UniPress Software announced that its FootPrints product line is now available to federal agencies on the NASA Scientific & Engineering Workstation Procurement III contract (SEWP III). Under the terms of the SEWP contract, FootPrints and FootPrints for Exchange, as well as a range of add-on modules, are available at discounted prices. FootPrints is a 100% Web-based service desk software system that centrally tracks, manages and controls all types of customer issues and support requests.

GFI released a freeware version of GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP 8, its email content security solution. The freeware version scans inbound and outbound mail using a single anti-virus engine, and can be used as additional protection by companies who do not yet perform virus scanning at mail sever level or at the gateway, and by those who run just one anti-virus engine. The freeware version can also check message bodies and subjects for keywords; this feature can be used to detect inappropriate mail.

Information Week reports that the Sobig.F virus has become the is the fastest email outbreak ever. MessageLabs, which scans email for viruses, said that within 24 hours it had scanned more than one million copies of the virus.

JP Mobile announced availability of SureWave Enterprise Server 4.0. This software gives enterprises the ability to extend applications to their mobile workers on Palm, Pocket PC, RIM and Symbian handheld devices. The solution provides access to Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino groupware, as well as the ability to deploy field applications needed by mobile workers.

NewsFactor has this article about Sun Microsystems’ Mad Hatter. In September, Sun will launch Mad Hatter, its Linux desktop suite. Mad Hatter includes the StarOffice suite, which reads and writes all Microsoft file formats, as well as Sun ONE mail, calendaring and instant messaging software. It offers connectivity to existing Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes messaging services.

Here’s an opinion piece from Windows & .NET Magazine about the MSBlaster outbreak. The author writes that companies with an IT staff have no excuse for not installing the July 15 security hotfix that eliminates the MSBlaster vulnerability.

MDY Advanced Technologies announced that FileSurf, certified under Version II of the U.S. DoD 5015.2 Standard, extends its capability of placing disposition holds on records to government agencies. With this capability, government agencies can place moratoriums on any number and any type of records related to any subject matter. MDY’s FileSurf Records Management Software integrates with Microsoft Outlook, IBM Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, and iManage and Hummingbird document management systems to automate physical, electronic and email record keeping processes.

Hummingbird announced Automated Email Management, a server-based solution that is designed to automate profiling of incoming and outgoing email messages for retention and regulatory compliance. Hummingbird Enterprise support for profiling and managing email via its document management (DM) client that exposes the Hummingbird DM interface from within Microsoft Outlook, and provides the ability to index and search both Microsoft Exchange public folders and Lotus Notes repositories.

Tumbleweed Communications today that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 6,609,196 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, titled "Email Firewall with Stored Key Encryption/Decryption." Tumbleweed MMS complements and works with corporate email servers such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, Novell Groupwise and a variety of UNIX-based email servers.

BEA Systems is hoping the release of its WebLogic 8.1 Workshop will convince Microsoft Visual Basic programmers to switch to rival Java. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the new technology is touted as making Java programming cheaper, with integrated personalised portal development. BEA says developers can now pick up existing J2EE-based business programs and drop them as a control into their new IDE. This allows Visual Basic-style programming of composite applications. In doing so, the company claims it has moved Java up to the next level, and within easy reach of Lotus Notes developers.