Category Archives: Apple

Apple, AWS, Google, News & Analysis, Public Cloud

Apple reportedly defects iCloud from AWS to Google Cloud

iCloud-croppedApple has moved some of its iCloud services onto Google Cloud, reducing its reliance on AWS, according to a CRN report.

Though it will still remain an AWS customer, the story states Google claims Apple will now be spending between $400 million and $600 million on its cloud platform. Last month, financial services firm Morgan Stanley estimated Apple spends $1 billion annually on AWS public cloud, though this is likely to be reduced over the coming years as Apple invests more on its own datacentres.

The company currently operates four datacentres worldwide and apparently has plans to open three more. It has been widely reported that Apple has set aside $3.9 billion to open datacentres in Arizona, Ireland and Denmark, with plans to open the first later this year.

Google has been struggling to keep pace with AWS and Microsoft’s Azure, but recent deals indicate an improved performance. A recent survey from Rightscale demonstrated AWS’ dominance in the market, accounting for 57% of public cloud market share, while Azure currently commands seconds place and Google only accounts for 6% of the market.

To bolster its cloud business Google hired VMware co-founder Diane Greene to lead the business unit, which includes Google for Work, Cloud Platform, and Google Apps. The appointment, together with the acquisition of bebop, which was founded by Greene, highlights the company’s ambitions in the cloud world, where it claims it has larger data centre capacity than any other public cloud provider.

Industry insiders have told BCN that acquisitions such as this are one of the main reasons the public cloud market segment is becoming more competitive. Despite AWS’ market dominance, which some insiders attribute to it being first to market, offerings like Azure and Google are becoming more attractive propositions thanks in part to company and talent acquisitions.

Last month, the Google team secured another significant win after confirming music streaming service Spotify as a customer. Spotify had toyed with the idea of managing its own datacentres but said in its blog “The storage, compute and network services available from cloud providers are as high quality, high performance and low cost as what the traditional approach provides.” The company also highlighted that the decision was made based on Google value adds in its data platform and tools.

While Google and Apple have yet to comment on the deal, an Amazon spokesperson has implied the deal may not have happened at all, sending BCN the following emailed statement. “It’s kind of a puzzler to us because vendors who understand doing business with enterprises respect NDAs with their customers and don’t imply competitive defection where it doesn’t exist.”

The rumoured Apple/Google deal marks a tough couple of weeks for AWS. Aside from Apple and Spotify, the company also lost the majority of Dropbox’s business. AWS is still occupies a strong position in the public cloud market but there are increasing signs its competitors are raising their game.

Apple, health, IBM, Internet of Things, IoT, News & Analysis

IBM, Apple combine IoT forces for sleep health study

electronic medical health recordIBM’s Watson Cloud is to be the foundation for research by the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) into how human sleeping habits affect our health. IBM and ASAA have also jointly created a new SleepHealth app to encourage patients to contribute to the cloud based SleepHealth Mobile Study.

The SleepHealth study uses Apple’s Internet of Things technology and open source ResearchKit, which simplifies tasks and survey compilation and feeds its data into the SleepHealth app. SleepHealth is the first ResearchKit study to run on the Watson Health Cloud.

Though sleep is critical for physical and metal health it remains one of the most overlooked of the basic human needs and one in four Americans experience sleep problems. Chronic insomnia affects 10% of Americans and 25 million suffer from types of obstructive sleep apnoea such as disrupted sleep, snoring and uneven breathing, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This in turn can create heart disease, hypertension, obesity, cancer, depression and fatal accidents.

Researchers and physicians will use Watson to host its surveys and study exercises and interrogate the data to uncover patterns. The Watson Cloud makes crowd-sourcing data possible and creates a system of patient-led research and data-driven discovery, according ASAAs chief science officer Carl Stepnowsky. The SleepHealth app could build the world’s largest longitudinal study to collect data on both healthy and unhealthy sleepers, said Stepnowsky.

The Watson Health Cloud has opened up a diversity of data sources such as medical literature, treatment guidelines, claims data and clinical data, according to Kyu Rhee, chief health officer for Watson Health. Researchers can also opt to apply Watson Analytics for deeper insights from the data. “One of our goals at IBM Watson Health is to eliminate silos that hinder collaboration between researchers, patients and clinicians,” said Rhee.

The study also makes use of IoT technology. The SleepHealth app makes use of multiple Apple Watch sensors, such as the accelerometer, which detects movements, and the gyroscope, which determines orientation in space, to measure and record movements such as shifting positions during sleep. It also uses Apple Watch’s heart rate monitor to detect sleep. Some of the app’s features, such as the Personal Sleep Concierge and the Nap Tracker, were designed specifically to the Apple Watch as a way to improve sleep habits. SleepHealth will be the first ResearchKit app to use Apple’s new Night Shift feature that reduces light exposure before sleep.

