Monthly Archives: February 2013

Desktop virtualization, VirtualBox, Virtualization, VMware, VMware View

StratoGen Launches Hosted VMware View Solution

StratoGen, a provider of VMware hosting services, today announced the launch of ViewDesk, a hosted VMware View solution which promises to simplify the deployment of virtual desktops in the cloud.  Available in StratoGen datacenter locations across the US, UK and Asia, ViewDesk offers a cost effective and verified VDI environment for 25 to 500 virtual desktops.

The move comes in response to exceptional demand for desktop-as-a-service solutions built on the latest VMware View platform.

StratoGen ViewDesk  helps organizations to quickly benefit from the operational savings of desktop virtualization by streamlining the deployment of a dedicated VMware View platform and enabling migration from on-site PCs to hosted virtual desktops.

Highlights of the solution include:

  •     Cost effective, verified VMware View infrastructure built to best practice standards
  •     Delivered on enterprise class components from NetApp, HP and Cisco
  •     Scale-as-you-grow platform enables VDI resources to grow with your business
  •     ISO27001 certified security at platform and datacenter levels
  •     Full administrative access provided
  •     Available now at StratoGen cloud locations across the US, UK and Asia.

Karl Robinson, VP of Sales said “Most businesses are aware that a hosted desktop solution delivers significant increases in IT manageability, security and performance. With the launch of our ViewDesk platform we have taken the complexity out of implementing desktop virtualization by delivering a verified solution built to the highest standards. Organizations deploying  ViewDesk will immediately enjoy much higher levels of availability and agility in desktop services when compared to on-site desktop estates. ”

For further information please visit http://www.stratogen.com/products/hosted-desktop.html

Malware, Mandiant, Network security, Palo Alto Networks, Partnerships, WildFire

Mandian, Palo Alto Networks Partner for Malware Security

Mandiant has announced that it will team with Palo Alto Networks, a network security company, to integrate Palo Alto Networks’  firewalls and its WildFire malware prevention subscription with Mandiant’s recently announced product, Mandiant for Security Operation. Both companies will be presenting their solutions as participants at the RSA Conference 2013 in San Francisco from February 25th to 28th.

The joint solution from Palo Alto Networks and Mandiant provides a holistic approach to thwart advanced attackers by integrating malware detection and prevention capabilities on the network with the ability to resolve security incidents on endpoints. With this integration, Mandiant for Security Operations will automatically generate Indicators of Compromise (IOC) based on malware alerts generated by the Palo Alto Networks platform and identify which endpoints have been compromised. WildFire modern malware prevention service uses the inherent advantages of Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls to find new types of malware that have never been seen before across all applications – not just Web and email. To date, WildFire has discovered more than 70,000 new malware files that had not been identified by existing anti-malware solutions.

“Our mutual customers view this joint solution as a significant advantage to creating actionable insights to assess risk, prevent threats, and improve security,” said Chad Kinzelberg, senior vice president of business and corporate development, Palo Alto Networks. “We are also confident that this strategic partnership will continue to lead our industry in security intelligence for enterprise organizations.”

Mandiant for Security Operations is an appliance-based solution that utilizes a lightweight agent deployed on endpoints to enable security teams to confidently detect, analyze and resolve security incidents in a fraction of the time it takes using conventional approaches.

Palo Alto Networks offers a subscription service for WildFire, the company’s cloud-based modern malware prevention service. The WildFire service gives subscribers one-hour response times for the delivery of modern malware signatures, and integrated, on-box logging and reporting. The enhanced response time ensures that the damage caused by attackers using “zero-day” malware is mitigated for Palo Alto Networks customers.

“The tactics of targeted attackers and well-funded adversaries are constantly evolving,” said Mandiant’s Chief Technology Officer, Dave Merkel. “With the integration of the WildFire subscription malware detection service and Mandiant for Security Operations, security professionals will now be able to respond to threats faster and automatically investigate alerts from WildFire so they can confirm and resolve targeted attacks as they are unfolding.”

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When IT Universes Collide

You may be the CIO or IT manager for a fairly complex IT environment. You also may already have begun moving your data center to a private cloud paradigm that offers greater efficiency and agility to meet your company’s needs.
While there are still a few challenges to work through, most days seem to run fairly smoothly. In the course of a week, however, the landscape changes. You are suddenly drawn into discussions with company management about a potential acquisition or merger in the works.
How do you advise your company on the impact of bringing both IT worlds together, let alone how best to navigate, post-M&A, the smooth integration of the other company’s IT assets with yours?
As it turns out, a hybrid cloud paradigm – used in what I call ‘swing-shift’ mode – may be one way to mitigate risk when integrating IT worlds after a corporate merger or acquisition.

