Breaking News: Qantas to trial in-flight Wi-Fi, tablets ZDNet / Cloud / Story OrionVM taps Equinix S3 for expansion

from www.zdnet.com.au:

>>Local start-up OrionVM has taken capacity at the new Equinix S3 datacentre in Sydney, as the cloud infrastructure start-up continues its efforts to crack the $1 million revenue milestone.

The move marks a period of renewed success for the company, which recently took out the broadband innovation award at the Tech23 showcase, planning to use the $25,000 prize money to fund marketing and development and an overseas expansion in an attempt to generate $1 million in the current financial year.

..

"The migration into Equinix Sydney3 allows us to push forward a couple of new features we have been working on. Most of these features required the increased transit and power capacity offered by the new facility," he said.

The move will also allow it to cut costs. Yeo said that bandwidth prices would drop by at least 15 per cent (overall pricing is being finalised).

Smartphones out-ship feature phones in Europe, Samsung leads the way

from Engadget:

>>

It was probably gonna happen sooner or later, but a new report from IDC confirms it: smartphones are now out-shipping feature phones in western Europe.

IDC: Nokia, LG see significant Q2 shipping decline, Apple continues to grow

from Engadget:

>>Nokia, while still the world's largest handset maker, suffered a significant blow, with shipments dropping from 111.1 million in Q2 2010 to 88.5 million; the company's market share was similarly down, hitting 24.2 percent, compared to last year's 33.8 percent. LG Electronics was the only other manufacturer to see a loss, with shipments dropping to 24.8 million from 30.6 million in 2010.

Equinix Appoints Alex Tam as Managing Director for Greater China

20-year technology veteran to drive business development

HONG KONG – September 8, 2011 – Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data center services, today announced the appointment of Alex Tam as managing director of Equinix Greater China. Tam joins Equinix as a 20-year veteran of the ICT industry in Asia Pacific and has held senior management roles with British Telecom (BT), iAdvantage, Hutchison Telecommunications and Hongkong Telecom. He will draw on his extensive experience to support the growth of Platform Equinix in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and capitalize new business opportunities presented through trends towards outsourcing, business continuity and cloud-based service delivery.

Tam recently worked for BT as the general manager of data centers, Hong Kong. At BT, he was responsible for establishing the company’s Hong Kong data center operation and for developing the data center and IT outsourcing services strategy. Prior to BT, he was the CEO of iAdvantage where he spearheaded the data center business in Hong Kong and China.

Samuel Lee, president, Equinix Asia-Pacific commented: “Equinix has a ten-year track record in the Hong Kong market as a trusted business partner. Alex is a great addition to our team and absolutely the right person to drive the growth of Platform Equinix in Hong Kong and China.

“We have invested substantially in expanding our HK1 International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center over the past three years and our second Hong Kong IBX data center, HK2, will commence operations in the third quarter this year. HK2 will give us additional capacity to meet the needs of our existing customers and attract new customers that are looking for a global and highly available platform with dynamic business ecosystems and the broadest choice of networks available.”

“I am very pleased to be joining Equinix at such an exciting time in its growth,” commented Tam. “Equinix’s strategy of building network-neutral data centers on a global platform is certainly paying dividends. The company is experiencing healthy demand in Hong Kong and there is a huge amount of potential in China, as our customers in Europe and Hong Kong look to expand their businesses on the Mainland. I’m looking forward to working with the team to drive sales in order to maximise the numerous opportunities and contribute to the success and growth of Platform Equinix in Asia.”

Tam holds a M.Sc. degree in Global Business from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a B.Sc. degree in Engineering from The University of Hong Kong.

RTS selects Equinix as data centre provider in Germany

RTS Realtime Systems Group, a leading global trading solutions provider, today announced that Equinix, Inc. has been chosen as the provider of its newest low latency global data center in Germany, extending its reach on Platform Equinix™.

The RTS data center, which offers hosting and co-location services, will be located at Equinix's FR2 International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) in Frankfurt, enabling RTS to continue to offer low latency sensitive clients the fastest access to Eurex® and Xetra® markets.

Last year, Deutsche Börse AG selected the state-of-the-art Equinix Frankfurt facility as its new main data center to operate as the primary co-location site for customers of Eurex, one of the world's leading derivatives exchanges, and Xetra, the leading pan-European trading system for the cash market of Deutsche Börse.

RTS offers connectivity across asset classes to more than 135 exchanges globally, with co-located, ultra-low latency access to more than 65 of these venues. Its ASP (application services provider) hosting, trading, matching and risk management solutions are available via the exchange's global data centers in key markets worldwide, including Frankfurt, Chicago, New York and London. Four of these centers are now located in Equinix facilities.

"Our customers in Germany, Europe and across the globe rely on RTS and its partners to offer them the fastest, most robust connectivity to key exchanges and trading systems such as Eurex and Xetra. From this new strategic location, RTS customers are able to connect directly to Eurex and Xetra access points and minimize the critical round-trip time from the server to the matching engine and back to the server," said Christian Zahm, Frankfurt-based RTS sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Jörg Rosengart, general manager of Equinix Germany, added: "In recent years, the volume of electronic trading has grown exponentially. In response to this development, the infrastructure we provide in our data center offers financial service providers direct connectivity with minimal latency. We are delighted that RTS has placed its trust in Equinix and can take advantage of our expertise in providing data center services to the financial sector."

http://www.finextra.com/News/Announcement.aspx?pressreleaseid=40802

Digitimes Research: Apple to lead in 2011 smartphone shipments

from Digitimes:

>>Global smartphone shipments for 2011 will reach 462 million units, rising 60% from the 288 million shipped in 2010, according to Digitimes Research.

--

Combined shipments from the world's top-5 smartphone companies in 2011 are forecast to exceed 333 million units, which will account for 72% of total units expected to be shipped. The proportion came to as high as 85% in 2010, when the top-5 vendors shipped a total of 244 million units, Lin observed.

Source: Digitimes Research, September 2011

NTT Com to Strengthen PoP in Tokyo

from www.prnewswire.co.uk:

>>NTT Com also upgraded its PoP in Equinix data center on September 7, and plans to launch its new PoP in @Tokyo data center on September 26, both in Tokyo. The two facilities are expected to meet the needs of a wide range of customers, including content providers, ISPs and telecom carriers both within Japan and overseas.

Investors Flee Dark Pools As Market Volatility Erupts

from WSJ:

>>The number of messages such as stock quotes channeling across U.S. markets surged to 2.8 million per second during the worst of the May 6 ”flash crash,” overwhelming traders and contributing to the seize-up in information flow. The same figure now reaches more than 5 million messages a second without any hiccups in the market, according to data from Equinix Inc. and Exegy Inc.

As the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 250 points Friday, the figure briefly shot above 5 million. “Exchanges really led the way” enabling U.S. markets to handle more of those messages, John Knuff, general manager for global financial services at Equinix said in an interview.

Cellphones ComScore calls Android top dog, Apple pulls further ahead of RIM (US data)

from Engadget:

>>

According to ComScore, out of the 82.2 million people in the US with a smartphone (up ten percent from last quarter), Android came in first as the biggest platform yet again, capturing a whopping 41.8 percent of the market like a boss. In a not-so-close second, Apple was able to snag 27 percent, followed by RIM in the third place spot with 21.7 percent -- down 4 percentage points from last quarter.

