(The Hosting News) – HP Enterprise Services today signed a Continuity of Services Contract (CoSC) with the U.S. Department of the Navy, valued in excess of $3 billion if all options are exercised.

The CoSC enables the Navy to transition the comprehensive IT services presently provided under the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) contract to the Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) contract in a manner that minimizes the possible risks to the Navy’s IT operations and security.

“The Department of the Navy needs to provide uninterrupted service to users while the Navy and Marine Corps execute a transition of one of the world’s largest and most secure defense network environments,” said Dennis Stolkey, senior vice president, U.S. Public Sector, HP Enterprise Services. “With the NMCI contract ending on Sept. 30, 2010, the Navy and HP have signed the CoSC to continue many of the IT services while enabling the Navy and Marine Corps to transition services to NGEN.”

This new agreement continues the relationship between HP and the Navy and ensures the continued IT support for more than 700,000 sailors, Marines and civilians in the continental United States, Hawaii and Japan.

In 2000, the Navy began a forward-leaning transformation to secure net-centric operations that started with NMCI. Today, NMCI is the world’s largest intranet, the most secure IT platform in the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. government’s largest IT managed services contract. HP Enterprise Services leads a team of more than 200 companies that operate all aspects of NMCI and maintains the performance and security of this highly-integrated IT environment.

Navy Signs $3 Billion IT Services Contract with HP

(The Hosting News) – Microsoft has recently announced that it is seeing a shift in the choice between the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 7.

46 percent of computers running Windows 7 are now using the 64-bit edition, said Microsoft in its blog post. This compares with 11 percent for the 3.5-year-old Windows Vista.

The major benefit to running a 64-bit OS is that it can address more memory. A 32-bit version of Windows can see only up to 4GB of RAM, and effectively use only around 3GB, since that extra gigabyte is reserved. A 64-bit OS can theoretically address around 17 billion gigabytes of RAM. In the real world, though, the more expensive and advanced versions of 64-bit Windows 7 can handle up to 192GB, while the lower-end editions are more limited.

Microsoft is attributing the surge in 64-bit Windows to a variety of factors. Though the cost of memory does fluctuate, overall the price has dropped over the past few years, so it’s less expensive for PC makers to bump up the RAM. And unlike several years ago, today’s CPUs are all capable of running a 64-bit OS. As as a result, more OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have jumped onto the 64-bit bandwagon, many of them moving their entire lineup of PCs into the 64-bit world, according to Microsoft.

The blog cites a recent report from NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker who said that 77 percent of PCs sold in the U.S. retail market in April came with a 64-bit edition of Windows 7 pre-installed. Companies are also making the move to 64-bit, said Microsoft, citing a Gartner study forecasting that by 2014, 75% of all business PCs will be running 64-bit Windows.

Of course, 64-bit operating systems still pose some challenges. The 64-bit flavors of Windows 7 and Vista need specific hardware drivers written for them–their 32-bit counterparts won’t work. And though manufacturers have been developing 64-bit drivers for their newer peripherals, users with older printers, scanners, and other hardware face a tougher time trying to dig up 64-bit drivers. Microsoft’s Windows 7 Compatibility page lets you browse or search for different hardware and software to determine whether it will run under 64-bit Windows.

People Shifting Towards Windows 7 64-bit

(The Hosting News) – MOL Global today announced a strategic partnership with Facebook that will make it significantly easier and more convenient for millions of people across Asia to purchase virtual goods in online games and applications on Facebook.

Under the agreement, MOL Global’s wholly owned subsidiary MOL AccessPortal will become a payment provider for Facebook Credits. That will enable Facebook members to buy Credits using MOLPoints on Facebook and on MOL’s website, MOL.Com.

In the coming months, Facebook users will be able to obtain Facebook Credits using MOL points purchased through MOL’s network of more than 500,000 outlets, which are mainly in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, India, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to outlets such as 7-Eleven stores and cybercafes, customers will be able to purchase Credits through MOL’s network of online banks in these countries.

Facebook and MOL will also offer co-branded gift cards at outlets in Malaysia and Singapore that can be redeemed for Facebook Credits.

The partnership makes purchasing Facebook Credits significantly more convenient in Asia, a region where consumers rely heavily on offline prepaid cards rather than credit cards to purchase digital goods and services.

“The relationship with Facebook demonstrates MOL’s growing role as a leading payment provider for social networking sites in Asia, especially in our core countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and India,” said Ganesh Kumar Bangah, group chief executive officer for MOL Global. “Over the last few quarters, we have seen a double-digit increase in payment transactions and payment volume. This partnership continues MOL’s momentum to build the largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network in Asia.”

“Working with MOL means we can offer the benefits of Facebook Credits to millions of people in Asia using a payment system that is already widely used and trusted,” said Vaughan Smith, director of business and corporate development at Facebook. “We’re investing in the long-term future of Facebook Credits and we view this agreement as a major opportunity to broaden the availability of a simple, unified currency that can be used in games and applications across Facebook.”

