Category: News

Grazed from InformationWeek. Author: Charles Babcock.

IBM, the original inventor of virtualization in computing, has patented a method of moving virtual machines around dynamically to ensure each has the amount of network bandwidth that it needs. The technique can be used to load balance large conglomerations of virtual machines from a bandwidth perspective, instead of server CPU and memory perspective.

By shifting virtual machines that need more access to network bandwidth away from virtual machines that are already making heavy use of it, the virtual environment is used in a more efficient and intelligent way, approximating fuller use of all resources. In effect, IBM has announced that Patent #8,352,953, its method for "dynamically provisioning virtual machines," has solved what Netflix defined on Amazon Web Services as the "noisy neighbor" problem…

Grazed from ZDNet. Author: Larry Dignan.

Legacy enterprise software vendors are caught in a deflationary pricing cycle, but there are multiple nuances worth noting. In a research report on pricing model disparities, Cowen & Co. analyst Peter Goldmacher found:

• Data management tools such as Hadoop and NoSQL can save customers 70 percent to 80 percent relative to data warehousing tools from Teradata and Oracle.
• SaaS apps such as Salesforce and Workday can save you money in the early years relative to an on-premise deployment from Oracle or SAP, but you could wind up paying more out over the duration of a deal. The outcomes range from 50 percent savings to spending more on SaaS vs. on premise.
• Box is more expensive than on premise options in many cases, but collaboration customers are willing to pay up to access files remotely from mobile devices…

Grazed from DataCenterKnowledge. Author: Aaron Patrick.

In today’s IT landscape the benefits of cloud computing – flexibility, lower costs, higher productivity – are well understood. However, now that the term “cloud computing” is everywhere, companies need to work proactively to ensure they have put their business in the best possible position to succeed now and in the future.

A huge component of this success will be dependent on where your organization’s cloud infrastructure is housed. The data center that your cloud calls home will have certain capabilities and features that may be the difference in whether your cloud keeps pace or falls behind. Uptimes, network bandwidth and security are some of the most important aspects of the data center infrastructure that companies must take into account…

Grazed from CIOL. Author: Editorial Staff.

At InterConnect 2013 IBM unveiled new systems and solutions that address these needs by helping clients and managed service providers (MSPs) build private and hybrid clouds to get the most out of Big Data, social, and mobile workloads. These include PureSystems, Power Systems, Smarter Storage Systems, System x, and Technical Computing offerings that provide the flexibility clients need to quickly deploy clouds.

Clients are looking to leverage public clouds while still maintaining control of them. This is causing organizations to embrace private and hybrid clouds where they can more easily manage in-house resources as they adopt external cloud services…

Grazed from GSN Magazine. Author: Dale R. Gardner.

Hybrid-Cloud computing, the combination of private, community and public Cloud infrastructures, delivers advantages. But it also introduces risks, particularly around privileged users and trusted insider threats. Agencies already routinely develop plan of action and milestones (POAMs) to address audit findings on shared administrative accounts, weak and default passwords, and other privileged risks. And regulations mandating tighter privileged user controls have also emerged.

Most recently, an updated release of NIST Special Publication 800-53 brought new requirements. More are found in Presidential CAP goals and long-standing programs, such as HSPD-12 and OMB 11-11, which reinforce the requirement for PIV card controlled logical access to systems, particularly for privileged accounts…

Grazed from TechTarget. Author: Jessica Scarpati.

In a market practically defined by do-it-yourself provisioning, the notion of cloud professional services seems almost like an oxymoron. Professional services come at a premium price, and cloud computing is, in many ways, a commodity. Yet for that exact reason, cloud providers are acutely aware that improving the profitability of the cloud model hinges on finding a way to boost revenue through complementary services.

IBM, recently named a leader in IDC’s MarketScape for cloud professional services, is finding ways to articulate the value of these services to customers across several markets. Ric Telford, the company’s vice president of cloud services, recently spoke with SearchCloudProvider about how IBM has gained that edge…

Grazed from TechTarget. Author: Harvey Koeppel.

"Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining." — Jef Raskin, creator of the initial concepts that became the Apple Macintosh computer, as quoted in Dr. Dobb’s Journal.

I must admit that I have heard many descriptions of computing but, when I came across this exploding-shoe metaphor, it was (a) different, and (b) caught my attention. Then again, I have always been fascinated by what people have to say about technology, especially new technology, and especially new technology that is disruptive by its nature. Here are a few of my favorites:…