Verizon Wireless Ranked In The Top 5 Best Places To Work In Information Technology By Computerworld

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – June 20, 2011 –

For the ninth year in a row, Verizon Wireless has been recognized as one of the top workplaces for information technology (IT) professionals. With its highest ranking to date, Verizon Wireless placed fifth on Computerworld’s "Best Places to Work in IT" list, which was announced today, and the company was once again the highest ranked wireless provider.

Computerworld’s annual ranking of the top work environments for technology professionals is based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention as well as extensive surveys of IT workers.

"In every aspect of our business we strive to create innovative technology that enhances the customer experience," said Ajay Waghray, chief information officer of Verizon Wireless. "At Verizon Wireless, our IT employees have the opportunity to develop technology that transforms our industry and empowers our customers. We believe that this culture sets the foundation for successful careers, and is what truly makes Verizon Wireless a great place to work."

As part of the company’s efforts to focus on improving the customer experience, Verizon Wireless has IT processes in place that capture front-line feedback from customers at all touch points and turn that feedback into real, business-impacting changes.

"To be among the Best Places to Work in IT, it’s not enough to seek out and hire the most talented IT professionals, offer them competitive pay and provide great benefits," said Scot Finnie, editor in chief of Computerworld.  "Smart IT people realize that they need to get up to speed on their employer’s revenue opportunities. The organizations that made this year’s Best Places to Work list are creating a work environment that both trains and encourages IT personnel to pursue business-driven priorities."

At the beginning of 2011, Verizon Wireless reported a total work force of more than 85,000 employees nationwide. In addition to its industry leadership in network reliability and customer loyalty, Verizon Wireless is consistently ranked as one of the best places to work and a leader in IT. For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. For more information about the "Best Places to Work in IT" 2011 survey results, visit www.computerworld.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

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Get a Google+ invite here: join Plus project circle - Computerworld (blog)

  The US Secret Service has raided the home of an artist who collected images from webcams in a New York Apple store.

Kyle McDonald is said to have installed software that photographed people looking at laptops then uploaded the pictures to a website.

Mr McDonald said he had obtained permission from a security guard to take photos inside the store.

Apple declined to comment. However, the Secret Service confirmed that its electronic crime division was involved.

A spokesperson told the BBC that the investigation was taking place under US Code Title 18 /1030 which relates to "Fraud and related activity in connection with computers."

Offences covered by the legislation carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Writing on Twitter, Mr McDonald said: "@secretservice just stopped by to investigate [web address removed] and took my laptop. Please assume they're reading any e-mails you send me."

No arrests had been made in the case as of 8 July.

Staring

Kyle McDonald's images were uploaded to a page on the blogging site Tumblr.

In the description of People Staring at Computers, the project is described as: "A photographic intervention. Custom app installed around NYC, taking a picture every minute and uploading it if a face is found in the image.

"Exhibited on site with a remotely triggered app that displayed the photos full screen on every available computer."

The site features a video and series of photographs, apparently showing shoppers trying-out computers.

Comments on the individuals by visitors to the site are also attached to the images.

Mr McDonald, writing on Twitter, said that he had been advised not to comment on the case by the online freedom group the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Computerworld: Apple’s new iMac looks great, even faster; in a month of testing, it never crashed

Friday, July 1, 2011 · 12:25 pm · 31 Comments

“The new iMac still looks great, and it’s even faster,”Michael deAgonia reports for Computerworld. “Apple left unchanged the minimalist aluminum-and-glass design while switching to Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics chips and adding the new Thunderbolt port for high-speed connections with peripherals.”

Advertisement: Students, parents and Faculty save up to $200 on a new Mac.

“All of the changes Apple made to the lineup match the company’s past practice of beefing up hardware while leaving prices intact, yielding a thoroughly modern all-in-one computer, with a sharp, bright screen that’s perfect for editing movies, organizing/editing photos, watching streaming video or making your own presentations,” deAgonia reports. “Best of all, the iMacs come with Apple’s iLife suite of apps — iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, iDVD and iWeb. I still haven’t found any software quite as intuitive — or as easy to use — on the Windows side that beats the iLife suite.”

“The best way to describe the benefits of Thunderbolt is to compare its theoretical speed with current standards: USB 2.0 tops out at 480Mbps, FireWire 800 tops out at 800Mbps, USB 3.0 hits 5Gbps and Thunderbolt maxxes out at a theoretical 10,240Mbps, or 10Gbps. For every connection, there are two bidirectional channels that carry data over a 10Gbps pipe — each way — which means you can transfer a lot of data fast,” deAgonia reports. “You can connect a wide variety of peripherals to a Thunderbolt port, from hard drives to displays, daisy-chaining up to six peripherals per port. In fact, it’s possible to take a 27-in. iMac and flank it with two 30-in. displays, streaming multiple 1080p hi-def videos from connected RAID enclosures, without hiccups in the data stream.”

deAgonia reports, “Thunderbolt performance aside, this iMac performs very well under everyday, and even extenuating, circumstances. In a month’s worth of use, the iMac I tested never crashed… Apple has delivered a solid update to what was already a popular and successful line. The Sandy Bridge chips add a speed boost, Thunderbolt offers the promise of peripheral heaven in a few months, and the iMac design itself remains current. It’s equally at home in the boardroom or the living room, and the range of sizes, prices and build-to-order options means it should be easy for most buyers to get exactly the machine they want.”

Much more in the full review – recommended – here.

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