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MidMarket: IT, Technology, Software, News for Small, Medium (SMB) Businesses

Owners and employees of small and medium sized businesses can find the latest news and how-tos for technology here at MidMarket. We cover all your needs including security, networking, software, hardware, IT, mobile computing, and technology.

Top Midmarket New Slideshow
The holidays are upon us, and new devices from Research In Motion, Sony, and other manufacturers offer users a host of new multimedia capabilities. RIM’s BlackBerry line seems to be incorporating more consumer-style features—such as dedicated music buttons—with every passing generation, and Sony is embracing both Google Android and Windows Mobile 6.5 as the operating systems for its latest smartphones.

Devices from other manufacturers such as Casio and Kyocera (with the Sanyo-branded Incognito smartphone) also offer a variety of new hardware and software features, including powerful cameras and navigation applications.

News
Palm Pixi has received a 75 percent price chop at some retailers, just days after its debut. What’s good news for shoppers, however, may prove an image fiasco for Palm and its Pixi smartphone.
Article
When development companies first consider adopting Scrum, there's often confusion about what Scrum is and how to get started. Transforming a company with Scrum requires more than adopting its language and mechanics. Following its process and filling its roles is just one condition for real, sustainable change. The challenge is not only finding the right people to fill Scrum’s roles, but embracing the underlying values that enable Scrum's benefits. Here, Knowledge Center contributor Jimi Fosdick explains how to start doing Scrum in your company.
New Slideshow
Throughout the history of technology, there have been devices that have revolutionized how people used technology by providing a unique capability. But when these devices only do one thing, no matter how well they do it, their lifespan is often short. This is usually because their core functionality quickly becomes a feature of devices that are more popular and can do more than just one thing. Looking back, it's easy to see this in action, from devices that were once ubiquitous and are now extinct to current product categories that are on their way out to new, exciting devices that are destined to become a feature checklist of next-generation smartphones. So take a look at this list of the dismal past, sad present and unpromising future of single-purpose devices.
News
Spiceworks and Intel help budget-conscious businesses go green with a downloadable Power Manager plug-in that regulates computer power consumption.
News
The proliferation of smartphones is increasing the propensity of consumers to use nonvoice communication, a study by BIA/Kelsey finds.
News
Dell executives say they expect business sales of Windows 7 PCs to boost sales in the company's fiscal fourth quarter, while reporting that third-quarter revenue fell 54 percent from a year ago. However, one analyst predicts that a PC price war will break out as Dell moves aggressively to take market share away from major competitors such as Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo.
News
In order to reduce its operating cost, AOL management is asking for so-called voluntary layoffs. Involuntary layoffs will follow if AOL does not hit its target of reducing its operating budget by $200 million in the first half of 2010.
New Slideshow
The Motorola Droid has been touted as a potential iPhone killer by any number of reviewers since its Nov. 6 debut, and the device does indeed offer many features that could allow it to seize substantial market share in the smartphone arena. The Droid runs the Google Android v2.0 operating system, which integrates services such as Gmail, YouTube and easy access to Amazon.com's MP3 Store.

For those who use their smartphones as a productivity platform, the Droid offers a good deal of functionality in that department. For business users, the Droid offers up integration with Exchange 2003 and 2007, as well as the ability to view Microsoft Office and PDF documents. Its Google Maps Navigation beta offers voice-guided navigation, while the 5-megapixel integrated camera includes auto-focus and the ability to edit images. The following slides delve into these features and more.
News
NEWS ANALYSIS: The Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris present a lot for the typical smartphone user to like, including crisp call quality and excellent battery life. A few kinks aside, the Google Android operating system seems versatile and able to handle most minute-to-minute needs in the productivity, communication and entertainment qualities. Despite a few form-factor issues that could make the smartphones off-putting to some users, both Droids come closest to being the long-predicted "iPhone killer."
News
Microsoft and SAP announced that the SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation application would be "a preferred solution" for Microsoft customers seeking business functionality such as planning, budgeting, and financial forecasting. Both companies will explore ways to accelerate adoption of the SAP application among Microsoft's user base. Microsoft’s focusing on its core products, and divesting itself of some internally created business-intelligence applications, leaves it open to such partnerships.
News
T-Mobile confirmed that an employee at its U.K. subsidiary passed customer data to third-party brokers, potentially leading to a criminal prosecution. Despite the potential damage to customers’ lives, such a data breach is most likely punishable with a fine as opposed to jail time in the U.K. T-Mobile has been dealing with public-relations issues on both ends of the Atlantic, including an incident in which a massive server failure led to Sidekick smartphone users in the U.S. temporarily losing their personal data.
News
The Nokia N900 is now in stores, Nokia announced Nov. 18. Nokia is positioning the device — which features a 3.5-inch touch screen, a 600MHz processor and the open-source Maemo 5 OS — as a “mobile computer.”
News
Sony announces the Wi-Fi enabled Daily Edition e-reader, but notes the device may not ship in time for Christmas.
News
Ke Solutions offers several levels of Website development and support packages aimed at providing budget-conscious companies with a user-friendly approach to Web design.
>> Read More From Our Midmarket News Archive
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REVIEWS
The BlackBerry Storm2 9550 provides reliable performance, touch-screen technology that delivers new on-screen capabilities, and more connectivity options both domestically and abroad. The Storm2 9550 is also the first device RIM has shipped with the BlackBerry OS 5, which adds a number of enhancements.
VMware Fusion 3 enables the use of Windows, Linux and Mac virtual machines on a physical Mac system. Fusion 3 is competitive with Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition and Sun VirtualBox, with a slight lead in terms of day-to-day operations. While VMware Fusion 3 is aimed at individual users, the product is a worthwhile choice for IT departments that are switching PC systems to Macs.
Macromedia's Web site authoring tool offers good controls, simplicity.
Percussion's Rhythmyx 5 provides all the flexibility and capability we'd expect from a high-end content management application, without sacrificing usability.
For corporate Web sites that need tight content management but don't need a lot of high-end features, Ektron's CMS300 provides quick deployment and high usability at a price that won't even get you in the door at most content management companies.
 
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