Smartphones to account for majority of handset shipments by 2015, says IHS iSuppli

from Digitimes:

>>Global smartphone unit shipments will soar to 1.03 billion units in 2015, more than double the 478 million in 2011. This will cause smartphones' share of global cellphone shipments to increase to 54.4% in 2015, up from 32.5% in 2011.This rise to dominance is all the more remarkable considering that smartphones accounted for only 15.8% of the total cellphone market in 2009.

Within the smartphone market, the fastest-growing category will be low-end models, defined as devices with limited features and lower memory densities relative to higher-end products. Shipments of low-end smartphones are expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 115.4% during the period from 2010 through 2015, compared to just 16.4 % for mid-range to high-end smartphones.

Electric Cloud Partners With VMware to Build Smart Development Clouds

Equinix and Electric Cloud speaking today at VMworld® 2011 on how end-to-end automation of the build-test-deploy cycle and cloud resources accelerated Equinix's software development

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- VMworld 2011 -- Today at VMworld® 2011, Electric Cloud®, the smart development cloud company, announced that ElectricCommander® 4.0, the latest version of its enterprise-class automation solution, will integrate with VMware vCloud® Director 1.5 to enable smart development clouds. Brian Lillie, Equinix CIO, and Martin Van Ryswyk, Electric Cloud VP of engineering, will present "Beyond the Cloud Hype" (Session CIM2628) at VMworld 2011 today discussing how Equinix implemented a smart development cloud to accelerate its software development and test cycle. The session is at 5:30 p.m. today.

With this integration, Electric Cloud and VMware jointly address the challenges both development and IT face by providing a smart development cloud solution that automates development on top of cloud infrastructure. ElectricCommander automates the entire build-test-deploy process with an intuitive workflow automation solution, executing the operations and coordinating hand-offs between teams. ElectricCommander integrates seamlessly with VMware vCloud Director 1.5, allowing IT to automate the setting up, configuring and tearing down of virtual machines as they are needed to improve cloud resource utilization and eliminate VM sprawl.

"The constantly fluctuating resource demands of software development make it an ideal fit for the cloud, but without automation it's not enough," said Mike Maciag, Electric Cloud CEO. "By pairing the end-to-end automation of ElectricCommander with VMware vCloud® Director's superior cloud resource management, we can enable smart development clouds that support the 'bursty' nature of development, giving developers ready access to resources as they are needed, and automating the entire build-test-deploy cycle for faster, smarter development."

ElectricCommander provides increased visibility into resource usage, providing IT with the information they need to optimize resources. For developers, a smart development cloud powered by ElectricCommander and VMware vCloud Director means automated development that allows faster iterations and continuous integration throughout the build-test-deploy process. Ultimately, customers enjoy faster time to market and improved software quality.

"ElectricCommander and VMware vCloud® Director work hand-in-hand to enable application development on the cloud," said Dan Chu, vice president, Cloud Infrastructure and Services, VMware. "Taken together, they optimize self-service and elasticity for developers, and comprehensive resource management for IT."

Equinix Implements Smart Development Cloud

For Equinix, a provider of global data center services, ElectricCommander and VMware vCloud Director have proven to be the solution to challenges including error-prone manual processes, disconnected development environments and manual hand-offs between teams. Equinix implemented a smart development cloud supported by ElectricCommander and VMware vCloud Director that tightly couples the development process to its internal "private" cloud infrastructure.

Implementing a smart development cloud with ElectricCommander and VMware vCloud Director has allowed Equinix to create development workflows that enable its software developers to automatically provision resources for both development and test environments. Multiple projects now share a common development framework and the same private cloud infrastructure, while retaining unique processes and tool integrations as needed. This smart development cloud also enables resources to scale for peak usage and allows multiple tests to be run in parallel.

"Electric Cloud and VMware have allowed us to create a smart development cloud that reduced our time to execute development and IT infrastructure processes from hours down to minutes, reduced environment set-up from a week to two hours, and reduced our errors to almost zero," said Equinix CIO Brian Lillie. "Our smart development cloud has also increased visibility and transparency throughout the development process, and allowed our team to better collaborate and more fully align to reach our common goals as one integrated team."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/electric-cloud-partners-with-vmware-to-build-smart-development-clouds-2011-08-30

Crucial Paradigm expands cloud services with Equinix

from www.arnnet.com.au:

>>Web hosting company, Crucial Paradigm, has moved into global data centre services provider, Equinix’s new SY3 International Business Exchange (IBX) datacentre in Sydney.

The move will enable Crucial Paradigm to deliver an expanded range of Equinix’s cloud services to its managed service provider customers.

Toshiba rumored to be announcing ultra-thin tablet at IFA

from Engadget:

>>According to Notebook Italia, Toshiba's expected to announce a new ultra-thin tablet at IFA this week, swapping full-size USB and HDMI ports for micro-USB, micro HDMI, and microSD slots in order to shave off a few millimeters from last year's model, leaving the new device with a sleeker, much more appealing design.

waterproof Fujitsu tablet to be released in September

from datacider.com:

>>Waterproof Fujitsu tablet expected from NTT DoCoMo launched in September this year "ARROWS Tab F-01D" was leaked specs and product brochures. Is expected to be formally announced at the presentation of the September 08 Winter model.

Jamba Juice To Open Its First Two Canadian Stores In Toronto

On May 23, Jamba Juice (JMBA) announced an agreement with Canada Juice Corp. to develop 80 stores across Canada over the next 10 years. The first Jamba Juice Canadian locations were anticipated to open in late 2011.

Thanks to PostCity, we now get more details about the first two openings:

The first Canadian Jamba Juice will open in three to four weeks in The Annex, at 495 Bloor Street West, in the former home of Walk in Wok Out. The second will be in Yorkdale mall. While these two locations are the only confirmed ones to date, “there is not a province we will not be in over the next 24 months,” Aaron [Serruya] says. The Canadian locations will be identical to their American counterparts.

Aaron says that Jamba’s fruit smoothies are addictive and that people are anticipating their arrival. “Customers will come everyday. It will be an alternative to coffee.”

The expansion of its international franchise stores is key to Jamba's growth – and, given the business model, future earnings and cash flow generation.

Right now, Jamba Juice operates about 310 locations, while 436 shops are franchise-owned.

The company, as James White, the CEO, remarked during the last conference call, intends to strongly expand the number of franchised locations in the next few years:

Let's move now to store expansion via our franchise system, which allows us to accelerate our growth, increase our brand presence, improve our overall margin and reduce capital requirements. Our ambition for international is significant, but very actionable and on track. We're focused on 10 priority markets where we can open 50 to 100 units in each market. We'll sign a master franchise agreement with a strong local partner who has a successful track record as a premier operator and brand developer.

A similar strategy is being pursued in the USA, as remarked in the Q&A session:

Gregory McKinley - Dougherty & Company LLC

Okay. And what's your franchise pipeline look domestically here now that the refranchising transactions are complete?

James White

For us, our market plan, as we look into the immediate future, so call that this current year and through '13, we would expect in the 50- to 70-unit range for that set of 3 years, it will be largely...

