TOKYO - Japan has plans to start building a supercomputer next year that can operate 73 times faster than the world's fastest supercomputer, the government said Monday.
The American Blue Gene/L system supercomputer developed by International Business Machine Corp. at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, currently holds the title of the world's fastest. That machine is capable of 136.8 teraflops, or 136.8 trillion calculations per second, according to Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Japan wants to develop a supercomputer that can operate at 10 petaflops, or 10 quadrillion calculations per second, which is 73 times faster than the Blue Gene, an official of the ministry said on condition of anonymity.
Kyodo News reported that the total amount for the project is estimated between 80 billion and 100 billion yen ($714 million to $893 million) and the ministry will request 10 billion yen ($89 million) for the next fiscal year's budget.
The ministry official could not confirm the figures, saying it has yet to reach a formal decision on the project, which is expected by the end of August.
But he said that if the budget for next year is approved, the ministry hopes to complete the next-generation supercomputer sometime in fiscal 2010, which ends in March 2011.
Japan's Earth Simulator supercomputer, introduced in 2002, had been the world's fastest until 2004, when the IBM's Blue Gene took the title, he said.
Currently, the Earth Simulator, at a speed of 35.9 teraflops, is ranked fourth after the IBM's two Blue Gene systems and
NASA's Columbia system, all in the United States, according to the top 500 list of the world's fastest supercomputers, released at the International Supercomputing Conference held in June in Heidelberg, Germany.
The Earth Simulator is used to track global sea temperatures, rainfall and crustal movement to predict natural disasters over the next few centuries.
The ministry wants to use the planned supercomputer for a wider use such as simulating the formation of galaxy and the interactions between a medicine and the human body.
By CHISAKI WATANABE, Associated Press Writer Mon Jul 25,10:47 AM ET
Monday, July 25, 2005
Airborne Viruses: Real Threat or Just Hype?
When it comes to viruses, worms and other forms of malware infecting smartphones and PDAs, security vendors have been warning of the possible dangers for months. Until recently, however, their cries of alarm drew yawns from most industry analysts and security experts.
A case in point is a Gartner (NYSE: IT - news) report, released this summer, that concluded mobile-phone users will not see much virus activity in their mobile devices for at least two years. The report said that, for one, not many U.S. consumers have smartphones with which they exchange executable files. Second, the U.S. mobile-phone market lacks a dominant operating system for virus writers to target.
IDC research analyst David Linsalata presented a similar viewpoint about the impact of a new malware threat that targets smartphones running the Symbian Series 60 operating system. "Viruses and malware are certainly a threat that should be watched, but they are not necessarily an immediate threat," he said.
"These types of viruses only tend to affect smartphones that have the advanced capabilities that can run them," he explained. "With Doomboot.A, once the smartphone is infected, it sends out SMS messages, which drains the battery, and you end up losing your data."
However, the occurrence of Doomboot.A might signal that it is time to review the dangers and determine just what enterprises need to know to protect wireless devices in the hands of mobile workers.
Measuring the Threat
"The threat, meaning the essential impact of losing data to a virus, is pretty serious, and I base that on the extent of mobile connectivity and the damage that could be done," said McAfee Mobile Solutions senior product manager Drew Carter.
The Doomboot.A virus, for example, features an embedded worm called CommWarrior.B that perpetuates itself by sending out a flurry of unauthorized messages using the Symbian smartphone's Bluetooth radio.
The malware program relies on smartphone users downloading infected files onto their handsets, either from the Internet or by way of wireless Bluetooth or infrared connections.
Smartphones represent only a fraction of the total mobile-phone universe, and the Symbian OS is just one system among many offerings for smartphones. However, one disturbing implication of this particular threat is its proof-of-concept demonstration of how to hit user finances by surreptitiously sending out thousands of costly text messages.
Potential Impact
Perhaps the most immediate threat from a smartphone virus is the potential access to contact lists in infected phones. Even worse than inconvenience, such an attack could be costly.
"The biggest threat that I see right now is that Research In Motion's Blackberries and palmOne's PDAs are connected to names and addresses," said IBM Global Solutions Manager for Managed Security Services Doug Conorich.
