Gartner: Enterprise software spending rebounds 8.5%

May 05, 2011

By Chris Kanaracus | IDG News Service

Global spending on enterprise software grew 8.5 percent in 2010 to $245 billion following a 2.5 percent drop-off in 2009, suggesting the industry is shaking off the effects of the economic downturn and starting more new projects, according to figures released by analyst firm Gartner on Thursday.

Some regions fared better than others, however, with Japan and Western Europe seeing a "relatively modest" uptick, while Asia-Pacific and Latin American countries had growth rates in the teens, or nearly twice the average, Gartner said.

[ Discover what's new in business applications with InfoWorld's Technology: Applications newsletter. | Get the latest insight on the tech news that matters from InfoWorld's Tech Watch blog. ]

Microsoft stood at the top of the market-share pack, with 22.4 percent, assisted by the release of Windows 7 and Office 2010, according to Gartner. The company's increased focus on infrastructure software and application development tools helped as well, the report said.

IBM kept its second-place berth thanks in part to strong sales of WebSphere middleware and Tivoli system management tools, Gartner said. It also made new forays into applications for e-commerce, marketing, and sales, Gartner noted.

Big Blue would take the top spot if Microsoft's sales of Office and Windows to consumers were left out of the study, the firm added.

Oracle experienced the most growth of the top five enterprise software vendors, with revenue rising 19.4 percent. Growth was strongest in areas such BI (business intelligence) and security, Gartner said.

VMware led the top 25 companies with about 41 percent growth rate, according to Gartner. That figure was likely helped by the company's string of acquisitions last year, which included email and collaboration vendor Zimbra as well as security provider TriCipher.

Such consolidation shows no sign of ending "as vendors and service providers look to expand their customer bases, add unique features aligned to a vertical-market or technology function, and improve overall market presence," Gartner analyst Tom Eid said in a statement.

The rebound in enterprise software spending dovetailed with a rise in IT services revenue during 2010, according to another Gartner report this week.

IT services spending grew 3.1 percent to $793 billion last year, with IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Fujitsu taking the top three market share berths. That compares with a 5.1 percent drop during 2009, according to Gartner.

Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris's email address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/gartner-enterprise-software-spending-rebounds-85-096

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Who Really Could Take Steve Carell's Place on 'The Office'?

After 148 episodes and five Emmy nominations, Steve Carell?s Michael Scott is leaving Dundler-Mifflin and The Office is seeing him off with an hourlong sendoff Thursday night. While speculation continues to swirl around who will replace the wry office manager, several notable guest stars will be heading to Scranton for the series three remaining Season 7 episodes before a new boss is crowned ahead of its already announced eighth season.
?
So who?s most likely to take over Carell?s gig on The Office? THR takes a look at all the Office-bound guest stars to see if there?s room in their schedules for the NBC comedy.
?
Ricky Gervais
Office work: Gervais? David Brent first appeared on the NBC comedy in January, reprising his role from the original British series in a cameo where he bumped into Michael by the elevator. He?s set to make his second appearance in the season finale.
?
Upcoming: He?s set to appear in Disney?s The Muppets and lend his voice to WETA?s live-action/animatronic adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. He?s also writing (with Matt Selman), executive producing and appearing in Universal?s Flanimals as well as the BBC sitcom Life?s Too Short. Plus the Science Channel recently picked up his adventure series Idiot Abroad for a second season and HBO has added a third season of The Ricky Gervais Show.
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Will Ferrell
Office work: Ferrell first appeared as Deangelo Vickers, Michael?s temporary replacement at Dundler-Mifflin?s Scranton branch, on April 14. Critics were impressed with his more muted performance and praised his chemistry with the cast. His arc is reportedly ending with the finale.
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Upcoming: He?s executive producing Comedy Central?s sketch series Jon Benjamin Has a Van, set for summer; is in postproduction on Casa de mi Padre, and is filming Tim and Eric?s Billion Dollar Movie as well as producing Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, both of which are due next year. In addition, he has roles in four films -- including a comedic take on Sherlock Holmes opposite Sacha Baron Cohen for Columbia -- and is producing six, likely to keep him occupied through 2014.
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Will Arnett
Office work: Among the throng of guest stars slated to appear in the Season 7 finale.
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Upcoming: While Running Wilde may not have worked out with Fox, Arnett has signed on to play Christina Applegate?s stay-at-home husband in NBC?s untitled Emily Spivey comedy project from Lorne Michaels. Then there?s the rumored Arrested Development feature.
?
Jim Carrey

