APRIL: Dial 9-1-1
The federal regulatory body for the telecommunications industry finally catches up with 21st century technology and gives Voice over Internet Protocol providers a 90-day deadline to add emergency services. The long-time-coming ruling causes some experts to question why it wasn’t made earlier.
April 4:
CRTC demands VoIP providers offer 911 services
The regulator makes a decision that some experts say should have come a long time ago. Executives from Primus, Vonage and Comwave discuss how they will meet the 90-day deadline
April 5:
Big Blue’s Canadian boss steps up to the plate
q&a Dan Fortin talks about his plans to grow IBM Canada following Ed Kilroy’s departure, selling to “chief transformation officers” vs. SMBs and living with Lenovo
April 14:
VSLive Toronto gives developers first look at Whidbey
Microsoft executives discuss how the long-delayed release will gather user feedback, pinpoint bad code and manage software lifecycles. Find out what it means for Longhorn adoption
April 18:
Canadian developers shocked by Flash sale
Adobe’s purchase of Macromedia caught several professionals off-guard and has them wondering what will happen to the popular Web tool. Executives chart a course and clear up some of the rumours
MAY: Hemler up to bat
Five months after he was appointed president of Microsoft Canada following a leave of absence by Frank Clegg, David Hemler speaks with ITBusiness.ca about his plans for the Canadian subsidiary of Redmond, Wash.-based software giant. Hemler provides answers on how to close the productivity gap between Canada and the U.S. and sends a warning to resellers selling unauthorized software.
May 4:
Microsoft Canada puts Hemler at the helm
q&a The local subsidiary’s new chief discusses the challenges of getting customers to buy, the differences in priorities between CEOs and CIOs, and his efforts to keep paper out of his life
May 11:
Rogers acquires Call-Net for $330 million
The takeover gives the communications giant a stronger presence in Eastern Canada and a fibre-optic network. Ted Rogers discusses the company’s VoIP plans while analysts speculate on what a former CLEC can bring to the Party
May 12:
Incumbents cry foul over CRTC’s VoIP ruling
Bell and Telus say they will appeal a decision to regulate emerging services, while Primus looks forward to a more competitive landscape. Plus: Speeding up retail tariffs
May 13:
Sun, Microsoft cozy up on Web services standards
A year into their unlikely alliance, the industry giants put forth a series of specifications designed to address identity issues online. Ballmer answers the tough questions on Java and .Net
May 20
Ingram Micro ousts Canadian GM
Murray Wright and vice-president of marketing Dave Walsh leave the distributor in a surprise restructuring move. The president of North American operations explains the strategy
JUNE: Sunny acquisition
Amid consecutive quarterly losses and employee layoffs in the thousands, Sun Microsystems Inc. ponies up some of $7.2 billion in cash reserves to acquire StorageTek for US$4.1 billion. Sun CEO Scott McNealy touts the deal as a way to help its customers meet compliance regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley and helps Sun compete against storage behemoth EMC. While the deal boosts Sun’s storage capabilities and identity management strategy, analysts say the two companies still don’t make the top three in the storage market.
June 2:
Sun acquires StorageTek in US$4.1-billion deal
CEO Scott McNealy says the addition of a storage vendor will help cultivate solutions for privacy management and ILM. Canadian channel players explain how the merger might work but why it’s not just another example of consolidation
June 6:
Hudson’s Bay CIO explains ‘big ticket’ IT problems
A system that was supposed to replace paper processes led to $10 million in losses last quarter. Gary Davenport discusses long-term goals and the retailer’s next big project
June 8:
Canadian wireless use reaches 20-year mark
A research firm estimates we’ve reached 47.6 per cent penetration, lagging far behind some other countries. Motorola, Nokia and others put the growth in perspective and discuss future trends
June 21:
Software glitch brings down drug plan claim processing
A problem over the weekend at ESI Canada prevents pharmacy customers from using the pay-direct system. Executives explain how they coped while the cards weren’t working
June 29:
Nortel president and CTO hit the road
When two top executives leave the company, it’s not hard to figure out who’s in charge
June 29:
Rogers’s VoIP vision combines cellular, cable networks
The company launches its long-awaited service and discusses the potential for Bluetooth technology to switch between land line and wireless telephony. Plus: Ted Rogers looks to Bill Gates for career inspiration
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