Gregory McKinley - Dougherty & Company LLC

Per year, 50 to 70?

James White

Per year. It will be largely franchise. We'll end up opening 8 or 9 company units this year. That will probably be cut in half as we look to the following 2 years, and we'll focus more on development with our current franchise partners as we fill in. We will continue to grow in our nontraditional venues, airports, college campuses and those kinds of venues moving forward.

Jamba Juice recently reported Q2 results that were much better than expected. While the company remains in the middle of its turn around plan, and shares are also suffering some pressure as two large shareholders are liquidating their position, even a partial execution of this growth plan (that also includes licensing Jamba branded consumer products, now in over 25,000 outlets) could deliver, in a few years, a completely different company, capable of reporting good earnings and a strong cash flow.

Equinix Announces Hurricane Irene Continuity Plan

As you would expect, our Site Operations personnel have taken additional precautionary measures to guard against interruption of customer services due to the approaching hurricane.

What are some of the measures Equinix is taking

• The generators have been tested, fuel tanks are full, levels verified, and backup fuel vendors have been placed on standby in the event of extended power interruption.
• Special arrangements have been made to make sure staff are available on site as necessary to maintain operability standards.
• We have secured hotel rooms near the sites, and have brought in cots, MREs, and other emergency supplies, should the situation become extreme.

What about flood risk?

• All East Coast IBXs are minimally several feet above flood plain.
• We have staged leak diversion kits, sandbags, tarps, vinyl sheeting, etc. with which to secure doors and windows.
• All drains and sump pumps have been verified as free from debris and in working order.

Who should I contact during the storm for updates?

• During the storm, the most effective way for customers to get updates is to call 866-EQUINIX or 866-378-4649 or email support@equinix.com. In case of landline outages, we have an extensive cellphone network in place to provide updates to the ERC (Equinix Response Center, as listed above.
• In case of an outage of any type, customers will be sent an Equinix Incident Notification via email with details of such outage and applicable updates to the outage resolution.

How will I know when the danger has passed?

• Equinix will send updates to customers every two hours through the Equinix Incident Notification process if and as Irene’s path indicates an IBX is within the storm’s path. Specific Incident Notifications will be sent if, and when, additional incidents arise in accordance with our standard and customary processes.
• Supplemental staff will be in place for both our sites and support teams. 1- 866-EQUINIX and support@equinix.com will be available to answer specific questions for the duration of the storm.

http://www.equinix.com/company/news-and-events/press-releases/hurricane-irene/

NYSE Weighs Shutdown Options as Irene Risk Closes Subways

from Bloomberg:

>>Equinix Inc. (EQIX), which operates data centers used by exchanges and alternative markets including dark pools to house their main computers and trading technology, will have more employees ready to work if the storm affects the operation of its facilities. Dark pools are private venues that compete with exchanges without displaying bids and offers publicly.

“The data centers are built to withstand very, very bad storms,” Steve Smith, chief executive officer of the Redwood City, California-based company, said in an interview in New York. “We’re double-checking our fuel to make sure we have reserves if we lose power,” he said. “We’re double-checking the generators. We’ll have more staff on standby, and on Sunday night and Monday we’ll be on higher alert.”

Backup fuel vendors are also on standby in case additional levels are required, Sam Kapoor, chief operating officer at Equinix, said in an e-mail. All of the company’s data centers are staffed around the clock, he said.

Cirracore And Canvas Systems Partner To Exhibit CloudPod And Private Cloud Hosting At VMworld 2011

Cirracore, a global provider of enterprise cloud hosting services, and Canvas Systems, a global leader in IT infrastructure solutions and services, announced today that the two companies will be partnering to exhibit Canvas Systems CloudPod(TM) Solutions that provide Infrastructure-as-a-Service for private clouds and Cirracore’s private cloud hosting services at Equinix, at VMworld 2011 in Las Vegas.

“We will be performing live demonstrations of a private cloud using VMware and Canvas System’s CloudPod to exhibit a private cloud in a rack. Cirracore has recently joined the VMware VSPP (VMware Service Provider Program) to offer VMware hosting services. Combined with Cirracore’s enterprise-class data centers at Equinix facilities, the Cirracore/CloudPod combination is a compelling solution for enterprises considering cloud deployments either on-site or off-site in one of our data centers”, stated Matthew Elkourie, CTO of Cirracore.

“Canvas Systems’ CloudPod Solutions provide an painless method for enterprises to migrate to private clouds from physical infrastructures. CloudPod offers a complete hardware and software stack in a self-contained locking cabinet that can be deployed on-site or hosted with Cirracore”, stated Dave Rollo, Business Development Manager Rental at Canvas Systems.

..

link.

Samsung introduces new GALAXY smartphone naming strategy, expands GALAXY smartphone range

from Engadget, Samsung's P/R:

>>SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) August 24, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced a new naming strategy for its GALAXY range of smartphones. The creation of the new naming system is marked by the release of four new GALAXY smartphone, the GALAXY W, GALAXY M Pro, GALAXY Y and GALAXY Y Pro, all of which run on the powerful Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating systems.

Samsung has created a new and simplified system of naming its smartphones, focused on its ever-expanding portfolio of industry-leading Android devices. The naming structure will organize and group all devices into five classes, identified by a single alphabetical letter. Devices will then be further designated by an additional indicator which will identify specific functionality.

"As Samsung continues to innovate, our goal is to provide consumers with an experience uniquely tailored to their needs. We have introduced steps to ensure users can simply identify the device designed to deliver the perfect experience for them," said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

"In addition to this new naming strategy at IFA this year we unveilling the GALAXY W, GALAXY M Pro, GALAXY Y and GALAXY Y Pro – designed with the professional and social consumer in mind. These products further build on the phenomenal success we have enjoyed with the GALAXY range."

New ways to identify your GALAXY Smartphones

According to the new naming structure, new class designators refer to the specific category that the smartphone product fits into, for example a premium device, or an entry-level device. All classes will be used within the higher branding of the 'GALAXY' smartphones.

- "S" (Super Smart) – Devices at the very pinnacle of Samsung's mobile portfolio. This class will only be used on flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S, the award-winning smartphone that has already sold 10 million units throughout the world.
· "R" (Royal / Refined) – Premium category models, a combination of power, performance and productivity for the individual who wants to be defined by the technology they carry.
· "W" (Wonder) – High quality, strategic models, perfect for those seeking a balance between style and performance.
· "M" (Magical) –High-performance models at an economic price-point.
· "Y" (Young) – These are entry models or strategic models for emerging markets or a younger audience more sensitive to price.
Class indicators allow a more specific description of the key selling points of a device:

- "Pro" – This indicates that the device includes a QWERTY keyboard for speedier email typing and increased productivity for professionals.
- "Plus" – This indicates that the device is an upgrade from an existing model.
- "LTE" – This indicates that the device is designed to utilize LTE (Long-Term Evolution) connectivity standards, a 4G standard to provide increased mobile network capacity and speed.

all Equinix data centers on the East Coast operating normally

from Equinix FB page:

>At this time, all Equinix data centers and offices on the East Coast are operating normally after the DC-area earthquake.

