Process management goes open source

The Apache Software Foundation is to launch an open source project around business process management server next week, expanding the imprint of open source software.

A CNET report says the Agila software is designed for writing Java applications that automate business workflows and will be made available free of charge under the Apache 2.0 open source licence.

Agila is designed as a business process management product that can be embedded in other applications and run on a range of devices, including handheld computers.

CNET says Agila is not as sophisticated as some existing products, but the project will give open source developers and customers an alternative to proprietary products from companies such as BEA Systems and Microsoft.

The US Patent Office has struck down Microsoft`s patent on the FAT file system after an appeal, ending an attempt by the software maker to create a lucrative future revenue stream from the patent, reports The Register.

Microsoft introduced FAT in version 2.0 of MS-DOS in 1982, but was not granted a patent until 1996. Last year Microsoft used it as the basis of its first licensing program, offering manufacturers the right to use the file system for a low royalty rate. However, an appeal by the Public Patent Foundation citing prior art from IBM and Xerox has proved successful.

The report says although the US Patent Office is fiercely criticised for granting unnecessary patents, it has begun to repair some of its reputation by rejecting them on appeal.

New security hardware by ServGate Technologies targeted at small to medium enterprises (SMEs) is to be available soon only on the Dell Web site, reports PC World.

The hardware offers integrated anti-virus, spam filtering and other security features for SMEs. The ServGate EdgeForce M Series will include seven new products, offering companies a rack-mounted hardware appliance with modular security features that can be chosen from Dell`s Web site.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is using a new intranet system to help support relief efforts to hurricane victims in the Southeast, reports Computerworld.

After Hurricane Charley hit Florida in mid-August, FEMA set up a field office in Orlando to help handle an overflow of financial aid requests. The report says FEMA was able to give its relief workers access to the agency`s Federal Emergency Management Information System to help process financial relief requests in two or three days.

FEMA plans to expand the network to an extranet to help streamline its interactions with other government agencies, such as the US Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department.