrage of regulations around how they use, store and process information. Built on top of IDOL, the recently announced ECHO solution demonstrates the depth of innovation Autonomy delivers. ECHO allows global organizations to forensically account, track and trace the lifecycle of every single piece of data within an organization to help maintain information integrity and compliance.

Also showcased were Autonomy's unmatched strengths in advanced search for audio and video. Implemented across a range of industries including the highly demanding areas of intelligence and defence, these technologies have since been applied to address the complex area of video copyright infringement through the recently announced Automatic Copyright Infringement Detection (ACID) solution.

"As an existing Autonomy partner I knew that it had great technology, I just didn't realise how much, and to what valuable effect it was deployed until I attended the 2007 Partner Summit," Simon Forster, sales and marketing director, Morse.

"We are excited to bring the benefits of Meaning-Based Computing to our customers and are confident they will be excited by the potential it offers," commented Karl Hampson, director, Okana and winner of Autonomy's Innovative Partner of the Year Award.

About Autonomy

Autonomy Corporation plc (LSE: AU. or AU.L) is a global leader in infrastructure software for the enterprise and is spearheading the meaning-based computing movement. Autonomy's technology forms a conceptual and contextual understanding of any piece of electronic data including unstructured information, be it text, email, voice or video. Autonomy's software powers the full spectrum of mission-critical enterprise applications including information access technology, BI, CRM, KM, call center solutions, rich media management, compliance and litigation solutions and security applications, and is recognized by industry analysts as the clear leader in enterprise search.

Autonomy's customer base comprises more than 16,000 global companies and organizations including: 3, ABN AMRO, AOL, BAE Systems, BBC, Bloomberg, Boeing, Citigroup, Coca Cola, Daimler Chrysler, Deutsche Bank, Ericsson, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, Kraft Foods, Lloyd TSB, NASA, Nestle, the New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Shell, T-Mobile, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Autonomy also has over 300 OEM partners and more than 350 VARs and Integrators, numbering among them leading companies such as BEA, Business Objects, Citrix, EDS, IBM Global Services, Novell, Stellent, Sybase, Symantec, TIBCO and Vignette. The company has offices worldwide.

The Autonomy Group includes: Aungate, specialist in real-time enterprise governance; Virage, a visionary in rich media management and security and surveillance technology; etalk, award-winning provider of enterprise-class contact center products and Cardiff, a leader in content capture and business process management solutions.

Autonomy and the Autonomy logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autonomy Corporation plc. Kronos and Workforce Central are trademarks of Kronos Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For more information, please contact:
Winifred Shum
Autonomy (US)
+1 408 542 2363
wshum@autonomy.com 		Marijke Shugrue
Bite Communications (US)
+1 212 857 9376
marijke.shugrue@bitepr.com
Edward Bridges
Financial Dynamics (UK)
+44 207 831 3113
edward.bridges@fd.com 		Ali Merifield
Bite Communications (UK)
+44 (0)20 8834 3441
+44 (0)20 8741 1123
ali.merifield@bitepr.com
via autonomy.com

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver

Posted by at

Digital divide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Graph of internet users per 100 inhabitants between 1997 and 2007 by International Telecommunication Union

Mobile phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants growth in developed and developing world between 1997 and 2007

The digital divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.

The term is commensurate with the term knowledge divide, both reflecting the access of various social groupings to information and knowledge, typically gender, income, race, and by location.[1] The term global digital divide refers to differences in access between countries.

Contents

[edit] Origins of the term

Initially referring to the gap in ownership of computers between certain ethnic groups,[2][3] the term came into usage in the mid-1990s, appearing in several news articles and political speeches.[4] President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore both used the term in a 1996 speech in Knoxville, Tennessee.[5] Larry Irving, a former United States head of the National Telecommunications Infrastructure Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and technology adviser to the Clinton Administration, noted that a series of NTIA surveys[6][7][8][9] were "catalysts for the popularity, ubiquity, and redefinition" of the term, and he used the term in a series of later reports.[4] During the George W. Bush Administration, the NTIA reports[10][11] tended to focus less on the availability of the necessary hardware, more on Internet access, broadband in particular, and the disparity of access between the developed and developing worlds.

There is considerable accountable literature on the subject (info) that predates common usage of the term, thus it is more of a "new label" for what was already a distinct concept.

[edit] Current usage

There are several definitions of the Term. Bharat Mehra defines it simply as the troubling gap between those who use computers and the Internet and those who do not.[12].

More recently, some have used the term to refer to gaps in broadband network access.[3] The term can mean not only unequal access to computer hardware, but also inequalities between groups of people in the ability to use information technology fully.[13]

Given the range of criteria used to assess the various technological disparities between groups/nations, and lack of data on some aspects of usage, the exact nature of the digital divide is both contextual and debatable.