"If somebody devised a virus sent out with a 'payload pull' and an 'address book out' it could send out messages to all those listed in the [handset's] address book," noted Conorich. "At 10 cents a message or more on some of the [wireless] plans, you can see that that cost to smartphone end-users could add up rather quickly."
And, as mobile malware evolves, the threat to enterprises could become even greater. "If you work for a multimillion dollar enterprise and a virus zips off all your files and sends them to someone else, then that could be a big problem," Linsalata said.
"One of the things that the OS people will have to change is the way that their phones accept applications...so that an SMS message will not be able to download an application and install it on the smartphone, which is the way that the Symbian one works," Conorich said.
Determining Responsibility
The question of who bears the burden of blame and liability is one of the first issues that mobile service providers will have to tackle when mobile viruses become widespread.
"The software vendors that produce mobile phone operating systems definitely have the responsibility of issuing patches to their products," said McAfee Mobile Solutions senior vice president Victor Kouznetsov. "But this is a totally separate issue from determining who is responsible for protecting smartphone users from a financial standpoint."
In today's wireless world, most operators focus their sales efforts on individual consumers despite the increasing popularity of taking enterprise data mobile, noted Kouznetsov. So the temptation is to blame the individual end-user.
Kouznetsov admitted, however, that antivirus tools are not yet widely available for mobile users. Thus, dealing with malware is currently outside the scope of individual subscribers.
"At this point it is the wireless operator's financial responsibility to address the issue," advised Kouznetsov. "Otherwise, consumers might feel threatened into not buying a
Nokia's phone running the Symbian OS."
Pressuring Wireless Carriers
In the U.S., cell-phone manufacturers are not directly accessible to the consumer, whether the user is an individual or a company buying many phones. The wireless provider selects the phones available and handles the configuration options. So the phone users have to rely on the service provider on matters involving virus protection.
"Enterprises, therefore, would be well advised to contact the operator they are using and standardizing on, and then demand that the operator include the technology and provide it on their handsets, or ask whether the operator will be including it in the future," Kouznetsov said.
Wireless carriers already are starting to feel the responsibility for embedding protection into their networks. In fact, McAfee already provides Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo with malware-protection software that has been embedded in seventeen different phone models, Kouznetsov said.
"For the carrier it could be a powerful differentiating factor to say, 'We will protect you and make sure you are secure,'" Linsalata suggested. "But I can't see a carrier simply saying, 'You will always have antivirus protection and we will provide it for you.'" Linsalata sees malware protection emerging as a series of partnerships between wireless providers and security vendors.
Requirements for I.T. Managers
Another challenge that enterprises face is establishing the right standards and policies for the mobile workforce. "Mobile devices are often purchased by individuals who also want to access enterprise resources," Carter said.
"But does this really make sense? Today the technology is somewhat immature, but as it reaches a higher level of penetration, companies will need to adopt a more sophisticated approach," he suggested. "The other option is for enterprises to provide the mobile devices and set the standards, so if mobile workers want to connect to the network, then they need to buy these devices."
Despite all the malware hoopla, many viruses can be defeated using common sense. Mobile-device users will have to start following the same safe-use practices that they should be using on their computers, security experts emphasized.
"If you get a file from a friend, make sure he really wants you to install that new game or whatever," Linsalata said, adding that smartphone users should look for the industry certification standard for smartphones running the Symbian OS before installing anything. "If you get a message that the program is not Symbian Signed, first ask yourself whether you are really sure you want to install it," Linsalata said.
Bigger Enterprise Concerns
Going forward, one key for enterprises is to stay aware of this problem. According to Linsalata, mobile malware will only grow into a more significant threat as time goes on. But at the moment, the bigger concerns enterprises face are much simpler, he said.
Enterprises should remain centered on physical device security. They should concentrate on being able to wipe devices remotely and make sure that policies for passwords and data encryption are in place.
"Make sure the devices are physically secure with the data they contain backed up and encrypted," Linsalata said.
