P for power
IBM's latest multiprocessor server is "the biggest development in the Unix market since the operating system was created", claims Adalio Sanchez, general manager of IBM's pSeries server division. This ambitious boast is based on the eServer p5's ability to run up to 10 virtual servers or "micro-partitions" on a single processor, and it can hold between two and 16 processors. Sanchez says this allows the server to work at 80% capacity whereas traditional Unix servers often run at less than 40%. IBM is positioning the p5 as a way of consolidating servers, because it can run multiple instances of Linux, Unix and even the OS/400 iSeries operating system in one box. www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/pseries
Offshore boom
Three quarters of Europe's medium-sized and large businesses plan to outsource services to offshore companies before 2009, according to Forrester Research. A survey of 247 IT decision-makers shows that the number of companies planning to move more than 1,000 jobs offshore will double between 2005 and 2008. The main driver is a desire to cut costs, but there is concern that cultural issues and language barriers could inhibit uptake. Other concerns are political instability and trades union resistance. The survey also shows that 66% of the companies using offshore services use India as their main source. This seems to be changing, Forrester says: outsourcing to Estonia, Poland and North Africa is gaining ground. www.forrester.com
Council task
Cardiff, Carmarthenshire and Wrexham councils are banding together to create a disaster recovery centre. The facility will be used to ensure that records of council tax, benefits, social services, housing and email will be recoverable. The Intel-based hardware from Sun Microsystems will be housed in Cardiff County Council's secondary data centre, and the project is being co-managed by Sun Professional Services and Fujitsu Services. The three councils will connect to the centre through the Wales Lifelong Learning Network, which is broadband-based. The shared facility is due to go live in August. Other councils and organisations will be able to join the project later.
Aerial manoeuvres
Tritium is selling a low-cost Wi-Fi enhancer to extend the range of wireless networks. The Flatenna is a silver parabolic reflector that clips on to the standard stub antenna on a Wi-Fi access point or PC adaptor. The reflector makes the signal more directional rather than increasing signal strength like a powered booster or repeater. This limits the Flatenna's usefulness, but at around £10, it's about a tenth of the price. Tritium says the aerial's range can be increased up to three times, and the directional nature also controls the coverage area and cuts down on interference. www.tritium.co.uk
Operator fined
A Gwent Police computer operator has been fined £400 by magistrates for looking up criminal intelligence files on people she knew. Leanne Thomas pleaded guilty to the charges, and was fined £100 by Abergavenny Magistrates Court for each of the four occasions she improperly accessed personal records, as well as £50 in costs. The prosecution said there was no further disclosure of this data. Gwent Police says Thomas has been suspended, and it is instigating disciplinary procedures.
Open project
The HSBC bank is rolling out the Niku Open Workbench, an open source project management package, to 19,000 users worldwide. The program has been available for years and has more than 100,000 users in companies such as BT, Visa International and Philips. Niku has just decided to make it open source to encourage improvements to the product and to try to increase the number of add-ons for specialist uses. By making its software available as a free download, Niku plans to challenge Microsoft Project's share of a market that Gartner analysts value at $700m. www.openworkbench.org
Unite against spam
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency, said all countries should introduce anti-spam laws to deprive spammers of a hiding place. The ITU, meeting in Geneva last week, said that laws in every country would provide a basis for a global legal instrument, allowing cross-border legal action against spammers. The ITU's acting chairman, Dr Robert Horton, of the Australian Communications Authority, said the organisation could assist countries by compiling model anti-spam legislation. If such laws are joined by more work by the IT industry, said Dr Horton, "I am convinced we can curb spam within the next two years." http://www.itu.int/newsroom
