Two-year-old a la mobile is promising to announce the world's most secure Linux operating systems platform for smartphones any minute now. Its patented Mobile Security Engine combines enterprise security features like sandboxing and encryption with the bootloader and kernel in the handset, widgetry that's supposed to make it virtually impenetrable to outside hardware or software nasties.

Dell Hopes It's Buying a Gorilla
Dell - which has little to no acquisition skills - but has been promising - well, at least in part - to buy its way out of its current mess - is going to acquire privately held managed service provider Silverback Technologies Inc on undisclosed terms.

Silverback remotely manages the infrastructure, stuff like storage, servers, networks, desktops and notebooks, a currently hot field that Dell has been threatening to take seriously and make simpler.

It's probably doubly important for Dell given its poor service image.

Billerica, Massachusetts-based eight-year-old SilverBack Technologies, named for the critically endangered African mountain gorilla, has gotten four rounds of funding from Prism Ventures, North Bridge Ventures, Matrix Partners, Spectrum Equity and Ironside Ventures. The last round in 2003 was for $9 million.

This is only Dell's fourth acquisition ever and Silverback's main customers are VARs, which means Dell has to walk softly.