Open warfare

To forestall Microsoft`s attempt to dominate cellphone operating systems and lower handset prices, NTT DoCoMo plans to adopt an operating system based on Linux, reports The Asahi Shimbun.

The company is already in talks with handset manufacturers to develop the system and aims to market its first Linux-based cellphone, a third-generation model based on its Foma platform, next year.

The nation`s largest cellphone carrier is seeking not only to lower the cost of its phones through standardisation, but to establish a global standard ahead of Microsoft, the site says.

An effort in which thousands of people donate their computers` unused processing power has uncovered the largest prime number so far known, reports ZDNet. The number, with more than 6.3 million digits, is the sixth so far uncovered by Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search. Two years ago, the group discovered the previous record-holder, a comparative lightweight with only about 4 million digits.

The machine - a Dell with a 2GHz Pentium processor - was one of 211 000 run by about 60 000 volunteers involved in the project.

3Com has re-introduced EDS to its channel partner ranks, in a deal aimed at boosting the vendor`s efforts to battle rival Cisco Systems for enterprise business.

Under the renewed partnership, EDS will sell and service 3Com`s line-up of routers, switches and IP telephony products, opening new sales opportunities for 3Com among EDS`s base of large enterprise customers, reports CRN.

Siebel Systems, a provider of multi-channel business applications software, has announced the addition of a customer support module to Siebel CRM OnDemand, called UpShot Edition.

The launch of additional features for tracking service and support interactions "provides users with a comprehensive view of the customer, beginning with marketing and sales interactions and continuing through the service and support cycle", the company says.