Despite the need to project budgets and hiring plans into the future, relying on generalized economic indicators can be iffy and, in some cases, counterproductive.

Right now, for example, a price of consumer goods and corporate profits, generally low inflation rate tell a different story.

The problem is that all the general economic indicators make broad market projections, but not in your specific market.

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Cisco Systems Inc. has shopped successfully for a set of tools that can help its wireless customers clean up the interference and improve the efficiency of their networks.

Cisco announced today that it has agreed to acquire Cognio Inc., which makes spectrum analysis products designed to identify, locate and eliminate sources of radio-frequency interference that can do to a wireless network the same thing that high-power lines do to reception on an AM radio.

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Hewlett-Packard Co. launched an assault on the mid-market yesterday, targeting what it calls the “global 500,000” – companies with between 100 and 999 employees.

Like similar marketing campaigns from Dell, IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle and SAP, among others, HP’s stated goal is to provide high-end functions in relatively affordable systems that are easy to install, customize and administer.

“HP actually does quite well in SMB and the mid-market, though no one with the possible exception of Microsoft is really happy with their position,” according to Jonathan Eunice, principal analyst for Illuminata, in Nashua, NH.

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Judge strikes down part of Patriot Act A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act on Thursday, saying investigators must have a court’s approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers. [Forbes]

Microsoft aims at VMware’s virtualization lead Microsoft Corp. , seeking to preserve the dominance of its Windows franchise, launched a new software application that takes aim at VMware Inc. , the leader in “virtualization” technology that allows a single computer server to operate like many machines. [Reuters]

Microsoft: Volume licensees to get fewer CDs, shorter contracts Microsoft is making a number of tweaks to its volume-licensing policies and procedures in the name of cutting complexity and reducing environmental waste. [All About Microsoft]

Sun, NetApp heading for judgement day Network Appliance Inc. today announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Sun Microsystems Inc. seeking damages and an injunction against Sun to prevent further distribution of Sun’s file system technology. [SearchITChannel.com]

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Dell founder ‘unaware’ of company’s financial shenanigans Michael Dell briefly addresses accounting scandal, also answers questions about the company’s strategy in retail and consumer PC markets. [CNET]

NAC switches, appliances help track users, malware Some vendors are offering switches and appliances to monitor traffic for malware and unauthorized access, as the NAC market including Cisco NAC and Microsoft NAP sorts itself out. [SearchSecurity.com]

Cognos follows the CPM pack, acquires Applix With Oracle, SAP and Business Objects investing heavily to extend corporate performance management into the finance office, Cognos today responded by buying Applix. [SearchDataManagement.com]

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Windows Server 2008’s real release slides into next year Microsoft has pushed Windows Server 2008 out one quarter. Instead of seeing the bits at the end of this year, it will land sometime in the first quarter. [SearchWinIT.com]

Vista validation woes caused by preproduction code Human error was responsible for the Windows Genuine Advantage system shutdown that denied validation to Vista systems, Microsoft says. [eWEEK]

Windows XP, Vista service packs coming in 2008 Vista’s first service pack is arriving in early 2008, but IT shops will likely give a warmer welcome to XP SP3, due out sometime in the first half of next year.[SearchWinIT.com]

U.S. agency may keep Windows XP on its PCs for three more years The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plans to install PCs that can run Windows Vista next year. But it will continue to use Windows XP on them. [Computerworld]

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Amazon, Google, Yahoo, and others sued for automating their e-mail The companies are accused of violating a patent on automatic message routing held by Polaris IP. The patent has a long history in litigation, but all the cases have been settled out of court. [InformationWeek]

EarthLink to trim work force and close offices Shares of the Internet service provider EarthLink climbed sharply Tuesday after it said it would cut 900 jobs — about half its work force — and close four offices. [NYT]

Microsoft releases two Vista hotfix packs via Windows Update Microsoft quietly released two mega-hotfix packs for Windows Vista via Windows Update on August 28. [All About Microsoft]

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Dell laptop explodes ‘like fireworks’ Oh no, not again [TheReg]

Microsoft looks to increase server virtualization market share The release of Windows Server Virtualization will help increase Microsoft’s sever virtualization market share more than the Citrix-XenSource acquisition, experts say. [SearchITChannel.com]

Microsoft fixes validation issue that withheld Vista features The shut-down of Vista validation under Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage program has been fixed. [eWEEK]

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Microsoft details Windows Server 2008 power management features Windows Server 2008 will offer new power management features. Stephen Berard of Microsoft discusses their potential to reduce data center server energy consumption. [SearchDataCenter.com

Sun Microsystems to change ticker symbol to ‘JAVA’ Twenty-one years after going public, Sun decides to make an image change. [eWEEK]

Microsoft Office faces desktop applications challenge from Google, Sun Microsoft Office could have a viable desktop application alternative thanks to Google and Sun’s partnership to distribute StarOffice for free. [SearchITChannel.com]

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Worldwide server shipments and revenues rose in second quarter of 2007 Worldwide server shipments for the second quarter of 2007 increased 2.7% over the same quarter last year, while worldwide server revenue for the same period climbed 5.1% according to Gartner. Worldwide server revenue totaled $13 billion for the quarter, as worldwide servers shipments reached just over 2 million units. [Tekrati]

Windows Live suite debuts … on cell phones If you dig into Microsoft’s newly minted Windows Live Services deal between the Redmond software maker and “the world’s largest mobile device manufacturer” Nokia, which the pair announced on August 22, it’s basically a deal to preload the promised Windows Live suite on Nokia phones. [All About Microsoft]

SAP to debut Web-delivered software line SAP AG said on Wednesday that it will release a line of business management software next month, featuring programs that are designed to be delivered to customers over the Internet. [Reuters]

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