Lisa Servon argued in 2002 that the digital divide is a symptom of a larger and more complex problem -- that of persistent poverty and inequality.[14] Mehra (2004), identifies socioeconomic status, income, educational level, and race among other factors associated with technological attainment, or the potential of the Internet to improve everyday life for those on the margins of society and to achieve greater social equity and empowerment.[12]

[edit] Evolution

Typical measurements of inequality distribution used to describe the digital divide are the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient.[15] In the Lorenz curve, perfect equality of Internet usage across nations is represented by a 45-degree diagonal line, which has a Gini coefficient of zero. Perfect inequality gives a Gini coefficient of one. However, the question of whether or not the digital divide is growing or closing is difficult to answer.

The Canadian document Bridging the digital divide: An opportunity for growth for the 21st century includes examples of these measures.[15] Figures 2.4 and 2.5 in the document show a trend of growing equality from 1997 to 2005 with the Gini coefficient decreasing. However, these graphs do not show detailed analysis of specific income groups.[16] The progress represented is predominantly of the middle-income groups when compared to the highest income groups. The lowest income groups continue to decrease their level of equality in comparison to the high income groups. Therefore, there is still a long way to go before the digital divide will be eliminated.[16]

[edit] Divide and education

One area of significant focus was school computer access. In the 1990s, better resourced schools were much more likely to provide their students with regular computer access; and, at the end of the decade, these schools were much more likely to have internet access.[17]

In the context of schools which have consistently been involved in discussion of the divide, current formulations focus more on how (and whether) students use computers, rather than simply whether there are computers or Internet connections.[18] Public libraries[19] and afterschool programs[20] have also been shown to be important access and training locations for disadvantaged youth.

The E-Rate program in the United States (officially the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund), authorized in 1996 and implemented in 1997, directly addressed the technology gap between rich and poor schools by allocating money from telecom taxes to poor schools without technology resources. Though the program faced criticism and controversy in its methods of disbursement, E-Rate has been credited with increasing the overall number of public classrooms with Internet access from 14% in 1996 to 95% in 2005.[21] Recently, discussions of a digital divide in school access have broadened to include technology related skills and training in addition to basic access to computers and Internet access.[22]

Technology offers a unique opportunity to extend learning support beyond the classroom, a somewhat difficult attainment until recent years. The variety of functions that the Internet can serve for the individual user makes it "unprecedentedly malleable" to the user’s current needs and purposes.[23]

Access to technology is further divided within schools according to socio-economic status (SES). The upper SES maintains access to technology at home, whereas the lower SES children are limited to technology access only at school. With the non-equitable availability of technology outside of the classroom, there will continue to be a divide among student groups.

Providing schools with technology is not sufficient to close the digital divide. Teachers must receive the appropriate training in order to use technology effectively and to increase student learning.

Although education could be used as a tool to close the "digital gap", closing this gap will not completely close the achievement gap between students from lower and higher SES backgrounds.

[edit] Global digital divide

Global Digital Divide1.png

More broadly, the global digital divide describes the Infotech disparities between different regions of the world in relation to generalised rates of social and technological development, (right).

One school of thought holds that, as the internet becomes progressively more sophisticated, the digital divide is growing, that those to whom it is least available are being left behind. Countries with a wide availability of Internet access can advance the economics of that country on a local and global scale. In Western society commerce, and social interaction generally, is almost entirely Internet dependant to a lesser or greater extent. Andy Grove, the former Chair of Intel, said that [...]by the mid-2000s all companies will be Internet companies, or they won’t be companies at all.[24]

In countries where the Internet and other technologies are less/not accessible, uneducated people and societies that are not benefiting from the information age cannot be competitive in the global economy.[25]


Canada: According to an Autumn 2007 Canadian Internet Use Survey, 73% of Canadians aged 16 and older went online in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared to 68% in 2005. In small towns and rural areas, only 65% of residences accessed the Internet, compared to 76% in urban areas. The digital divide still exists between the rich and the poor; 91% of people making more than $91,000/year regularly used the Internet, compared to 47% of people making less than $24,000. This gap has lowered slightly since 2005.[26]
China: China is the largest developing country in the world and therefore saw their Internet population grow by 20% in 2006.[27] However, just over 19% of Chinese people have access to the Internet and the digital divide is growing due to factors such as insufficient infrastructure and high online charges,[28] (see Digital divide in China).
Europe: A European Union study from 2005 conducted in 14 European countries and focused on the issue of digital divide found that within the EU,[29] the digital divide is primarily a matter of age and education. Among the young or educated the proportion of computer or Internet users is much higher than with the older or uneducated. Digital divide is also higher in rural areas. The study found that the presence of children in a household increases the chance of having a computer and Internet access, and that small businesses are catching up with larger enterprises when it comes to Internet access. The study also notes that despite increasing levels of ICT usage in all sections of society, the divide is not being bridged.
United States: According to a July 2008 Pew Internet & American Life report, “55% of adult Americans have broadband Internet connections at home, up from 47% who had high-speed access at home last year at this time [2007]”. This increase of 8% compared to the previous year’s increase of 5% suggests that the digital divide is decreasing, though the findings also show that low-income Americans’ broadband connections decreased by 3%.[30]

