Business Editors/High-Tech Writers
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 2003
UpdateEXPERT(R) Re-Branded as PatchWorks to Increase Security and
Stability of Windows Systems for RippleTech's Customer Base
St. Bernard Software Inc., a global provider of security solutions that protect against data loss, system threats and Internet abuse, today announced that RippleTech Inc. has developed a private-label version of St. Bernard's UpdateEXPERT(R) patch management and remediation software.
RippleTech, a leading developer of results-focused Windows systems management software, launched a marketing and distribution effort of the software to their Windows customers on Feb. 11, 2003. The RippleTech version is marketed under the name PatchWorks.
Under the non-exclusive licensing agreement with St. Bernard, RippleTech will market PatchWorks worldwide, except for Japan. This private-label software will enable RippleTech's customers to scan networked systems for prescribed and applicable patches. Then, PatchWorks will reliably and easily fix the weaknesses discovered.
"This private-label version of St. Bernard's patch management and remediation product will provide a broader, robust solution for systems managers who are rightly focused on defending against today's ever-increasing level of system threats," said Kevin Davies, president of RippleTech, which is based in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. "Incorporating PatchWorks into our product offerings represents a tremendous market opportunity for our company as well as a winning, high-in-demand solution to our customers."
UpdateEXPERT identifies security and stability vulnerabilities by evaluating missing and out-of-date hotfixes, service packs and other patches on networked workstations and servers. It then deploys and validates the appropriate patches through a central management console. The tool is based on a comprehensive and thoroughly tested database that is continuously updated with the latest patches. As a result, administrators no longer have to search the Web to keep up with the latest fixes. In addition, each patch is verified and tested by St. Bernard patch management experts to determine deployment interdependency issues. The testing and verification performed by St. Bernard Software takes the guesswork out of the process of deployment and enhances reliability.
"Our partnership with RippleTech is a 'natural,'" said Gary Stowell, vice president of business development at St. Bernard Software. "RippleTech markets to businesses who want to keep their mission-critical Windows machines up-to-date and secure. Patch management and remediation is a critical component of this process. With our intelligent, research-based patch management tool in place, RippleTech offers to their customers an easy, reliable and cost-effective way to establish and ensure adherence to corporate security policies."
In addition to its patch management and remediation tool, UpdateEXPERT, St. Bernard's products include Open File Manager(TM), which prevents data loss during backups due to open files and iPrism(R), an Internet filtering appliance that monitors, filters and reports on an organization's Web activity.
About RippleTech Inc.
RippleTech Inc. is a leading software developer who specializes in Windows-based products that deliver increased security and operational results at the lowest possible cost. With a customer-centric focus and an outstanding support ethic, RippleTech addresses real business, security and technology needs with real results, today. The company is headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. For more information, visit www.rippletech.com or call 610/832-1100.
About St. Bernard Software Inc.
St. Bernard Software Inc. is a global provider of security solutions that protect against data loss, system threats and Internet abuse. Through its products and services, St. Bernard Software helps companies protect their bottom line by securing networks against major risks before they happen. The company's products include Open File Manager, which captures open and in use files that would otherwise be skipped during the backup process; UpdateEXPERT, which solves system and application security problems by keeping software patch levels current; and iPrism, an Internet access management appliance solution that monitors, filters and reports on inappropriate Internet usage and helps organizations enforce an Internet Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP).
Founded in 1995, St. Bernard Software is a privately held corporation with corporate headquarters in San Diego and an international office in London. Ranked by Software Magazine as one of the world's 500 largest suppliers of software and services, St. Bernard Software's award-winning products are sold and supported through key solution partners worldwide. For more information call 800/782-3762 or visit www.stbernard.com.
(C) 2003 St. Bernard Software. All rights reserved. The St. Bernard Software logo and Open File Manager are trademarks of St. Bernard Software Inc. UpdateEXPERT is a registered trademark of St. Bernard Software Inc. iPrism is a registered trademark of Internet Products Inc. Internet Products is a wholly owned subsidiary of St. Bernard Software Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are hereby acknowledged.
