Compuware has announced that Netmagic Solutions has expanded its application performance management (APM) partnership with Compuware. Netmagic will offer Compuware APM® products—Gomez—to its customers in a pay-as-you-use service model as part of the company’s existing Managed Services Portfolio (MSP) offerings.
Neeraj Dotel, Managing Director at Compuware India, stated: “We are pleased to partner with Netmagic Solutions and help its clients improve business productivity and application performance. Companies need to understand how customers use their sites to capitalize on every single interaction and application usage. Compuware strives to provide the most inclusive set of technologies to optimize all aspects of application performance.”
Modernized IT Infrastructure Spawns Cloud and Mobile Computing Benefits
Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings, based in Tel Aviv, both satisfied current requirements and built a better long-term enterprise architecture, illustrating the multiplier effect of value and capabilities from IT transformation efforts.
One of the things that’s interesting to me is the speed and depth of how your organization has embraced virtualization. You went to nearly 100 percent server virtualization across mission-critical applications in just a few short years. Why did you need to break the old way of doing things and why did you move so quickly to virtualization?
Infinitely Virtual Offers Onboarding Service Designed to Get SMBs Up and Running Quickly
Recognizing that some organizations find migrating to the cloud intimidating, Infinitely Virtual, a provider of virtual server cloud computing services for businesses, today announced an innovative Onboarding Service, aimed at eliminating the fear factor from the migration process.
The service, which consists of a free, one-hour tutorial on hosting in the cloud, enables new customers to ask virtually any question of a live company representative and get the relationship off on a sound, secure footing.
“Self-service can be an ideal business model, even in the IT world, but self-serve doesn’t need to be completely hands off,” said Adam Stern, founder and CEO, Infinitely Virtual. “Our goal is to eliminate the fear factor, especially as small and midsize businesses migrate to the cloud, by offering a distinctly high-touch orientation session. As cloud computing grows, it naturally attracts organizations that may not have full-blown technology departments, but it’s especially important that the experience for this population of users is positive and productive from the get-go. With our Onboarding Service, companies can now go from purchase to production in just hours.”
According to Stern, services like Infinitely Virtual’s new user orientation are essential if cloud computing is to achieve true critical mass.
“Building a Virtual Dedicated Server hosting environment requires collaboration among professionals from every discipline,” he said. “What matters is the quality of the total package – the hardware and the software, of course, but also the support and the intangibles that, in the end, define the solution. In the cloud, as on the ground, it’s always buyer beware. Businesses need to know that virtualization/cloud hosting isn’t a commodity business, and that some vendors do emulate the so-called big players both in the quality of the environments they build and the kind of support they provide. It’s entirely possible to provide high function at modest cost, but doing so requires expertise, experience and a genuine understanding of what businesses need.”
Skillsoft Acquires ThirdForce Group MindLeaders
Skillsoft Limited, a provider of cloud based learning solutions for customers worldwide, today announced that it has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer to be made by its indirect subsidiary, Skillsoft Ireland Limited, for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of ThirdForce Group plc. The acquisition is being structured as an Offer under Irish law.
The acquisition will add to Skillsoft’s existing offerings in learning content, and supports the company’s overall strategy to continually increase the quality and flexibility of the learning solutions it makes available to its corporate, government, education, and small-to-medium size business customers. Also, the addition of MindLeaders’ capabilities will strengthen Skillsoft’s ability to expand its compliance-related business in the United States and United Kingdom.
“We see compliance-related learning as a growth opportunity for SkillSoft. Currently, we are serving legal compliance and ES&H compliance needs of many our corporate customers, and our success has encouraged us to explore ways to accelerate this part of our business,” said Jerry Nine, Chief Operating Officer of Skillsoft. “MindLeaders’ learning content for food safety and adult care will immediately bring a wider range of compliance solutions to the customers we serve in the United States and United Kingdom. We are also excited about the potential to expand these compliance solutions to serve additional global markets in the future.”
MindLeaders offers many of the same financial and operating characteristics as Skillsoft’s business model, including an annual recurring subscription-based licensing model for access to its learning resources library, a direct sales force distribution system complemented by resellers and telesales support, and a corporate client base offering visibility through multi-year contracts. As a result, the acquisition is expected to support both Skillsoft’s revenue predictability and growth.
EVault 7: The New Shape of Backup and Recovery
EVault, Inc. today announced the release of EVault 7, a significant update to its cloud-connected backup and recovery platform. The new release offers a more resilient architecture, with enhanced replication and additional deployment options that customers can tailor to their needs. EVault 7 delivers faster backups – up to 100 percent faster for VMware environments than EVault 6 – and is optimized for a distributed environment. As part of this release, EVault is introducing a new management interface built around the ”social business.”
“With EVault 7, our customers are seeing the future shape of data protection,” said Terry Cunningham, president and general manager, EVault. “Our backup and recovery platform is designed for a cloud-connected world – and now it’s faster, smarter and more resilient than ever. We’ve also added a management interface built on a social platform, so customers can stay on top of their data protection operations and collaborate in real-time with colleagues, peers and the EVault team.”
