IT Professionals Get The Nudge Toward Cloud From Microsoft

By Marty Nuckles

Part 1: Homework
When I got the request to review the article “Microsoft pushes cloud computing”, the first thing I did was to make sure that I had clear understanding of the term “cloud computing”. I set out to make sure that I knew the difference between it and other ideas such as “Software as a Service”, “Grid Computing”, “Platform as a Service”, “Scalable, Virtualized, Business Applications” and a dozen other variations on the theme. As I soon discovered, there isn’t much steak or sizzle here. There isn’t anything here that I haven’t seen or heard before. A motley crew of vendors, marketers and others, each pushing their technology, that’s about it. And, most certainly, there is no clear definition or technology standard here.
A few cynics have called it the “marketing phrase de jour”. One of the more interesting cynical reviews is “Why Cloud Computing is for the birds" by Mike Elgan and I found it funny that Cloud Computing Journal has an article titled, “21 Experts define cloud computing”. Why does it take 21 experts to define it? It reminds me of those light bulb jokes we used to tell.

I came away from my homework with several conclusions. The first one is: this is an idea in its infancy. It is closer to a marketing banner than a solid technology or a foundation for long term IT planning and deployment. Most IT departments and IT planners should be commended for casting a skeptical eye on the cloud computing hype and the cloud computing marketing efforts of hardware and software vendors.

Part 2: Building my perspective
Does this mean that cloud computing should simply be consigned to the trash bin reserved for marketing hype? No, it doesn’t. There are some legitimate issues that it addresses and in time in may offer real solutions to some thorny IT problems. We have all lived through software and hardware upgrades that set us back weeks and months. We have all lived through the problems of systems management, systems configuration and systems security. Being able to pass those concerns off to someone else or something else, such as the cloud, is an appealing proposition. If it saved time and money, that would be even more attractive. I would imagine that we are in a situation similar to the one our grandparents might have experienced when the telephone system moved towards standardization in early part of the twentieth century. It might have seemed like a loss of control and a risk, but the benefits of self-service dialing and the reliability of the utility proved out. Ditto for the change from rotary dial to digital phones. That lead to my second conclusion: give the infant time to grow up and try to imagine what might be possible. After all, the switch from rotary phones to digital made it possible for me to get my bank balance at 4 AM while I was on a business trip to Philadelphia and when I needed three more extensions for my home phone, I just went down to Costco, bought a base station with three remote unit and in a couple of minutes, I had phones in every room that I wanted.

I’m still trying to work out the target market for cloud computing and that remains hazy (pardon the pun). Cloud computing seems to appeal to the “big boys” first and foremost. They’ve got the biggest needs for systems management, scalability as well as the biggest need to save money. I can’t see the appeal for small and medium sized IT shops. Nor can I see the appeal for people who believe that their data is their most valuable asset. There are some pretty serious data privacy, data security and data reliability issues here. HIPPA is the first example that comes to mind. As an IT planner, I would need a lot of proof that these issues had been solved and that there were no vulnerabilities before I moved my company’s IT infrastructure to a cloud based solution.

I would be interested in hearing your opinions and if you have them, I would like to hear about experiences in implementing cloud computing.

Related Link:

http://searchwindowsserver.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid68_gci1510373,00.html

Scientists Still Learning to How To Count Stars

By John Duckgeischel

According to a recent article in Discovery News astronomers "may have underestimated the tally of galaxies in some parts of the universe by as much as 90 percent." It turns out that astronomers use ultraviolet light signatures as a means of counting stars; however they have found that this may not be the most accurate measurement method. The article goes on to say that In the case of very distant, old galaxies, the telltale light may not reach Earth as it is blocked by interstellar clouds of dust and gas -- and, as a result, these galaxies are missed by the map-makers." This gross miscalculation may cause doubts about the integrity of data gathered by scientists for major scientific theories such as global warming and others.

In another space related story, NASA has given credit to an amateur who has captured photographs of space which have captured the attention of the U.S federal space agency. From the UK, Robert Harrison made a device at home which can orbit the earth 20 miles above it surface and take pictures of the edge of space with incredible clarity. NASA was so impressed it made an effort to contact the father of three children. Harrison made the device for only $815. NASA admitted it would have had to spend millions of dollars to accomplish the same feat.

P2P File Sharings Has Its Risks

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing has opened up a significant breach in data security. The breach is so serious that the FTC has taken steps to notify hundreds of US businesses, of all sizes, that confidential information is freely circulating on P2P networks. This breach gives all sorts of unauthorized users access to sensitive and confidential information. For example: Jon Leibowitz, FTC Chairman, pointed out that “…health-related information, financial records, and drivers' license and social security numbers …” are visible on these P2P networks.
The existence of the data security breach underscores the issues of identity theft and fraud. The breach also underscores the legal issues and business liabilities. Closing the breach is imperative. Tony Bradley in his article “How to Stop P2P” data breaches” offers 3 sound ideas along with recommendations for closing the breach. Pay heed to Tony’s recommendations and implement them right away! Business data, especially confidential data, is an asset. It deserves even more protection than a physical asset. Lock it down!

