Deconstructing Virtualization and the Cloud
It’s been nearly two years since the term "cloud computing" leaked into the IT lexicon and still many leading experts in the field are struggling to come up with a definition.
That has to be a testament to either the cloud’s broad impact on all manner of enterprise functions or the fact that it is a nebulous term signifying everything, or nothing at all.
Either way, the hunt is still on for an exact, or at least a satisfactory, definition of what the cloud is and what it isn’t.
How to Move Enterprise Applications Safely to the Cloud
Before moving enterprise applications to the cloud, you need to be sure that your expectations are realistic and your objectives match what the cloud can deliver. The following are five best practices based on my experiences working with enterprise customers—from their initial exploration of cloud possibilities to the deployment of specific applications they’ve migrated to the cloud.
Best practice No. 1: Determine your cloud objectives
CompTIA Partners with Industry Coaches
IT industry trade association CompTIA has announced that it will begin working closely with industry business coaches in an effort to provide members with their counsel, mentoring, and services.
During its recent Breakaway 2010 trade event in San Antonio, CompTIA convened a summit of leading business coaches from across the IT channel. Summit participants discussed ways to make coaching more accessible to solution providers. They also addressed training in the channel and shared ideas for future development.
XTuple Expands to the Cloud
XTuple, a provider of commercial open-source business management software, has announced the release of a new version of its flagship product along with an expansion of the xTuple cloud service. The new features of the open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) software include a Quickstart Wizard for setup and an xTuple desktop, with graphical, customizable workflows for sales, CRM, accounting, and manufacturing. The xTuple desktop also allows users to create their own favorite places in the application and set up summary dashboards of key business metrics.
Three new editions of xTuple’s open source ERP software are available:
Intel in $7.68bn McAfee takeover
Intel will pay $7.68bn (£5bn) in cash.
Under the terms of the deal, Intel said it would pay $48 per share in cash for McAfee, almost 60% higher than its closing price on Wednesday.
Through buying McAfee, a leading security technology firm, Intel intends to build security features into its microprocessors which go into products such as laptops and phones.
The two companies said they had been working together for 18 months and that, should the takeover pass regulatory and shareholder approval, the first new products would be revealed early next year.
Microsoft ‘Orleans’: A New Cloud Development Platform?
Security Makes Crummy Case for Windows 7 Migration
On August 10, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) issued its biggest-ever set of “Patch Tuesday” security bulletins and fixes. Redmond posted 14 new bulletins, in addition to the bulletin posted August 2 after another vulnerability became public.
Startups Aim to Chip Away at the Microsoft Office Empire
Startup Makes Probability-Based Chips for Big Data Apps
Lyric Semiconductor, a Cambridge, Mass.-based startup that was spun out of MIT in 2006, today announced a revolutionary new approach to processing data called probability processing. It wants to make chips that are fit for a world drowning in information and dealing with data deluge.
The company was started by Dr. Ben Vigoda, a chip industry veteran, and MIT Scientist and chip industry veteran David Reynolds. It’s backed by Analog Devices CEO and lead partner of Stata Ventures, Ray Stata, with more than $20 million in funding from DARPA. It’s coming out of stealth today.