Crossbeam Certifies Check Point Virtual Systems on Its X-Series Security Platforms

Combined Solution Supports 2,000 Check Point Virtual Systems on a Single X-Series; Makes Security Easy to Manage and Scale in Public and Private Clouds

Crossbeam Systems, Inc., the leading provider of next-generation security platforms for high-performance networks, today announced that Check Point R75.40VS is certified to run on its X-Series security platforms.

Customers can now deploy Check Point Virtual Systems on the X-Series to create customised security by combining Check Point software blades – including firewall, intrusion prevention (IPS), virtual private network (VPN) and identity awareness, among others. By running Check Point on the X-Series, customers achieve the high levels of performance, scalability and management control required for security within both public and private clouds.

Key benefits of the Crossbeam-Check Point solution include:

• Simplified security management – Consolidating up to 2,000 Check Point Virtual Systems onto a single X-Series platform, greatly simplifying the management and cost of deploying security in large, dynamic environments.
• Modular scalability – Allowing customers to efficiently boost performance for Check Point software by combining Crossbeam Application Processing Modules (APMs) within the X-Series, eliminating the need for additional hardware.
• High availability – Providing self-healing capabilities that ensure Check Point Virtual Systems will always be available, even if there is an APM failure.
• Traffic segmentation – Enabling customers to separate traffic both physically and virtually within a single X-Series to ensure the right security policies are applied to different network segments and traffic flows.

“The Crossbeam best-of-breed security architecture relies on close, collaborative relationships with our ISV partners and keeping pace with their technological advancements,” said Jim Freeze, chief marketing officer at Crossbeam. “The quick certification of Check Point Virtual Systems on the X-Series is not only a testament to our successful partnership, it also underscores the importance that both companies place on meeting the need for virtualised security solutions that can be effectively deployed and managed in the most demanding networks.”

Check Point was certified through Crossbeam’s certification programme, which rigorously tests the compatibility, interoperability and performance of security applications running on the X-Series. During testing, the ISV (independent software vendor) security software is installed on X-Series hardware, and the combined solution is placed in a laboratory environment that mimics the complex, layered architectures of large enterprise and service provider networks. The solution is stressed with extreme traffic loads to simulate real-world conditions, including security threats. The certification assures customers that the Check Point solution on the X-Series provides carrier-class performance and reliability.

The X-Series allows organisations to consolidate multiple security appliances and related network devices onto a single high-performance chassis, slashing total cost of ownership by as much as 70 percent when compared to alternative solutions. Customers take advantage of the security protections and controls offered by Crossbeam’s leading ISV partners on a platform that can scale to meet network demand while reducing the cost and complexity of security management.

For more information on the Crossbeam-Check Point partnership, visit: http://www.crossbeam.com/partners/checkpoint/.

More information is available at www.crossbeam.com.

Panasonic to release the AG-HPX600EJ, new P2HD camera recorder

AG-HPX600EJ combines high cost-performance, easy operation, expandable functions, and a future proof design to meet needs in a wide range of uses, from image production to broadcasting. A 2/3-type shoulder-type model accommodates a variety of interchangeable lenses. Its compact body also provides superb mobility with the industry’s lowest weight*1 of approximately 2.8 kg (6.2 lb) for the main unit. Its newly developed MOS sensor attains high F12 sensitivity at 59.94Hz or F13 at 50Hz, and low noise with an S/N of 59 dB (standard). Multi HD/SD codecs, AVC-Intra100/50, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV, are included. In addition to these basic specifications, a wide range of functions are available as options, such as networking functions and a Variable Frame Rate (VFR). This enables low-cost system support for numerous and diverse applications. It also supports new P2HD technologies such as the AVC-ULTRA codec and microP2 card.*2

The AG-HPX600EJ will be available in September, 2012 at the suggested price of €13,800 RRP (excluding VAT).

The AG-HPX600EJ will be exhibited at the International Broadcasting Convention "IBC2012" to be held at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam, Netherlands from Friday 7th to Tuesday 11th September.