Facebook Credits enable users to buy and spend virtual currency in more than 150 applications on Facebook from many leading developers, eliminating the frustration of having to enter payment details separately for each application. Every month, more than 70 percent of Facebook members engage with applications on Facebook Platform.

Facebook To Partner With MOL Global

(The Hosting News) – As the economy improves, IT managers are turning to cloud computing to help rein in increasingly complex virtual and physical infrastructure, a market research firm says.

Server revenue for private cloud computing will grow to $11.8 billion in 2014 from $7.3 billion in 2009, IDC predicted in a report released Monday. The much smaller public cloud market is also expected to grow significantly, rising to $718 million from $582 million during the same timeframe.

With many IT vendors heading to serve the growing cloud-computing market, IDC analyst Katherine Broderick said it’s a “great time for many IT organizations to begin seriously considering this technology and employing public and private clouds in order to simplify sprawling IT environments.

IDC defines a public cloud as being open to a largely unrestricted number of potential users within a market, as opposed to a single enterprise. On the other hand, access to private clouds is restricted to a single enterprise and is an internal shared resource, not a commercial offering.

Other findings in the IDC report are that public clouds are less likely to be broadly adopted than private clouds and the public variety will be less enterprise focused than the private models. In addition, 44% of the IT managers surveyed for the IDC report said they are considering private clouds in delivering Internet-based services.

One of the reasons public clouds are growing slower than private clouds is distrust on the part of consumers. A March survey of online adults found that from 55% to 69% of the respondents would be only somewhat or not at all interested in using cloud computing for pictures, music, office documents, videos, or financial services, such as tax files or bank records, Harris Interactive said.

Security was one of the main reasons for distrusting public clouds. Four in five of the respondents agreed that security was a concern. Only a quarter said they would trust a cloud-computing service for files with personal information, while three in five said they would not.

Cloud Computing to Increase to $11.8 billion by 2014

(The Hosting News) – Last May, YouGov announced that Facebook had seen a drop in consumer confidence during  the time of its changing privacy policies. The Polling comapnay now claims that  public attitude toward Facebook is positively rising. YouGov also named facebook its most “improving brand” for its BrandIndex numbers in the month of June.

Facebook’s ratings increased from a 2 in June 1-15, to a 17.5 in June 16-30. YouGov’s rating scale spans from -100 (completely negative) to 100 (completely positive). Although the scale is not truly accurate, it does show that Facebook has overcome yet another PR-disaster.

Facebook Bounces Back in Consumer Confidence

(The Hosting News)–VegasNAP, one of the premier providers of colocation, disaster recovery and managed IT services in the western US, announced today the opening of its 14,000 square foot facility and datacenter. Located in the heart of Las Vegas, the facility includes a 6,500 square foot conditioned datacenter, less than 5 minutes from McCarran International Airport and the famous Las Vegas Strip.

After nine months of planning and construction, VegasNAP is now offering the opportunity for small to medium size businesses to leverage the reliability of a secure and affordable colocation and dedicated server facility as well as larger companies that have outgrown their present services.

“We feel it is important for IT services providers to take their time and find the most suitable plan for their technology needs,” said Rob Tyree, vice president and CTO of VegasNAP. “It is an important decision that they have to make and we work with each company individually, supplying only what they need, with the availability to grow their services as they grow their company.”

Providing a secure datacenter means allowing 24×7 access by clients, while protecting the entire complex with dual authentication access control, multiple CCTV cameras, 24×7 security monitoring and much more. Technical personnel will be available, 24×7, to provide support with all personal and company related issues.

“Security and uptime are our biggest priorities and is why, in addition to the security measures we are taking, we have incorporated the highest quality UPS and standby generator systems and test those systems frequently,” said Don Reed, president and CEO of VegasNAP.

In addition to colocation and dedicated server services, VegasNAP’s facility offers meeting room and storage accommodations to every client.

“We also keep various hardware supplies in stock, to provide instant repair to our leased equipment and can be made available for our clients who need hardware and software support,” said Tyree.

VegasNAP is offering private tours of their facility to potential clients, giving them the chance to see firsthand the benefits of choosing VegasNAP for their technology needs. For more information about VegasNAP or to arrange a consultation and tour, visit www.VegasNAP.com or call (702) 487-3838.

VegasNAP Opens Las Vegas Data Center

(The Hosting News) – Last friday. the White House releases a draft of the new National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace in hopes of coming up with a strategy to protect people in cyberspace.

The White House is seeking for people to volunteer by creating a system that would allow people to create trusted identities to use in online transactions.

White House cybersecurity chief Howard Schmidt said it is his goal to secure and protect transactions in cyberspace through use of a special ID–a smart card or digital certificate–that would prove that people are who they say they are. These digital IDs would be offered to consumers by online vendors for financial transactions.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recently launched a Web site to elicit ideas and feedback from the public. The government plans to collect comments at the site through July 19 before promising to finalize its strategy later this fall.

