Would-be MBA students getting ready to take the GMAT might be in for a little surprise when they show up at the testing center. In addition to all the usual security measures—including video monitoring and the computer adaptive test itself—test takers will soon be asked to submit to a new one: a biometric device that uses an infared light to capture the test-taker’s unique “palm vein pattern.”

Pearson VUE, the company that administers the GMAT for the Graduate Management Admission Council, plans to announce the new security effort tomorrow, but BusinessWeek got a sneak peak at it today.

The Fujitsu “PalmSecure” device will be rolled out next month at 16 testing centers in India and Korea for GMAT candidates. It goes live in the U.S. this fall, and when fully deployed will be used in 400 facilities in 107 countries by May 2009.

The announcement comes as the b-school world is embroiled in a cheating scandal involving the GMAT–users of a now-defunct test prep Web site, Scoretop.com, have been accused by GMAC of using it to post and access live test questions, and GMAC has said it will cancel the test scores of anyone who violated its rules.

But the new security measure is designed to stop a different kind of cheating–the use of professional test takers, or proxies, to take the exam on behalf of someone else. GMAC’s been burned by this type of cheater before. Back in 2003, it busted a half dozen people who took the GMAT for others for about $5,000 a pop. GMAC canceled 166 scores as a result, and five of the six imposters ended up at Rikers.

More : businessweek.com

An investigation is underway into alleged online cheating by prospective and current MBA students. Thousands are accused of looking at current questions on their entrance exams. The publisher of the test has shut down the domain and is looking into who used it to cheat. Those scores could be thrown out. A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered Scoretop.com to pay the Graduate Management Admission Council 2.35 million dollars and to turn over a computer hard drive containing payment information and user IDs. The council has sued Scoretop’s operator for copyright infringement. It alleges the site offered current questions from the Graduate Management Admission Test as well as other private material.

More : wlns.com

Prospective and current graduate business students who used a Web site to cheat on entrance examinations over the last five years could have their scores thrown out.

The exam’s publisher, the Graduate Management Admission Council, is tracking down users of Scoretop.com after winning a lawsuit to shut down the site and seize a computer hard drive containing payment information and user identifications.

Scoretop sold VIP access for $30 a month, giving users previews to current questions on the latest Graduate Management Admission Test. Some were posted by users after taking the exam.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema also ordered site operator Lei Shi to pay $2.35 million plus legal costs in a June 20 ruling in the copyright infringement lawsuit.

In court documents, GMAC cited a posting by a user who said the information offered on the site was “inestimable,” saying that he saw 10 to 12 “word by word” items and “many of the other questions felt very familiar.”

About 6,000 GMAT scores from when the Web site started in 2003 to the present are in question, GMAC spokeswoman Judy Phair said Wednesday. It’s unclear how many test-takers are involved, because they can take the test several times a year.

“We have an ethical responsibility to schools and students to say this is a secure and fair test,” Phair said. “Obviously, you’re not being fair if you have an unfair advantage.”

The council plans to match data with test-takers and cancel the scores of anyone it determines knowingly used Scoretop to cheat on the GMAT. It will also notify the schools receiving scores, and perhaps prevent them from retaking the test. Phair said she can’t offer a timetable on the process.

Shi wasn’t represented by an attorney, according to court documents. McLean, Va.-based GMAC said Shi has returned to his native China and couldn’t be reached.

More : ap.google.com

Pune, Jan 5: Scene I: A Balasubramanian, high-profile director of the prestigious Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), Pune, which is regarded as one of the best private business schools in the country, and flaunts a 100 — Position record percent Suspended after a student complains about what he agacés. He is a director and revolt finally recedes.

Scene II: The season is the placement. The Institute can not be without head and authorities to make a choice. Enter Mudholkar Ranjeet, 24, graduated in computer science and a student SIMS von’96 the classroom. A year after his separation from service graduation Mudholkar chucks his work with the Birla AMC Capital Limited, New Delhi and agrees with The Sims as director.

Gasp you like, roll their eyes and I wonder what went wrong. Thus, the child is soon rubbing shoulders with the management gurus and the top brass in the sector? Is he a genius or a boy, he is … SIMS is abuzz.