Office work: Also signed on for the finale.
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Upcoming: The Fox feature Mr. Popper?s Penguins is set for a June release and he has at least five other projects he?s signed on to through 2013, including Me Time, Sober Buddies and Damn Yankees, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal.
?
Ray Romano
Office work: Part of the star-studded finale.
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Upcoming: Romano is set for Fox?s Ice Age: Continental Drift sequel, due in July 2012, and Season 2 of TNT?s Men of a Certain Age bows June 1. No announcement has been made for Season 3.
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Catherine Tate
Office work: Finale bound.
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Upcoming: The Doctor Who actress has Monte Carlo with Leighton Meester due in July and appears to have a clear schedule beyond the Fox 2000 adventure.
?
James Spader
Office work: Appearing in the finale.
?
Upcoming: The Boston Legal veteran has been focusing on feature films more recently, with the thriller By Virtue Fall with Carla Gugino and Eric Bana in preproduction. But beyond that ?
?
The Office?s hourlong Season 7 finale airs May 19 on NBC.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/television/~3/tq56E_9QHoU/who-could-take-steve-carells-182733

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Malcolm X's Daughter Addresses Controversial Claims in New Bio on Father

Copyright ? 2011 National Public Radio?. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

You might have heard about a controversial new biography of Malcolm X, "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention" was written by prominent African-American scholar, Manning Marable, who died on April 1st just days before the book was released. The book has gotten a lot of attention, in part, because of that unfortunate circumstance. But also because the book makes some provocative assertions about the activist's life and death, including some assertions about his early years, speculations about his personal relationships and the circumstances of his murder.

Earlier this month I spoke to one of the lead researchers of the biography, Zaheer Ali. Today, another perspective on the life of Malcolm X from Ilyasah Shabazz, the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Ms. Shabazz works with the Malcolm X Foundation in New York. She produces a nationwide outreach program called Wake Up Tour which is meant to empower young people to make good decisions about their lives. And she's the author of her own memoir, "Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X," which was published in 2002.

And Ms. Shabazz joins us now from our bureau in New York. Welcome to the program. Thank you so much for joining us.

Ms. ILYASAH SHABAZZ (Author, "Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X"): Thank you.

MARTIN: I wanted to ask, first of all, if you've read Manning Marable's new book and do you plan to?

Ms. SHABAZZ: I actually skimmed through it. I was really surprised that his research would be so limited and some of the accusations - actually, I guess I would call them speculations - that he didn't really have much evidence. And I think to put some of the things that he put in the book, without having some really good accurate evidence, was pretty surprising to me.

MARTIN: Did he interview or any of your sisters? There are six of you, I should mention.

Ms. SHABAZZ: There are six of us. And there are also a lot of brothers and sisters of my father's, and I would say - you know, it took Dr. Marable 20 years to do this book - and I would say in the last 20 years, they were probably all of them were alive. So, we were really surprised that he didn't just interview the family.

MARTIN: And he did not, to your knowledge? You know he didn't interview you and you know he didn't interview any of your sisters. But to your knowledge, you don't think he interviewed any of the surviving siblings.

Ms. SHABAZZ: Well, with these statements - with these things that he just recently added, I would imagine - added to the book, because during the time that he and I were pretty close, you know, he even gave me a testimonial for my book. So that was back in the early 2000s that I was spending time with him, he was telling me about the book. He was showing me, you know, all of his files. And at that time he never even mentioned any of this sensational stuff. You know, about my mother not being loyal to her husband, which is absolutely, you know, not the case - especially while she was married to him.

And even that my father would have time to have all of the - you know, to do all the things that Dr. Marable says. And actually he doesn't even say them, he just speculates.

MARTIN: I'm still a little confused. Did he interview you or not?

Ms. SHABAZZ: Did he interview me? You know, we've had many discussions. To my recollection, I don't remember him saying, let me interview you for my book. But he did talk about a lot of the things that he found in the book. And the reason that he thought my father was so important to ensure that he focused, you know, his energy on doing this biography.

MARTIN: So - but he never discussed your parent's interpersonal relations. Is that the part that most concerns you about what you've heard so far? You say you haven't read the book in its entirety. But is that the part that you take issue with the most?

Ms. SHABAZZ: Right. I think the things that I take issue with are the fact that he said my father engaged in a bisexual relationship, a homo - you know, he had a gay lover who was an elder white businessman, I think, in his late 50s when my father was in his teens. And, you know, my father was an open book. And we actually have four of the missing chapters from the autobiography. And, you know, he is very clear in his activities, which nothing included being gay.

