In his session at the 11th International Cloud Expo, Brian Clark, Vice President, Field Services, at Objectivity, will review different use-cases and discuss the advantages and benefits of using distributed graph database technologies to more efficiently discover the connections within Big Data to enable real-time searches of multiple types of data across disparate data sources. He will also review the complementary aspect of distributed graph technology with existing and new architectures for improved ROI.
Brian Clark is Vice President, Field Services, at Objectivity, Inc. He has nearly 30 years of software and technology experience, and was one of the early architects of Objectivity/DB. Before joining Objectivity, he worked at Automation Technology Products, providing leading tools in the MCAD market. Prior to that, he was with Project Management Services at International Computers Limited, one of Europe’s leading computer companies at the time.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Mimecast Beefs up Email Archiving, Adds iPad Search App
Mimecast, a supplier of cloud-based email archiving, security and continuity for Microsoft Exchange, Hosted Exchange and Office 365, has revamped its cloud archiving capabilities, with end users now able to access their personal archive from their chosen email client or mobile device. Mimecast has also introduced file archiving and now provides users with the ability to search their archived documents from within Outlook, Mimecast Personal Portal (web), or iPad. The company’s new iPad app, Mimefiles, displays all of a user’s documents stored in email, as well as Box, Dropbox, SharePoint, network shares and home drives (My Documents).
Mimecast has also added tight integration between SharePoint and email, with users able to search their email archive from within SharePoint, or their SharePoint documents from Outlook.
“The archive is now so much more than just a dusty data store,” comments Grant Hodgkinson, Product Director, Unified Email Management, at Mimecast. “We see it as a highly available, highly secure, but most of all incredibly useful source of information for IT professionals and their end users. And not just for occasional eDiscovery cases but for day to day interactions. The Mimecast archive can now store more than just email, but perhaps more importantly we’re providing users with the tools to be able to find what they need, quickly, in ways that suit their personal preferences, whether they are iPad users or Outlook junkies. In short, archiving is not just about what goes in; it’s how useful it is when it comes out.”
The key elements of today’s announcement are:
Mimecast File Archive provides a solution for archiving files from SharePoint, Box, Dropbox, network shares and home drives, with a single point of eDiscovery and management that supports regulatory compliance needs.
Mimecast Services for Outlook Version 4 gives users full access to their entire archive history from within Outlook. Users can browse their historical email folders or use the archive search feature, which enables quicker decision-making and transforms responsiveness. They can also drag and drop emails to their inbox when browsing, or view, reply and forward messages returned by the archive search.
Mimecast Services for SharePoint is designed to allow users to search their email archive from within SharePoint.
Mimecast Personal Portal is a web mail portal that allows users to search emails and files in their personal archive, manage their permit/block lists and continue to send and receive email in the event of a mail server outage.
Mimefiles, which will be available from the Apple AppStore in November, is a custom-built iPad app that provides users with a unified view of all their files from Box, Dropbox, SharePoint, network file shares and email attachments. Users can also view the audit trail associated with each file – who emailed whom and when – and can preview the email that the file was associated with.
What Is Driving Cloud Computing?
“In some segments, the price of cloud computing will go up as providers offer higher-end solutions designed to cater to complex enterprise requirements,” observed John A. De Goes, CEO & Founder of Precog, in this exclusive Q&A with Cloud Expo Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan. “However,” De Goes continued, “in most segments, and for any fixed set of features, the price of computing, bandwidth, storage will go down in inflation-adjusted dollars, concurrent with advances in hardware, software, and efficiency, all driven by competitive pressures.”
Cloud Computing Journal: Just having the enterprise data is good. Extracting meaningful information out of this data is priceless. Agree or disagree?
John A. De Goes: Far too many companies pat themselves on the back for having terabytes or petabytes of data. But data has no intrinsic value, and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to capture and warehouse data has very real costs. Data by itself doesn’t give you any competitive advantage. It’s only if you act on that data that you can drive more revenue and secure competitive advantages.
