Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62215
03-0072-SBU T N/A 133/CMYK L P H 214.891.5296 C P s s n At SMU Cox, what happens in the classroom is just the beginning. Our Business Leadership Center grooms future leaders for immediate success. Our international opportunities help students develop contacts across the globe. And daily interactions with Dallas' top corporate leaders give bright young minds a real-world edge. No wonder the doors open right up. 214.768.1794 ww w.c ox . smu.edu SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. NEWSBYTES ■ PCs FOR IRAQ Madar Research, a research firm based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, predicts that Iraq will purchase 450,000 PCs every year between 2004 and 2008. The firm also estimates that the country's IT spending will surge up to US$1.42 billion by 2008, as it rebuilds its tech- nological infrastructure. The rebuild- ing has already begun. In July, seven Iraqi ministries and three Baghdad community governments were fur- nished with computers, copiers, and printers by an aid organization. ■ EU DEMANDS BANNED SPAM The European Union is in the process of legislat- ing spam—or junk e-mails—into obliv- ion by making outright spamming illegal. The new legislation, which prohibits any promotions to people who have not "opted in" to such mailings, became law this fall. The EU sees the law's usefulness in jeop- ardy if the U.S. does not put similar legislation in place, and has asked the U.S. to revisit its policies on spam. The U.S., however, favors an "opt-out" system, which currently requires users to specifically ask to be removed from lists in order to avoid unwanted mail. ■ TCU MERGES E-BIZ This fall, Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business in Fort Worth merged its e-business, decision sciences, and supply chain manage- ment courses into a single department called the depart- ment of information systems and supply chain management. The move, say school officials, is to reflect the integration of these three functions in the business world. Although the three disciplines are now integrated, undergraduates can still declare majors in e-business and MBA students can pursue con- centrations in e-business. ■ LESS FOR WINDOWS Microsoft Corp. recently lowered the cost of a package that includes its Windows operat- ing system and Office suite of soft- ware in Thailand to $40, according to a report from market research firm Gartner Inc. The move, according to Gartner, is in response to the increasing use of the Linux operat- ing system. Gartner indicates that the company may make similar price cuts in China as well. The cost of the same package in the U.S. starts at about $380. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003 51 r n o O ln e t o c o p o D k e . s i t U l a .