UK's major Internet exchange cuts prices

The UK's major Internet exchange is cutting the prices that it charges ISPs, which could lead to further reductions in broadband pricing. The London Internet Exchange (LINX) links the networks of some 180 ISPs and other organisations to each other and is reducing the cost of connecting to the 1Gbit and 10Gbit Ethernet ports on its switches by 15 per cent. 'LINX's lower pricing comes at a time when many ISPs are seeking to attract new customers through lower prices for broadband services,' said Vanessa Evans, LINX's sales and marketing manager. ...more

Microsoft unveils hosted security products

Microsoft has unveiled its hosted security products following its buy of FrontBridge technologies. Bought in the summer of last year for an undisclosed sum, FrontBridge's managed security portfolio completed the business end of Microsoft's security offering. It bought Sybari prior to that and is now able to cater for business security requirements whether hosted or in-house. ...more

IBM adds its voice to talk of IT recovery

Following in the wake of Intel's positive results yesterday - which some analysts believe signposted the end of the long-running IT slump - IBM has reported its quarterly results and made positive noises about the economic outlook. 'We are beginning to see signs that the economy has stabilised,' said IBM chairman and CEO, Samuel Palmisano. 'As we look to 2004, more customers are expected to increase their investments in information technology. ...more

Previewed: next generation mobile processor

This week Intel unveiled details of a mobile chip that will provide mobile phones and wireless Internet devices with enough power to run video conferencing and browse the Web comfortably. Intel claims that the fast chip will increase mobile Internet speeds by a factor of four. The flash memory chips, which retain data even when switched off, run off 1. ...more

Stop whining, Microsoft tells Apple

The head of Microsoft's legal department has warned Apple to stop blaming the music companies for its 'inability to sell every conceivable iPod'. General counsel Brad Smith said that Apple was 'doing pretty well', and that it was the music companies that were doing less well. It is they, not the company controlling the delivery mechanism, that Smith believes should be able to decide how their products should be provided to the general public. ...more