The Learning Continuum Company (TLCC) has introduced two new distance learning courses. Notes Domino 8 Application Development Update is for experienced Notes Domino 7 developers who want to learn all the new features in Notes Domino 8. This course covers the new Notes 8 Eclipse based client, new @functions and @commands, and the new LotusScript/Java classes, properties and methods. An extensive module on Composite Application development and deployment is included to make the student an expert on this exciting new feature in Notes 8. The new Web service consumer capability is also covered for both LotusScript and Java programmers. The course will prepare the student for the 801 exam to update their certification and become an IBM Certified Application Developer–Lotus Notes and Domino 8.

Notes Domino 8 System Administration Update is for experienced Notes Domino 7 system administrators. Students learn about the changes in the Notes 8 clients, including the new Eclipse based Notes 8 Standard client, changes in the Domino 8 server and the Domino 8 Administrator client including new policy settings, performance, and security enhancements. The course also covers the new messaging improvements including message recall, the new out of office task, and how to automate InBox maintenance. The improvements to server monitoring using Domino Domain Monitoring and the Monitoring Configuration database are reviewed. Students will learn how to upgrade their Domino servers to Domino 8 and how to deploy the new Notes 8 Standard client across their organization, including how to setup an Eclipse Update Site. This course also includes an introduction to the new feature to allow Domino databases to be stored in DB2. The course includes complete instructions on how to setup the course environment including a test Domino 8 server. TLCC’s Notes Domino 8 System Administration Update course is an ideal way to learn Notes Domino 8, prepare for the 802 update exam, and quickly become certified as an IBM Certified System Administrator–Lotus Notes and Domino 8.

Daybreak Intellectual Capital Solutions, a provider of enterprise content management (ECM) software and consulting services, announced two new product releases for eCapture Suite, its flagship distributed document capture platform. eCapture for IBM Content Manager and eCapture for FileNet P8 will provide users the ability to scan, index, and import documents into multiple content repositories in a single step from one interface. eCapture Suite is the first capture solution in its class to offer a concurrent licensing model with no page count limitations.

eCapture Suite is built on a modular platform that consists of the core capture engine and ECM platform plug-ins. Additional plug-ins can be added, making it easy to scan, index, and route paper documents into multiple ECM repositories. The software provides security features including secure communications, user authentication and access control to appropriate content repositories. eCapture Suite is built from the ground up for Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) to facilitate interoperability with legacy systems within an organization.

In ten years, an Internet eternity, web-based email has only made token improvements, moving from Hotmail to Gmail. Meanwhile, instant messaging and social networks have rapidly developed. Four new startups, all of which came out of secrecy this year, point toward a bright new future for email. These oddly-named saviors–Fuser, Orgoo, Xobni and Xoopit–have a simple goal. They want to centralize communication, and they want to give it structure and meaning.

Power users feel the pain of having to repeatedly switch between email and the address book, having to close one email before writing another, or losing track of instant messages as they write a new email. For lighter email users, only once email begins to stack up and conversations become lost or forgotten do their cries for help begin. The least committed email users may have dropped it entirely in favor of messaging on a platform like Facebook, which seems to offer many of the same basic features.

The individual aims of these companies differ. Fuser and Orgoo both centralize communication, whether from email, instant messaging, a social network or even mobile SMS and video, in one simple interface. Xobni is an overlay for Outlook that helps organize high-volume communications with a multi-functional sidebar. Xoopit organizes all those thousands of pages of archived email, pulling out meaningful content long since lost by the user.

Following the loss and possible theft of two laptops containing the personal data of 3,930 truckers who handle hazardous materials, the Transportation Security Administration has mandated that contractors must encrypt any and all data on top of any deletion policies they have in place. According to a letter the TSA sent to lawmakers on Oct. 12, the laptops–both of which belonged to a TSA contractor–contain names, addresses, birthdays, commercial driver’s license numbers and, in some instances, Social Security numbers of the affected truckers.