And certainly he didn't have anything against gay - he was for human rights, human justice, you know. So if he had a gay encounter, he likely would've talked about it. And what he did talk about was someone else's encounter.

MARTIN: Do you feel that "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," which was written with the help of Alex Haley, is an accurate portrayal?

Ms. SHABAZZ: I think it's more accurate than the book that Dr. Marable wrote. But I think we should also consider that unfortunately the publishing house violated the agreement with my father after my father was killed. And so, you know, fortunately, we have the outline that my father put together and then a letter that Alex Haley wrote to the publisher saying, you know, hey, wait a minute, this is not the - a book that Malcolm agreed to.

MARTIN: You know what? Forgive me, and I completely credit your perspective on this, but it is also the case that children often don't know the complete details of their parents' lives because it's not really their business.

Ms. SHABAZZ: It's not their business.

MARTIN: Particularly their interpersonal relationships. So is it possible that perhaps Dr. Marable had access to information that you did not? Or that was just uncomfortable for you to explore because...

Ms. SHABAZZ: Not at all. I mean, listen, I have a lot of friends who are gay. I have, you know, I hate to say, but some of my best friends are gay. OK? So, if my father experienced persons of the same sex before he became the icon Malcolm X, you know, then that would be his experience. But he would've spoken about it. And I think because there were so many other allegations, especially that my mother cheated on him with his best friend when he was in Africa. If we even consider that the FBI looked for a very long time for something to get on my father, something to discredit or to tarnish his image, then certainly they would've found the information.

And even Dr. Marable puts in his book that the FBI files indicated that Malcolm was a saint. And so I'm just certain that our government would have certainly found information over Dr. Marable and even if my mother was not being faithful to her husband, which how could she not be faithful? She had so many babies. You know, my father in 1952, just in his 20s, my father became the chief spokesman for the Nation of Islam.

From 1952 to 1959, there were four temples. My father was responsible and credited for having maximized this membership. From four temples to 50 temples, there was so much work involved. And Dr. Marable claims that my mother was hurt that my father wasn't spending enough time with her. And so she sought comfort in another man's arms. She had four babies. And if we can only consider the social climate of 1955 to 1965, the height of the civil rights movement, my father was working. He was a very compassionate man. He married a woman who understood him.

And we even have the letter that he wrote back to Alex Haley that has been published in the autobiography where they specifically cut off the part about his love and his respect for his wife.

So, you know, if my father had these, you know, relationship with a man, if my mother had extramarital affairs, you know, I don't have a problem with accepting that my parents aren't perfect. They are human beings. But that is not the case and I think it's unfortunate that you would have scholarly men put this kind of stuff in a book for sensationalism. And if you read the book, it seemed that a lot of these allegations contradict the good things that he did.

MARTIN: Well, do you think, though, that same (unintelligible_ I mean, I have no desire to hector you on this point, the only point I would make similarly is that I don't think he's implying that in the book or saying in the book that your father had, you know, homosexual relationships. I think he's saying that he had a, you know, fraught relationship with an older, you know, man, that he described in the third person in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," which was really him. He doesn't say that there was sex involved per se, but that this was kind of an old - do you see my point?

Ms. SHABAZZ: No, I don't. Because I don't think you're hearing my point.

MARTIN: Yeah, I am. No, I'm hearing you.

Ms. SHABAZZ: What I am saying is that the autobiography was tampered with after my father was killed.

MARTIN: I see.

Ms. SHABAZZ: And the blessing is that we have my father's manuscript. We have the contract that shows that not only did they violate their agreement, but that they didn't publish the book that my father thought was being published.

MARTIN: Why would Dr. Marable want to portray your parents in a negative light?

Ms. SHABAZZ: Michel, I have - you can't ask me that.

MARTIN: I don't know. But you knew him and I don't.

Ms. SHABAZZ: Michel, I do not say that I knew him. I said I spent time with him. I have no idea why he would do that. And if you want to continue to talk to me about this book, that's not what you said that this was going to be the focus.

MARTIN: No, no, I understand. I just - I was - I just didn't know what you were going to say.

Ms. SHABAZZ: So I can't sit here and answer those questions for you. I have no idea why Dr. Marable would want to do that. I know that there are many people that unfortunately, you know, they participate in things that are unconstitutional. They just participate in all kinds of, you know, distasteful things. And, you know, so I can't answer that question, especially because he's not here to defend himself. I have no idea. You would have to ask, you know, someone who participated. I can tell you that Zaheer Ali didn't know that these kinds of things were going to be in that book.