Apple, Entrepreneur, Microsoft, Parallels, Parallels Access, Parallels Desktop, Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Remote Application Server, Start Up, Steve Jobs

The Story of Parallels: A Leader in Virtualization

From its humble beginnings as a small startup, Parallels Inc. always envisioned a new way to approach virtualized computing. The story behind Parallels dictates a company filled with dozens of innovative industry firsts introduced with every new product release over the years. This unrivaled leadership in innovation began in 2006 with the introduction of mainstream virtualization on […]

The post The Story of Parallels: A Leader in Virtualization appeared first on Parallels Blog.

App Stores, Apple, Cloudkit, Datacentre, News & Analysis

Apple augments CloudKit with new APIs – eyes enterprise

Apple cloudkitApple has given developers a new option in CloudKit, a new application programming interface (API) into its servers. The new feature is announced on the Apple developer news blog.

The new web interface gives users access to the same data as a developer’s app. It also makes it easier to read and write to the CloudKit public database from a server-side process or script with a server-to-server key, says Apple.

The interface is designed to help developers to extend the use of the iCloud CloudKit database beyond user interaction with iOS, Mac or web apps and run independent code on servers that can add, delete and modify records in the CloudKit stack. Originally, any user interaction with CloudKit was limited to the APIs that Apple provided in apps but now Apple has granted developers greater license for using the technology outside of the confines of its own technology.

Developers had complained that though the CloudKit stack was useful its limitations stopped them from putting the system to more advanced use. One of the complaints was that modern apps rely on servers to perform tasks whilst users are away. The addition of the web API means developers can create a wider portfolio of apps using CloudKit as the backend.

The restrictions had meant that even simple transactions were difficult to set up outside of the confines of Apple. According to specialist Apple user blog 9 to 5 Mac, users were previously restricted from using RSS readers unless they opened a CloudKit-powered app. This, said the blog, was ‘impractical’ and forced developers to use other tools. As a result of the more open API it is much easier to add new feed items to the CloudKit stack from the server.

“Expect CloudKit adoption to rise with this announcement,” predicted blog author Benjamin Mayo. However, the lack of native software development kits for non-Apple platforms may continue to limit uptake, Mayo warned.

With rival cloud framework Parse due to close in 2017, Apple’s addition of a server side request endpoint could position it as the replacement to Parse as a cloud database engine.

Meanwhile, there’s speculation among analysts that Apple is preparing for a move into cloud computing services for enterprise customers.

With Apple expected to invest $4 billion in 2016 on warehouse-sized data centres, analysts at investment banks Morgan Stanley and Openheimer Holdings have suggested that Apple may move its cloud business away from AWS as competition intensifies.

In a report, Oppenheimer analyst Tim Horan mooted the idea that Apple might start its own infrastructure as a service (IaaS) business as it targets the corporate market. IBM and Apple have partnered for enterprise marketing.

Apple, Mac, Mac OSes, Parallels Desktop, Parallels Desktop 11, Parallels Desktop for Mac, Windows on mac

If Mac OSes Had Dating Profiles

Let’s be honest, the Mac OSes already seem to have full-fledged personalities, so why not support them in their quest for love? We know all of you Apple aficionados already have an opinion as to which OS is best, so let’s see how that holds up in the world of (fictional) online dating: Cheetah “Even […]

The post If Mac OSes Had Dating Profiles appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Apple, Datacentre, News & Analysis, US, Verizon

Apple to build new cloud infrastructure as Verizon sells off data centres – reports

datacentreTwo US tech giants are heading in opposite directions regarding datacenters, according to a couple of recent reports

Local US news sources report that Apple has filed a permit with Washoe County in Nevada, to build a new cluster of data centre facilities near its original Reno site. The planning application for Apple’s new ‘Project Huckleberry’ involves the construction of the full shell of a new data centre, several data centre clusters and a support building. The new Huckleberry project will have essentially the same design as an earlier installation in Reno, dubbed Project Mills, according to Trevor Lloyd, senior planner for Washoe County Planning and Development’s Community Services.

Apple was first attracted to invest in the area in 2012 when it received an $89 million tax abatement incentive to locate in Reno Technology Park. Apple recently applied for permission to build a new substation to support further development as the existing site is reaching its capacity, according to Lloyd.

Permission for the site, based on past trends, should be granted by the end of January, according to Lloyd. Tax incentives for cloud infrastructure projects could make economic sense for regional development authorities given their long term impact, according to Mike Kazmierski, president of western Nevada’s Economic Development Authority. “When you put tens of hundreds of millions of dollars on a huge data centre project, you’re in it for the long haul,” said Kazmierksi.

Cloud service provider Rackspace is also planning to build a data centre at Reno Technology Park.

The demands that data centres make on the local community are minor in comparison to benefits that a cloud computing infrastructure brings to the community though economic investments – and owners of data centres should use this in negotiations, according to Kazmierski.

