NEWS July 24 - $2 Billion Raid on Global Software Counterfeiting Syndicate in China

The FBI and China’s Public Security Bureau have led a major investigation into a $2billion  counterfeiting syndicate over the last few years. This culminated in raids over the past two weeks in China’s Guangdong Province where the syndicate was allegedly manufacturing and distributing Microsoft software. These raids and arrests by the PSB, drawing on information provided by the FBI, Microsoft, and aided by hundreds of Microsoft users, targeted sources behind the illegal commercial production of Microsoft software, software components and certificates of authenticity. Law enforcement authorities and forensic specialists identified numerous replication plant lines that were involved in the CD production and were the source of counterfeit Microsoft products that had been supplied and sold to business customers and consumers around the world.

NEWS July 1 – German IT Industry Lacking in Specialists

BITKOM, the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media, believes the lack of specialists in Germany is effectively putting a brake on growth for the high-tech industry. The association states that there are currently 20000 vacancies in the industry with a particular demand for software developers, IT project managers and IT consultants with a university degree. Short term solutions such as bringing in foreign specialists fall foul of Germany’s residency laws which require highly qualified immigrants to earn at least €85500 per annum before they can become residents. The crux of the matter comes down to an urgent need for more time and money to be spent on training and development.

NEWS June 26 – Software Piracy costs $40billion in 2006

Research done by IDC and the Business Software Alliance showed that nearly $40billion worth of software was obtained illegally last year. High volume copying and distribution (Software Piracy) is a major cause for concern worldwide, and in the USA alone it is reckoned that one in four software products is a “Pirate” or unlicensed copy. The majority of software producers are having the same problems and are turning to companies like Uniloc USA Inc. the technology leader in physical device recognition for protecting intellectual property, networks and personal data.

NEWS June 4 - IBM and Lehman Brothers jointly invest in Kingdee

In October 2006 IBM and Lehman Brothers formed an offshore business alliance with the intention of jointly investing in Chinese enterprises. The first major investment  from the "China Fund" is the purchase of a 7.7% share in Kingdee International Software Group Limited. They hope to improve the competitiveness of Kingdee in the global software market.