These more pressing needs should take priority because anyone can lose a device, but not everyone's device can get infected by a virus, at least right now, Linsalata said. "Focus on the more pressing security concerns about theft or physical loss in some other capacity," he added.
Written by: Mark Long, wireless.newsfactor.com
A case in point is a Gartner (NYSE: IT - news) report, released this summer, that concluded mobile-phone users will not see much virus activity in their mobile devices for at least two years. The report said that, for one, not many U.S. consumers have smartphones with which they exchange executable files. Second, the U.S. mobile-phone market lacks a dominant operating system for virus writers to target.
IDC research analyst David Linsalata presented a similar viewpoint about the impact of a new malware threat that targets smartphones running the Symbian Series 60 operating system. "Viruses and malware are certainly a threat that should be watched, but they are not necessarily an immediate threat," he said.
"These types of viruses only tend to affect smartphones that have the advanced capabilities that can run them," he explained. "With Doomboot.A, once the smartphone is infected, it sends out SMS messages, which drains the battery, and you end up losing your data."
However, the occurrence of Doomboot.A might signal that it is time to review the dangers and determine just what enterprises need to know to protect wireless devices in the hands of mobile workers.
Measuring the Threat
"The threat, meaning the essential impact of losing data to a virus, is pretty serious, and I base that on the extent of mobile connectivity and the damage that could be done," said McAfee Mobile Solutions senior product manager Drew Carter.
The Doomboot.A virus, for example, features an embedded worm called CommWarrior.B that perpetuates itself by sending out a flurry of unauthorized messages using the Symbian smartphone's Bluetooth radio.
The malware program relies on smartphone users downloading infected files onto their handsets, either from the Internet or by way of wireless Bluetooth or infrared connections.
Smartphones represent only a fraction of the total mobile-phone universe, and the Symbian OS is just one system among many offerings for smartphones. However, one disturbing implication of this particular threat is its proof-of-concept demonstration of how to hit user finances by surreptitiously sending out thousands of costly text messages.
Potential Impact
Perhaps the most immediate threat from a smartphone virus is the potential access to contact lists in infected phones. Even worse than inconvenience, such an attack could be costly.
"The biggest threat that I see right now is that Research In Motion's Blackberries and palmOne's PDAs are connected to names and addresses," said IBM Global Solutions Manager for Managed Security Services Doug Conorich.
"If somebody devised a virus sent out with a 'payload pull' and an 'address book out' it could send out messages to all those listed in the [handset's] address book," noted Conorich. "At 10 cents a message or more on some of the [wireless] plans, you can see that that cost to smartphone end-users could add up rather quickly."
And, as mobile malware evolves, the threat to enterprises could become even greater. "If you work for a multimillion dollar enterprise and a virus zips off all your files and sends them to someone else, then that could be a big problem," Linsalata said.
"One of the things that the OS people will have to change is the way that their phones accept applications...so that an SMS message will not be able to download an application and install it on the smartphone, which is the way that the Symbian one works," Conorich said.
Determining Responsibility
The question of who bears the burden of blame and liability is one of the first issues that mobile service providers will have to tackle when mobile viruses become widespread.
"The software vendors that produce mobile phone operating systems definitely have the responsibility of issuing patches to their products," said McAfee Mobile Solutions senior vice president Victor Kouznetsov. "But this is a totally separate issue from determining who is responsible for protecting smartphone users from a financial standpoint."
In today's wireless world, most operators focus their sales efforts on individual consumers despite the increasing popularity of taking enterprise data mobile, noted Kouznetsov. So the temptation is to blame the individual end-user.
Kouznetsov admitted, however, that antivirus tools are not yet widely available for mobile users. Thus, dealing with malware is currently outside the scope of individual subscribers.
"At this point it is the wireless operator's financial responsibility to address the issue," advised Kouznetsov. "Otherwise, consumers might feel threatened into not buying a
Nokia's phone running the Symbian OS."
Pressuring Wireless Carriers
In the U.S., cell-phone manufacturers are not directly accessible to the consumer, whether the user is an individual or a company buying many phones. The wireless provider selects the phones available and handles the configuration options. So the phone users have to rely on the service provider on matters involving virus protection.