First, one laptop was lost. At that time, the contractor, L-1 Identity Solutions’ Integrated Biometric Technology division, told the TSA that the truckers’ information had been deleted from the system, TSA Public Affairs Manager Ann Davis told eWEEK. Then, another laptop disappeared. After the second theft or loss, the TSA conducted an IT forensic investigation that ascertained that the deleted information could be retrieved if a thief had the proper training.

Core Security Technologies is adding Web application penetration testing to the latest version of its security assurance tool. Set to be released within 30 days, Core Impact Version 7.5’s new abilities mark an increased recognition of the vulnerabilities affecting Web applications by the Boston-based firm, which started out focusing on testing of network servers and services before branching out to cover client-side attacks.

Armed with new functionality, Core Impact 7.5, announced Oct. 16, can help organizations guard against the top three attack methods that jeopardize them today–email-based social engineering attacks; exploits targeting server operating systems, services and client applications on the desktop; and SQL injection attacks on Web applications, company officials said.

IBM introduced the IBM Data Studio, the industry’s first integrated data management environment. Unlike other client-side data management solutions that often only provide functionality for one aspect of the data lifecycle or focus exclusively on database administration, Data Studio unites these various aspects of data management and supports a heterogeneous data server environment.

Data Studio provides customers the ability to boost data-driven application development productivity and perform operational database administration functions from anywhere at anytime. Additionally, Data Studio allows customers to design, develop, deploy and manage their information throughout the entire data management life cycle using a common, Eclipse-based interface.

The Eclipse-based Data Studio complements the IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform, an integrated set of products and services that helps customers effectively govern the business process of software and systems delivery, and is extensible with plug-ins so customers can customize their development environment to seamlessly manage their data. The fully integrated nature of the IBM Data Studio simplifies collaboration among developers and DBAs. As direct result of this optimized, collaborative environment, development time can be slashed by up to 50 percent.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to extend an Internet tax moratorium for just four years, despite calls from the tech industry to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing Internet access.

By a vote of 405-2, the House on Tuesday voted to pass the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments Act, which would extend the moratorium on Internet access taxes and other taxes unique to the Internet until November 2011. The current ban, extended twice since first Congress first enacted it in 1998, is set to expire Nov. 1.

One of the lawmakers voting against the temporary extension was Representative Anna Eshoo, a Democrat who represents part of Silicon Valley in California. Eshoo had pushed for a permanent ban.

IBM unveiled enhancements to the IBM Content Management 8.4 family of software. The new Enterprise Content Management (ECM) offerings provide improved performance, scalability and usability to help customers make better, more informed decisions. They also help improve associated business processes and enable compliance more cost effectively.

IBM Content Management 8.4 features new capabilities that help organizations better manage, access and integrate critical business information. This includes the IBM Web Interface for Content Management (WEBi) V1.02, an interactive client that allows users to access documents from an IBM Content Manager repository via a Web browser. IBM WEBi makes it easier for more users to access, use, combine and reuse content to solve business challenges and improve workforce effectiveness.

IBM introduced IBM Master Data Management Server, the first software product to allow companies to manage many types of master data as a strategic business asset in a service-oriented architecture. The IBM Master Data Management Server was designed to centrally manage master data concerning customers, products, and accounts, and help organizations define, access, and use that data in real-time. IBM also announced that it will offer a beta testing program for the new software.

Businesses have historically tackled managing master data by using existing business applications that hold some customer, product, or account-specific data, but are not designed to manage master data as an enterprise-wide asset. Because of this, organizations have found it difficult to design and implement enterprise processes that rely on accurate, complete, and consistent master data.

IBM announced its IBM Information Server software platform has now been extended to bring new scalability, information consistency and performance to IBM System z customers, providing new flexibility to perform information integration directly on the mainframe.

The introduction of IBM Information Server for System z provides a fully integrated software platform that profiles, cleanses, transforms and delivers information from mainframe and distributed data sources, delivering improved business insight without added operational costs.