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Every now and again the FCC will publish a document that will completely ruin the surprise launch of an upcoming product. And sometimes companies do a much better job of covering their tracks by requesting the FCC hide some of the good stuff behind a confidentiality agreement. It looks like HP is taking the latter approach with two new products that sort of, kind of showed up on the FCC web site recently.

Basically, the FCC has listed test reports for two cryptically named HP products. One is described as a tablet, while the other is a netbook. There are no model numbers that seem to correspond with HP’s usual naming conventions. And all pictures of the devices have been hidden away behind confidentiality agreements, leaving just a few arcane test reports and FCC labels for us to peruse.

Wireless Goodness figures the tablet is the upcoming HP TouchSmart TM2. But it’s not clear if the netbook is the upcoming HP Mini 210 we’ve been hearing so little about or something else. What we do know is that both computers will be available with Qualcomm’s Gobi2000 wireless chipset which supports GPS and worldwide 3G data connections. There’s no way to know whether this is a standard or optional feature.
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Dell has released a pair of new touch-screen enabled systems.

The new offering will include one desktop and one notebook model, both systems will utilize Microsoft’s Windows 7 Touch platform.

AdvertisementThe company said that the desktop model, dubbed the Inspirion One 19, would be an all-in-one system. As its name suggests, the system will feature a 19 in screen and would have a starting price of ￡499.

The notebook system will be known as the Studio 17 and is the first notebook from Dell to offer a touch-screen interface. The company did not reveal a starting price for the 17.3 inch model, but the system is expected to be available for purchase later this month.

Dell said that it was primarily looking to target the new systems for the home market in hopes that the touch features appeal to end-users.

“Touch-screen makes computing easy and fun for all ages,” said David Clifton, director of consumer marketing for Dell Europe.

“And both products perform as well as being stylish, so they can handle the common tasks we all use at home every day.”

Though touch screen systems have yet to fully take off in either the consumer or enterprise market, vendors have recently been stepping up efforts to integrate the systems in both markets.
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A consortium including TelstraClear, Fujitsu and Transfield Services has taken Meridian Energy’s ICT business from Telecom and its subsidiary Gen-i.

TelstraClear will deliver all telecommunications services to the electricity generator, as part of an ICT infrastructure support services  partnership with  IT provider Fujitsu.

TelstraClear will provide: Fixed and mobile communications including data, video, fixed voice, mobile voice, internet services; VoIP telephony; and internet security services by its specialist security unit, DMZGlobal.

Fujitsu will provide full support services for all of its desktops, servers, datacentres, telemetry, networks, carrier services and service desk for the next five years.

The contract includes an opportunity to renew for another two plus two year period.

The transition of services to TelstraClear and Fujitsu is expected to start in early 2010.

Meridian chief executive Tim Lusk says the new delivery model confers major benefits. “It allows significant cost reductions without compromising service standards,” he says.

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IBM said Thursday that it opened a research lab in Hong Kong dedicated to developing products and services for the cloud computing market. At the outset, the lab will dedicate resources to supporting IBM’s online LotusLive offering.

IBM currently counts more than 18 million users of LotusLive, which offers Web-based access to e-mail, instant messaging, calendaring, and other collaboration tools. The service starts at $3.00 per month, per user.

IBM said the Hong Kong center will research and develop best practices around various issues related to cloud computing, including security, privacy, and reliability. The lab is co-located with IBM’s existing China Development Laboratory, which employs more than 5,000 developers.
“As the first cloud computing laboratory in Hong Kong to serve as a global resource for cloud-based collaboration services, the laboratory marks a milestone for IBM and for the information technology industry in Hong Kong,” said Dominic Tong, IBM’s general manager for Hong Kong/China, in a statement.

“The opening of the laboratory demonstrates Hong Kong’s advantage as a global hub for world-class information technology and online services and we are delighted that it aligns with the government’s agenda of developing Hong Kong into a center of excellence in innovation and technology,” said Tong.

Attendees at an event marking the lab’s opening included Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang, Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Duncan Warren Prescod, and IT Legislative Councilor Samson Tam.

IBM estimates the market for cloud, or hosted, computing products is growing 28% annually, and will increase from $47 billion in 2008 to $126 billion in 2012.
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Cisco Systems Inc. CEO John Chambers is openly admitting that Hewlett-Packard Co. is becoming more of a competitor.

Everyone knows this. It’s just that Cisco has tended to skirt the topic. When asked about increasing competition with HP or IBM Corp. Cisco officials tend to emphasize that a lot of big companies end up being both partners and competitors at different phases in time — which is true.

But giving introductory remarks at the company’s financial analyst conference today, Chambers noted that some partners “will become competitors or will get closer to us.”

And HP? “You’re going to see some players like HP be a competitor,” Chambers said, tossing grammar around like a true Valley legend.

As for the other category — companies becoming closer friends — Chambers listed several examples including EMC Corp. That’s a nod to the tightening of Cisco’s partnership with that company and VMware Inc. in cloud computing.

Cisco brought itself into the server market — into HP’s house — by launching an all-in-one data center package called the Unified Computing System. It’s possibly in response to this that HP has decided to acquire 3Com Corp.

Cisco typically doesn’t talk about the competition in detail.

“We don’t spend time talking about competitors. I know you want me to talk about HP; you want me to talk about Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. ,” Chambers said. “If you’re reacting to what a competitor does, you’re looking out the rearview mirror. You’re three to five years behind.”
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While the rest of the PC-making world – Acer, Lenovo, HP – were up at least 7 percent this year, poor old dell dropped 5.9 percent and to third place. And, as we all know, being third place means you’re the second loser.

Tech analysts iSuppli estimate that Dell sold 10.34 million PCs and laptops. This means that Acer, once an also-ran in the industry, has hit number two. This is a huge deal.

While there’s no accounting for taste, it’s clear that Acer and HP are selling what people want. Lenovo has always been popular with business and Toshiba is, well, Toshiba. Dell basically needs to step up its game or get left in the dust.
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