*1: As a 2/3-type shoulder-type HD camera recorder (as of August 2012) *2: Scheduled for future release as a paid upgrade.
Main Features of AG-HPX600EJ

The Lightest 2/3-type Shoulder-type Model
The AG-HPX600EJ is the lightest* in its class at approximately 2.8kg (6.2 lb) for the main unit. This compact body provides superb mobility. It is also designed with excellent forward visibility. The 2/3-type bayonet mount interchangeable lens system lets a camera crew choose from a variety of 2/3-type lenses for broadcasting and other professional uses from third-party manufacturers.

* As a 2/3-type shoulder-type HD camera recorder (as of August 2012)

New, High-Sensitivity F12 (at 59.94Hz) / F13 (at 50Hz) MOS sensor
A newly developed 2/3-type MOS sensor offers levels of F12 sensitivity at 59.94Hz and F13 sensitivity at 50Hz and low noise with an S/N of 59 dB (standard) that surpass many 2/3-type 3CCD cameras. High-speed scanning minimises skewing distortion. With high-quality image processor, the AG-HPX600EJ features the following versatile image settings.

- CAC (Chromatic Aberration Compensation): When using a CAC compatible lens, the small amount of circumjacent chromatic aberration (circumjacent blur) that is not corrected by the lens is compensated by this process.

- DRS (Dynamic Range Stretch): Suppresses blocked shadows and blown highlights to achieve a visually wide dynamic range.

*The DRS function does not operate in 1080/25p, 1080/24p or 1080/30p mode.

- Advanced Flash Band Compensation (FBC): High-precision flash band detection and compensation.

- Gamma: Select from 7-mode (HD NORM / LOW / SD NORM / HIGH / B. PRESS / CONE-LIKE D / CINE-LIKE V) gamma curves.

- Digital Image Settings: H Detail, V Detail, Detail Coring, Skin Tone Detail, Chroma Level, Chroma Phase, Color Temperature, Master Pedestal, Knee (LOW / MID / HIGH), Matrix (NORM1 / NORM2 / FLOU / CONE-LIKE).

HD / SD Multi-Format and Multi-Codec Recording

The AG-HPX600EJ supports multi HD / SD codec including 1920x1080 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC-Intra100 and 60Hz*/50Hz switchable for worldwide use. When installing an optional HD / SD SDI input board (AG-YA600G), it also can be used as a portable recorder.

AVC-Intra100/50 - 60Hz: 1080/60i, 24pN, 30pN, 720/60p, 24pN, 30pN*
50Hz: 1080/50i, 25p, 25pN, 720/50p, 25p, 25pN

DVCPRO HD - 60Hz: 1080/60i, 24p, 24pA, 30p, 720/60p, 24p, 30p*
50Hz: 1080/50i, 25p, 25pN, 720/50p, 25p, 25pN

DVCPRO50/ DVCPRO/DV - 60Hz: 480/60i, 30p, 24p, 24pA*
50Hz: 576/50i, 25p

*24p=23.98p, 30p=29.97p and 60i=59.94i

Expandability and Upgradability

The AG-HPX600EJ has a variety of options which a camera crew can select as they need. This enables low-cost system support for numerous and diverse applications.

-High-Resolution Proxy Video Supported (with the optional AG-YDX600G Video Encoder Board): With this option, the AG-HPX600EJ records proxy files onto SD/SDHC memory cards or onto P2 cards.* It supports high-quality video (Quick Time/H.264) and audio formats at a low bit rate. High-quality proxy files can be used for breaking news and other scenarios that would benefit from proxy workflows. Moreover, it streamlines the production workflow by allowing the editor to review the content details during offline editing. The AG-YDX600G will be available in September, 2012 at the suggested price of €1,550 (excluding VAT).

*Proxy data cannot be recorded when using the Loop Rec or Interval Rec function. Proxy data is low-resolution video and audio data with time code, metadata, and other management data in a file format. Use of DCF Technologies under license from Multi-Format, Inc.