Cloud Expo Silicon Valley: Understanding Cloud Security for Your App
Many articles describe cloud security as a problem. But do you know how security affects you and your application in the cloud?
In his session at the 11th International Cloud Expo, Bryan D. Payne, Director of Security Research at Nebula, will open your eyes to the various security concerns in the cloud. Then he’ll go a step further and understand how to translate these concerns into a plan of action for using the cloud to meet your needs, safely. Along the way he’ll explore many of the cloud options that are available today, and how these should fit into your security thinking.
Is the road to the European cloud paved with good intentions?
At the end of last month the EU released its plans for “Unleashing the Potential of Cloud Computing in Europe”.
But although the document(s) – just like EU commissioner Kroes in this video – do a good job describing in non-technical terms what cloud is and why Europe should care about having a competitive cloud position, it kind of stops there.
Even though it defines three key actions – around Standards, Terms and Public Sector taking a lead role – most described actions consist of softer items such as “promoting trust by coordinating with stakeholders”, “identifying best practices”, ”promoting partnerships” and “investigating how to make use of other available instruments”.
Now of course European cloud computing can benefit from funding reserved for other EU initiatives such as the Connecting Europe Facility, and from side initiatives such as the “Opinion on Cloud Computing” published by the Article 29 working party that gives privacy-related contracting …
Cloud in the Heartland
I was busy this past week, visiting several small midwestern cities within driving distance of my location in Northern Illinois, talking to businesspeople and academics about cloud computing and big data.
One visit was to the School of Information Technology at Illinois State University, located in Bloomington-Normal. Major companies such as Caterpillar, State Farm, ADM, Hitachi Data Systems, and Discover hire IT grads from ISU, as does John Deere, a couple of hours drive away.
The school has about 500 students enrolled, several thin- and zero-client teaching facilities, strong Internet 2 participation, and a diverse curriculum that embraces languages, frameworks, and specific 1-credit-hour classes in special topics such as iOS and Python.
I heard some frustration about cloudwashing, about innovation being quashed by vendor lock-in, and about the potential of PaaS to reform app development and how it’s taught.
As I ready myself for Cloud Expo in Santa Clara next week, I hope to articulate all my thoughts from this real-world trip – so much of today’s cloud product and service innovation is coming from Silicon Valley, but my impression is that the word has gotten out to the heartland in a big way.
Little Data, Big Data and Very Big Data (VBD) or Big BS?
This is an industry trends and perspective piece about big data and little data, industry adoption and customer deployment.
If you are in any way associated with information technology (IT), business, scientific, media and entertainment computing or related areas, you may have heard big data mentioned. Big data has been a popular buzzword bingo topic and term for a couple of years now. Big data is being used to describe new and emerging along with existing types of applications and information processing tools and techniques.
I routinely hear from different people or groups trying to define what is or is not big data and all too often those are based on a particular product, technology, service or application focus. Thus it should be no surprise that those trying to police what is or is not big data will often do so based on what their interest, sphere of influence, knowledge or experience and jobs depend on.
You Down with VMware’s EPP? Yeah You Know Me
By: Rob O’Shaughnessy
Remember the last time you were at Chuck E. Cheese, whether you were there with your kids or by yourself (maybe you like Jasper T. Jowls rhythm guitar or you just like the pizza) and you wanted to play skee-ball or whack-a-mole. To pay for those and the other arcade games, you didn’t just shove a dollar bill into the machine, but rather, you had to use the Chuck E. Cheese tokens. Remember those? They were brass coins with Sir Chuck’s face on it. You probably still have some in your change drawer next to that Canadian dollar you’ll never use. For Chuck E. Cheese it was their own currency that you could use to purchase Chuck E. Cheese products and the more tokens you purchased the better discount you received on Chuck E. Cheese goods. It’s a simple concept and I guess VMware must have talked to Nolan Bushnell because VMware has started their own token-based purchase program that can be used to buy VMware licensing just like a kid would use a 1000 tokens to purchase a fuzzy head troll.
