Aventail introduced a software upgrade for its SSL VPN appliance. According to Internet Week, the Aventail Anywhere Secure Access Policy (ASAP) Platform 7.0 is included in the Aventail EX-1500 SSL VPN appliance. The software also enhances usability for its policy management tools, including pre-built security templates for common applications such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Outlook web access.

TechTV has this first look at Nokia’s N-Gage, a portable gaming device mated with a cellphone and a host of other features. N-Gage was released with week along with 10 titles, including "Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater" and Sega’s "SonicN." You can also synch basic contact, calendar, to-do, and notes info with desktop PIMs including Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes.

Sierra Wireless announced a new product line combining a mobile phone with handheld email and Internet access. Canada.com reports that the first of the Voq line of phones, which include a flip-open computer-style thumbpad for text entry, is expected to be on sale in the first half of 2004. The Voq will be based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software, and will include an e-mail solution supports enterprise email systems including Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, and Novell Groupwise.

iLumin Software Services announced that## it has worked closely with Network Appliance## to tune iLumin’s Assentor Enterprise with Network Appliance SnapLock solutions. Assentor Enterprise is a firm-wide solution that provides archiving, compliance, supervision, discovery, litigation support, and mailbox management for email and instant messages. It’s compatible with IBM Lotus Notes, Exchange and other email services.

IBM is announcing a special bundle of hardware and software that aims to create a more self-managing platform for Web infrastructure than it has offered to date. Computer Business Review reports that Intelligent Web Orchestrator has the revamped ThinkControl systems management and provisioning application at its heart. The blade bundle includes a BladeCenter Intel-based blade server equipped with a Windows 2000 operating system plus IBM’s WebSphere middleware.The article adds that it would not be surprising to see a similar bundle for groupware and collaboration workloads based on IBM’s Lotus Domino and Microsoft’s Exchange Server programs, either.

Forgent Networks announced it acquired certain assets of Network Simplicity Software Inc., a privately held provider of Web-based scheduling solutions for the small-medium business market segment. Forgent has acquired Network Simplicity’s flagship product, Meeting Room Manager (MRM). Forgent will continue to market its flagship meeting automation software, ALLIANCE, to customers needing solutions that extend their existing enterprise messaging and calendaring platforms (Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino).

Critical Path announced that it is now shipping the fourth generation of its meta-directory software. Critical Path Meta-Directory 4.0 now has built-in support for SOAP/XML and related standards for integrating with Web Services, providing them with up-to-date, accurate identity data. Critical Path Meta-Directory 4.0 is now available from Critical Path on Windows, Solaris, and HP-UX. The software provides has built-in connectors for major business systems — including directories from the industry’s major vendors; relational databases from Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM; and enterprise applications such as SAP HR, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft Exchange.

eWeek reports that IBM’s Lotus software division plans to bring its messaging and collaboration platforms, the legacy Domino offering and emerging Workplace suite, into feature parity by 2005 in anticipation of merging them. The article says that the move means that the parallel development tracks Lotus officials laid out about a year and a half ago will eventually merge into one.

IT-Director.com asks which will be the go to destination of information workers — Microsoft or IBM products. The article says that IBM Lotus has the advantage because it started as a collaborative environment and an email system, it is better placed to bridge the gap between personal productivity and team-based environments.

Looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger has won the California recall vote, according to CNN’s exit polls. Now, we know this is not, in any way, related to technology news. But, you gotta admit, it’s definitely amusing. Whether you like The Terminator or not, you can’t help but be amused. We certainly are. Stay tuned.