-Streaming with a Wireless or Wired LAN (with the optional AG-SFU601G Upgrade Software Key and AJ-WM30E Wireless Module): These options enable use of a wireless or wired (Ethernet) LAN. Proxy files* can be streamed or viewed via a standard web browser on a PC/Mac, tablet, or smartphone. Whilst viewing the streamed files, metadata can be added to the P2 files. Using a PC/Mac also enables a cloud-based workflow by uploading and sharing video data via network. The AG-SFU601G will be available in September, 2012 at the suggested price of €1,400 RRP (excluding VAT).

* The optional AG-YDX600G Video Encoder Board is required to use proxy video.

-Variable Frame Rate Shooting and 24PsF Output (with the optional AG-SFU602G Production Package Upgrade Software Key): In 720p mode, the frame rate can be set in the range of 1 fps-60 fps, and in 1080p mode it can be set to 1 fps-30fps. This allows the use of undercranking and overcranking to create fast-motion and slow-motion effects. Either 24p/30p Native mode or over 60p mode can be selected for recording. In addition, the 24PsF format can be output from SDI OUT for uncompressed data recording. The AG-SFU602G will be available in September, 2012 at suggested price of €930 RRP (excluding VAT).

- AVC-ULTRA upgrade and microP2 Card Compatibility upgrade are also planned as the future upgrade options.

Other New Functions and Features

- SmartUI A New User Interface: This newly designed user interface consists of a LCD and variety of switches. A large number of functions, including Scene File settings, Audio Level settings, Audio IN/OUT selection, Time Code settings, and MON/HDMI Output Video settings, are easy to recognise and can be set with only a few steps each.

- New Color LCD Viewfinder: The newly designed, optional AG-CVF10G Color HD Viewfinder (cost-effective model) and AG-CVF15G Color HD viewfinder (upper grade model) are the 8.76 cm (3.45 inches) color LCD with approximately 920,000-dot resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. When opened, it serves as an LCD monitor. The AG-CVF10G (open LCD monitor one way) will be available in September, 2012 at the suggested list price of €2,450 RRP (excluding VAT) and the AG-CVF15 (open LCD monitor two ways) will be available within 2012.

- WFM: Simplified waveform and vectorscope can be displayed.

-10-pin Remote Terminal: Camera remote operation is enabled with the optional AG-EC4G Extension Remote Control Unit or AJ-RC10G Remote Control Unit.*

*Only functions that are supported by the AG-HPX600EJ can be controlled. Camera Studio System: The optional camera extension system (AG-CA300G Camera Adaptor and AG-BS300E Base Station) support low-cost studio integration.
AG-HPX600 SPECIFIC

Indian telecom, finance leaders meet in Mumbai to assess strategies

India’s telecom leaders are meeting with investment bankers, investors and advisers in Mumbai to debate new growth strategies at the TMT Finance and Investment India Conference on October 18 (www.tmtfinance.com/india).

The conference, which is part of the acclaimed TMT Finance global series, takes place at a critical juncture for the Indian telecom industry as regulatory and economic uncertainty is driving major players to review strategy.

Amanda Hale, Partner,TMT Group, at global law firm Herbert Smith, who will be making a keynote speech at the conference said: “In addition to spiralling profits, major disputes, both between players and at government level, are on the rise.  In response, telcos are adopting a range of strategies including focussing on cost reduction, expanding into new business areas and new regions, asset disposals and consolidation.”

The conference features a series of leadership panel discussion, visionary keynote speeches and targeted networking sessions. Key industry speakers announced so far include: Gurdeep Singh, President and CEO Wireless, Reliance Communications; Devender Singh Rawat, CEO Bharti Infratel; Srinivasa Addepalli, CSO, Tata Communications; Amit Sharma, President Asia, American Tower ; and Arun Kapur, Group President and Managing Director, Quippo Telecom.

Other institutions represented on the speaker academy include Apax Partners, Analysys Mason, Booz & Company, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, GSMA, IFC, The World Bank, DBS Group, Standard Chartered, Hathway Cable & Datacom, ING, Nokia Siemens Networks, Viom Networks and Uninor. More speakers will be announced shortly.