"Enterprises, therefore, would be well advised to contact the operator they are using and standardizing on, and then demand that the operator include the technology and provide it on their handsets, or ask whether the operator will be including it in the future," Kouznetsov said.
Wireless carriers already are starting to feel the responsibility for embedding protection into their networks. In fact, McAfee already provides Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo with malware-protection software that has been embedded in seventeen different phone models, Kouznetsov said.
"For the carrier it could be a powerful differentiating factor to say, 'We will protect you and make sure you are secure,'" Linsalata suggested. "But I can't see a carrier simply saying, 'You will always have antivirus protection and we will provide it for you.'" Linsalata sees malware protection emerging as a series of partnerships between wireless providers and security vendors.
Requirements for I.T. Managers
Another challenge that enterprises face is establishing the right standards and policies for the mobile workforce. "Mobile devices are often purchased by individuals who also want to access enterprise resources," Carter said.
"But does this really make sense? Today the technology is somewhat immature, but as it reaches a higher level of penetration, companies will need to adopt a more sophisticated approach," he suggested. "The other option is for enterprises to provide the mobile devices and set the standards, so if mobile workers want to connect to the network, then they need to buy these devices."
Despite all the malware hoopla, many viruses can be defeated using common sense. Mobile-device users will have to start following the same safe-use practices that they should be using on their computers, security experts emphasized.
"If you get a file from a friend, make sure he really wants you to install that new game or whatever," Linsalata said, adding that smartphone users should look for the industry certification standard for smartphones running the Symbian OS before installing anything. "If you get a message that the program is not Symbian Signed, first ask yourself whether you are really sure you want to install it," Linsalata said.
Bigger Enterprise Concerns
Going forward, one key for enterprises is to stay aware of this problem. According to Linsalata, mobile malware will only grow into a more significant threat as time goes on. But at the moment, the bigger concerns enterprises face are much simpler, he said.
Enterprises should remain centered on physical device security. They should concentrate on being able to wipe devices remotely and make sure that policies for passwords and data encryption are in place.
"Make sure the devices are physically secure with the data they contain backed up and encrypted," Linsalata said.
These more pressing needs should take priority because anyone can lose a device, but not everyone's device can get infected by a virus, at least right now, Linsalata said. "Focus on the more pressing security concerns about theft or physical loss in some other capacity," he added.
Written by: Mark Long, wireless.newsfactor.com
Hackers target flawed backup software-survey
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Flawed backup software has emerged as the latest target for hackers looking for corporate secrets, according to a survey released on Monday.
The survey by the nonprofit SANS Institute found new holes in widely used software products, even as computer users are getting better at patching some favorite hacker targets.
Attackers are now focusing on desktop software, like Web browsers and media players, that might not get fixed as frequently as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and other software widely used by business, the cybersecurity research organization found.
More than 422 significant new Internet security vulnerabilities emerged in the second quarter of 2005, the cybersecurity research organization found, an increase of 11 percent from the first three months of the year.
Particularly troubling are holes in backup software made by Computer Associates International Inc. and Veritas Software Corp., which together account for nearly one-third of the backup-software market, said Ed Skoudis, founder of the security company Intelguardians.
"If you think about it, people back up information that is their most important information, otherwise they wouldn't back it up at all, right?" Skoudis said on a conference call.
"By exploiting one of these vulnerabilities, an attacker can get in there and exploit some of the most sensitive information for some of the most sensitive organizations."
Fixes are available for all the problems outlined in the SANS report, but many of the new flaws aren't fixed as quickly as older ones.
Administrators take an average of 62 days to fix backup software and other software inside their firewall, compared to an average of 21 days for e-mail servers and other products that deal directly with the Internet, said Gerhard Eschelbeck, chief technical officer of business-software maker Qualsys.
Home users typically take even longer to fix problems, said SANS chief executive Allan Paller.
Many of the new flaws were found on products popular with home users.
Flaws in media players like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes and RealNetworks Inc.'s RealPlayer could enable a hacker to get into a user's computer through a poisoned MP3 file.