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Uncategorized

When IT Universes Collide

You may be the CIO or IT manager for a fairly complex IT environment. You also may already have begun moving your data center to a private cloud paradigm that offers greater efficiency and agility to meet your company’s needs.
While there are still a few challenges to work through, most days seem to run fairly smoothly. In the course of a week, however, the landscape changes. You are suddenly drawn into discussions with company management about a potential acquisition or merger in the works.
How do you advise your company on the impact of bringing both IT worlds together, let alone how best to navigate, post-M&A, the smooth integration of the other company’s IT assets with yours?
As it turns out, a hybrid cloud paradigm – used in what I call ‘swing-shift’ mode – may be one way to mitigate risk when integrating IT worlds after a corporate merger or acquisition.

read more

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CIOs: Ready or Not, Here Comes the Cloud

For several years now, prognosticators have insisted that cloud computing would take over the enterprise. And, for several years, we’ve seen growing adoption of cloud computing technologies, but nothing to indicate massive acceptance.

A recent study from Brocade, however, suggests that that phenomenon is about to change. Here are some of the most interesting statistics to come from the CIO survey, which included 100 CIOs from around the world:
A third of CIOs report that they’re already implementing cloud computing. Interestingly enough, this adoption of cloud technology has rarely come as a result of a push from IT. It’s been demand from business units, rather than a move from the center outward.

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A Preview of the Brand New Sunstone in OpenNebula 4.0

Following a series of posts about the new OpenNebula 4.0 features, the OpenNebula project has published a preview of the the brand new Sunstone. OpenNebula 4.0 Sunstone has some beautiful new looks, but it’s not only about the external appearance there has also been a major boost for the user experience by redefining the users workflow.
In this post we will show a few snapshots of some new Sunstone key features. The new wizard screen eases the task of creating and updating Virtual Machines. There’s also new functionality to update very easily existing resources using the extended info panel.

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Cloud Expo New York | Danger Ahead: Why File Sync Is NOT Endpoint Backup

Some cloud-based file sync vendors tout their solutions as viable alternatives for the online backup of business information stored on laptops and desktops. But existing sync products lack a variety of critical backup capabilities, including those required to secure enterprise data. Understanding the differences between cloud-based sync and cloud-based endpoint backup is critical to properly protecting sensitive business information.
In his session at the 12th International Cloud Expo, Andrew Renz, Principal Enterprise Engineer at Code 42, will define cloud-based sync and cloud-based endpoint backup, and provide recommendations for which solution type best meets your data needs. He will share wisdom gained from his experience selecting and/or deploying enterprise backup solutions for Apple, Oracle, Expedia and Intuit.

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Strategies for Big Data, Cloud, and Mobile

Large enterprises should not just wade into big data as an isolated function, but should anticipate the strategic effects and impacts of big data — as well the simultaneous complicating factors of cloud computing and mobile — as soon as possible.
When we collect data, we have some sort of goal in minds of what we might get out of it. When we put the pieces from the data together, it either maybe doesn’t fit as well as you thought or you are successful and you continue to do the same thing, gathering archives of information.

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Strategies for Big Data, Cloud, and Mobile

Large enterprises should not just wade into big data as an isolated function, but should anticipate the strategic effects and impacts of big data — as well the simultaneous complicating factors of cloud computing and mobile — as soon as possible.
When we collect data, we have some sort of goal in minds of what we might get out of it. When we put the pieces from the data together, it either maybe doesn’t fit as well as you thought or you are successful and you continue to do the same thing, gathering archives of information.

read more

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Cloud Expo New York | CEO Insider: Overcoming Cloud Barriers

Bring the solution to your CEO. In his session at the 12th International Cloud Expo, Rob LaMear, CEO & Founder of Fpweb.net, shares his findings while talking cloud with over 1,000 CEOs around the globe. Delegates will learn what cloud barriers exist and how to remove them.
Rob LaMear IV is CEO & Founder of Fpweb.net. He started Fpweb.net from scratch and believes that the key to success has been its people and the energy they bring, hands down. He has been with SharePoint since its inception and his passion for customer care and delivering a premium product has set a new standard in SharePoint Hosting. As much as he likes work and technology, LaMear loves spending time with his family completely unplugged and has never missed an opportunity to join a pickup game of soccer in the park.

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