Traders, Electronic Systems Tested By Tuesday's Quake

from online.wsj.com:

>Representatives for NYSE Euronext (NYX), Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ), BATS Global Markets, Direct Edge and the International Securities Exchange said that dealing in securities and stock options continued unabated following the earthquake.

...

The quake tested the high-tech infrastructure supporting stock and derivatives markets that are now heavily electronic. New York-area data centers run by NYSE Euronext and specialist firms such as Equinix Inc. (EQIX) and Telx Group Inc. saw no hitches affecting the trades and messages among exchanges, brokers and proprietary trading firms.

Chi-East Selects Equinix as its Primary Data Centre

SINGAPORE — August 23, 2011 —

Chi-East, the independent, pan-Asian trading venue, and Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data centre services, today announced that Chi-East has chosen Equinix’s Singapore 2 (SG2) International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) as its primary data centre. Chi-East, which commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2010, is the world’s first exchange-backed, non-displayed trading platform¹ for securities listed in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

With the selection of Equinix, Chi-East’s participants will benefit from the data centre provider’s existing carrier and financial network connectivity infrastructure, offering participants low latency proximity hosting options for the 3,264 securities currently supported on Chi-East’s system. This includes all SGX-listed shares, all Hong Kong Main Board listed shares, the component stocks of the TOPIX 100 and all listed ETFs in the three markets.

“One of the unique features of Chi-East is our ability to provide non-displayed trading to clients located throughout Asia from a single location in Singapore. To do this, we have selected a partner that can provide low latency services to our trading participants,” said Ned Phillips, CEO of Chi-East. “We chose Platform Equinix because of its established financial ecosystem, low latency infrastructure and highly secure environment.

“Equinix constantly meets the stringent requirements of the financial community for high performance, connectivity and low latency. We are pleased to support Chi-East in achieving its goal of becoming the first exchange-backed non-display liquidity venue in Asia Pacific,” said David Wilkinson, senior director, business development for Equinix in Asia Pacific.

“The addition of a strong trading venue like Chi-East to the Equinix portfolio showcases our capabilities to provide a neutral environment with optimal connectivity. It further demonstrates how Platform Equinix can provide market participants with access to new business opportunities across multiple locations,” added Wilkinson.

2Q smartphone sales by operating system

from Yahoo:

>>Here are the worldwide sales and market share figures for smartphones by operating system in the second quarter, according to research firm Gartner.

Google Inc.'s Android: 46.8 million units, 43.4 percent market share

Nokia Corp.'s Symbian: 23.9 million units, 22.1 percent market share

Apple Inc.'s iOS: 19.6 million units, 18.2 percent market share

Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry OS: 12.7 million units, 11.7 percent market share

InterXion Reports a Healthy Quarter, Along With Expansion and Partnership Plans

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>InterXion (INXN) reported Q2 2011 earnings Wednesday morning, before market open.

A quick look at some of the highlights:

• Revenues were €60.0 million, a 19% increase compared to Q2 2010 (€50.4 million), and a 3.7% increase sequentially;
• Adjusted EBITDA was €23.3 million, a 19% increase compared to last year (Q2 2010: €19.6 million), and a 5% increase compared to the previous quarter;
• Adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 38.9%, compared to 38.8% in Q2 2010 and 38.4% in Q1 2011;
• Capital Expenditures during the quarter was €16.2 million;
• Net profit was €5.2 million in Q2 2011, up 32% from Q2 2010 – EPS were € 0.08.

Equinix Earns ISO 27001 Certification For Data Centers In Switzerland

Zurich and Geneva data centers meet international standard for information security

ZURICH / GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — August 18, 2011 — Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data center services, today announced that it has successfully passed the external audit for ISO 27001 certification for its six International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers in Switzerland.

The ISO 27001 audit specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining and improving a documented Information Security Management System, taking into account the organization’s overall business risks. A neutral, independent agency conducts the audit and assesses the operation of a data center, as well as all available applications, IT systems, processes and services provided by the organization’s employees and contractors.

This accreditation verifies that the ISO information security standard is now an integral component of all business processes within Equinix’s data centers in Zurich and Geneva.

“Equinix designs and builds all of its IBXs to the highest operational standard, particularly where security is concerned,” says Marco Dottarelli, managing director of Equinix Switzerland. “We are delighted to earn this certification for all our data centers in Switzerland. It demonstrates our commitment to providing robust information security measures that preserve the integrity of our customers’ sensitive information.”

Jamba Turns In Solid Quarter; Turnaround on Track

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Jamba (JMBA) reported Q2 2011 earnings Tuesday. A quick look at some of the highlights:

• Total revenues decreased 20.5% to $58.9 million, from $74.1 million in Q2 2010. As a reminder, the decline in revenues is mainly due to the company’s refranchising initiative, started in 2009. Revenues exceeded analysts expectations ($ 56.02 million).
• In Q2 company-owned comparable-store sales increased 4.3%, system-wide comparable-store sales increased 2.9% and franchise-operated comparable-store sales increased 1.4%, compared to the prior year period.

William Blair Upgrades Equinix (EQIX) to Outperform

from www.streetinsider.com:

>>William Blair upgraded Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) from Market Perform

InterXion Earnings Preview

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>InterXion (INXN), one of the leading European providers of network-neutral data center services, will be reporting Q2 earnings tomorrow morning, Wednesday July 17, before the market open. Analysts expect, on average, revenue of € 59.83 million and EPS of € 0.07. The company doesn't issue quarterly guidance, but on the occasion of the last conference call it reaffirmed its yearly forecast for revenue expected to be in the range of €239 to €245 million and adjusted EBITDA in the range of €91 to €95 million.

AT&T Mobile App Hackathon - Chicago

Mobile App Hackathon is an event for mobile developers to come together, network, learn about new technologies, build mobile apps, get fed, compete for prizes across different categories and most importantly: meet new people and scout for teammates to work on new or current projects.

Sponsor: Immersion

http://mobileappchi.eventbrite.com/

A little something to expect in the next generation of video games

from www.betanews.com:

>>Recently, researchers at Disney came forward and said they are working on a more precise vibration technology for more "touchy" movies and games, and iPhone accessory maker Mophie will soon be releasing a new vibration pack called Mophie Pulse that uses a new type of vibrator that is thinner, lighter, 70% more energy efficient than a phone's standard vibration motor, and is capable of producing a much wider variety of "feels" than the traditional on/off "buzz." Think of it as the difference between mono and stereo but for the sense of touch instead of hearing.

With the ability to create more diverse tactile sensations, developers can make the touch-based experience more informative and more useful.

Touchscreen inventor: Forget 3D, haptics is the future of mobile screens

from venturebeat.com:

>>But according to Synaptics technology strategist Andrew Hsu, father of the capacitive touchscreen, the future of touchscreens could more likely lie in haptics, technology which would allow us to feel individual touchscreen elements.

“Where I see the next frontier of UI (user interface) control is that we now want to try and recreate the tactility we lost from traditional hardware interfaces,” Hsu said in an interview with VentureBeat. Refined haptics could bring us full circle in mobile interfaces, allowing us to feel software keyboards and buttons as if they were physical elements from cellphones in pre-iPhone days.