Users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser could be compromised simply by visiting a malicious Web site, SANS said.
Even the open-source Mozilla and Firefox Web browsers, which has gained in popularity thanks to security concerns, had flaws as well, Paller said.
By Andy Sullivan Mon Jul 25, 3:04 PM ET
The survey by the nonprofit SANS Institute found new holes in widely used software products, even as computer users are getting better at patching some favorite hacker targets.
Attackers are now focusing on desktop software, like Web browsers and media players, that might not get fixed as frequently as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and other software widely used by business, the cybersecurity research organization found.
More than 422 significant new Internet security vulnerabilities emerged in the second quarter of 2005, the cybersecurity research organization found, an increase of 11 percent from the first three months of the year.
Particularly troubling are holes in backup software made by Computer Associates International Inc. and Veritas Software Corp., which together account for nearly one-third of the backup-software market, said Ed Skoudis, founder of the security company Intelguardians.
"If you think about it, people back up information that is their most important information, otherwise they wouldn't back it up at all, right?" Skoudis said on a conference call.
"By exploiting one of these vulnerabilities, an attacker can get in there and exploit some of the most sensitive information for some of the most sensitive organizations."
Fixes are available for all the problems outlined in the SANS report, but many of the new flaws aren't fixed as quickly as older ones.
Administrators take an average of 62 days to fix backup software and other software inside their firewall, compared to an average of 21 days for e-mail servers and other products that deal directly with the Internet, said Gerhard Eschelbeck, chief technical officer of business-software maker Qualsys.
Home users typically take even longer to fix problems, said SANS chief executive Allan Paller.
Many of the new flaws were found on products popular with home users.
Flaws in media players like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes and RealNetworks Inc.'s RealPlayer could enable a hacker to get into a user's computer through a poisoned MP3 file.
Users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser could be compromised simply by visiting a malicious Web site, SANS said.
Even the open-source Mozilla and Firefox Web browsers, which has gained in popularity thanks to security concerns, had flaws as well, Paller said.
By Andy Sullivan Mon Jul 25, 3:04 PM ET
AOL's Case finds Lime twist in Wisdom
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The man who packaged the Internet to the masses is trying his hand at television, but for a more discriminating audience.
In April, America Online co-founder Steve Case rose from the ashes of his company's ill-fated merger with Time Warner by declaring his intent to build a new empire based in the health care industry.
His private holding company, Revolution, has been on a buying binge funded in part by $500 million of his own fortune. Among the companies acquired was Wisdom Media Group, a small, family-run cable venture based in Bluefield, W.Va., not too far from AOL's Dulles, Va., headquarters.
At this past weekend's Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing convention in Philadelphia, Revolution announced plans to rebrand and relaunch the Wisdom cable channel as the keystone of a multiplatform media play including radio, Internet, wireless and DVD.
In line with Case's ambitions in the health care business, his media strategy is aimed at a loosely defined market segment interested in healthy, eco-friendly goods and services ranging from Whole Foods groceries to Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Known to market researchers by the acronym LOHAS, or lifestyles of health and sustainability, the group has a spending power pegged at more than $230 billion.
But Case will have his work cut out for him, notwithstanding the difficulties independent cable ventures have had amassing significant distribution. The tens of millions of Americans that comprise the LOHAS market have proved to be notoriously resistant to television itself, which falls somewhere between the Twinkie and the Humvee on their list of favorite inventions.
"If you are used to doing mass-market TV, you are going to run into trouble," said Paul H. Ray, a leading market researcher studying LOHAS who wrote the defining text on them in 2001, "The Cultural Creatives." "Their allergy to hype is huge, and that is the big problem with conventional TV. It is built around hype."
But Revolution believes they are preparing a more sophisticated approach appropriate for an audience that has grown too large to dismiss. "This category has moved out of the subculture and into the mainstream," said the channel's CEO, C.J. Kettler, who was president of sales and marketing at the Oxygen network.
Case could not be reached for comment.
