DavsDisorder

Just came across this quote from EMC Asia Pacific President, Steve Leonard;

Leonard said the use of one company to approach market would help to win business over competition, and provide better servicing.

“What we’re trying to do is position Vblock as an architecture, and VCE as a company that can bring that with one support number, one architectural campaign, and we think that if we can do that faster, we think we can win,” he said.

“We want to be the guys who help put the engines in the data centres." (my emphasis)

So, do we Steve, so do we...oh, its in our company name!

This article probably somes up my disposition towards the issues raised by this election process (note I say issues raised by the process, not issues rasied in the election contention itself), better than anything I have read recently:

Worth subscribing to;

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/02/this-is-all-your-fault/

A friend (Carl, thank you), just sent me this...a little reminder of how far data storage technology has come in 50 years.



In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the  first 'SUPER' computer with a hard disk drive (HDD). The HDD weighed over a ton and stored a 'whopping' 5 MB of data. Not even big to hold a digitised MP3 of John Coltrane's 'Blue Train' recorded the following year.

I thought I would post the text of a comment I made on Scott Lowe's (now of EMC) blog, regarding NetApp's future (like most posts of mine, its half baked and badly worded...thus Dav's Disorder)...

Guys, just a quick thought on these observations…if Scott’s take on NetApp is correct then surely the same applies to HDS? They are apparently releasing a server line themselves (great another fly for the ointment), but in essence they are the storage person’s storage company right? They will even rebuild microcode for customer’s if you have a particularly pressing requirement? I think enterprise storage requirements are breaking out into those demanded by true commercial enterprises (with governance and high uptime needs) and enterprise, as-in-as masses of storage and huge data rates, enterprises (scientific, research, university, aerospace, engineering, Tv and other media). Storage vendor’s cost models vs feature sets will determine their value in either market.

Whilst doing some research around options for moving our internal mail and file serving/collaboration requirements into a 'cloud' provider, I came across the details of the Telstra T-Suite offering, part of which is the Microsoft BPOS suite. As we are thinking of consolidating telecoms with Telstra also, I thought I'd test how their "implementation" (assuming they are actually hosting it in Australia somewhere) of the suite responded (browser refreshes etc). As a Microsoft partner we can use their BPOS but I am guessing it is hosted in an US or other remote DC so I thought I would try Telstra; unfortunately, whilst trying to secure a trial I got the follow screen:

 
Not an encouraging way to greet prospective SaaS buyers!!!

www.interpolnyc.com

It's called "Lights", a 5minute power ballad with the signature Paul Banks sinister, misogynistic lyrics.

Advice, especially field tested advice is not risky Happy! But I guess there's sometimes no option but to adopt a bureaucratic approach when positioned as such.

http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/344444/smb_it_supplier_advocate_named/?eid=-4152

"Easter said his first job would be to consult industry bodies and large tech companies to get a sense of the industry. SMB IT companies would need to understand how risky they appeared to Government CIOs"

I would love to get Data Engines to do more government business; it is often challenging work and it feels a little bit like we're using IT as our way to 'give back' in public service!. But...but, but but... $40mil coverage for professional services indemnity is also a regular requirement for tender respondees and that cost is a little too much alongside side a 50 page tender response document for a specification that is often written with a particular solution and/or vendor already in mind.

//TD.

Well, nice to see support for Australian technology firms in this initiative....what a joke! The government should have in place a mandate that Australian based firms (SME or Large) are preferred for some sub-section of the setup and maintenance of what will be a large company funded by government - NBN Co. The whole NBN concept is one of supposed 'nation building', yet when opportunities to stimulate the local technology sector arise like this, we allow NBN Co to line the coffers of 3 well fed international firms!! And....23 million !!! to set up IT infrastructure and services for a company that doesn't have a 1000 employees yet....geez. No, I am not a disgruntled tenderer either...just a business owner in the tech sector a little dismayed at the government's contradictory actions. I wonder whether Malcolm Turnbull would agree in principle?

Well, with a tip of the hat to old Ernest, it is with some degree of relief we farewell a turbulent and bloody year. We look forward to a more peaceful and prosperous 2010. Me and the boys have just had our last 'meeting' for the making sure all is in order for next weeks start to 2010 and as a coda to that meeting we compiled very hastily a list of the 10 most influential and impactful technologies/products to have held sway throughout the past decade. We mainly focused on stuff in the realm of 'technology' (whatever that means) in the consumer and business space...we left rocket science out of the equation. Well here it is...please feel free to comment on them and remember they are in no particular order:

1. Google's Search Engine (no explanation needed)
2. Wired & Wireless, Broadly Available, High Speed Internet Access (hard to overestimate this, and its all thanks to bullish business overestimation boom & bust)
3. Apple's iPhone (the crowning glory of a decade of mobile telephony innovation...the social impact of mobile phones is vast and worthy of further study)
4. Peer 2 Peer Networking Technology (free music...legal disputes)
5. YouTube (collective therapy for failed ambitions of all kinds...and cats doing funny things)
6. Social Networking (think twice before you post...the end of syndicated journalism?)
7. Digital Cameras (read, digital phone cameras as above...massive social data creation...most recorded decade in human history)
8. Computer Virtualisation (read VMware's ESX technology...amongst other lesser candidates...impact still being felt...VMware fastest growing software in history - 2008)
9. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) (warfare is remote controlled...couples stop fighting in cars...big brother knows where you are..cf.#3)
10. Malware (whilst not a technology per se...represents the single biggest threat {alongside dwindling power supplyy} to our connected world)