His courses are at a whisper in Art Gallery Mudholkar appointment, the rules we have not yet been violated because he was the unanimous choice of the symbiosis for the body, but some students and teachers are perplexed.

Indeed, Mudholkar academic record is not just World Class, sources say he was “ one of the best students .”“ One of his succès”touted round that Ratan Tata to participate in a seminar in Mumbai.

Few are under discussion. No student or teacher publicly criticized the new director. Indeed, the subject is taboo and there is a watchful eye on each eye, each time you question. “ Yes, it is a Go-Getter. It has big names on campus. Yes, it is in order, OK.”Mudholkar, but it is a “ type-of-Service”zu his alma mater. “ In fact, I am strongly with SIMS. Money plays no role,”he said. He prefers to call the discipline itself a soldier SIMS and said it is already in the momentum of things “.”

Paul Wellings, the vice chancellor of the Lancaster University, United Kingdom was recently in the Capital on a brief visit. During his visit a memorandum-of-understanding was signed between the Lancaster University and Jawaharlal Nehru University for conducting joint research in social sciences, says a press release.

Apart from this, Lancaster University has recently entered into partnerships to offer joint-degree programmes with Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and collaborative degrees and joint research agreement in life sciences with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). In addition, an agreement has been formulated for research cooperation with Lancaster INFOLAB21 and Computer and Communications Research, Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

Management conclave

The GLA Institute of Technology and Management, Mathura recently organised a management conclave `Managing change and transformation in India Inc in global perspective,’ says a press note. The conclave was inaugurated by A Kalanidhi, former vice chancellor, Anna University and advisor, Sterling Infocom Ltd; Alok Aggarwal, executive director, Polar Industries and Ganeshi Lal Aggarwal. The event began with a `Saraswati vandana’, which was followed by the presentation of the conclave theme by Alok Aggarwal, in which he stressed on the need to be fully abreast with the corporate sector and the importance of affordability, acceptability and availability in the same. In a highly motivating lecture, Kalanidhi expressed his simple yet profound ideas, on the occasion. Mementos were presented to distinguished speakers and a cash reward of Rs 10,000 was announced for the MBA topper of the institute.

Accolades for Aptech

Adding yet another feather to its cap, Aptech has been named among `India’s Biggest Newsmakers’ in the second annual Business Today - Cirrus Review of CEOs and Companies that got the best press coverage in 2004, as per a press release.

A global learning organisation, Aptech Ltd is playing a key role in helping individuals, organisations and nations adapt to the changing requirements of a knowledge-driven world. It has acted as a catalyst to change by encouraging the sharing of knowledge through intelligent training and education solutions. Aptech’s recent forays include learning services - e-learning and consultancy, ATTEST - testing and certification and Aptech Higher Education Services.

IMT courses

The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad invites applications for courses through the distance-learning mode. The courses are affiliated to the Vidyasagar University, West Bengal. The courses are: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA); Master’s in Human Resource Management (MHRM); Master’s in Marketing Management (MMM) and Master’s in Supply Chain Management (MSCM). The eligibility is a graduation or appearing in the final year.

In addition, it invites applications for one-year specialised diplomas in business administration, marketing management, personnel management, financial management, export management and material management. The eligibility for these courses is a 10+2 with a five-year experience or graduation, or a three-year diploma in engineering from the board of technical education, after a 10+2.

The forms and prospectus are available on payment of Rs 700 in cash. Contact the Advanced Management Institute, 67 (Basement), Hargovind Enclave, Opposite Railway Reservation Centre, Karkardooma, Delhi-92. The deadline is March 6, 2005. E-mail:imtdelhi9@yahoo.com.

Paramedical courses

The Nice Academy of Paramedical Sciences affiliated to Ch Charan Singh University, Meerut, under IDE invites applications for programmes, namely, hospital management; radio imaging technology and medical laboratory technology, wherein, the duration of the degree courses is three years and diploma and certificate course is one-year. In addition, it offers a physiotherapy programme, where the duration for the degree course is four years and diploma and certificate course is a one-year.

Two researchers surprised the public in a convention of security during the last month of its finding a version of Microsoft Windows is more secure than Linux, an operating system competitor.