VMware has always offered two licensing purchase programs that were on opposite sides of the spectrum. There is the VPP (Volume Pricing Program) which is geared towards small to medium sized end users that requires a minimum purchase of $25K MSRP. On the other side, VMware offers their ELA (Enterprise License Agreement) for large organizations looking to spend upwards to a million dollars or more on VMware licenses. But what about the middle class customers who didn’t have a licensing program that provided discounts to fit their needs. Now for those types of end users looking to spend between $250K to $1M and didn’t want to jump into an ELA and are too big for VPP, well VMware now has you covered. Introducing the new EPP (Enterprise Purchase Program!!!). I just rambled on about Chuck E. Cheese tokens. Can you guess what VMware is doing?
VMware just announced their new EPP which is a purchasing program designed for mid-level end-users that offer discounts and greater flexibility without the complexity that sometimes comes with an ELA. It’s a vehicle that allows end users to buy tokens that are redeemable online for a broad range of VMware product licenses and associated production support and subscription (SnS) during a three-year period and is suited for those looking to make a strategic and long term investment with VMware. Basically, it’s a program designed to fit a customer who may be too big for a VPP program and too small to sign up for an ELA—the middle guy/gal.
EPP is a token-based program where end users purchase a set of tokens which can be redeemed for most VMware software licensing products. SnS is automatically added where applicable. The token to dollar ratio is frozen on a per deal basis and the MSRP is $100 per token. So we’re talking about a minimum order of 2,500 tokens to get into EPP which is $250,000. The tokens last for 3 years and there is no refund for unused tokens. End users can distribute their tokens among their projects or departments giving them flexibility to choose their own products whenever they want.
Basically an end user would purchases a bunch of tokens and these tokens go on the MyVMware portal allowing one to redeem these tokens to pick and choose whatever licensing products they need. The end user doesn’t have to go to their reseller to get a quote and place a licensing order. With EPP, it’s prepaid and one just redeems the licensing they need off their portal. Just like a kid at Chuck E. Cheese can run around using his or her tokens to pay for arcade games until he or she runs out or throws up and is forced to go home. I suppose that since Chuck E. Cheese sells beer, this could also happen to an adult. Here’s a little caveat though, tokens can’t be used for PSO, renewals or anything else besides software and SnS. Customers can add tokens to an active contract at any time (minimum of $50K worth for additional tokens).
Features:
An end user would purchase tokens from a VMware partner (like us) as a sku and a quote would be created depending on how many tokens are needed. There are different skus for different discount levels. The more tokens one buys, the better discount they get on the token ranging between $250K – $600K. The end user can then redeem their tokens on their MyVMware portal for VMware licensing products. The SnS starts when the end user redeems a license and is co-termed to the end of the program term. EPP grants access to future products ensuring one gets the “latest and greatest.” The license is immediately delivered. When end users redeem their tokens the license keys are delivered to the MyVMware account. Once an EPP is started, the end user has 3 years to use their tokens.
So what are the benefits to you, the end user?
For one it’s the Discounts.
EPP offers significant discounts specifically designed for mid-tier enterprise customers. The more tokens purchased the better discounts received on the tokens.
Mix & Matching Anytime. EPP provides the flexibility to mix and match VMware products. It allows one to purchase any combination of SW licenses within the 3 year term of the EPP. The flexibility to purchase any time gives you the ability to adapt to fluctuating business and project needs. If more licenses are required and the tokens have run out, additional tokens can be purchase at the original discounted price.
Easy Management allows the tokens to be redeemed by anyone in the company designated by the customer’s “Fund Owner” (who is an individual in the company who enrolls in EPP and has the authority to purchase, receive and redeem EPP tokens in the MyVMware portal…basically the Nucky Thompson of the company.) Say the desktop group needs more View licenses. The Fund Owner can set them up to have their own set of tokens to make a purchase. EPP provides access to Future VMware products.