[edit] e-democracy and governance

The theoretical concepts of e-democracy and e-governance are still in early development, but many scholars agree that blogs (web logs), wikis and mailing lists may have significant effects in broadening the way democracy operates.[31]

There is no consensus yet about the possible outcomes of this revolution;[31] It has so far shown promise in improving electoral administration and reducing fraud and disenfranchisement. Particularly positive has been the reception of e-government services related to online delivery of government services, with portals, (such as United States USA.gov, in English, GobiernoUSA.gov in Spanish), used as intermediaries between the government and the citizen, replacing the need for people to queue in traditional offices.[32]

One of the main problems associated with the digital divide as applied to a liberal democracy is the ability to participate in the new public space, cyberspace - as in the extreme case, exclusively computer-based democratic participation (deliberation forums, online voting, etc), could mean that no access meant no vote; there is a risk that some social groups — those without adequate access to or knowledge of IT — will be under-represented (or others over-represented) in the policy formation processes and this would be incompatible with the equality principles of democracy.[32]

Proponents of the open content, free software, and open access social movements believe that these movements help equalize access to digital tools and information.[33]

[edit] Overcoming the digital divide

Children encountering a One Laptop per Child computer

Projects like One Laptop per Child and 50x15 though postive steps in reducing the divide, tend to rely heavily upon open standards and free open source software. The OLPC XO-1 is an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world,[34] to provide them with access to knowledge. Programmer and free software advocate Richard Stallman has highlighted the importance of free software among groups concerned with the digital divide such as the World Summit on the Information Society.[35]

Organizations such as Geekcorps, EduVision[36] and Inveneo[37] also help to lessen the divide, often doing so through the use of education systems that draw on information technology. The technology they employ often includes low-cost laptops/subnotebooks, handhelds (eg Simputer, E-slate, ...), tablet PCs, Mini-ITX PCs[38] and low-cost WiFi-extending technology as cantennas and WokFis. Other information technology material usable in the classroom can also be made diy to lower expenses, including projectors.[39][40]

In Digital Nation, Anthony G. Wilhelm calls on politicians to develop a national ICT agenda.[13]

Mehra and others say researchers in the field should try to better understand the lifestyle of the minority or marginalized community,what is meaningful to them, and how they use (or do not use) different forms of the Internet for meeting their objectives,[41] further stating, there is a need for a re-examination of questions based on traditional ways of looking at people, their social dynamics, and their interactions with technology.[41]

Researchers, however,still tend to set a ‘method’ for studying the impact of Internet use. Assuming a golden rule for application that will function in all situations will not work.[42] One strategy is to transfer goal-setting, decision making, and choice-determining processes into the hands of the disadvantaged users in order that they ‘fit’ Internet into their daily lives in ways that they themselves consider to be meaningful.[43]

International cooperation between governments is increasing, aimed at reducing the divide, such as a recent agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Egyptian government. It's a sign of progress that such attempts at bridging the digital divide are seriously being made.[44]

Other participants in similar endeavors include the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development and the Digital Alliance Foundation.[45][46]

U.N. meeting on bridging the divide

The United Nations is aiming to raise awareness of the divide by way of the World Information Society Day which takes place yearly on May 17.[47] It also set up the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Task Force in November 2001.[48]

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the IMARA organization (from Swahili word for "power") sponsors a variety of outreach programs which bridge the divide. Its aim is to find and implement long-term, sustainable solutions which will increase the availability of educational technology and resources to domestic and international communities. These projects are run under the aegis of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and staffed by MIT volunteers who give training, installed and donated computer setups in greater Boston, Massachusetts, Kenya, Indian reservations the American Southwest such as the Navajo Nation, the Middle East, and Fiji Islands. The CommuniTech project strives to empower underserved communities through sustainable technology and education.[49][50]

Some cities in the world have started programs to bridge the divide for their residents, school children, students, parents and the elderly. One such program, founded in 1996, was sponsored by the city of Boston and called the Boston Digital Bridge Foundation.[51] It especially concentrates on school children and their parents, helping to make both equally and similarly knowledgeable about computers, using application programs, and navigating the Internet.