Download a copy of Windows vs. Linux study in PDF (265K).

This week, researchers released their finished report, and they contain more of a surprise: Microsoft was funded by the project long.

Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology and Boston-based Security Innovation Inc., and defend their conclusions valid. They say they have “full control over all editorial research and analysis” on the project. His report details of its methods, and they invite other experts to examine and duplicate their work.

But their disclosure of the project, source of financing this week is agitation new debate on what has otherwise been encouraging messages for Microsoft in a field in which they fight. Researchers have been presented during last month’s RSA Conference, which attracts some of the biggest names in computer security.

“It was proof that Microsoft was better, and now the evidence unclean,” said Counterpane Internet Security founder Bruce Schneier, a long RSA Conference speaker. “The results may well, but now nobody is going to mind, because they all see, this is a prejudice that has not been revealed.”

But one of the researchers, Herbert Thompson of Security Innovation, said he and his colleagues have examined the final report, which has not gone presentation, the proper place for advertising. In addition, he said, the report presenting the detailed project research methods should be any concern about the possible prejudices.

“We knew that some of the criticism, which are collected in the report Microsoft is funding,” said Thompson. As a result, he said: “Our own method claim, it is very open and transparent. We wanted the recipe for humans, they could go further and recalculation of figures themselves. ”

The 37-page final report, published Tuesday, it is expressly Redmond on the role of the company: “This study and our analysis, under a research contract from Microsoft,” he says on the fourth page.

But during his presentation on February 16 on the RSA Conference, Thompson and Richard Ford Fellow researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology does not mention that one of the subjects of their research was part of a project financing.

Thompson said yesterday that it had decided it would be better to wait until the release of the final report on that disclosure. In part, he says, the idea was to avoid some of the divisiveness, which are often characterized by Windows vs. Linux debate.

The presentation of the RSA Conference “does not seem like the ideal place for the conduct of religious war,” said Thompson.

Wipro Technologies, the Global IT services division of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT), has become the first company outside the United States to be conferred the prestigious award for Software Process Achievement (SPA) by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society. The SPA award was presented to Wipro Technologies on May 7th in an International Conference on Software Engineering held at Portland, Oregon USA. The award is given for achieving a high software process capability and establishing a basis for moving to a very broad improvement program that concerns people and product, rather than just process and issues. Adding another feather to its cap, Wipro is the first Indian company ever to be nominated for this award.

The Computer Society’s Award for Software Process Achievement is given for improvement in an organization’s software process. “Process discipline is the most critical success element of offshore outsourcing,” said Dean Davison, Vice President of Meta Group. To be considered for this award, the improvement must be sustained, measured and significant. Wipro Technologies underwent a thorough evaluation process amongst nominations from different organizations across the globe. The evaluation process included initial short listing of nominees as finalists and then site visit by the evaluation committee.

The IEEE Evaluation committee consisted of Quality Guru’s like Watts Humphrey of Software Engineering Institute (SEI) USA; William Riddle, Solution Architect at TeraQuest Metrics Inc; Prof. Victor Basili, Founder & Member of International Software Engineering Research Network and Prof. Manny Lehman, of Imperial College, an authority on software engineering. The committee visited Wipro Technologies software development center at Bangalore and evaluated Wipro’s Processes and Practices following nomination of Wipro Technologies for the Award.

Complimenting Wipro on the award, the IEEE Evaluation committee said, “Wipro’s well-defined and implemented software process improvement program was appreciated and the breadth & depth of the organisation’s capability achievement and improvement program were lauded as the best that the committee had found since inception of the award nine years ago.”

“We are very excited and receiving this prestigious award is a great honour,” said Sambuddha Deb, Chief Quality Officer, Wipro Technologies. “This recognition from the IEEE Computer Society is yet another feather in Wipro’s cap and validates our vision of making quality a culture within and validates the significant strides we have taken in our quest for quality,” he added.

The committee also recognised that Wipro achieved Capability Maturity Model Level V (An international standard for quality) throughout its 10,000 plus person, international workforce unlike most other organizations reviewed who had achieved this level of capability within only part of their organization. In addition, Maturity Level V for both the P-CMM and CMMI capability maturity models were achieved very quickly, the breadth and speed of which were unprecedented.