Last, Quick Processing because since EPP is a sku, it can be processed as quickly as VPP and doesn’t require processes required to purchase an ELA.
How EPP Works: 3 Steps
1.) An end user enrolls in the VPP online enrollment portal at www.vmware.com/go/purchasenow New customers are required to enroll in either VPP, VPP & EPP, or EPP Only. EPP Only option is for customers previously enrolled in VPP. When enrolled, the end user will receive a VPP membership number and approved company name.
2.) The end user receives a proposed purchase order from their reseller. The proposal includes the: A.) Estimated amount of tokens that the end user would use over a 3 year term, B) the EPP discount, and C.) EPP Sku. The end user then communicates the approval of the purchase order to their reseller.
3.) After the EPP order is processed, tokens will be available on the end user’s MyVMware portal. End Users can redeem the tokens for SW products receiving the licensing immediately. When redeeming the tokens the Fund Owner must name a reseller who helped them with the redemption.
The EPP on MyVMware Site:
All the information to redeem tokens after the purchase has been made is on the end user’s MyVMware site. The site includes an interactive GUI tool that allows the Fund Owner to manage and redeem the tokens. The Fund Owner(s) will purchase VMware licensing products with their tokens. The price of the product is on the site and will automatically include the SnS. The Fund Owner can also create sub funds for different departments to use. For instance they can create a bucket of funds for the desktop group or the server group and provide access to the site so those users can redeem their bucket of tokens for their own products. The Fund Owner can transfer tokens between sub funds if a group happens to run out or a group has a surplus they’re not using. The portal includes charts that detail how many tokens are left and a countdown on how much time is remaining on their EPP.
This is definitely a new and unique way of purchasing VMware. If you’re interested in learning more about EPP please contact us.
Cloud Computing: Knowledge Leads to a Change in Thinking
“The basic premise for any central computing system optimized for mass consumption is the 80/20 rule. It can be built only to serve 80% of the needs in an economized and optimized fashion,” noted Chetan Patwardhan, CEO of Stratogent, in this exclusive Q&A with Cloud Expo Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan. “Having said that,” Patwardhan continued, “the so-called cloud economics work only for a certain type of system and is outright prohibitively expensive for most enterprise setups where a typical three-year timeframe cost view is more dependent on human labor than on the infrastructure.”
Cloud Computing Journal: Just having the enterprise data is good. Extracting meaningful information out of this data is priceless. Agree or disagree?
Chetan Patwardhan: Agree 100%. Let’s look at the value creation process: data is nothing but innumerable floating points of reference. The gathering of data is the very first step. Creating useful information out of data is truly a daunting task because it’s not based on the complexity of data, but the simplicity of information that leads to the creation of knowledge. For the CEO of a large company, a dozen key information sets presented in up/down or chart format can create knowledge of how the company is performing. Knowledge leads to a change in thinking, sometimes creating paradigm shifts in how companies approach challenges. Changes in thinking bring about decision making and changes in the behavior of the organization. This chain reaction finally leads to success.
Drilling the Data Wells of the Future
A look at the phenomenon of Human Generated Big Data, the petabytes and exabytes of structured and unstructured data that are currently being generated by users and organizations internationally. Is Big Data going to be another oil rush with a few winners and many losers or will it enrich all of us?
Human generated content is comprised of all the files and e-mails that we create every day, all the presentations, word processing documents, spread sheets, audio files and other documents our employers ask us to produce hour-by-hour. These are the files that take up the vast majority of digital storage space in most organizations — they are kept for significant amounts of time and they have huge amounts of metadata associated with them. Human generated content is huge, and its metadata is even bigger. Metadata is the information about a file: who might have created it, what type of file it is, what folder it is stored in, who has been reading it and who has access to it. The content and metadata together make up human generated big data.