“Major players in the Indian telco sector are increasingly present on the world stage and are at the forefront of many developments so it makes absolute sense for Herbert Smith to be speaking at and sponsoring the first TMT Finance & Investment India conference,” said Hale. “We're looking forward to a day of insights into strategies both for exploiting opportunities as well as facing challenges and plenty of good discussion."

Conference sessions include: The Telecom Leadership Roundtable; The M&A Panel; Spectrum and Policy; CFO Round Table; Raising Finance for Indian Telecoms and the Mobile Infrastructure Leaders Round Table.

TMT Finance & Investment India (www.tmtfinance.com/india) is organised by TMT Ventures, publishers of TMT Finance News (www.tmtfinance.com), with sponsorship and support from Herbert Smith, Analysys Mason, Hanmer MSL and EM Finance Consulting. More sponsors will be announced shortly.

For more information about the programme and registering go to www.tmtfinance.com/india

Sirius Open Source Expertise Supports Cabinet Office Government Digital Service

- Helping Government deliver world-class digital products and services through Open Source

Sirius, the UK's Flagship Open Source company has confirmed it has been working with the Cabinet Office Government Digital Service (GDS) on their 'Digital by Default' strategy, the Government's response to Martha Lane Fox’s ‘Directgov 2010 and beyond: revolution not evolution’ report. The GDS team, tasked with delivering world-class government services, are doing this in an entirely new and unique way. Using iterative Agile methodology and a technology stack built around Open Source, Open Standards, and Open Data, GDS is also engaging with a new generation of suppliers and demonstrating by example to the rest of Government how to engage successfully with SMEs.

GDS online services leverage Drupal, the hugely successful Open Source Content Management System. Sirius provide Open Source strategy, training and support services around Drupal to the GDS Team.

Mark O'Neill, Head of Innovation and Delivery at GDS, said: "At GDS we are committed to delivering rapid, robust and cost effective solutions.  We were very happy with the ability of Sirius to respond to tight timescales to meet our business needs. This is an example of how government and SMEs can work together to achieve successful outcomes."

Mark Taylor, Sirius’ CEO and well-known Open Source in Government advocate commented: “Government Open Source usage along with genuine SME engagement has been a notable feature of policy for some time now. GDS are clearly leading on both, and we hope other Government departments will take notice and learn from the low-cost, high-performance results that this innovative Cabinet Office team are delivering through this approach."

Drupal itself is increasingly popular with Governments around the world, UK Government adoption adding further to its evident credibility.

Speaking from New York, Jacob Redding, Executive Director of the Drupal Association said:

"A growing number of governments around the world have migrated to Open Source not only for the cost savings but for the innovation and transparency that it provides. As an Open Source Software project Drupal is a great fit for governments not only because of the cost savings, but because it allows a government to get its data out on to the web quickly and efficiently." and continued with "In this modern age it's important for all governments to get information and data out to its constituents to provide an open and transparent process. Open Source software allows government to do exactly that.".

The Sirius solutions portfolio, in addition to Online Presence, includes Identity Management, Data Management and Enterprise Search - all free from vendor lock-in, with lower acquisition and maintenance costs, performing to a higher standard and allowing full access to source code.

About The Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office sits at the very centre of government, with an overarching purpose of making government work better. We support the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, helping to ensure effective development, coordination and implementation of policy and operations across all government departments. We also lead work to ensure the Civil Service provides the most effective and efficient support to Government to help it meet its objectives. For more information go to http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

About Sirius Corporation Sirius is the UK's flagship open source solutions provider with 15 years’ experience supporting mission critical enterprise applications and infrastructure. Our consultants, business analysts, IT architects and support engineers work with central and local government agencies, blue-chip multi-nationals, SMEs and start-ups to identify, deploy and manage feature-rich and stable open source solutions. For more information go to http://www.siriusopensource.com/

Nearly three-quarters of IT managers think their infrastructure complexity is “high” or “out of control””

Royce Murphy, CEO of IT modelling and data visualisation software company Real Status, has warned that increasing infrastructure complexity is leading to more outages and potential lost business for firms struggling in the recession.