The initial draft of the NSTIC was created with input from key government agencies, business leaders, and privacy advocates in response to one of the action items in President Obama’s Cyberspace Policy Review, according to Schmidt. With online consumers and companies grappling with fraud and identity theft, the administration wants an “identity ecosystem” in which people can feel more safe and secure, as they conduct business over the Internet.

In discussing the NSTIC’s digital-ID initiative, Schmidt outlined a number of specific benefits. A smart identity card would eliminate–or at least reduce–the need to juggle a multitude of usernames and passwords for each online service. Such an ID system would also let individuals choose and control how much private information they wished to reveal to authenticate themselves online.

The use of identity cards both online and offline has has been proposed and debated for several years. Such cards have started to find a niche in Europe, but the U.S. response has been cautious. Proponents have advocated the digital IDs as a way to better protect our identities, but opponents fear that such efforts would make it easier for governments to keep a close eye on citizens.

White House Strategizes for Cyberspace Safety

(The Hosting News) – A recent hacking of a web hosting computer in Kansas Citytemporarily hijacked the websites of almost 50 organizations.

KCnet’s server had been corralled by midmorning on Friday — eliminating a cryptic page critical of Israel that had substituted images on various websites.

Even though it was the first time one of KCnet has ever been hacked into in 15 years of business, KCnet president James Nelson exclaimed, “It’s not something you like to wake up to. But these things aren’t that uncommon.”

Business and nonprofit groups contract with KCnet to host their websites. At one of those organizations — it wasn’t clear which one Thursday — a person with the authority to post pages to a website saw their password compromised.

Nelson said that opened a path for a hacker to replace the index pages on the roughly 50 websites run by the server — a 3-inch-by-2-foot piece of electronics racked alongside about 30 others.

So when people went to sites such as www.mazuma.org, the electronic home of the second-largest credit union in the Kansas City area, they found a picture of a Palestinian flag along with a crescent and a star superimposed on a map of Turkey. The image also included anti-Israel rhetoric.

“Our members’ money was never at risk,” said Rob Givens, president and chief executive of Mazuma. “In fact, you could still do online banking if you went directly to the right page. It was only the home page that was tied up.”

Nelson said some of his clients were worried about the hacking, but most were unaware their home pages were momentarily commandeered.

Service was back to normal about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, he said. The company was still running tests to figure out whose password had been stolen. Armed with that information, Nelson said, it would be easier to track the hacking.

“Somebody only got in there for half a second, but it was long enough to run (computer code),” he said. “And that messed things up.”

Hacker Hijacks Organization’s Websites

(The Hosting News) – ZipServers  announced today it launched the all new Triple Double Dedicated Server special. The duoZ premium servers provide enterprise level quality at affordable pricing and for a limited time the new duoZ premium servers will include Double base RAM, Double base Bandwidth and Double base Hard Drive.
 
“We continue to pass on savings to all our new and existing customers”, says Charles Nix Vice President of Sales for ZipServers.com.

COUPON CODE: None required! Just choose your base options and we will double them when we build your server.

* FREE LIFETIME Double Bandwidth Promo.
* FREE LIFETIME Double RAM Promo.
* FREE VPN Connection (manage through a SSL VPN using a Private IP Address).
* FREE LIFETIME Secondary Hard Drive (will match your chosen primary drive).
* Choose your location : Dallas, Seattle or Washington, D.C.!

EXPIRATION: Very limited amount of this special are available. Offer is subject to end at management discretion when all available slots are sold.

RESTRICTIONS:
Offer good only on duoZ Premium Servers listed below. Not available on One Plan, Hybrids or VPS. Budget duoZ series ($99/mo base price), legacy series are not eligible.

HOW TO ORDER:
Intel Xeon 3000 Series
Intel Xeon 5000 Single Processor Series
Dual Processor Multi-Core Intel 5000 Series (Nehalem/Westmere)
Quad Processor Multi-Core Intel 7300 Series (Tigerton / Dunnington)

Connect and manage your VPS through a secure unmetered PRIVATE NETWORK. MANAGED SERVICES are also included and include FREE cPanel, Plesk, or Direct Admim. Choice of SEATTLE, DALLAS, or WASHINGTON, D.C. and features 24×7 Live Chat / Phone / Ticket Support.

For more information about ZipServers, Inc., please visit www.zipservers.com or call 1-866-ZIP-HOST.

About ZipServers, Inc.
ZipServers, Inc. (www.zipservers.com)  is a provider of high-quality, low-expense managed hosting solutions. ZipServers.com is proud to provide small to medium sized businesses the same award winning support, industrial grade hardware, data center facilities, and network that Fortune 500 companies enjoy.

ZipServers.com Launches Triple Double VPS Special