Unlike solutions that force customers into a rigid deployment model for backup and recovery, EVault 7 now offers geographically-distributed replicas in a private cloud, a service provider cloud, the EVault cloud – or in all three. Should an IT organization want an onsite cache of their data for fast, local recoveries, they can deploy EVault Express Recovery Appliance: Virtual Edition and get LAN-speed backup and recovery. Because the virtual appliance fits within current environments, it lowers total cost of ownership by leveraging existing IT infrastructure and eliminating the need for additional capital expenses.
Smarter, faster and more efficient than ever, EVault 7 helps IT managers put an end to worries about backup and recovery windows. Updated support for VMware environments includes fast granular restores of files and folders from only a single backup of the virtual machine, delivering backups 100 percent faster than EVault 6. With WAN-optimized data transfer that now has faster replication, EVault 7 customers achieve efficient bandwidth usage, storage optimization and end-to-end security. Granular recovery will also be available for mailbox and message-level restores within Microsoft Exchange applications by the end of the year.
“With EVault, we know that we can deploy cloud-based backup and recovery without having to sacrifice security, speed and efficiency,” said Bill McCown, Director of Information Technology at C&J Energy Services, Inc. “EVault 7 also gives us the system and application support we need, at the level we need it. I can protect and recover my data within time windows that don’t disrupt our business.”
Next Level Security Systems Cloud Services Releases Cloud Security Management
Next Level Security Systems, a provider of unified, networked security solutions, today announced the availability of NLSS Cloud Services, which offers users remote access and multi-site security management from anywhere in the world.
NLSS Cloud Services are available for use with the entire suite of NLSS Gateway technologies. Powered by NextConnectTM, a patent-pending peer-to-peer technology that efficiently streams live video to an unlimited number of users from a single site, NLSS Cloud Services delivers access to the NLSS Gateway’s features through any Web browser or mobile device. Users can access camera settings, live surveillance video and door controls, and even view video streams from up to four different sites simultaneously on a single screen. In addition, software can be updated remotely, eliminating the need for on-site support.
“NLSS Cloud Services provides our customers with peace of mind that their security systems are operating and updated from anywhere in the world,” said Peter Jankowski, Chairman and CEO, Next Level Security Systems. “Our managed services used in conjunction with the NLSS Gateway truly delivers a comprehensive view of an entire security infrastructure to simplify system administration and management.”
NLSS Cloud Services improves upon traditional models of hosted video and access control by eliminating the need to route video and other data through a host computer for each update. NextConnect establishes a direct connection between the remote user and the NLSS Gateway, allowing video to stream faster and smoother with reduced bandwidth consumption. In addition, video quality is not degraded as more users log in to view the same video stream.
Next Level Security Systems Cloud Services Releases Cloud Security Management
Next Level Security Systems, a provider of unified, networked security solutions, today announced the availability of NLSS Cloud Services, which offers users remote access and multi-site security management from anywhere in the world.
NLSS Cloud Services are available for use with the entire suite of NLSS Gateway technologies. Powered by NextConnectTM, a patent-pending peer-to-peer technology that efficiently streams live video to an unlimited number of users from a single site, NLSS Cloud Services delivers access to the NLSS Gateway’s features through any Web browser or mobile device. Users can access camera settings, live surveillance video and door controls, and even view video streams from up to four different sites simultaneously on a single screen. In addition, software can be updated remotely, eliminating the need for on-site support.
“NLSS Cloud Services provides our customers with peace of mind that their security systems are operating and updated from anywhere in the world,” said Peter Jankowski, Chairman and CEO, Next Level Security Systems. “Our managed services used in conjunction with the NLSS Gateway truly delivers a comprehensive view of an entire security infrastructure to simplify system administration and management.”
NLSS Cloud Services improves upon traditional models of hosted video and access control by eliminating the need to route video and other data through a host computer for each update. NextConnect establishes a direct connection between the remote user and the NLSS Gateway, allowing video to stream faster and smoother with reduced bandwidth consumption. In addition, video quality is not degraded as more users log in to view the same video stream.
The Dynamic Data Center: Cloud’s Overlooked Little Brother
There are multiple trends putting pressure on IT today to radically change the way they operate. From SDN to cloud, market pressure on organizations to adopt new technological models or utterly fail is immense.
That’s not to say that new technological models aren’t valuable or won’t fulfill promises to add value, but it is to say that the market often overestimates the urgency with which organizations must view emerging technology.
Too, mired in its own importance and benefits, markets often overlook that not every organization has the same needs or goals or business drivers. After all, everyone wants to reduce their costs and simplify provisioning processes!
And yet goals can often be met through application of other technologies that carry less risk, which is another factor in the overall enterprise adoption formula – and one that’s often overlooked.
Japan External Trade Organization Named “Bronze Sponsor” of Cloud Expo
SYS-CON Events announced today that the Japan External Trade Organization, a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON’s 11th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 5–8, 2012, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
JETRO, or the Japan External Trade Organization, is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. Originally established in 1958 to promote Japanese exports abroad, JETRO’s core focus in the 21st century has shifted toward promoting foreign direct investment into Japan and helping small to medium-size Japanese firms maximize their global export potential.
A Big Data Infographic
You dear readers are some of the most informed technologists on the planent. I think few things surprise you about Big Data. But many of us studying this concept are in a continual search for ways to explain key issues to non technologists, and that can be hard to do at times.
Masters at expression at Wikibon have done us all a favor by producing a terrific infographic that captures some of the important aspects of Big Data in clear and easy to understand ways.