Royce comments: “We know from speaking to IT managers that they often feel they are fighting a losing battle trying to keep on top of all the operations they are responsible for. It often takes far too long to resolve business-impacting outages and slowdowns, and existing IT management tools simply do not support the mix of technologies used in their applications.

“Some applications run on six or more component technologies, and there are different management tools for each technology. As a result, managers are struggling to understand the inter-dependencies and cannot determine which problems are affecting critical systems and which problems are far less important. IT managers also complain that they first hear about performance problems when users call to complain; whereas if they had some method of seeing when problems affected their most important services, they could take proactive steps to address the problems before there was a noticeable effect on the business.

“It is extremely difficult to understand all of the relationships involved in delivering IT services to the business. Applications are broken down into components that are spread across multiple virtual machines and servers, and they rely upon distributed storage and network devices. When heads of different teams meet up to try and solve an application performance issue, it is generally the case that their individual component management dashboards do not understand which components are related to the application in question. Figuring out the inter-dependencies in ad hoc meetings wastes valuable time and costs money.

“The complexity genie is out of the bottle, and firms need to automate recurring tasks, such as understanding the inter-dependencies between all of the components in their infrastructure. The best option for dealing with complexity is to give people a simple and effective way to see the relevant relationships between components and visualise key performance metrics on that model. This approach leverages, rather than replaces, their existing monitoring tools, and it gives the contextual information needed to see which problems are the most important, so they can allocate their resources effectively.

“Hyperglance 2.0 is a modelling and visualisation tool that gives perspective to all the polarised views within existing IT management tools. It weaves all the information together from all your IT resources – asset management, relationship and performance data – into a single 3D model that provides real context on key dependencies”.

Real Status is running a webinar on Thursday, 6 September to demonstrate how Hyperglance 2.0 works and can benefit businesses struggling to keep their infrastructure running effectively.

Selfridges showcases British Fashion Council project using FeONIC’s Whispering Window

Freehand implements video walls and FeONIC’s interactive audio in Selfridges iconic window displays -

Freehand, creators of audio visual content and supporting systems, has successfully launched interactive window displays in London’s Selfridges store, to showcase the British Fashion Council’s ‘Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion’ and Women’s Designer Galleries projects, which celebrate the longstanding relationships between fashion designers and visual artists.

Using FeONIC Technology’s Whispering Window ‘invisible audio technology’, Freehand has been able to convert the windows into speakers in order to attract the attention of passers-by. The current video walls preview exclusive work by some of the featured artists who have been involved in the Britain Creates 2012 project, including Giles Deacon with Jeremy Deller; Paul Smith with Charming Baker; and Hussein Chalayan with Gavin Turk. By integrating FeONIC’s Whispering Window, the entire window becomes a speaker meaning passers-by are able to hear the display, as well as enjoy watching the visual centrepiece.

Commenting on the current project, Mike Fabian from Freehand said, “We were commissioned to create two window displays in Selfridges to showcase the British Fashion Council’s ‘Britain Creates 2012’ project. With the store wanting to engage with passers-by, we were keen to design an interactive display that would attract as much attention as possible. Having used FeONIC’s Whispering Window audio devices in the past, we knew that this would work well in projecting sound externally, yet without impacting the visual element of the work on show. It’s going down a storm and is really a great way of adding an interactive dimension to any window feature.”

Selfridges’ Window Production Manager added, “Our legendary windows are currently previewing exclusive work by several artists involved in the ‘Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion’ project. The team at Freehand have managed the full audio visual technology requirements for the displays, including using the FeONIC Whispering Window audio to attract greater interest from people outside of the store, and it has been extremely well received. The displays are on Orchard Street and it is amazing to see the number of people that are attracted to the display by the sound first, and then by what they consume visually. It’s a great spectacle.”

Concluded Brian Smith, Managing Director of FeONIC Technology, “Independent research has shown that Whispering Window technology can help increase footfall and sales revenues by as much as 50% during the first week of a campaign, illustrating the impact this technology can have in creating an immediate wow-factor. We are pleased that Freehand has supported Selfridges in creating an interactive display for the British Fashion Council’s project and we are confident it will help turn many more heads, during the course of the campaign.”

