Symantec Distributors Uae
Natalie Omahony
A joint investigation conducted by the FBI and authorities with the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has resulted in multiple arrests and the seizure of more than a half billion dollars worth of counterfeit software, announced J. Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles, and Steven Hendershot, the FBIs Legal Attache in Beijing, China.
The operation, codenamed Summer Solstice, began in 2005 and since then, law enforcement in both countries have worked closely by sharing information to jointly investigate multinational conspiracies by groups who manufacture and distribute counterfeit software products around the world. This unprecedented cooperative effort led to the arrest of twenty five individuals, the search of multiple businesses and residential locations, asset seizures by the Chinese government worth over $7 million, and the seizure of over 290,000 counterfeit software CDs and COAs (certificates of authenticity) in China. The counterfeit software has an estimated retail value of $500 million. In addition, Agents with the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office executed 24 searches and asset seizure warrants, yielding approximately $2 million in counterfeit software products, in addition to assets seized by the U.S. government worth over $700,000. Operation Summer Solstice encompasses multiple investigations currently being conducted by the FBI in Los Angeles and the MPS, Economic Crime Investigation Department (ECID), in which criminal organizations responsible for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit software have been identified in both Shanghai and Shenzhen; as were distributors located in the United States.
One such group, the MA Ke Pei organization, based in Shanghai, was allegedly responsible for supplying counterfeit goods to many of the distributors based in the United States, whose offices have since been subjected to search warrants executed by the FBI. In 2003, MA Ke Pei, was indicted in New York for criminal copyright and trademark violations relating to the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit Microsoft products. MA fled the United States and returned to China, where he allegedly continued his counterfeit operation. Since returning to China, MA is alleged to have created and directed an international organization to manufacture and distribute counterfeit Symantec software products. The FBI in Los Angeles, working jointly with the MPS in China, provided substantial investigative assistance to support the ongoing MPS investigation into MA Ke Pei and his alleged criminal enterprise. This cooperative effort led to the arrest of MA Ke Pei and 10 of his co-conspirators. Chinese authorities froze over $500,000 and 5 real estate properties owned by MA Ke Pei and seized equipment to manufacture counterfeit Symantec computer software products. Many of the American-based distributors where federal searches were executed were allegedly being supplied by the MA Ke Pei multinational criminal organization.
The MPS, ECID, in cooperation with the FBI and software industry investigators, identified more than fourteen major producers and/or distributors located in Shenzhen who allegedly produced high quality counterfeit software products that were subsequently distributed throughout the world. Industry experts believe that 70% of these counterfeit products were shipped to the United States and then sold to local distributors and retail customers; the remainder was sold to other countries around the world. The majority of Chinese-based distributors advertised their products aggressively and recruited distributors via the Internet. This cooperative effort led to fourteen arrests including WANG Wenhua and CHE Tingfeng and 12 of their co-conspirators. Several search warrants led to the dismantlement of 6 manufacturing and retail facilities, the seizure of 8 high quality counterfeit Microsoft master CD replication disks and the seizure of over 47,000 counterfeit Microsoft CDs in Shenzhen, China. The individuals arrested in China are charged with violations of the PRC criminal copyright law and remain in custody.
J. Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles stated,"The growing crime involving the theft of copyrighted material does not end at U.S. borders but affects the global economy. The buying and selling of counterfeit goods amounts to stealing the ideas of others and is no different than common theft, where the consequences of getting caught include going to jail and other serious penalties."
"Microsoft appreciates the law enforcement and governmental partnership that worked so tirelessly and effectively to bring these counterfeiters to justice," said David Finn, Microsoft's Associate General Counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting. "We remain committed to supporting the FBI and other law enforcement authorities in their pursuit of major criminal organizations who victimize unsuspecting consumers and businesses. The excellent cooperation among the FBI, China's Ministry of Public Security, and Microsoft in this action is a testament to the strengths of this unified approach."
FBI Agents assigned to Los Angeles and the FBIs Legal Attache Office located in Beijing, China, provided information and substantial assistance in support of the investigation conducted by the MPS, ECID located in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen China. The FBI will continue their investigation into the criminal activity allegedly conducted by distributors based in the United States.
The joint investigation was facilitated and supported by the IP Criminal Enforcement Working Group of the U.S.-China Joint Liaison Group for law enforcement, which is co-chaired by the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the PRC, MPS. The Working Group is dedicated to increasing cooperation in intellectual property law enforcement efforts and pursuing more joint US-China cross-border criminal enforcement operations.
Arrow Electronics' Enterprise Computing Solutions group launched its cloud computing services initiative in summer 2010 under the Arrow Fusion brand with data center monitoring and management, Security-as-a-Service, Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, and business continuity and disaster recovery solutions.
We have our feet more than wet in our portfolio of cloud-based services. That's more of an evolving market and it will take time to play out, but if you think of cloud infrastructure, the next gen of consolidation, virtualization and security, we are most involved in that, said Sean Kerins, president of Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions, North America.
The distributors Fusion Cloud Services, offered through Arrow's professional services team, provide a high level of compliance via secure monitoring and management services and a secure Web portal that provides a complete view of monitoring and management activities in customer environments.
Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions also has resources under its Empower VAR enablement program to educate solution providers on how to sell cloud opportunities, Kerins said. We will help them build out private cloud infrastructure and help them by being an extension of their services model, he said. We are in the space of building cloud infrastructure, investing in our own virtual bench.
In August, Arrow acquired the Technology Innovation unit of InScope International, adding about 75 employees focused on infrastructure delivery, Kerins said. A lot of companies have spent the last few years virtualizing servers, consolidating storage. Now it's time to take it to a higher level. There are more opportunities and tools to help them do that on an automated basis, he said.
Rather than offer market-ready solutions, Avnet Technology Solutions, whose solution providers serve midmarket and enterprise customers, is concentrating on helping solution providers build their own cloud solutions.
The distributor has a comprehensive suite of educational offerings under its CloudReady brand to help solution providers better understand and market cloud-based solutions. The educational sessions include cloud foundation, sales and engineering tracks as well as a one-day strategy workshop for end users.
It's a major initiative for us. When you talk about the cloud and distribution, its analogous to the outsourcing of IT services and data centers. That fits squarely with what we do from a distribution standpoint. There is some complexity around the cloud, but the bottom line is we have major initiatives going [on] with the cloud, said Phil Gallagher, senior vice president and global president of Avnet Technology Solutions.
In addition, Avnet offers resources to end users, on behalf of solution providers, such as a three-week Cloud Assessment professional services engagement that formulates cloud adoption objectives and goals, assesses current processes and technology, identifies the changes that need to occur and calculates costs and return on investment of a proposed project.
While Avnet currently focuses on helping solution providers build their own solutions, Gallagher does not rule out partnering with third-party cloud service providers in the future. I can foresee us building alliances in the marketplace. If it makes sense for us to host, then we will host. If it makes sense to provide capital expenditures in a data center that we partner with, then thats fine. I don't think it's an or scenario; it's an and, Gallagher said.
Avnet also has initiatives around its biggest vendor partners, including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and Microsoft, to help those companies provide the infrastructure in cloud solutions, he said. It's around solving problems and issues. All that we do every day is think about what the next hurdle for our customers is. I see cloud as one of those transformative offerings, Gallagher said.
D&H Distributing believes the cloud will be complementary to on-premise infrastructure, especially for mission-critical information and more especially for small businesses, the primary target of the distributors solution provider customers.
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