MS, Vodafone team up on mobile Web services

Microsoft and Vodafone Group have outlined plans to develop mobile Web services standards, reports TechWeb. The site reports the move could open up a money-making market for application developers and mobile network operators, and deliver new integrated services for customers across wired and wireless networks.

"Intelligent Agent" computer programs are roaming the Internet and watching the skies, reports Eurekalert. Using grid computing technology, these programs will help astronomers detect some of the most dramatic events in the universe, such as massive supernova explosions.

The IAgents have been created by the "eScience Telescopes for Astronomical Research" project, and have been deployed on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope in Hawaii.

Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft took advantage of the platform of the ITU Telecomm World 2003 conference, which opened on Sunday in Geneva, to unveil mobile and wireless products and services.

TechWeb reports that for its part, HP advanced its plan to push hard on the wireless and mobile front by announcing a slew of consumer and business products and solutions. Microsoft, meanwhile, revealed its Wireless Provisioning Services. Chairman Bill Gates took the stage in a keynote to tout the upcoming update to Windows XP.

IBM has said it would ship its TotalStorage SAN File System, new software that connects heterogeneous servers and storage systems, on 14 November, reports TechWeb.

TotalStorage SAN File System links far-flung servers and storage devices using an Internet Protocol network so that the storage capacity looks and acts like a local file system. It is based on the Storage Tank technology created by IBM`s research arm.