McAfee is bringing a new licensing strategy, enhanced features and a security-as-a-service model to the latest versions of its security software. In a move it dubbed a "triple play," the security vendor announced that it is taking security for PCs, mobile devices and on the Web a step further with updates to McAfee Total Protection, McAfee Internet Security Suite and McAfee VirusScan Plus.

Each product comes with three licenses, and customers can purchase additional licenses for $10 a piece for a year. In addition, new licenses are automatically made to expire at the same time as the current licenses, with users paying for only for whatever time they have the additional license. The new unified licensing plan is meant to make life a little less expensive for users, said McAfee officials.

IBM unveiled a new version of its electronic forms software that allows users to create, fill out, sign and submit forms data via a Web browser without downloading additional software. Lotus Forms 3.0, announced at the IBM Lotus Collaboration Summit, in Washington, employs an AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)-based wizard for its interface, which communicates with back-end systems.

This enables customers to prepopulate forms with existing system information, thereby reducing errors associated with manual data entry, said Antony Satyadas, senior strategist for IBM Lotus, based in Armonk, N.Y. Thanks to digital signature technology from Silanis Technology, Forms 3.0 allows users to use an electronic signature pad or swipe cards and fingerprint scanners to digitally sign the form.

Forms 3.0 cleanly integrates with software from IBM and third parties, including IBM’s WebSphere Portal, WebSphere Content Management, FileNet P8, Lotus Expeditor and WebSphere Process Server, as well as with applications from SAP and Siebel, Satyadas said.

Electronic forms software is increasingly being used as an alternative to paper forms in several industries, most notably in government and the insurance and financial services markets.

Prior to the global SOA Webcast on October 9, join Sandy Carter and the WebSphere Development team for a deep-dive look at the new WebSphere announcements, exclusively for members of the GWC. Learn about the latest enablements to: BPM, Process Innovation, Asset Reuse , and SOA Connectivity. The preview will also feature a LIVE Q&A session with Sandy and the Development team. Mark your calendar for 8am ET on Wednesday, October 3rd.

With the importance of computers in business at an all time high, the need for reliable and secure data backups has never been greater. More surprisingly, the percentage of computers actually being backed up on a daily, or even weekly, basis is still low. Too low, according to Jimmy Britton of Houston based eVision Systems.

Verizon Wireless rolled out its broadband on a stick Sept. 27 with the introduction of the USB727 Modem. Developed by Novatel Wireless, Verizon Wireless claims the device is the world’s smallest EV-DO modem.

The USB modem is designed to work with any computing device equipped with a Type A USB port–including most desktops, notebooks and tablet PCs–and provides access to Verizon Wireless’ national wireless broadband network. The device also comes with storage space of up to 4 GB of files, photos or videos.

In addition, the modem includes an integrated dual-band diversity antennae system with flip-up antennae to improve data-speed performance and provide better network signal reception. Verizon Wireless claims average download speeds on its broadband network of 600K bps to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800K bps.

Klocwork announced that Gwyn Fisher will demonstrate how Klocwork’s automated source code analysis can be used directly within the Rational Application Developer environment to enable the best defense against check-in of potentially crippling coding errors. The introduction of security and quality bugs in code can be prevented by enabling developers to find bugs early in the software lifecycle before check-in of new code. Fisher will outline how secure, quality code can be produced with IBM Rational Application Developer and IBM Rational ClearCase by integrating Klocwork source code analysis early in the development process.

If the corporate Grim Reaper is truly knocking on the door of The SCO Group, no one apparently told the company’s CEO and president, Darl C. McBride.

Despite a major court loss last month in SCO’s legal case again Novell, a bankruptcy reorganization filing, and an ominous-sounding quarterly U.S Securities and Exchange Commission filing last week in which the company said there is "substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern," McBride insists that no one should be lining up yet for SCO’s funeral parade.

Vontu has added new data discovery capabilities to the latest version of its data leak prevention product that it says will help enterprises locate data stored anywhere.

Officials at San Francisco-based Vontu said the ability of Vontu Data Loss Prevention 8 to accurately detect data as it is used, copied or sent at the endpoint and on the network provides the defense in depth required to prevent data loss.

Adobe has joined a growing list of firms offering Web-based alternatives to conventional office programs. The software developer has acquired the online word processor Buzzword, which allows users to create and share text documents on the Web. Similar programs are already offered as elements of other free office software suites from Google, ajax13 and Zoho.

Microsoft has also announced a new web feature for its Office suite which lets people access documents online. Microsoft Office Live Workspace is currently being offered as free test, or "beta", software. "Office Live Workspace will provide anywhere-access to Office documents, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint files," said Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft’s Business division.

How does SCM work? In this helpful article, Kathy T. Evans-Davis writes about the language of version control and the basic concepts of how it all works. Interesting stuff if you’re involved at all in development projects — and most of you are.

Read this DominoPower article.