In brief, Tony’s recommendations are:
1. Beware the Software. Remember where the P2P software comes from and remember that often it not built with the same concern for data security as commercial software. Additionally, the software can contain malware, viruses and the like. System performance issues and network performance issues can ensue.
2. Watch What You Share. The default share folder and sharing options can expose data to the world.
3. Just Don't Use It. There are legitimate uses for P2P networks. However, there is arguably no legitimate reason for accessing a P2P file-sharing system from a business network. In addition to the potential system and network performance issues, improperly configured and inadequately secured networks open you up to attack and compromise, or inadvertently exposing sensitive data.
As a final illustration, if you don’t believe this is an important business issue, then you may want to leave your wallet and credit cards on the front seat of your car and while you are at it, leave the windows down, the door unlocked and the keys in the ignition. I’m sure some unauthorized user will appreciate it.

The Risks of Using P2P File Sharing

Written by Marty Nuckles

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing has opened up a significant breach in data security. The breach is so serious that the FTC has taken steps to notify hundreds of US businesses, of all sizes, that confidential information is freely circulating on P2P networks. This breach gives all sorts of unauthorized users access to sensitive and confidential information. For example: Jon Leibowitz, FTC Chairman, pointed out that “…health-related information, financial records, and drivers' license and social security numbers …” are visible on these P2P networks.
The existence of the data security breach underscores the issues of identity theft and fraud. The breach also underscores the legal issues and business liabilities. Closing the breach is imperative. Tony Bradley in his article “How to Stop P2P” data breaches” offers 3 sound ideas along with recommendations for closing the breach. Pay heed to Tony’s recommendations and implement them right away! Business data, especially confidential data, is an asset. It deserves even more protection than a physical asset. Lock it down!

In brief, Tony’s recommendations are:
1. Beware the Software. Remember where the P2P software comes from and remember that often it not built with the same concern for data security as commercial software. Additionally, the software can contain malware, viruses and the like. System performance issues and network performance issues can ensue.
2. Watch What You Share. The default share folder and sharing options can expose data to the world.
3. Just Don't Use It. There are legitimate uses for P2P networks. However, there is arguably no legitimate reason for accessing a P2P file-sharing system from a business network. In addition to the potential system and network performance issues, improperly configured and inadequately secured networks open you up to attack and compromise, or inadvertently exposing sensitive data.
As a final illustration, if you don’t believe this is an important business issue, then you may want to leave your wallet and credit cards on the front seat of your car and while you are at it, leave the windows down, the door unlocked and the keys in the ignition. I’m sure some unauthorized user will appreciate it.

“This is like Déjà vu, all over again” -- Yogi Berra

Written by By Marty Nuckles

Yogi’s quote was the first thing that went through my mind as I was reading Paul Ruben’s article titled, “Google vs. Microsoft -- You Say You Want a Revolution”. Déjà vu, because getting huge numbers of small and medium sized businesses to buy the latest, hottest technology was a goal we repeatedly chased for years. When I was working in the hardware end of the business and when I was working in the software end of the business we tried simplifying. We tried bundling, partnering and embedding. We tried making it sexy and we tried making it cheap. Some of the technologies became market successes and others remained stuck in their niches. But overall, the massive tidal wave of adoption and subsequent buying never seemed to come. Why didn’t it happen?

In his article, Paul said, “By the end of this year, when ChromeOS is due to released … Google will be ready to offer enterprises its own take on the single vendor solution: Users will be able to use low-cost netbooks (and maybe desktop machines?) or smartphones running Google software to access data stored in a Google-managed cloud and manipulate it with apps running in Google data centers. It will be as inexpensive as chips and need very little in the way of patching or updating by IT departments.” Later in the article, Paul went on to ask, Will it happen?
Will individuals and small business be ready? Will they adopt the vision?
I asked myself can Google and the Chrome OS generate enough momentum, enthusiasm and motivation for me to replace the Microsoft products, the web services and the applications I use every day? Maybe they can. Chrome has become my browser of choice. I’m taking a wait and see attitude on the rest of it.

I went on to ask myself, can Google and Chrome get the $25M/yr businesses motivated to adopt the vision and buy? What about the $150M/yr businesses? And in those questions, I began to see an answer. The answer is: it may happen if there are compelling reasons for a small business to do so. Low-cost netbooks and smartphones, along with vendor managed applications are not compelling reasons, nor are the Google name and cloud computing. Just as an experiment, go say the words, “vendor managed, stateless device, anywhere access, cloud computing” to any owner of a $100M/yr business and watch his or her eyes glaze over. To a small business owner: better, faster, cheaper are compelling reasons, so are: quicker quotes to customers, fewer errors on billing, accurate tracking and faster delivery. Quicker access to the web is not high on their list of requirements; neither is reducing start up time. Spending money on new smartphones, netbooks or vendors is likely to be viewed as a significant cost and the perception that a changeover is required would likely be viewed as disruptive, regardless of how it plays out in actual practice.

