On the Edge News Briefs

Anyone get that plate number?

Active Recognition Technologies Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz., has developed software for identifying and comparing license-plate numbers against watch lists. V-Metrics Surveillance software can automatically generate alerts if it finds a match, and it maintains a visual record of all the license plates it reads.

Company officials said security personnel can search records using partial license-plate numbers and times of day to find out who enters facilities and when. The software also works on vehicles that are driving at high speeds, the company said.

Active Recognition Technologies recently agreed to be acquired by Mesa, Ariz.-based Duraswitch Industries Inc. The deal is expected to close in 2005.

Patching Linux

With Linux use on the rise, it's only a matter of time before the bad guys start exploiting vulnerabilities in the open-source operating system. Boston-based ManageSoft Corp. is among the first to add support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux to its patch management software to help IT staffs keep Red Hat secure.

ManageSoft's Security Patch Management software can deploy software patches to desktops, servers and mobile devices running Windows or Red Hat Linux.

Middleware for RFID

WebMethods Inc. of Fairfax, Va., has begun providing integration software for radio frequency identification projects.

The company recently announced that Science Applications International Corp. will use its integration platform in RFID projects at the Defense Department. WebMethods' Web services platform can link RFID readers to back-end systems such as supply chain databases.

In addition, WebMethods said SAIC will use its middleware in the Defense Department's Single Point of Entry initiative, which aims to provide a single collaborative platform for exchanging information among weapons systems. The software already has been implemented in the Joint Strike Fighter.