By the fourth quarter of the year, Wisdom will be rechristened Lime -- "healthy living with a twist" is the tagline. Complete with wedge-shaped logo, the brand alludes to the color of the titular citrus, green being synonymous with ecological concerns. But Lime connotes a "lite" green, as Kettler puts it, befitting a hipper sensibility the brand aspires to in hopes of deflating stereotypes associated with such new-age totems as granola or healing crystals.
"What would be best for us is to take a more unexpected approach to the category, something with a sense of humor," Kettler said. "The category has been so serious. We're a media brand, we want to appeal on emotional level."
True to form as an ecologically conscious venture, Revolution is recycling a used channel to create its own, crafting Lime out of pieces of Wisdom (mainly its distribution deals), a pact with Sirius Satellite Radio and 1,000 hours of such library programming as "Yoga Zone" and "Lectures With Deepak Chopra." Kettler plans to add original programming as well as acquired comedy and drama series or films that have eco-friendly themes.
Another environmentally aware cable magnate,
Al Gore', adopted a similar strategy, acquiring NewsWorld International from Vivendi Universal to be remade into Current, a youth-targeted network that launches Aug. 1.
With cable operators no longer interested in adding linear channels to crowded digital lineups, "rebranding an existing channel is a smarter way of getting distribution than starting from scratch," said Debra Sharon Davis, a media strategist who also attempted to acquire Wisdom for a consortium of clients.
Launched in 1998, Wisdom has largely been in a vegetative state since the death of its founder, cable pioneer Bill Turner, in 2002. Revolution will harvest carriage agreements with distributors including Comcast and EchoStar, which will put Lime in 6.5 million homes.
Sources indicate it is Wisdom's deal with Comcast, inherited from the operator's acquisition of AT&T Broadband, that will enable Case to turn this cable-industry lemon into Lime. The channel has a place on select Comcast systems until at least 2009. Comcast and EchoStar declined comment.
Lime is aiming for a breakthrough this category has yet to sustain; bit players come and go, and such existing channels as Oxygen and Lifetime have dabbled here. Los Angeles-based Oasis TV is primarily broadband, but the outfit recently secured video-on-demand deals with Time Warner and Akimbo.
The problem might lie with the nature of the medium. Both programers and advertisers tend to rely on the glitz and glibness that the Birkenstock crowd detest, Ray argues. He believes they favor more plain-spoken information available via print or Web that rarely translates to TV. "They've turned to the Internet because they are tired of shlocky programing," Ray said.
But the timing of Lime could be to its benefit. Corporate America is waking up to a slice of the population willing to pay a premium for such products as hybrid vehicles (Toyota, Ford) and energy-efficient appliances (General Electric) with targeted marketing efforts. Giant food companies like General Mills quietly are backing boutique gourmet labels.
"Lots of sectors are transforming, and the media has an huge opportunity to transform as well," Kettler said.
What remains to be seen is as how Lime fits together with the rest of Case's holdings, which include controlling shares in real estate properties like Miraval, an Arizona-based wellness resort. A chain of private health clinics is rumored to be his next project.
"It's still early in the game, but if there's synergies to be had, they will happen," Kettler said. "Steve is very involved from a strategic perspective."
By Andrew Wallenstein Mon Jul 25, 8:58 AM ET
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
In April, America Online co-founder Steve Case rose from the ashes of his company's ill-fated merger with Time Warner by declaring his intent to build a new empire based in the health care industry.
His private holding company, Revolution, has been on a buying binge funded in part by $500 million of his own fortune. Among the companies acquired was Wisdom Media Group, a small, family-run cable venture based in Bluefield, W.Va., not too far from AOL's Dulles, Va., headquarters.
At this past weekend's Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing convention in Philadelphia, Revolution announced plans to rebrand and relaunch the Wisdom cable channel as the keystone of a multiplatform media play including radio, Internet, wireless and DVD.
In line with Case's ambitions in the health care business, his media strategy is aimed at a loosely defined market segment interested in healthy, eco-friendly goods and services ranging from Whole Foods groceries to Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Known to market researchers by the acronym LOHAS, or lifestyles of health and sustainability, the group has a spending power pegged at more than $230 billion.