Meanwhile, a large stock of cloud infrastructure could come on the market as telco Verizon Communications reportedly began a process to sell its global estate of 48 data centres. According to insiders quoted by Reuters Verizon is aiming to raise over $2.5 billion and streamline its business. Currently the colocation portfolio generates $275 million in EBITDA.

Telcos such as AT&T, CenturyLink and Windstream have also divested themselves of their data centres businesses in recent years.

Apple, Mac, Parallels Desktop, Parallels Desktop 11, Parallels Desktop for Mac, run windows on mac, Windows, Windows on mac

Get a Mac for the Holidays? Why Everyone Needs Windows on Mac

It’s a familiar scene: Christmas morning, an excited you tears at red and green wrapping paper, successfully ripping it off of a pretty white box—revealing a shiny new Mac. You’re jubilant! You’ve wanted to make the switch to Apple for years, but hadn’t yet taken the plunge. Then, suddenly, you have a sinking realization: what […]

The post Get a Mac for the Holidays? Why Everyone Needs Windows on Mac appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Apple, News & Analysis, Open Source, Swift

Apple opens sources Swift programming language

Apple SwiftApple has made its Swift programming language open source in a bid to invite more contributions from developers.

According to Apple community website 9to5Mac, developers have been reluctant to commit to a relatively new language whose code base may disappear at the whim of its monopolist owner. Though it was only introduced in 2014, Swift is the fastest growing programming language in history. According to analyst Redmonk’s Programming Language Rankings, June 2015 report, Swift has “the performance and efficiency of compiled languages and the simplicity and interactivity of popular scripting languages”.

As an open source language, Apple said, a broad community of developers from education institutions to enterprises could contribute new Swift features and help bring it to new computing platforms.

The Swift open source code is available via GitHub and includes support for Apple’s iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS software platforms as well as Linux. Components available include the Swift compiler, debugger, standard library, foundation libraries, package manager and REPL. Swift is licensed under the Apache 2.0 open source license with a runtime library exception, meaning users can incorporate Swift into their own software and port the language to new platforms.

In support Apple has published a web site, Swift.org, which explains Swift open source with technical documents, community resources and links to download the Swift source code.

“Swift’s power and ease of use will inspire a new generation to get into coding and take their ideas anywhere, from mobile devices to the cloud,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior VP of Software Engineering, “By making Swift open source the entire developer community can bring it to even more platforms.”

Apple’s Swift team has now posted source code for the Swift compiler and standard library functions and objects.

Apple, Apple CEO, Infographic, Parallels Desktop, Parallels Desktop 11, Parallels Desktop for Mac, run windows on mac, Steve Jobs, Windows on mac

The Life of Steve Jobs in One Infographic

Life goes by too quickly, and that truth is never as poignant as when we lose one of our brightest minds. When the world said goodbye to Steve Jobs in 2011, we knew we had lost a visionary—the same visionary who pioneered technology that continues to impact the market and the world every day. But […]

The post The Life of Steve Jobs in One Infographic appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Apache, Apple, Infrastructure as a Service, Mesos, News & Analysis

Apple allegedly planning to unify web services on Mesos open source infrastructure

Mesos logoNews of significant numbers of Apple device crashes have fuelled industry speculation that Apple is planning to unify its variety of online services into one open source system built on Mesos infrastructure software.

According to web site The Information Apple is recruiting open source engineers. The recruitment could support a strategy to pull all its web services, including iCloud and iTunes, out of their separate technical silos and looking to merge them into one cohesive whole. Apple is said to be concerned about the lack of interoperability between Apple’s online services.

The plan to run internet applications across an ‘orchestrated infrastructure’ could be disruptive in more ways than one, according to Quocirca analyst Clive Longbottom.

“It’s a good idea that would enable Apple to more closely integrate various capabilities and offer new services around search, buy and store function,” said Longbottom. “The two main problems are around migrating all existing services over, and in ensuring high availability for all services when they are all in the same basket.”

According to Reuters, significant numbers of Apple customers are reporting their mobile devices have crashed as they tried to upload the new iOS 9 operating system. This is the latest in a number of technical challenges Apple is facing as its cloud software portfolio becomes more ambitious and difficult to manage, according to Sergio Galindo, General Manager at developer GFI Software, “The rollout of iOS 9 is an ambitious project, particularly as Apple has maintained support for devices that are elderly, in smartphone terms. Devices such as the iPhone 4s are significantly different and underpowered compared to more recent iterations,” said Galindo.

According to GFI’s own research, Apple’s OS X and iOS were the software systems platforms with the most exploitable vulnerabilities, closely followed by the Linux kernel. iOS was found to have significantly more flaws than conventional desktop and server Windows installations.

“Software glitches, vulnerabilities and compatibility issues in an embedded device such as a phone create a challenging user experience,” said Galindo. “This is why testing of new updates before allowing users to update their phones and tablets is essential. Applied to a business context, it is important for IT departments to ensure users do not put their devices or the corporate network at risk.”