In the United States, minority ethnic groups have higher adoption rates for mobile communications devices than white Americans, to some degree leapfrogging over more expensive fixed-line Internet and PCs.[52]

[edit] Awards

Each year, Certiport (which focuses on teaching digital literacy) awards the Champions of Digital Literacy award to leaders, world wide, who have helped to close the digital divide in their native countries.[53]

[edit] Criticism

The existence of a digital divide is not universally recognized. Compaine (2001) argues it is a perceived gap. Technology gaps are relatively transient; hence the digital divide should soon disappear in any case. The knowledge of computers will become less important as they get smarter and easier to use. In the future people will not need high-tech skills to access the Internet and participate in e-commerce or e-democracy. Thus Compaine argues that a digital divide is not the issue to expend substantial amounts of funds or political capital.[3]

[edit] See also

Search Wikibooks

 Wikibooks has a book on the topic of
Search Wikibooks

 Wikibooks has a book on the topic of
Search Wikibooks

 Wikibooks has a book on the topic of


[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Rice, 2002, p.105-129
  2. ^ Robyn Bickner, Down By Law. Retrieved on 22 November 2007 Under heading Closing the Digital Divide
  3. ^ a b c Compaine, The Digital Divide, Preface, p. xi-xvi
  4. ^ a b Kate Williams, What is the digital divide?, working paper, University of Michigan, 2001
  5. ^ Eleventh Paragraph Remarks by President Clinton
  6. ^ (1995)
  7. ^ (1998)
  8. ^ (1999)
  9. ^ (2000)
  10. ^ (2002)
  11. ^ (2004)
  12. ^ a b Mehra et al., 2004, p.782
  13. ^ a b Anthony G. Wielm, Digital Nation: Towards an inclusive information society, MIT Press, 2004, ISBN 0262232383, p.133-134
  14. ^ Lisa Servon, 2002, p.2
  15. ^ a b (Bridging the digital divide)
  16. ^ a b (The Digital Divide in Canada)
  17. ^ ED.gov
  18. ^ Ed.gov
  19. ^ Gordon, A., Gordon, M. and Moore, E. (2003) The Gates legacy. Library Journal, 128:4, pp. 44-48.
  20. ^ Sullivan, J., Vander Leest, T., Gordon, A. Work and Play in the Information Age: Technology Usage in Boys & Girls Clubs. University of Washington: Seattle. 2009.
  21. ^ "New Report Shows How E‐Rate is Connecting Communities and Schools to 21st Century Academic and Employment Opportunities", National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training, Washington, DC, February 28, 2007.
  22. ^ DigitalDivide.net
  23. ^ Bargh & McKenna, 2001, p. 577
  24. ^ Flew, 2008, p.199
  25. ^ Burks, Michael R., "Economic Factors Involved with Universal Internet Access and People with Special Needs hi- A Working Paper", Internet Fiesta, March 1-2, 2001, Sofia, Bulgaria
  26. ^ Statcan.ca
  27. ^ The Growth of the Chinese Internet market
  28. ^ CIA.gov
  29. ^ EC.europa.eu
  30. ^ Horrigan, Home Broadband Adoption 2008 Report
  31. ^ a b See various papers collected in Peter M. Shane, Democracy Online: The Prospects for Political Renewal Through the Internet, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0415948657
  32. ^ a b Kieron O'Hara, David Stevens, Inequality.com, 2006, Oneworld, ISBN 1851684506, p.300-301
  33. ^ DigitalDivide.net
  34. ^ "Portables to power PC industry". BBC News. 2007-09-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7006316.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-01. 
  35. ^ Stallman, 2006 speech transcript
  36. ^ Eduvision as organization addressing digital divide
  37. ^ Inveneo as organization addressing digital divide
  38. ^ Geekcorps using Mini-ITX PCs
  39. ^ DIY lcd projector
  40. ^ DIY lcd and lightbulb projectors
  41. ^ a b Mehra et al., 2004, p.799
  42. ^ Mehra et al., 2004, p.797
  43. ^ Mehra et al., 2004, p.787
  44. ^ Mark Warschauer, "Reconceptualizing the Digital Divide"
  45. ^ Global Alliance for ICT and Development
  46. ^ Digital Alliance Foundation: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Education for All (EFA)
  47. ^ 17 May - World Information Society Day. From portal.unesco.org. Retrieved on 23 November 2007]
  48. ^ United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force - information. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  49. ^ Cf. Fizz and Mansur, MIT Tech Talk, June 4, 2008
  50. ^ IMARA Project at MIT.edu
  51. ^ Boston Digital Bridge Foundation
  52. ^ NPR.org
  53. ^ Champions of Digital Literacy Hall of Fame

[edit] References

Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)