MARTIN: The only question I would have for you about this, and I do want to hear more about you and what you're doing and what is important to you right now is Dr. Marable makes the point in the book that at least some people who he believes were responsible for your father's death have never been brought to justice. Do you share that point of view and what do you think should happen now?

Ms. SHABAZZ: I cannot tell you, Michel, OK? Because right now I'm a little annoyed by this discussion because this is not what I agreed to. I can tell you that if they did not find out who killed my father, then most certainly this person in New Jersey, I can't even think of his name right now, Mustafa Shabazz, if he's one of the persons that pulled the trigger, then absolutely. I think he should be, you know, brought to justice.

MARTIN: We actually had planned to continue our conversation and to discuss other issues of interest with Ms. Shabazz about her life and current work, but she decided to end the interview. We confess that we are puzzled by that. We think we were clear that we wanted to speak about the book as well as about her life and current work. We would still like to have that conversation and we have extended another invitation by email.

Once again, that was Ilyasah Shabazz. She is the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Ms. Shabazz works with the Malcolm X Foundation in New York. She produces a nationwide effort called Wake-Up Tour that is supposed to empower young people to make good decisions for their futures. And she is the author of "Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X" that was published in 2002. We hope she'll join us again.

Copyright ? 2011 National Public Radio?. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NprTopicsInterviews/~3/nmzMLguFgYc/malcolm-xs-daughter-addresses-controversial-claims-in-new-bio-on-father

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Pippa Middleton -- $5 Mil Porn Offer from the States


Time for a little porn math -- Pippa Middleton = 5 Octomoms ... because TMZ has learned a major company is offering Kate's little sister a whopping $5,000,000 ... for JUST ONE SCENE.

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Vivid Entertainment honcho Steven Hirsch sent Pippa the letter, saying he thought she was the star of the Royal Wedding and that her "beauty and attitude" would make her a huge adult star. The fact she had some semi-racy photos surface this week probably didn't hurt either.

But get this -- Hirsch is also offering $1 million to another member of her family for doing a scene ... her brother James!

Back in February 2009, Hirsch offered Nadya Suleman $1 mil to appear in a flick. Thankfully, she said no.


Tags: Pippa Middleton,?Vivid Entertainment


Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/05/08/pippa-middleton-vivid-video-porn-royal-wedding-kate-middleton-sister-steven-hirsch/

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Mid-Day Ticker: Houllier hospitalized; Meireles, Parker honored and more

Houllier (Getty Images)

By CALEB SONNELAND

Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier was hospitalized on Wednesday evening in Birmingham after suffering chest pains. ?

The Frenchman had undergone serious heart surgery during his managerial stint at Liverpool, but assistant coach Gary McAllister says that Houllier will only need "medicine and rest" in his road to recovery.

Houllier is unlikely to return to the Aston Villa dugout this season as he recovers, and McAllister is set to look after the squad in his absence.?

Here are a few more stories from around the soccer world:

MEIRELES AND PARKER LAND AWARDS

Liverpool's Raul Meireles and West Ham's Scott Parker have been awarded the PFA Fan's Player of the Year and the Football Writers Association awards, respectively.

Meireles' accolade is voted on by the fans in the English Premier League and comes as a result of the Portuguese midfielder's phenomenal start to the year under the reign of Kenny Dalglish.

Since the turn of the year, Meireles has scored five goals and been a key figure in Liverpool's starting XI.?

West Ham talisman Scott Parker was voted the?2011 Footballer of the Year in what was one of the closet contests for the award, Parker narrowly beat out Tottenham's Gareth Bale, who was voted the PFA Player of the Year only last week.

The England international has been a hugely inspirational player for the Hammers this season in their bid to stay in the top flight. West Ham sits second to the bottom in the Premier League but only two points away from safety in a very tight relegation fight.

LIVERPOOL ON BRINK OF RECORD-BREAKING KIT DEAL

Liverpool's American connections continue to grow stronger after emerging reports that the Merseyside club is on the verge of signing an English Premier League record kit sponsorship deal with Warrior Sports.

The Boston-based sports company is set to pay Liverpool $41 million (?25 million) for the 2012-2013 season, which tops the current record that EPL rivals Manchester United hold with Nike for ?23.5 million.

