Gustavo Fuchs, director Mobility, Microsoft Middle East and Africa says the Windows Phone operating system has so far received great feedback from customers in the seven months since it has been released.

“Ninety percent of people are extremely pleased with the product, 93% of people recommend the product to colleagues and family and the return rates on the smartphones are very, very low, which we know is not a common practice in the market,” he said.

One of the promising feature I liked in this update is users can group together contacts from multiple sources, such as Facebook and Gmail and a user can text all these contacts at the same time.

The phones allow users to switch between text, Windows Live Messenger and Facebook chat in the same conversation. Photo tagging and face-recognition is also enabled on the Mango update, allowing users to communicate on the go.

The new update allows users to multi-task and the enterprise clients can enjoy corporate messenger. Currently Windows Phone application market has over 17,000. Let’s see how Microsoft fights the smartphone race. Currently Android is heading for a major breakthrough as day by day its market share is increasing.

According Reuters the next version of iPhone will go on sale in September 2011, citing three sources with direct knowledge of Apple’s supply chain, the news agency said that production of the iPhone 5 is likely to start in July or August.

The Apple’s next-generation iPhone will have a faster processor but it will be similar in appearance to the iPhone 4, Reuters identified a number of components suppliers for the new phone, namely camera module maker Largan Precision for camera, Wintek to supply the touchscreen, and Foxconn Technology to supply the casing, but none of the vendors would confirm the reports.

Some market observers have suggested that the new phone will be unveiled at an as-yet unscheduled Apple event in September, as Apple has normally held a music-related product launch event in that month. It’s too early to predict the move Apple is going to take; at least I would love to see some restrictions pertained to flash and additional memory expansion  are overcome in the new version of iPhone. Not to forget Android is doing an amazing job and its market share is increasing day by day.

Perhaps Apple can come out with a new version of iPad by testing the success of it’s new version of iPhone. Especially when the tablet market is growing exponentially.

According to Cisco 2010 Annual Security Report, scammers are targeting other operating Systems, platforms , mobile platforms, smart phones and tablets, rather than their prime focus Windows – based systems. The good news is that Windows-based Systems are less prone to attacks from spammers and cyber criminals

The report also shows that 2010 was the first year in the history of the internet that spam volumes decreased. However, despite a global shrinkage in spam, developed countries with broadband internet connections saw an increase in spam. These countries include France, Germany and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom spam volumes rose almost 99% from 2009 to 2010.

Some of the notable articles include in the Cisco 2010 Annual Security Report are

• Money Mules: The Linchpins of Cybercrime Networks
• Social Engineering: The “Seven Deadly Weaknesses” That Criminals Exploit
• Criminals Favoring Java Over PDFs
• Global Spam Update: Spam Down Globally, but on the Rise in Europe
• Android and Apple Operating Systems Likely Key Targets in 2011

Cisco’s report showed in increase in money mulling, where people are recruited to set up bank accounts or use their own to help scammers launder money. For futher details on the report do download the Cisco 2010 Annual Security Report

Pic Courtesy:Juniper Network

The JUNOS PULSE contains anti-virus, personal firewall, anti-spam, loss and theft prevention, and monitoring and control services to mobile users and enables businesses to provide employees secure access to corporate applications and e-mail via mobile devices.

Juniper Networks are not only aiming at business users but also they are looking forward for home users, the JUNUS PULSE allows parents to protect their children from inappropriate content on the web as well as exploitation through the internet.

“It’s no secret that personal mobile devices are quickly becoming the defacto means for access to corporate networks, making them one of the most valuable, but also most vulnerable portals to sensitive personal and professional information,” said Mark Bauhaus, executive vice president and general manager, Service Layer Technologies Business Group at Juniper Networks. “For the first time, using our Junos Pulse Mobile Security Suite, consumers and businesses have a way to fully protect and secure their mobile work and lifestyles, opening up new applications and opportunities for the entire mobility market.”

For more info do check Juniper Networks web site.  In short JUNOS PULSE is the only integrated access, security, and acceleration client that today’s businesses need.

Year 2009 was proved to be a great year for Android but according the Kaspersky, 2010 could be a challenging for Android just not because of a lack of awesome devices or not because Android OS won’t move forward significantly,. But it’s the hackers who are expected to target Android users with malwares and viruses.

“Currently the rules are very simple, you pay $25 dollars and your program gets posted, and Google does not do anything to check or manage this process. This is a serious weak point for the platform at this point,” Aleks Gostev stated. “There’s already malware for Android so the appearance of new malware is just a matter of time, not technology.”

Gostev says that Google will need to address the problem as a priority, but that it won’t be easy.

Aside from third-party application Android vulnerability, Kaspersky Lab predicts that 2010 will see Google Wave become a target for cybercriminals as well. Other threats high on their list include mobile malware, not just for Android devices, but also the iPhone along with more peer-to-peer (P2P) and torrent attacks.

From a Kaspersky Press Release issued couple of weeks back

“An increase in attacks on iPhone and Android mobile platforms. 2010 promises to be a difficult time for iPhone and Android users. The first malicious programs for these mobile platforms appeared in 2009, a sure sign that they have aroused the interest of cybercriminals. The only iPhone users currently at risk are those with compromised devices; however the same is not true for Android users who are all vulnerable to attack. The increasing popularity of mobile phones running the Android OS combined with a lack of effective checks to ensure third-party software applications are secure, will lead to a number of high-profile malware outbreaks.”

As per the recent press release from Juniper Networks Inc, Juniper Networks Inc has reached an agreement with leading PC maker Dell to offer networking solutions under Dell’s Power Connect brand. 

With this deal Juniper and Dell are planning to work together on open, standards-based solutions for virtualized data centers and to create technology solutions using Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE).

Juniper and Dell are a formidable team, and together we can deliver significant value for enterprise customers around the world. This OEM agreement is another great step in our sustained and successful push into the enterprise market,” said Gerri Elliott, executive vice president, Strategic Alliances, Juniper Networks. “We have the only infrastructure that includes integrated security, routing and switching running on a single operating system. And that uniform approach is a great benefit to IT organizations, from the smallest to the largest, as they tackle the challenges of an increasingly decentralized landscape.”

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/yZMqh7DWYM4" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

The products Dell will deliver under its PowerConnect brand include the Juniper Networks MX Series services routers, EX Series Ethernet switches and SRX Series services gateways, all running JUNOS® Software. Dell expects to make these products available to customers via its direct and PartnerDirect channels.

• MX Series Routers — MX Series Ethernet Services Routers offer advanced routing capabilities, such as Multiprotocol Label Switching network virtualization, low-latency multicast, advanced quality of service (QoS), and high availability.
• EX Series Ethernet Switches — EX Series Ethernet Switches deliver the next-generation of switching technology for todays – and tomorrow’s – networks. With the EX Series, businesses can deploy a cost-effective family of switches that delivers the high availability (HA), integrated security and operational excellence needed today, while providing a platform for supporting future requirements.
• SRX Series Services Gateways — For organizations supporting extranets, SRX Series Services Gateways can help lower the cost of delivering new capabilities while reducing risk, and satisfying end users. These services gateways integrate leading security, connectivity, and application delivery capabilities into a single platform for a safe, affordable, and consistent high-performance communications foundation.

Finally Dell too started venturing into new business. Dell has also announced that it would be promoting Salesfroce.com (CRM) software products to its valued customers in American market.  Apart from this Dell is also planning tap the fast growing smart phone market by launching its own smart phone to run on Google’s Android mobile operating system.