With this award Wipro joins a select group of organizations like the Software Engineering Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Directorate of Aircraft Management, Test Software and Industrial Automation Branches, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center.

India is emerging as a laboratory for testing out new technologies and business models for narrowing the digital divide between urban and rural people in a developing economy.

Lack of Internet and telephone connectivity in rural India, where over 70 per cent of the Indian population lives, is a major challenge for a number of authorities, NGOs (nongovernment organizations) and multilateral aid organizations. The business sector is also discovered that relays the digital divide could translate into new markets open.

For example, HP Labs, India, which was established in Bangalore earlier this year, Palo Alto, CA, Hewlett-Packard Co., is developing products for markets in rural India . “Our technology has been placed on three areas - information available to the technical means to use Indian languages, improvement of connectivity options, outside major cities are not currently have adequate access to the Internet and affordable devices, “said Srinivasan Ramani, director of HP Labs India.

“For example, we are working to create an Indian language for taking over experimental PC can be used for four users simultaneously,” said Ramani.

HP Labs, India is also to examine how digital photography, you can a second source of income for the village kiosks, access to computers and the Internet, and is also experimenting with techniques developed by its parent company, Palo Alto laboratory, Low bandwidth multimedia communications. “Teachers and students can create their own stories and presentations with such a system,” said Ramani.

Private sector participation in projects to strengthen the digital divide in India is likely to increase, Ved Prakash Sharma, director of information technology (IT) and computer and communication specialist of the National Agricultural Technology Project of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management in Hyderabad. “Everyone by moderators, there was a chance to these initiatives, and that is good,” said Sharma. “The growth of the Indian economy of rural areas, a large number of customers for technology companies. ”

Projects in the public sector are also fashion and the establishment of communication infrastructures. Media Lab Asia (MLA), based in Mumbai, is setting up an 802.11 wireless network standard consistent with Internet and voice connectivity to India, the rural masses. Established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ’s Media Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in tandem with the Indian government, MLA focuses on the development and deployment of technological solutions for closing the digital divide in developing economies.

Assessment Project 802.11 for rural connectivity is anchored MLA research centre in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur. From four villages around Kanpur, the project plans for a “corridor of information” between the cities of Kanpur and Lucknow in North India, which account for about 25 villages along the road. MLA plans deployment of 802.11, which until now have not been used in rural India, connectivity, because of its lower cost, according to Dheeraj Sanghi, MLA scientists at IIT Kanpur research centre.

While it is premature to the impact of recent initiatives MLA and HP, previous projects to provide solutions to bridge the digital divide, report remarkable success. The telecommunications and computer networks (Tenet) in the group, Chennai-based Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, developed in-house corDECT Wireless Local Loop (WLL) for the provision of technologies and Internet connectivity to 250 votes Community Kiosks offer these services to over 700000 people in rural India, according to Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor of Electrical Engineering Department of IIT Madras, and director of the Tenet. The wireless local loop based on micro-mobile, DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), standard ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute).

The bridges have been removed, for the gradual establishment of a system of electronic governance to the decentralization of tasks Corporation Thiruvananthapuram and citizens to improve the structures to provide services through a network of computers zonal centres liaison with the plant.

The first phase of the project, included in the road map is expected that his work since early August. An amount of Rs.1.5 crores for the programme. The tenders were issued for the provision of computers and servers. Information Kerala Mission, the software offers care, has already applied packages for the various functions and projects Kudambasree work overtime for data entry.

The first phase of the project involves the computerization of health services and revenues. The issue of birth and death would be the first request, except to take the system. Urban planning, engineering and information technology sections are generally later.

The counter tax collection system friends citizens-Service Center is replicated in the Corporation.

Moves on transforming the lobby of the headquarters at Palayam in an installation of modern computers and enough seats for visitors. The Front-Office, first with four computers equipped with 30 employees. The number of counters on 12 will be gradually increased.

The computer training in the direction of the Corporation is already computer knowledge base to more than 250 employees in different departments. A nucleus of the team selection of personnel for the modular training to prepare the new system.