Although Warrior Sports is known primarily for producing lacrosse and hockey uniforms, Liverpool isn't likely to be complaining with the monster investment from the American company.

REO-COKER OPEN TO NAPOLI OPTION

English midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker would reportedly?consider it "an honor" to sign on with high-flying Serie A side Napoli.

Currently the vice-captain at Aston Villa, Reo-Coker's contract is set to expire this summer, and it is looking increasingly likely that he will leave Villa Park when it does. His availability has generated interest from top clubs like Inter Milan, AC Milan as well as Fiorentina.

Napoli currently sits six points behind AC Milan in second place as it tries to make a late push for the Scudetto. ?

GETAFE?PURCHASED BY DUBAI-BASED GROUP

La?Liga?outfit?Getafe?have officially been bought?by Royal Emirates, a?Dubai-based group headed by?Sheikh?Butti?Bin?Suhail?Al?Maktoum. ?

Royal Emirates said during a press conference that they intend to invest heavily in the club as it sits merely four points above the La?Liga?drop zone.

As a part of the takeover, Getafe's club name will remain the same, however "Team Dubai" will be added to their jerseys and stadium as well as other club merchandise.

-------------------------

Do you think Houllier's absence means that Michael Bradley finally gets more minutes? Do you think Aston Villa be on the brink of relegation without their manager? Are Meireles and Parker worthy of their awards? Would Reo-Coker be a worthwhile option for Napoli? What do you think about "Getafe Team Dubai?"?

Share your thoughts below.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/ttZocB4h3Uo/mid-day-ticker-houllier-hospitalized-meireles-parker-honored-and-more.html

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Tyler Perry Vs. Spike Lee: A Debate Over Class And 'Coonery'

Director/Writer Tyler Perry arrives at the Lionsgate premiere of Madea's Big Happy Family in Hollywood on April 19.
Enlarge Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Director/Writer Tyler Perry arrives at the Lionsgate premiere of Madea's Big Happy Family in Hollywood on April 19.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Director/Writer Tyler Perry arrives at the Lionsgate premiere of Madea's Big Happy Family in Hollywood on April 19.

Jimi Izrael is the author of The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can't Find Good Black Men and a regular contributor to Tell Me More.

The battle between Spike Lee and Tyler Perry is less a battle about film than class and the popular black aesthetic.

Spike Lee imagines himself the keeper of a flame that, in many ways, he extinguished some years ago. During the 1990s, his films, while important, had become too preachy and pedantic to entertain, culminating in "Bamboozled," a remarkable film so heavy-handed it remains difficult to sit through. His films became his personal pulpit instead of stories well-told.

Perry's movies don't pretend to be high-art or heavily message-oriented. The irony may be that Perry and Lee tell basically the same stories, about the importance of spirituality, black pride and self-reliance. The key distinction is that Perry's films speak to a different audience than do Lee's, and less artfully so.

Perry's films have gained a reputation, fairly or not, as low-class. Lee's work is usually described as high-brow?somewhere, but not actually in theaters lately.

That said, this fact is clear: Tyler Perry does broker in coons and buffoonery. His stories rely heavily on popular caricatures of black people behaving badly.

But so what? Could we name a dramatic film that doesn't feature one negative ethnic, racial or social stereotype? Nope. Woody Allen's work is packed with yukels and yentas; Martin Scorcese's canon was built largely on plots about gangsters and gumbas, and John Hughes made a career of pitting 1980s' working-class whites against drug-addicted yuppie puppies and their dim parents.

Stereotypes feed drama, and drama makes good cinema. So, Perry's use of stereotypes is not a valid criticism.

The big knock against Perry is that he seems compelled to tell exactly the same stories over and over again, while a good number of blacks want to see more diverse fare. Notably, when Perry tried to step out of that bag, he was castigated.

Lee's work has evolved. Perry's detractors should allow for his films to undergo the same process.

Moviegoers shouldn't depend on just a handful of artists to tell the wide variety of stories that need telling. Spike Lee and the dreadlocked, open-mic, finger snappers should spend less time taking Perry to task and more time supporting independent black film.

Some black people think Perry's work reinforces some white people's negative perceptions of blacks and generally paints a negative portrait of an entire race of people, as if any single film or filmmaker is capable of that.

The bottom line is black people want more choices in the mainstream, and not just art-house films that are difficult to find.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2011/04/22/135630682/tyler-perry-vs-spike-lee-a-debate-over-class-and-coonery?ft=1&f=1048

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