For further details regarding the FeONIC range of invisible audio products, telephone +44 (0)1482 806688 or email info@feonic.com. More information on FeONIC Technology is available via www.feonic.com.

Version One shows under 4 percent of UK organisations use document management in the Cloud

A survey by document management software company, Version One, reveals that just under four per cent of 130 UK organisations polled are using electronic document management in the Cloud. Version One surveyed IT and finance professionals from a cross-section of public, private and third sector organisations.

Of the 125 respondents that do not use document management in the Cloud, 76 per cent stated that they would consider using it in the future. 19 per cent of respondents were not sure whether they would use it with just five per cent indicating that they would not consider using Cloud-based document management.

Greg Ford, Managing Director of Version One, says, “It is clear from the results that although few UK organisations are currently using document management in the Cloud, there is significant demand for this solution with nearly 80 per cent of respondents open to the idea of using it. Clearly, organisations are far less apprehensive than they used to be about using the Cloud and many are now keen to embrace this increasingly popular delivery model.”

The survey identified that a key benefit of using document management in the Cloud is that it’s cost-effective with 24 per cent of respondents highlighting this as a benefit. Other key benefits cited by 23 per cent and 18 per cent of respondents respectively is that it provides 24/7 access to documents and that it allows for flexible working.

Ford adds, “As document management in the Cloud is a cost-effective choice, is fast to deploy, scalable and provides anytime and anywhere access to electronic business documents, its increased adoption is inevitable.”

Lumata acquires ACT750

Lumata, a leader in mobile marketing software and services, today announced the acquisition of ACT750, a provider of real-time customer retention and revenue management products for telecom operators.

With ACT750’s best-in-class technology, Lumata is able to enhance its existing product portfolio across two key dimensions. First, Lumata will be able to bring new loyalty concepts to market by leveraging ACT750’s micro-segmentation and real-time marketing capabilities. Second, by integrating ACT750’s powerful predictive analytics existing clients will benefit from improved ROI across their usage stimulation and churn reduction campaigns.

The deal gives Lumata the broadest portfolio of customer retention and loyalty solutions for telecom operators worldwide which offer large-scale marketing programs and highly personalised, one-to-one marketing campaigns – all under one roof.

“As operators drive customers loyalty, they increasingly demand new products and innovative solutions from their partners”, said Thomas Enraght-Moony, CEO, Lumata. “Adding ACT750 to our portfolio supports this trend and underlines our commitment to the on-going investments required to extend our market leadership”, he added.

“We are very excited to be joining forces with Lumata a global player with an excellent reputation and a top draw client portfolio. We are now better placed to serve our existing customers and to take advantage of Lumata’s international reach to distribute our products to telecom operators worldwide,”said Alain Lefebvre, CEO, ACT750.

Advanced Mobile Communications wins Vodafone Silver Partner of the Year

Advanced Mobile Communications (part of Advanced Computer Software Group plc) has scooped the prestigious ‘Vodafone Silver Partner of the Year’ Award 2012. Advanced was recently presented with the award at Mayfair Hotel in London.

This is Vodafone’s second Partner of the Year Awards, which recognise the achievements of Vodafone Platinum, Gold and Silver tier partners. Businesses are measured on level of performance (both connections and revenue), capability, skills and customer experience between 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012.

Advanced’s win is a remarkable achievement considering Advanced Computer Software has only been operating its mobile division since July 2011.

Advanced has seen a significant 200 per cent growth in mobile users in the last financial year and has also been promoted to Vodafone’s Gold tier. This rapid growth is expected to continue as Advanced plans to increase its mobile connections outside of the UK health and care sectors.

Chris Griffin, Sales Director, Advanced Mobile Communications, says, “Achieving the Vodafone Silver Partner of the Year Award is an excellent achievement, especially since we are a relatively new player in the mobile sector and were up against businesses that have been operating in the sector for over 20 years. One of the key reasons for our success is our ‘one stop shop’ offering. We uniquely provide organisations with mobile software applications, devices, voice and data airtime all under one roof.”