Has Market Volatility Created Buying Opportunities in Data Center Sector?

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>In case you did not notice, the market tanked recently, and data center-related stocks were no exception to the rule. All stocks we follow now trade lower, compared to the end of July.

Has market volatility created a buying opportunity? Hard to say, without knowing if this correction is just a hiccup or the start of a real downtrend for the whole stock market, which any stock could hardly resist. The question we will try to answer is an easier one: Has any data center-related stock been hit more than its fundamentals probably deserved in this downturn?

Acer Iconia Tab A100 review

from www.engadget.com:

>>And there's no haptic feedback, so it doesn't feel quite like interacting with the usual array of keys on an Android device. People who know their way around Honeycomb might find this addition redundant, but we often found it handy while using the tab in landscape mode.

Inside Equinix's SY3 datacentre: photos

from www.zdnet.com.au

Equinix mulls Melbourne data centre

from www.computerworld.com.au

>>Data centre provider Equinix is mulling construction of a Melbourne facility in response to growing demand from customers at its Sydney 1 (SY1) and Sydney 2 (SY2) facilities.

..

“In the Asia Pacific [our priorities] are China, India, Melbourne and Osaka,” he said. “Osaka is no surprise. After the Japan earthquake the government is very keen to make Osaka the second financial and commercial capital of the county.

“We continue to hear lots of our customers in Sydney asking for Melbourne. When we track the capital movements there is a significant amount of money going into Melbourne. We also hear that the cost of doing business in Melbourne is relatively lower.”

...

Lee said the decision to assess a Melbourne data centre was based on its global strategy of selecting facilities based on their presence in “tier one” cities and based on customer requests for new services.

Lee defined tier one cities as those that have high GDP growth and levels of internet infrastructure and that act as financial hubs.

Based on this approach the company was also considering launching new facilities in Johannesburg, Dublin, Moscow, Madrid, Dubai, Stockholm, Istanbul, and Prague.

Smith Says Equinix Has `Strong' Pricing, Sees Growth

Stephen Smith, chief executive officer of Equinix Inc., talks about the company's performance, demand for services and pricing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/smith-says-equinix-has-strong-pricing-sees-growth/2011/08/10/gIQADmfP7I_video.html

MAKO Receives Key Patent, Acquires Exclusive Rights From Immersion's Patent Portfolio

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Medical robotics company MAKO Surgical (MAKO) was up about 30% yesterday after reporting Q2 revenues that exceeded analysts consensus ($18.6M vs. expectations of $16.1M), and in spite of negative EPS of -$0.24 (-$0.18 excluding stock compensation).

Samsung debuts Galaxy R smartphone

from GigaOM:

>>Samsung is expanding its smartphone line with the Galaxy R, a slightly smaller version of the company’s fastest-selling handset, the Galaxy S II. While smaller, the Galaxy R has many of the same features, including a dual-core CPU and high-definition video recording, although Samsung did use a few lower quality components. The new Galaxy R debuts in Sweden and will later launch in Northern and Eastern Europe, South East and West Asia, Middle East Asia, and China.

Data Center Related Stocks: Q2 Earnings Performance

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>When the timing (date) of a company's earnings report becomes even more important than the quality of data reported, it may seem a bit useless to discuss post earnings performances. But in spite of the recent market volatility, a quick look at how data center related companies behaved after earnings may be interesting for investors who want to analyze a few trends in the sector.

21Vianet: Good Margins Along With Risky Outsourcing Contracts

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Last week, 21Vianet Group, Inc. (VNET), the largest carrier-neutral Internet data center services provider in China, announced its unaudited financial results for Q2 2011.

Here are some of the highlights:

Immersion Delivers A Disappointing Quarter, But Hints At New Licensees

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Last week Immersion Corporation (IMMR) reported Q2 earnings, and the numbers were quite disappointing. A quick look at some of the highlights:

• Revenues were $6.7 million, as compared to $8.5 million for the second quarter of 2010. Excluding product revenues (of approximately $1 million) in the medical segment, primarily related to lines transferred to the company's medical licensee CAE, and true ups to gaming royalty reports (approximately $1 million) that also impacted Q2 2010, a more appropriate apples to apples comparison sees revenues basically flat from last year;

Virtacore Improves Cloud Security with SSAE 16 Type II Audit

Certification enables IT Decision Makers to Feel More Confident About Cloud Services

Sterling, VA – August 4, 2011 – Virtacore Systems, Inc., an industry leader in hybrid cloud services, announced today the successful SSAE 16 (Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16) Type II audit completion of their cloud hosting, dedicated server and colocation services and systems. The audit was performed by The Moore Group CPA, LLC, a nationally recognized independent auditing firm.

This new AICPA standard, which became effective June 15, 2011, is the successor to the SAS 70 Type II standard, which Virtacore was previously audited against. The SSAE 16 defines all of the requirements applicable to data centers and other hosting providers. By holding both the SAS 70 Type II and SSAE 16 Type II, Virtacore reinforces its main corporate philosophies:

• Cloud computing should always be secure and reliable
• Customers should be able to have faith in their cloud services, allowing them to direct effort into revenue generating activities

“The completion of this audit allows Virtacore to continue to offer comprehensive services to our customers that have compliance requirements”, noted George Naspo, Virtacore CEO. “By passing this audit, we are able to show both our customers and potential customers that we are committed to upholding the highest standards in our business.”

Virtacore maintains its newest cloud operations within Equinix LEED certified data centers, which gives Virtacore customers additional confidence in the practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Jamba Juice Among Companies Being Imitated in China: Good for the Brand?

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>After the fake Apple (AAPL) store was highlighted last month, journalists have started reporting about several other Chinese “copycat stores” that resemble western brands.

Ikea, Disney Stores (DIS), Subway and Dairy Queen were among the first names that were quoted as being “imitated” in China – as it might be reasonable for trademarks with a strong international appeal. It is a bit more unexpected to see Jamba Juice (JMBA) among these leading companies, as WSJ reported yesterday:

Colocube Featured in Equinix Cloud Provider Customer Success Case Study

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) August 04, 2011

Colocube is pleased to announce that Colocube Cloud services are featured in an Equinix Customer Success Story for Cloud and IT Services.

“We are very pleased to be featured in an Equinix Customer Success story for our Private Cloud offering hosted at Equinix. Equinix data centers are second to none and which all other data center facilities aspire to be. Their uptime and security records are unequalled and Platform Equinix provides a complete ecosystem for any customer”, stated Fred Tanzella, CEO of Colocube.

The Equinix Customer Success story highlights Colocube Cloud Services for Colocube customer Titan Trading Analytics Inc, a leading provider trading solutions to hedge funds, prime brokers and retail brokers by monitoring real-time data while simultaneously sifting through historical ticks and social media sentiment to stream behavioral trading signals.