But Case will have his work cut out for him, notwithstanding the difficulties independent cable ventures have had amassing significant distribution. The tens of millions of Americans that comprise the LOHAS market have proved to be notoriously resistant to television itself, which falls somewhere between the Twinkie and the Humvee on their list of favorite inventions.
"If you are used to doing mass-market TV, you are going to run into trouble," said Paul H. Ray, a leading market researcher studying LOHAS who wrote the defining text on them in 2001, "The Cultural Creatives." "Their allergy to hype is huge, and that is the big problem with conventional TV. It is built around hype."
But Revolution believes they are preparing a more sophisticated approach appropriate for an audience that has grown too large to dismiss. "This category has moved out of the subculture and into the mainstream," said the channel's CEO, C.J. Kettler, who was president of sales and marketing at the Oxygen network.
Case could not be reached for comment.
By the fourth quarter of the year, Wisdom will be rechristened Lime -- "healthy living with a twist" is the tagline. Complete with wedge-shaped logo, the brand alludes to the color of the titular citrus, green being synonymous with ecological concerns. But Lime connotes a "lite" green, as Kettler puts it, befitting a hipper sensibility the brand aspires to in hopes of deflating stereotypes associated with such new-age totems as granola or healing crystals.
"What would be best for us is to take a more unexpected approach to the category, something with a sense of humor," Kettler said. "The category has been so serious. We're a media brand, we want to appeal on emotional level."
True to form as an ecologically conscious venture, Revolution is recycling a used channel to create its own, crafting Lime out of pieces of Wisdom (mainly its distribution deals), a pact with Sirius Satellite Radio and 1,000 hours of such library programming as "Yoga Zone" and "Lectures With Deepak Chopra." Kettler plans to add original programming as well as acquired comedy and drama series or films that have eco-friendly themes.
Another environmentally aware cable magnate,
Al Gore', adopted a similar strategy, acquiring NewsWorld International from Vivendi Universal to be remade into Current, a youth-targeted network that launches Aug. 1.
With cable operators no longer interested in adding linear channels to crowded digital lineups, "rebranding an existing channel is a smarter way of getting distribution than starting from scratch," said Debra Sharon Davis, a media strategist who also attempted to acquire Wisdom for a consortium of clients.
Launched in 1998, Wisdom has largely been in a vegetative state since the death of its founder, cable pioneer Bill Turner, in 2002. Revolution will harvest carriage agreements with distributors including Comcast and EchoStar, which will put Lime in 6.5 million homes.
Sources indicate it is Wisdom's deal with Comcast, inherited from the operator's acquisition of AT&T Broadband, that will enable Case to turn this cable-industry lemon into Lime. The channel has a place on select Comcast systems until at least 2009. Comcast and EchoStar declined comment.
Lime is aiming for a breakthrough this category has yet to sustain; bit players come and go, and such existing channels as Oxygen and Lifetime have dabbled here. Los Angeles-based Oasis TV is primarily broadband, but the outfit recently secured video-on-demand deals with Time Warner and Akimbo.
The problem might lie with the nature of the medium. Both programers and advertisers tend to rely on the glitz and glibness that the Birkenstock crowd detest, Ray argues. He believes they favor more plain-spoken information available via print or Web that rarely translates to TV. "They've turned to the Internet because they are tired of shlocky programing," Ray said.
But the timing of Lime could be to its benefit. Corporate America is waking up to a slice of the population willing to pay a premium for such products as hybrid vehicles (Toyota, Ford) and energy-efficient appliances (General Electric) with targeted marketing efforts. Giant food companies like General Mills quietly are backing boutique gourmet labels.
"Lots of sectors are transforming, and the media has an huge opportunity to transform as well," Kettler said.
What remains to be seen is as how Lime fits together with the rest of Case's holdings, which include controlling shares in real estate properties like Miraval, an Arizona-based wellness resort. A chain of private health clinics is rumored to be his next project.
"It's still early in the game, but if there's synergies to be had, they will happen," Kettler said. "Steve is very involved from a strategic perspective."
By Andrew Wallenstein Mon Jul 25, 8:58 AM ET
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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