Tim Stone, Vodafone Director of Small Enterprise, says, “The Vodafone Partner of the Year Awards demonstrates our commitment to our channel partners, their achievements and future growth potential. The award ceremony rewarded the best in class partners with the recognition they deserve for their performance over the last financial year.”

Griffin adds, “Advanced has been unveiled as a major player in the mobile industry. Now that we have been promoted to Vodafone’s Gold tier, this has spurred us on to achieve Platinum next year.”

www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/amc

Panasonic Announces Stylish AVCCAM Camera Recorder AG-AC90

Panasonic Corporation will release the AG-AC90 memory card camera recorder, a new "AVCCAM" series model, in October 2012.

The AG-AC90 new memory card recorder combines the high image quality, advanced functions and easy operation that professionals demand in a stylish, easy-to-handle design. Its zoom lens extends from 29.8 mm (35mm equivalent) wide angle to 12x optical zoom, with a high speed of F1.5 brightness. BSI (backside illumination) type 3MOS image sensors exhibit high sensitivity, Full-HD resolution and a high S/N ratio.

The AVCHD recorder section supports both PS mode, for Full-HD progressive image production, and pro-use PH mode. This gives a camera operator the field of view, image quality, and file/video formats he/she needs for news gathering and image production. Other professional operating features include Triple Manual Rings (focus, zoom and iris) that approach the versatility and feel of the interchangeable lenses, XLR Microphone/Audio inputs, and remote terminals to provide the system expandability that professional applications require.

The AG-AC90 AVCCAM memory card recorder will be available in October, 2012 at suggested price of €1800 RRP (excluding VAT).

The AG-AC90 will be exhibited at the Beijing International Radio, TV & Film Equipment Exhibition "BIRTV2012" to be held at the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) from Wednesday 22nd to Saturday 25th August, and at the European International Broadcasting Convention "IBC2012" to be held at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam, Netherlands from Friday 7th to Tuesday 11th September.

Main Features of AG-AC90
29.8mm Wide-Angle / High powered Zoom Lens
The high-powered 12x zoom lens includes a 29.8 mm (35 mm equivalent) wide-angle setting. When using the Intelligent 25x digital zoom, it achieves up to 25x seamless zooming. In addition, it also features 2x, 5x and 10x digital zoom function. Panasonic’s unique Nano Surface Coating minimizes ghosts and flaring, and a high speed, F1.5 brightness enables extremely clear image rendering. The built-in 5-axis Hybrid OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) ensures stable handheld shooting.

High-Sensitivity BSI Type 3MOS Sensors
Three (RGB) backside illumination corresponding 1/4.7 type MOS image sensors have an effective pixel count of 2,190,000 pixels. This makes it possible to capture excellent images with high definition and superb color reproduction even in dimly lit locations. The image processing circuit, which is tuned for professional use, produces highly natural gradation and sharp detail.

Easy Operation with Triple Manual Rings and a High-Definition LCD monitor
The lens barrel is equipped with manual rings for focus, zoom and iris operation to enable the kind of speedy, intuitive camera work that is generally associated with interchangeable lenses. The 8.89 cm (3.5 inches) LCD monitor (touch panel), which stores easily inside the top front part of the handle, has approximately 1,150,000 dot resolution to enhance focusing, and includes focus assist, zebra, and color bar display functions. The LCD monitor rotates 270 degrees for easy low-angle, high-angle, and self-interview shootings.

High-Quality Recording with AVCHD PS/PH Modes
• Professional AVCHD Modes: PS mode for Full-HD (1920 x 1080) and progressive (60p) image acquisition and high quality PH mode.
• HD/SD Multi-Formats: [60 Hz model]: 1080/60p, 60i, 30p, 24p, 480/60i.
[50 Hz model]: 1080/50p, 50i, 25p, 576/50i.
• Dual SD Card Slots (support SDXC/SDHC/SD Memory Cards). With two SD cards, a camera operator can select backup recording.
• Still shots with 3-megapixel resolution. (Still shots can also be captured during video recording.)