“Colocube has enjoyed tremendous growth in the enterprise cloud market with our cloud solutions as a part of Platform Equinix(TM), providing both a public pay-for-capacity on-demand cloud and enterprise private clouds. Security is a main concern for both large enterprises and the SMB market”, stated Fred Tanzella, CEO of Colocube. “Colocube’s background and resources in Internet security combined with the physical security provided by Equinix has provided a framework for best practices of securing data in the cloud”.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/382355#ixzz1U2fztihe

Immersion Corp (IMMR) Downgraded by Capstone to "Hold"

from www.newsystocks.com:

>>Immersion Corp (IMMR) Downgraded by Capstone to "Hold"

Why shutting down 800 federal data centers won’t be easy

from GigaOM:

>>During a call last week, Equinix GM of the Global Enterprise Segment Greg Adgate told me that although it makes a lot of sense for certain agencies to deploy applications in cutting-edge data centers that can meet performance and scalability needs, getting funding to build such a facility won’t be easy. That means a ripe opportunity for companies like Equinix that can offer co-location space directly and/or that host service providers certified to meet federal compliance standards.

...

However, it might be too early to make accurate predictions as to whether agencies will meet the OMB mandate, or what steps they’ll take to save money on operations if they can’t hit the consolidation mark. Equinix’s Adgate said the first pass will be relatively pain-free because the government operates many data centers that “aren’t data centers as we know them” — telco closets, retrofitted offices, and other infrastructure caches — that will be easy to lop off. It’s the infrastructure and applications running in actual data centers that will be more difficult to move.

Most Data Center Related Stocks Remain Strong YTD, While CDNs Collapse

Read the whole artcile at Seeking Alpha:

>>Some data center related stocks hit a brick wall in July, and saw their stock price decline by roughly or more than 10% - mostly an effect of the first earnings in the sector.

Pure players and REITs were among the best performers, and their monthly road appeared to be just a bit bumpy, with Equinix (EQIX), increasing about 3.5%, and Interxion (INXN), losing about 2%, representing the extremes of this relatively narrow performance range.

CapSense/CapSensePLUS with Haptics & SmartSense COMING SOON

from www.cypress.com. HT to jedi on the IV MB:

>>Introduction to the CY3280-HEM kit:

The CY3280-HEM Kit is designed for easy evaluation of the CY8C20xx6H series of devices (to be used with a Universal CapSense Controller Kit) . This evaluation module kit is a combination of a 16-button matrix buttons and a single segment slider , along with an additional Haptics-enabled daughter card.

Introduction to the CY8C20xx6H family :

The CY8C20xx6H product family enables dynamic tactile feedback providing immediate confirmation of touch. The solution integrates Immersion TS2000 Haptics effects library for ERM (Eccentric Rotating Motor) drive control. Immersion’s 14 pre-defined effects, allow dynamic tactile feedback that enables users to experience a “touch back,” supplying intuitive yet unmistakable confirmation. This feature enables a unique bi-directional communication channel that provides tremendous benefits that include user interface paradigms that are either impossible or extremely difficult to produce without it.

Samsung orders 30 million touch sensors for Galaxy smartphones in 2H11

from www.digitimes.com:

>>Samsung Electronics, in view of booming sales of its Galaxy i9000 and S2 smartphone, has placed orders for 30 million touch sensors used to make 4-inch AMOLED screens with Chunghwa Picture Tubes and other Taiwan-based suppliers, with shipments scheduled for the second half of 2011, according to industry sources.

8 next-gen haptic technologies that will let you feel-up the Web

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/07/8-next-gen-hapt.php#1

Android Boot Camp

The Android Bootcamp is brought you by:

Immersion Corporation

T-Mobile

Beyondsoft Consulting Inc.

..

3 Advanced Android Development (starts 3:15pm)

This is composed from multiple advanced sessions.

- Adding Haptics to Android Applications 3:15pm – 4:15pm

..

Speakers Bio:

David Birnbaum, Senior UX Researcher

Immersion Corporation

David is an inventor and human factors expert with a background in interactive systems, embodied communication, gesture, audio, music, and haptics. For the past several years he has been focused on using haptics (touch feedback) to revolutionize the mobile user experience. Is it possible to touch your friends through your phone? How can we transmit emotion effectively through digital networks? What does it really mean for an interface to feel “real”? The experiences I design try to answer these kinds of questions. Recently, David helped design Immersion’s MOTIV platform, which brings Android OS to life with haptic feedback. I also designed the haptic experience for GuitarSolo, a downloadable Android app that feels like a real guitar.

David's talk,"Haptic Design for Mobile Apps", will focus on how to design haptic feedback to make your user interface feel intuitive, engaging, and realistic.

http://www.android-android.net/events/25873721/?eventId=25873721&action=detail

Samsung Stops Reporting Phone Sales Data

from online.wsj.com:

>>Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday said it would stop disclosing sales figures and forecasts for its mobile phones and tablet computers, a step it attributed to business risks and that analysts said was probably due to its continuing legal battle with Apple Inc.

Equinix Delivers a Triple Play

Read the whole article at Seeking Akpha:

>>Equinix (EQIX) reported Q2 earnings last Wednesday, after market close. The company delivered solid results, exceeding both guidance and analysts' consensus and increased annual guidance – definitely a nice triple play.

A quick look at some of the highlights:

Samsung’s shipments grew a huge 520 percent annually

from www.businesswire.com:

>>According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew an impressive 76 percent annually to reach a record 110 million units in the second quarter of 2011.

...

Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Samsung overtook Nokia to become the world’s second largest smartphone vendor in Q2 2011. Samsung’s shipments grew a huge 520 percent annually, for 17 percent global smartphone market share. Samsung’s Galaxy portfolio has proven popular, especially the high-tier S2 Android model.”

Samsung 2Q11

from www.digitimes.com:

>>Samsung revealed that total shipments of its mobile handsets increased in the high-single-digit range sequentially in the second quarter, driven by brisk sales of smartphones.

..

Forecast for 3Q11

Samsung believes that market demand for mobile handsets will increase by more than 15% in the second half of 2011 buoyed by consumers upgrading to smartphones. In the third quarter, Samsung will continue to drive sales of the Galaxy SII and strengthen its product lineup with new mobiles featuring LTE technology, and expand its Galaxy Tab portfolio in various sizes.

Nokia slips from 1 to 3 in smartphone sales

from Reuters:

>>Apple and Samsung Electronics ended struggling Nokia's 15-year reign at the top of the smartphone sales rankings in the second quarter, researchers said on Friday.

...

IDC said strong smartphone demand boosted the market to still grow 11.3 percent from a year ago to 365.4 million phones, but this was a clear slowdown from the 16.8 percent growth seen in the previous quarter.

Strategy Analytics estimated the total market at 361 million cellphones in the quarter.

In a Reuters poll, 29 analysts' average forecast for the total market stood at 374 million phones.

Stifel Nicolaus Raising Price Target On Equinix

from Benzinga:

>>In a note to clients, Stifel Nicolaus writes, "We reiterate our Buy rating on shares of Equinix and are increasing our target price to $130 based on an EV/EBITDA multiple of 10x our upwardly revised 2012 estimate. Equinix delivered another beat-and-raise quarter that should serve to further rebuild confidence in the fundamental growth story for Equinix and the industry more broadly. We remain attracted to the growth outlook for Equinix, and we believe there continues to be an upward bias to estimates, which coupled with what we view to be additional room for multiple expansion results in an attractive risk/reward from current levels, in our opinion."

Piper Jaffray Raises PT On Equinix To $125

from Seeking Alpha:

>>Piper Jaffray has raised the price target on Equinix from $115 to $125 and maintains its Overweight rating.