The Mayor, J. Chandra, said e-governance system, in order to strengthen activities under the road map in the 81 stations. She said, the problem of staff shortages in the zonal offices could redistribution of employees of IT services after talks with unions.

When entering data for land tax was seen as part of updating the registers DCB, it is necessary to adapt the software applications. Back records for business taxes are also a war.

The company has leased 30 computers for work and data entry of additional layers to work for the job. The office Kadakampally zonal data sheet most discs at work is progressing in the rest of the area.

The computer system will put an end to project monitoring, planning, management retreats and social systems, revenue, finance and accounting systems, public administration works, handling and the establishment Question community information systems.

The functions, including tax collection, compilation, workflow, accounts, construction and decision support. The mission IKM in the working group has a workflow engine for file management and monitoring. Another package for the registration and certification and management of pension and social systems is complete.

Companies with a digital collection of laws and other relevant documents on local institutions, including constitutional provisions, laws, regulations, commissioned by the government, circulars, guidelines, communications, decisions of courts, application forms manuals of procedures for office and general information.

Kanbay Incorporated, a global leader Systems Integrator offers high quality, high-quality solutions for the financial industry, was chosen as winner by the Chairman of the Committee for inclusion in the 2003 Computer World Honors Collection.

Recognized among 313 winners representing 33 countries, have developed revolutionary information technology (IT) for the benefit of innovation society, Kanbay has been nominated by Morgan Stanley for its Global Link End-to-End Management Project the quality and overall methodology with the Service Delivery score on several sites.

The chairman of the committee includes more than 100 managers worldwide, including William H. Gates of Microsoft, IBM’s Sam Palmisano, and Merritt Lutz of Morgan Stanley. Each year, members of the presidency of the commission of those organizations whose information has been specially designed for the remarkable technology, the originality of its conception, the breadth of its vision and the importance of their benefits to society . A case study with the method Kanbay Global Link (KGM) is now permanently archived at the National Museum of American History, and more than 125 museums, archives, libraries and other academic institutions worldwide (see http://www.cwheroes.org ).

Raymond Spencer, Kanbay Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, the computer accepts, entitled World Honors medallion during the medal winner of the award ceremony in San Francisco earlier this month. According to Spencer, “We feel honored to be appointed by Morgan Stanley for this prestigious award, and we are delighted to be recognized by the Computer World Honors Program 2003 as a leading innovator in the business field and Related Services category. Given that the strategic direction of économie’s Kanbay, KGM is truly unique because it will provide long-term value for our customers. What differentiates our client-centric methodology is, however, that the overall coherence. While that some computer advice offshore companies emphasis on development as a “Bolt on” regular complement their methodology, KGM uses an integrated approach to all aspects of delivering solutions complex, high-quality projects.

What our customers a unique experience without the procedures, people and performance of several sites in several countries. ”

Used as a microcosm of the global environment-Workplace of the Future

Merritt Lutz, director-counsel of Morgan Stanley, a member of the chairwoman of the committee, appointed KGM for 2003 Computer World Honors Award, recognized the value of Kanbay’s Delivery KGM single model. “In other words, Kanbay is described as” comprehensive “on the right. His ability to integrate with the process of human culture methodology symbolizes a new paradigm for the exploitation of the working environment of the future. During these periods end international conflicts, Kanbay serves as a model to show how people from different regions, cultures and plans can be effectively together to solve common problems and businesses to provide real value to clients in the World whole, “said Lutz. Recognizing the potential of the approach driving KGM success in the global market for technology, Morgan Stanley has an equity position in private Kanbay since 2000.

KGM has a positive influence on the financial consequences Kanbay customers - some of the world’s leading credit cards, bank and credit and insurance organizations - have lived, increased competitive pressure position on the market, the requirements rapid reaction, rapid Time-to-Market and economic effect of the global division of labour cost differences. Scott Earl of Lund, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley, a client of Kanbay, said: “The customer is measured success more than the effective implementation of technology. Traditional computer consultancy firms have on the improved technology for technology want. Kanbay method that detects human creativity, eventually rising technological readers - and not vice versa. Fusing cultural interactions with the improvement of technological processes is what we believe a single qualified Kanbay distinguish, among other things, a world leader in the programm