Specifications Supporting Professional Use
• 2 channel XLR audio inputs (MIC/LINE/+48V selectable).
• Audio CH1/CH2 with individual level controls and input selection.
• HDMI output, AV Multi output (D-connector, composite video and audio 2 channel), USB connector.
• Remote terminals enable remote operation of iris, focus, zoom and Rec Start/Stop functions.
• The upper part of the handle grip contains both the Rec Start/Stop button and a zoom speed control (three speed steps) for the lens.

For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/

NETGEAR Powerline product crowned with HEXUS ‘Recommended’ award

Powerline Nano 500 Set impresses with strong performance

Global networking company NETGEAR has received HEXUS’ ‘recommended’ award after its Powerline Nano 500 Set (XAVB5101) was given a rating of four out of five stars. This four out of five rating is for products that are ‘very good in most regards’, offering a compelling mix of features, performance and price.

HEXUS’ ‘recommended’ stamp is only awarded to products that are deemed a safe buy following in-depth testing and analysis.

In the review, HEXUS stated: “Where hard-wiring just isn't an option, Powerline networking makes a lot of sense. Simple to install and seamless in use, these adapters fit well in many situations and deliver second-best performance that's well suited to common tasks such as multimedia streaming and online gaming.

The team at HEXUS concluded: “If you need the extra speed, NETGEAR's high-performance kit is the quickest Powerline solution we've tested and well capable of delivering strong, stable performance to those pesky areas that wireless just won't reach.”

NETGEAR’s wall plug-sized adapters include a one-touch secure set up and pass internet an connection through a home’s electrical wires at speeds of up to 500Mbps. Working straight out of the box, the NETGEAR Powerline Nano 500 Set also comes with three status-indicating LEDs and helps to lower running costs by automatically going into standby mode after ten minutes of inactivity.

Rob Wells, Director, Retail Business Unit, NETGEAR, said: “It is great to see yet another panel of experts recognising the strength of our Powerline products. Our Powerline Nano 500 Set will really improve the networking capabilities of homes that might otherwise struggle to maintain a strong connection.”

The full review can be read here. For product availability, click here.

Open source tools and expertise used to create bridge between data structures

Sirius, the acclaimed Open Source System Integrator announces completion of bridge construction to enable seamless data transfer from PostgreSQL to Microsoft SQL Server to provide timely reporting for POhWER.

POhWER’s repository of case notes, contacts and reviews are managed by a custom application developed by a third party in Django and supported by a PostgreSQL database. However, POhWER’s in-house team prefers to produce management reports using MSSQL reporting tools. Sirius was engaged to work with the third party and design a robust solution for regular updates for timely reporting. Sirius integration team designed a bridge to translate PostgresSQL to MSSQL on demand.

“Sirius proved to be extremely reliable and responsive in helping POhWER achieve the desired outcome, made all the more pleasant by their fantastic customer service”, said Eileen Flynn of POhWER. “They have been a pleasure to work with and went above and beyond what was asked of them. I would highly recommend Sirius to anyone looking for that expertise combined with great customer service”, she added.

Sirius’ expertise in data solutions is well established. “This is a typical scenario where the application is useful on a day-to-day basis but reporting flexibility did not keep up with demand” said Alberto Serra, Senior Technical Architect at Sirius. “We have been able to help POhWER extend the life of their application and history with a solution that is nimble yet robust".

The Sirius solutions portfolio includes Identity Management, Data Management, Online Presence and Enterprise Search - all free from vendor lock-in, have lower acquisition and maintenance costs, perform to a higher standard and allow access to source code.
About POhWER

POhWER is an independent advocacy agency providing Generic advocacy, including non-instructed advocacy in Hertfordshire, Independant Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) in the East of England, West Midlands and London regions and Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) services in 10 areas across London, East of England, West and East Midlands. For more information go to http://www.pohwer.net/
About Sirius Corporation

Sirius is a leading open source solutions provider with 15 years’ experience supporting mission critical enterprise applications and infrastructure. Our consultants, business analysts, IT architects and support engineers work with blue-chip multi-nationals, central and local government agencies, SMEs and start-ups to identify, deploy and manage feature-rich and stable open source solutions. For more information go to http://www.siriusopensource.com/