Samsung sells 5m GS2′s in 85 days

from http://gigaom.com:

>>Samsung has sold 5 million Galaxy S II (GS2) smartphones in 85 days, making it the fastest selling handset in the company’s history. According to Samsung’s figures, the device sales are actually accelerating as the phone debuts on more carriers around the world. It took 55 days for Samsung to sell the first 3 million GS2′s around the world, so in the past 30 days, another 2 million customers purchased the handset.

Bank of America Previews Earnings for Equinix

from www.benzinga.com:

>>Key issues we are watching into the quarter: Guidance. We expect EQIX to raise ‘11 guidance to reflect the closing of its Brazil acquisition and improved visibility into 2H11 growth. Our '11 revenue of $1.586b compares to guidance of ‘greater than' $1.525b and the Street at $1.536b; our adj. EBITDA of $712m compares to guidance of ‘greater than' $685m and consensus of $694m. We note that our estimates reflect an 8-mo. contribution from the Brazilian acquisition. We see upside to numbers based on expectations for increasing positive contributions from the SDXC footprint, a ramping marketing effort, and continued strong demand."

Bank of America rated Equinix a BUY with a price target of $130.00.

Annual Smartphone Sales Could Reach 1 Billion by 2016

from allthingsd.com:

>>A new study from IMS Research predicts that smartphone sales this year will total 420 million units, making up 28 percent of the total handset market. With cheaper models on the way, smartphone sales could top 1 billion units a year, or one out of every two phones sold.

..

The beneficiaries are no surprise — companies such as Apple, Samsung and HTC.

And while LG and Nokia are trying to bolster their position, they face steep competition in the short term from the current leaders, Builta said.

“Apple, they are going to get another boost in momentum here when the release the iPhone 5,” Builta said in a phone interview, adding that HTC and Samsung are also building on their strong positions. Android, as a whole, Builta said, should be the dominant operating system through 2016, thanks to its widespread adoption by multiple phone makers.

The Vanishing Data Center

from www.wallstreetandtech.com:

>>Typically, Equinix's Knuff confirms, financial firms will put their servers in multiple data centers to be near the liquidity. The trading system that executes on the NYSE will go into the NYSE data center; the system that focuses on Nasdaq will be located in Carteret, N.J., where Nasdaq's data center is located; and the strategy focused on Direct Edge or C2 would be colocated in the Equinix data center, he says.

But usually, Knuff adds, firms will house complex event processing technology and smart order routers in one data center, where they can connect all of the endpoints. Firms need to bring all the information into a central location and then make the decision on where or when to trade, he says. "That's where the network density of the data center as a hub is [critical]," Knuff asserts. "That's typically where we play in the financial markets."

Looking for Turnaround Investments in the Automotive Sector

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>The automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010 forced several producers and most sector suppliers to deeply restructure their operations, especially in the USA.

The government bailouts of both General Motors (GM) and Chrysler made the headlines, but several other companies had to go through a severe re-thinking of their activity, which often meant using Chapter 11 as a tool to reduce both their debt and their cost structure. In some cases, these companies also re-emerged under a new management team.

Does it make sense to look for good opportunities in these post-emergence entities?

Apple Invents New Flat Keyless Keyboard for Desktops & More

from www.patentlyapple.com:

>>Late last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that revealed yet another take on a possible future virtual keyboard for the iMac and other devices.

...

Glass Keyboard with Graphics on a Display Screen Below

In a glass embodiment, the keys may be painted on the surface or provided as graphics on a display screen located below the glass surface. The flat surface keyboard includes an indication of a standard computer keyboard layout including space bar, enter and function keys and so on.

Further, the flat surface keyboard may also include a haptic or tactile feedback mechanism that is activated when the user presses or taps on a key of the keyboard. In general, the haptic response may provide a force, vibration and/or motion to the user's fingers or hands in response to the user pressing on the keyboard surface.

Amazon AWS Cloud Computing Unit Drives Analysts Crazy

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Get out your crystal balls: join several analysts in today's guessing game, giving Amazon's (AMZN) AWS cloud computing unit a revenue run rate.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) provide companies with an infrastructure web services platform in the cloud. The company started offering these services in 2006, but only recently analysts have started considering the unit worth a closer look.

Back in 2010, Amazon's Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said, at the company's shareholder meeting, that AWS had the potential to be as big as the firm's retail business – giving investors a good reason for some added diligence into its financials.

Some Background on Jamba Juice's Turnaround

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Last week, Adam Muller wrote an article, Caribou Coffee and Jamba Juice: 2 Turnaround Plays at Different Stages, that covered the main reasons why Jamba Juice (JMBA) may represent an interesting turnaround story and a good investment opportunity.

Haptics technology: picking up good vibrations

from www.eetimes.com, written by Eric Siegel, Product Marketing Engineer, Texas Instrument:

>>Over the years, Haptic systems have spread to simulation and electronic environments. Devices that allow a user to sense and feel objects in a remote (or virtual) environment have been used in excavation, building design, education, and even remote medicine.

On a more personal level, Haptics is the reason you can (or at least should be able to) enjoy silence at the movies and still get reminded of that meeting you “forgot” about, or get that text message saying you won the lottery (why you’d be text messaged that I don’t know), and not alert your neighbors. In the gaming world, Haptics lets you know when your car is starting to veer off the road or when you are taking damage in a Halo grudge match, due to the embedded actuator in your controller and the programming in the game that utilizes it.

Samsung Smartphone Sales May Pass Apple

from Bloomberg:

>>Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s second-largest handset maker, may have surpassed Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) and Apple Inc. (AAPL) in smartphone sales in the second quarter, driven by the popularity of Android-based models, according to Boston- based Strategy Analytics.

Samsung is estimated to have sold between 18 million and 21 million smartphones globally in the period, compared with 16.7 million for Nokia and 20.3 million iPhones, Neil Mawston, a London-based analyst at the research company, said in an e- mailed response to questions on July 22.

Morgan Stanley Reiterates Equal-Weight on Equinix

from Seeking Alpha:

>>Morgan Stanley reiterated its Equal-weight rating on Equinix. At the moment, Morgan Stanley does not have a price target placed on the company's stock.

Nokia drops to third position in global smartphone ranking in 2Q11

from www.digitimes.com:

>>Nokia may see its ranking in the global smartphone market drop from the number one position to third place in the second quarter of 2011 after the vendor reported its smartphone shipments declined 31% sequentially and 34% on year to 16.7 million units for the quarter, according to industry sources.

...

Smartphone shipments by major vendors: 2Q11 (m units)
Ranking	Vendor	2Q11 shipments	2Q11 market share	1Q11 market share
1	Apple	20.34	20.3%	18.7%
2	Samsung	19	19%	10.8%
3	Nokia	16.7	16.7%	24.3%
4	RIM	13	13%	14%
5	HTC	11.5	11.5%	8.9%

Sources: Companies and IDC, compiled by Digitimes, July 2011

Cypress Semiconductor's CEO Discusses Q2 2011 Results

from Seeking Alpha transcript:

>>So just winding back to TrueTouch real quick. Our guidance for 2011 has to more than double versus 2010. So that yielded an implied revenue range of around $180 million to $200 million. So based on our strong first half results, a very strong design pipeline and obviously, some increased tablet revenues, I was really glad to see that Chris and Norm are ponying up even higher revenue. And we're going to increase the guidance by $50 million and now expect a range of $230 million to $250 million for fiscal 2011.