Asian countries' retailers face lower consumer confidence and economies that are starting to feel the global downturn Shopping is a national obsession in Singapore, yet this Lunar New Year retailers are struggling to get the city's usually insatiable shoppers to part with their cash as a cloud of economic gloom hangs over Asia. "Even though there's a 50 per cent sale on here, look at the sales counter, there's no one queuing. That's not normal," said Mrs Them, a house wife, browsing through a department store at the city's renowned Orchard Road shopping district. The Lunar New Year, which starts on January 26, comes hard on the heels of Christmas, signalling a traditional two-month shopping frenzy in most of East Asia as consumers splash out on seasonal foods as well as gifts and new clothes for the holidays. This year, though, shoppers are showing signs of restraint as a global economic crisis knocks consumer confidence across Asia and prompts governments and retailers to conjure up new ways to bolster spending. "It's going to be tough for Asian retailers, perhaps not quite as tough as in Europe and the US but we will see slower growth," said Paul McKenzie, head of consumer research at CLSA Hong Kong. He expects retail sales growth in Hong Kong and Singapore to be negative this year, or flat at best, compared with a rise of about 11.5 per cent and five per cent respectively last year. Slower growth in tourism, which accounts for 20 to 30 per cent of retail sales in Hong Kong, is expected to hurt retailers there. In China, HSBC forecasts annual retail sales growth to slow to a nominal rate of 15 per cent this year from about 18 per cent in 2008 as consumers tighten their belts amid a slowdown. To stimulate its economy, China will give its neediest citizens hand-outs of up to $26, while Taiwan will dole out the equivalent of $109 in shopping vouchers to brighten the mood before the Chinese new year holiday. Retailers globally have been hurt by a deteriorating economic outlook. In the US, stores experienced their most dismal Christmas holiday sales in 40 years, while a growing list of household names have disappeared off Britain's high street. But analysts say Asian retailers have an advantage as the impact of the economic crisis is far less than in the US and Europe. Also, consumer spending will likely benefit from sizeable government fiscal packages of about $640 billion in Asia, excluding Japan, hefty interest rate cuts and lower fuel prices. Still, with Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore all in recession, and Korea's economy tipped to contract in 2009 for the first time in 11 years, this year's shopping season could prove critical. "Everyone is worried about what will happen after Chinese New Year, when the impetus of the Christmas and new year shopping period is over," said Terry O'Connor, regional CEO for Courts, an electronic and furniture retailer that has 80 stores in Southeast Asia. "Consumers are cautious but it's not a disaster in Asia." Asia has enjoyed surging growth in recent years which has expanded the ranks of a middle-class keen to acquire the trappings of their newfound affluence. But in a region heavily dependent on exports, which fell sharply in December, cuts in work orders are leading to lay-offs in factories across the region. The International Monetary Fund predicts that Asia's economy will grow 4.9 per cent this year compared to a forecast of six per cent in 2008. The mood in Japan is particularly glum as it enters what some economists say might be its longest recession on record. Japan's no. 3 department store chain Takashimaya Company said sales at its flagship store in Tokyo fell five per cent year-on-year in the first two trading days of this year, a period that traditionally marks an annual ritual of bargain hunting. Discretionary items such as designer clothes and electronics are being hit hard, while stores report relatively solid sales of food items as people choose to spend more time at home. "Our immediate goal is just to survive," said Ichiro Fukuyama, associate director at J Front Retailing, the country's second largest department store chain. Consumer expenditure across Asia is expected to slow in 2009 and consumer confidence has been hurt. In China, 46 per cent of consumers thought the country's economic situation was good in November compared to 90 per cent in April 2007. Meanwhile, service sector sentiment in Japan, watched closely for consumer and retail trends, hit a record low in December.
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