PR Newswire's Business Technology Round-up, 5 December 2012

LONDON, December 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

IBM unveils tech courses for the future, Luxoft launches aerospace apps kit and malware discovered in factory desktops

Technology and systems giant IBM has launched a new programme to aid students prepare for the jobs of the future. The courses are intended to combat the technology skills deficit indicated by a recent survey. The survey suggested nine out of ten companies will not have the human resources necessary to deal with innovations in cloud computing, business analytics and social business, amongst others.

The facilities that IBM proposes to provide are varied, ranging from worldwide online mainframe competitions, global virtual careers events and an expanded access to higher education resources for participating institutions. IBM hopes also to address the business side of tech personnel development, with digital marketing software to teach students topics like benchmarking.

Luxoft, a member of IBS Group, has announced the release of a new mobile applications development kit, specifically aimed at aerospace engineering. Luxoft specialises in application development and has already produced a large range of services, including advanced software systems and airline IT support.

The new app development kit will allow aerospace engineers to remotely access tasks when conducting on-site inspections and operations, for example. The services provided include 3D visualisation technology for viewing models conveniently on site and mobile bills of materials, which will give engineers the ability to access crucial engineering documents on the go. The main benefits for their clients should be cost savings and the advantages of a move towards real-time production process. 

A new report from technology blog IsMal.net has worried many industry watchers by suggesting that malware may be being installed onto computer hardware directly at the factory production stage. In China, Microsoft researchers discovered that 4 out of 20 brand new desktops and laptops already contained malware. The malware discovered included the particularly dangerous Nitol virus, and its discovery is a worrying sign for lax security, or even illicit activity, at production level. 

Malicious software can often target personal data, and result in future identity or financial theft. However, more worrying for tech businesses, are the implications for corporate data security. Company malware infections can result in the wiping out or theft of client data, mailing list information and marketing research. Such situations can not only hold up business goals but may even cause clients to distrust the companies that lose their data.

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