...

Samsung sets Galaxy S II's US rollout for August

from http://finance.yahoo.com:

>>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Samsung says its top line Galaxy S II smartphone will be released in the United States next month.

Samsung executive Shin Jong-kyun made the announcement Wednesday at the South Korean launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer.

...

Shin said that Samsung expects to sell five times as many tablets in 2011 versus last year, when the company said it sold more than 1.5 million.

CloudCentral Launches Second Australian Availability Zone in Sydney

CloudCentral, an award-winning Australian cloud infrastructure service provider, today announced it will expand its cloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) to the new Equinix SY3 International Business Exchange™ (IBX) data centre in Sydney. CloudCentral will commence offering services from the Equinix SY3 data centre on the 1st of August 2011. It will continue to provide services from its existing Canberra availability zone located in the TransACT data centre.

CloudCentral’s multi availability zones will enable customers to deploy highly available solutions across locations. Having a presence in Canberra and Sydney will also provide CloudCentral customers flexibility to locate latency-sensitive websites as close to their target customers as possible.

”Providing a flexible cloud computing environment to our customers is an essential part of CloudCentral’s cloud infrastructure offering. As a pure play IaaS provider, our sole intention is to deliver the best cloud computing services to Australian businesses,” said Kristoffer Sheather, CEO, CloudCentral.

The new alliance and cloud computing location differentiates CloudCentral from its competitors, especially those without an Australian data centre presence. For Sheather the dual offering is in stark contrast to existing competitive offerings: “It is important to us that our availability zones are located in secure, reliable and network-rich data centres and operating two data centres is an integral part of our business continuity strategy. From August 1, CloudCentral will be the only provider of true pay-as-you-grow, on-demand cloud infrastructure services from multiple eastern seaboard data centres with a guarantee that all data will be retained within Australia.” he outlined.

CloudCentral will offer customers connectivity into the Sydney availability zone at speeds of up to 10 gigabits/second via agreements with several leading Australian Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

http://www.cfoworld.com.au/mediareleases/12753/cloudcentral-launches-second-australian/

Caring for staff built up his success

from http://business.asiaone.com:

>>Mr Goh has snagged several awards recently for helping Equinix Singapore grow, since he joined the firm in 2006 as its managing director. Last month, he received an Outstanding Entrepreneur Award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards. And, in May, he was given the company's prestigious Executive Chairman Award for his contributions to the firm over the last five years.

Equinix building new data center in Secaucus

from www.northjersey.com:

>>Data center operator Equinix Inc. is building a third facility in Secaucus, its eighth in the New York metropolitan area.

...

KEVIN R. WEXLER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Construction under way last week on Equinix's NY5 data center in Secaucus.

Immersion Hits New 52 Week High, Achieves New Product Wins

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Time for an update, since our last article on Immersion Corporation (IMMR).

The stock recently hit a new 52 week high, and has been trading within a nice uptrend since the beginning of the year, as you can see from the following chart:

Mophie Pulse To Bring ViviTouch Haptics To Your iPhone, iPod Touch

from www.slashgear.com (HT to jedi767 on the IV MB):

>Your iPhone and iPod touch may soon become the ultimate portable gaming machine with the Mophie Pulse case featuring ViviTouch haptics technology. The new case promises to bring “bone-shaking” vibrations and “pulse pounding” stereo sound that transfers what’s happening in your games into a more immersive experience.

Morgan Joseph Analysts Raise Price Target on Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) to $125.00

from www.newsystocks.com:

>Equities research analysts at Morgan Joseph boosted their price target on shares of Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX) from $110.00 to $125.00 in a research note to investors on Wednesday. The analysts currently have a "buy" rating on the stock.

2 More Trading Platforms Move to Equinix

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Just a few days ago we noticed that the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the largest U.S. options exchange, had announced that it was moving its operations from Chicago to the Equinix (EQIX) NY4 data center, already home to other trading exchanges like the Boston Options Exchange Group, etc.

Touch Panel Demand Soars; 2011 Revenues to Grow by 90% Y/Y

from www.displaysearch.com:

>>In the recently released Touch Panel Market Analysis, DisplaySearch reported that total touch screen module revenue will reach $13.4 billion in 2011, and nearly double in six years, reaching $23.9 billion by 2017.

“Touch screen penetration has rapidly increased in mobile phones, handheld games, game consoles, and tablet PC applications, which collectively will account for more than $10.5 billion in touch screen revenues this year,” noted Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, Vice President of Emerging Display Technologies at DisplaySearch.“In addition, we see strong touch screen growth over the next several years driven by demand in larger display applications such as all-in-one PCs, notebook PCs, and consumer gaming.”

Figure 1: Touch Screen Module Revenue Forecast

Source: DisplaySearch 2011 Touch Panel Market Analysis

BATS Europe Joins Platform Equinix and Its Global Financial Ecosystem

Pan-European Stock Market plans October relocation of its trading book and dark pool trading platform to Equinix’s LD4 data center in London

LONDON—July 13, 2011—Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX), a provider of global data center services, today announced that BATS Trading Limited (BATS), a global operator of securities and derivatives markets, has signed a long-term deal to relocate the BATS Europe trading platform to Equinix’s London LD4 International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center. Scheduled for October 2011, the switchover will provide a secure, low-latency, high-performance trading environment for BATS Europe’s integrated and dark electronic trading books.

BATS Europe’s relocation to Equinix will further strengthen the rich financial ecosystem at LD4, attracting new trading participants and complementing the existing equities, foreign exchange and fixed income trading venues already housed in the data center. The presence of this significant trading venue will also increase market opportunities for more than 250 financial services customers interconnected across the rich European financial trading communities within Zurich, Frankfurt and London.

As one of Europe’s largest pan-European trading platforms, BATS Europe caters to the needs of the broker-dealer and trading community. Currently, a dedicated ultra-fast link between the current BATS Europe site and Equinix LD4 IBX is being installed. To ensure a smooth transition and minimize risk and disruption, extensive network and operational testing will be conducted before going live.

“As a recognized leader in financial IT infrastructure, Equinix provides the type of high quality hosting foundation that we require as we continue to grow our market share and operate in the top global financial markets,” said Paul O’Donnell, chief operating officer, BATS Europe. “We’re confident that our trading platform, housed in Equinix’s world-class facility, will deliver a compelling and attractive offering to our existing and potential customers.”

“Equinix is delighted to welcome BATS Europe to Platform Equinix and our LD4 facility, delivering innovative electronic trading services to the Equinix financial ecosystem,” said Russell Poole, general manager, Equinix UK. “This announcement reflects Equinix’s ongoing commitment to meeting the growing demands of the trading community. Through high performance standards, consistency of service and the ability to attract key participants, Equinix continues to cement its position as the destination of choice for the financial services sector. Equinix looks forward to working closely with BATS Europe over the coming months to ensure a smooth switch over, and to developing our relationship in the future.”