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From: spencer_katt@ziffdavis.com
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 12:21 AM
To: eWEEK readers
Subject: Big Bother is watching; Sarvega seeks switches; HP—software is forever
“Lets make progress, pilgrim,” El Gato commanded his limo driver, who didnt appreciate the Mousers John Wayne imitation. Spence was scrambling to get from Progress Softwares Exchange conference at the Walt Disney World Dolphin* hotel to check out Microsofts TechEd conference at the Orlando convention center. As he checked in for TechEd, he found that the atmosphere inside the center was as steamy as the Florida weather outside.
The heat rose from attendees who werent thrilled to find a label containing an RFID tag attached to name-tag holders. The Redmondites distributed a disclaimer assuring attendees that “this label does not contain any personally identifiable information” and that the RFID device “will only be used as part of demonstrations in two keynote sessions.” The disclaimer, however, went on to say the device was active in the convention centers hands-on labs, dining hall and main keynote room. At this, the Literary Lynx recalled the definition of “double-think” in George Orwells “1984”: “the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in ones mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
The reward for keeping the RFID tag on ones person was the chance to win one of five Portable Media Centers. But some delegates were less than convinced by Microsofts claims that it was not monitoring them, and they tossed the label away. “There are more than 11,000 of us attending the show, so the odds of winning one of those media centers are about as high as Microsoft shipping Longhorn on time,” one attendee told the Tabby. The KattPhones new ring tone, “Eye in the Sky” by the Alan Parsons Project, diverted the Kittys attention from Big Brother apprehension. The caller said Sarvega has been knocking on leading switch vendors doors to do OEM deals to place Sarvegas XML security, routing and processing technology in the manufacturers boxes. No wonder, thought Spence: Cisco will announce this week that it will use Tararis XML implementation in its switches.
Trudging the vast halls length, Spence used his iPod to mute the voices of fellow attendees carping about how all the event sessions seemed to be scheduled in the halls farthest areas. As the Maven of Murmur hummed along with Rockwells “Somebodys Watching Me,” he traded instant messages with a buddy who had been at the HP Software Forum in Denver. According to the pal, Todd DeLaughter, OpenView general manager, said in his keynote address, “If any analyst is telling you HP is going to dump its software business, you tell them HP is saying thats just not true.” Also in Denver, folks were buzzing about rumors that BMC Software is looking to jettison its MainView mainframe management software business. Emulating the Duke in “The Oregon Trail,” Spence trekked from one session to the next. Using his official Ziff Davis Media healthy-lifestyle pedometer, Spence felt an aerobic buzz as he pulled into the next session. “Maybe thats why Microsoft gave out the tags—to find us if we got lost,” mused the Mouser.