Firefox and Verizon Improvements, HP Streamlines Printer Group

The Mozilla Corp. released the newest Firefox this week, Firefox 3, while setting records for the most number of downloads in a single 24-hour period. Elsewhere, Verizon Communications, Inc. increased the speeds available to its consumer and business FiOS customers. Lastly, Hewlett-Packard Co.  (HP) detailed a reorganization for its printer business.

Focal Points:

• Mozilla set out to establish a record for the most downloads of an Internet application within a single day, and was able to do just that. In a 24-hour period from June 16 to June 17, over eight million Firefox 3 downloads were recorded. Firefox 3 includes numerous improvements, including the ability to better handle memory management tasks. This was a major issue in Firefox 2, often causing the browser to erode system performance or unexpectedly crash. A new architecture allows for users to interact with Web applications offline, thus helping transform the browser into an application platform rather than just an Internet portal. Updates to the browser interface include improved bookmark management abilities, functionality to save open tabs when shutting down, and the ability to define a Web service as the default mail application. Security enhancements relate to improved phishing prevention and monitoring for Web site authenticity and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates. Unfortunately, an undisclosed security flaw has already been identified and Mozilla reports that a fix is in the works.
• Verizon is increasing the available speed of its top-level FiOS fiber optic broadband connections for consumers and businesses. Previously, speeds had been limited to 30 megabits per second (Mbs) in the majority of its markets, and it is now increasing those rates to 50 Mbps. The top service of 50 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload is available at a cost of $139.95 per month with an annual service plan, while other tiered service prices have also decreased. For instance, a 20/20 Mbps service is available for $64.99 per month to the 10 million homes and small businesses serviced by FiOS, though the company stated that it expects for its reach to hit 18 million homes and businesses in the 16 states FiOS serves by 2010. In a developer conference, Verizon also announced that one device has been certified to work on its Open Development network. This allows manufacturers to offer unsubsidized handheld devices to users without the need for a contract. The open development initiative was announced in November of last year, and Verizon hopes that this will spur development of both devices and applications on the Verizon Wireless network. Commercial availability of devices and applications is still unknown.
• HP announced it will collapse its printer division from five units down to three, as the company aims to streamline product delivery and make it easier for customer types to acquire all their needs from a singly-capable division. The announcement is part of HP's Print 2.0 initiative, which acknowledges the shift from on-site printing to printing services and non-paper based means of archiving. HP's Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) is among HP's most powerful and profitable, accounting for 27 percent of the company's revenue and 42 percent of HP's profits.

Experton Group believes the arrival of Mozilla Firefox 3 should make Internet browsing using alternatives to Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer even easier and more secure in the long run, as the new browser is easier to use and should ultimately be more secure. Users are cautioned against adopting the browser for the first few months of its availability, as unexpected errors are likely to rear their heads, as is true with any new application launch. IT executives using Firefox or interested in non-Microsoft alternatives will ultimately need to adopt Firefox 3 rather than its forebear within the next one or two quarters as Mozilla is only likely to issue security updates for the older browsing platform until that time. IT executives should also experiment with and expect for offline Web browsing alternatives to become increasingly powerful and capable, as this is an inexpensive and powerful mechanism for delivering server-based computing solutions. 

Verizon is continuing to push the limits of its fiber optic broadband network, and has a temporary lead in available home and small business offering speeds. New cable modem standards will likely be available within the next year or so to rival these speeds, though current offerings from both Verizon and the cable operators are quite capable in terms of bandwidth and performance. IT executives expanding or considering telecommuting options or network connectivity solutions for smaller branch offices can safely rely on such services, as they typically provide greater than 99.9 percent availability at extremely cost competitive pricing. As with Firefox 3, broadband availability and pricing is helping to enable reliable server-based computing initiatives to wired users wherever they might be, though significant planning and investment to enterprise architectures is both required and becoming increasingly critical.

The HP reorganization is truly a sign of the Hurd era, as the CEO is taking that which is working well and improving upon it. IT executives should continue to see much of the same out of HP, which is an intent focus on enhancing the corporation's current expertise into that which is even more competitive and applicable for its customers.