Give me the net, net!

1. Take a good look at yourself and your business structure. If you see yourself as an aggressive and leading edge small business, then go for it! Evaluate the technology and build it into your plans to innovate. Use the speed of any-where, any-when access to push your company. You could be the next Under-Armour. Lower IT costs could provide money for investments in other areas. The same is true for devices and web-access that would allow you to “do a deal on the spot”.
2. If you are a conservative business, then evaluate the technology and look at your IT current costs. Would you recognize any costs savings or operational improvements by adopting the Google computing model? If so, develop plans for phasing them in over time. Use the cost savings as investment for further improvement and measure, measure, measure!
3. If none of this makes any sense to you, then ignore the whole thing and wait 5 years. If the Google model fails to catch on, you won’t have spent anything. If it does catch on, you’ll have enough historical information to evaluate it and you can make your plans from there.
4. If you’re selling technology, then learn to talk about the current problems it solves. Learn to talk about what could be done in the future. Above all else, learn how to construct and present a compelling business case that someone actually cares about. Make sure you can prove it too!
Final thoughts

I am in favor of simplifying things. The easier the access to the services and applications that we need daily, the better! The simpler and more transparent the access, the better. Fast access is great. Ditto for universal access and stateless devices.
I believe this computing model provides an excellent platform for more effective and efficient businesses.
I believe the potential inherent in this model will become more and more obvious as the members of the wired generation move into the small business arena and as they achieve success.
Competition is a good thing. It forces innovation.

Larry Ellison’s Dreams Come True

Oracle is officially moving forward with integrating its latest acquisition, Sun Microsystems. Oracle’s CEO, Larry Ellison, usually get what he wants, and even if there huddles to overcome such are questions from EU about MySQL. One only has to look at the acquisition of PeopleSoft in 2005. After being rebuffed multiple times, it is now part of Oracle. Since 2005, Oracle has made 52 acquisitions, including BEA systems, Siebel Systems, and the aforementioned PeopleSoft. With the Sun Microsystems acquisition complete, it is now providing a glimpse into the future. Today, Oracle is holding an event for customers which lays out the strategic vision on how Sun’s servers, storage, operating system and software will complement the database and application middleware that are the company’s signature products.

"We've been talking about this for years," Oracle president Charles Phillips stated during the presentation. "We've extended it down to more and more layers." "One upside of this transaction taking so long to close was that it gave us plenty of time to work on the details," he stated as he went on. "We have a complete system that's engineered to work together and be delivered faster across domains." "The breakthroughs will be the interaction between the stacks," Phillips added. "With separate vendors developing products at each level, it's very hard to get engineers to work together. It just never happens. It's hard to get them to work together even when they work at the same company. Ask IBM. They know."

In fiscal 2011, Oracle will increase its research and development spending from $2.8 billion to $4.3 billion. It plans on making a sizeable investment in Sun’s Solaris operating system, the Java program language as well as the SPARC chipsets and servers. "We're going to spend money to re-energize the key assets at Sun, the products," Phillips stated. Oracle is planning on hiring 2000 engineering and sales professionals offsetting, if only partially, the layoffs it planned when the deal was first announced.

Oracle has combined both its hardware and software in one stack, which moves it into the category of system provider similar to HP and Cisco. Oracle claims to have the best comprehensive offering in the industry. "There's no other company that can claim that they're in the complete systems business," Phillips said. "We're in all these categories and engineer across all of them. They couldn't do it from a coordination perspective and simply don't have components."

Sometimes history repeats itself as today’s Oracle somewhat resembles the old IBM from the 1960’s. "It is odd that the computer industry ships all these separate parts and expects customers to assemble them," Larry Ellison said in an interview with The New York Times earlier. "You will now be buying this complete system, and don’t have to hire IBM or someone else to assemble it for you.

Related Link:
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/features/article.php/3861176/Oracle-Takes-a-Page-From-IBM.htm

New Study: Texting While Driving Is Dangerous

The University of Utah has now confirmed what every one has known for quite a while. Texting while driving is dangerous. The study provides information on how distracting texting can be. The study indicates that texting can be six times more distracting than talking on a cell phone while driving.

The University of Utah study showed that the distractions associated with texting resulted in delayed braking and reaction times. Perhaps this study is useful since so many people are texting. Last year over 1 trillion texts were sent. It seems however people need to use more common sense and not attempt to do multiple things at the same time, especially when one of them is driving. Since driving a car which weighs 2000 to 4000 pounds, at normal driving speeds, creates a potential lethal weapon, it would seem that not texting while driving should be a rule of thumb that everyone would naturally follow. Evidently not, as more and more elected representives look at new laws and regulations to prohibit such activity. Many states have banned the activity, while many others are exploring creating new laws. Overall I think we need to promote a society where people take responsibilty for safe behavior rather than creating new laws for every circumstance. Unfortunately this maybe a necessary evil in today' society. Perhaps this is a sign of the times.