Industry Observer (April 2009)

Article ID: 63288

Posted April 1st, 2009

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The Latest on IBM i Security

IBM has released a Redbook detailing security capabilities and recommendations for 6.1. The Redbook includes recommendations for creating security policies as well as specifics that you can use to implement those policies on the i. The Redbook covers security topics ranging from system values and group profiles to encryption and virus protection. There is also an entire section devoted to network security and a chapter covering compliance requirements (e.g., Sarbanes-Oxley).

The latest version of IBM's security guide Redbook for IBM i is available online.

In Search of Standards

There isn't much that Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft agree about, and even if there were, there wouldn't be many opportunities for these Internet behemoths to work together. However, the three companies have found common ground with a simple scheme to improve selection of the "primary" version of a web page. While the search engines themselves will be the main beneficiaries of this new standard, you might see fewer duplicate pages in your search results once the system is implemented.

News.com explains the new standard and why the major search engines all agreed to cooperate.

Employment Conundrums

Ironically, the layoffs at U.S. companies, including IT giants IBM and Microsoft, have not lessened interest in expanding the H1-B visa program. However, the juxtaposition of layoffs and visa requests is likely to bring the discussion to a head. Congress, in its role as financial gatekeeper, is asking questions about the H1-B program, and it's possible that the number of visas will be reduced in future years. BusinessWeek explores the connection between layoffs and H1-B visa requests at Microsoft.

Related Links Computerworld reports that the economic stimulus bill passed in February 2009 curtails use of H1-B visas by companies that receive federal bailout money.

InformationWeek describes IBM's novel offer to displaced workers: relocation to India.

Computerworld documents an investigation into H1-B visa abuses.

Is XBRL the Language of the Future?

If you've never heard of XBRL, you're not alone, but XBRL is poised to change the way businesses report information to the government. XBRL, an XML standard for sharing financial information, stands for eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The reason XBRL should be on your radar is that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has finalized requirements for XBRL reporting. The largest companies must begin submitting information to the SEC using XBRL in June 2009, with smaller public companies to follow in subsequent years. Even if your company doesn't have to report to the SEC, chances are good that XBRL will become a de facto standard for sharing financial data.

Techweb summarizes the SEC regulations for XBRL.

Related Links

Full details of the final SEC ruling on XBRL is available in a 206-page PDF.
XBRL.org is a consortium of companies interested in the XBRL standard.

Democracy in Action

Does a defendant have the right to have his trial streamed online for all to see? Does the defendant have the right to block such access? How about the plaintive? Should only certain trials be available? What about other court proceedings? Does the judge or the jury have any say in how and when a trial is publicized? Such questions weren't relevant until recently, and even the phenomenon of trials shown on television is relatively new. However, online streaming of court proceedings is being put to the test in a file-swapping case involving a Boston University graduate student (who wants the proceedings available online) versus the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) which wants to prevent the live feed.

Although a final decision had not been made at press time, Ars Technica reports on the proponents and opponents of live video streaming for this particular case.

Related Links

The Harvard law professor and his students who have taken up the cause of the graduate student, Joel Tenenbaum, maintain a blog devoted to the case.

Sharon L. Hoffman (shoffman@techreflections.com) is a System iNEWS senior technical editor. She began working with IBM midrange systems in 1981, and her background includes extensive application development as well as creation and delivery of technical education.

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