Category Archives: IT

Enterprise IT in the Cloud Decade

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This morning as I read the news and settled into another work week I was greeted with two articles from GigaOM that caught my attention. One discussing the ‘golden age’ of enterprise IT, and another discussing how IT departments must adapt to the process instead of being left behind by new trends (a theory coined ITaaS, or IT-as-a-Service).

In all, the first article describes that VC in big data/enterprise solutions is jumping and analysts predict it will stay that way for upwards of 7 years. They link multiple trends that brought on this trend such as BYOD, cloud computing and the growth of data sets. With all of these innovations, it leads to disruption which entrepreneurs can then make more efficient, thus garnering a considerable amount of funding for early stage investment.

And with this trove of innovation comes companies that would like to be at the helm of it, which is why you see accelerators such as Microsoft Accelerator for Windows Azure, Citrix Startup Accelerator and many more. And yet, with all the funding and moves happening within the industry  IT professionals are still hearing more and more about how their jobs are being outsourced.

And so we are led to the second article, which describes ways in which IT departments can still be effective. And while Bart Copeland, the author of the piece, describes the theory as ITaaS, it seems awfully familiar to a theory we all know and love: consumerization.

Consumerization is the main argument behind BYOD, and describes that information technology that first shows up in the consumer market then trickles into a work environment, which IT departments then have to manage.

In all, IT is shifting more towards a service industry, this is true. But while it is so easy to find an SaaS package to help your department become more effective, whether it’s accounting, communications or anywhere, companies still need professionals to be able to vet which applications make the most sense in their work environment. Without those professionals, environments can become clogged and take away any efficiency gains.

So while the IT department is being changed due to emerging technology trends, it is now necessarily in a bad way. Instead, it is shifting towards a more service-based industry.

2013 Investment and MN Health IT Accelerators

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Along with all the 2013 listicles hypothesizing what will happen in 2013 and how 2012 differed from 2011 we were greeted with articles warming our hearts on investment, and how 2012 was a big year for venture capital.

The Upstart Business Journal reported that from 2011 to 2012, VC funding grew nationally by 10 percent. From $18.7 billion to $20.6 billion. However, while the amount of investment went up, there were fewer venture-backed deals.

This typically shows that either excitement in the market grew, which could arguably be tied to Facebook’s pre-IPO months, or that more promising companies opened themselves up for funding in 2012.

Since Facebook went public on May 18, 2012, it has been a roller coaster ride, with most analysts calling it the worst IPO in market history. Starting off at $38.23 a share, prices quickly fell, with the lowest point coming in at $17.73 on September 4, 2012.

It’s hard to believe that Facebook, the most anticipated IPO in recent history, would have such dismal numbers, but it came from the lack of evidence they presented to turning a profit. Where were they going to make the money?

With this in mind, it’s hard to imagine 2012 was the best year for IPOs since 2000. Facebook lead the new wave of companies going public, and while they opened today at around $31, the beginning of the roller coaster ride was severely undervalued.

It was not just a year for VC and IPOs, however. Amazon chalked in a record setting year with its highest priced shares. In the last 12 months, Amazon has seen its shares rise nearly 50 percent. They also recorded their best holiday season to date.

So after all this data, and the ability to see that the market is doing pretty well, what does this have to do with Minnesota?

According to the BioEnterprise Midwest Healthcare Venture Investment Report, investment in Health IT/Healthcare companies in Minnesota was down 23 percent. In 2011, 24 companies received $223.3 million. Looking at 2012, 17 companies received $164.7 million. And here is the kicker, Minnesota received the second highest amount of money. Trailing behind Ohio, which raised a whopping $291.7 million.

So why the gap? And why, after a year of solid national investment, are we down 23 percent in healthcare companies when it is a hot market? The answer may lie in accelerators.

Minnesota is surprisingly lacking in the number of health accelerators. President Kaler of the University of Minnesota has started a new initiative. Over the course of 10 years, Kaler is offering $20 million in investment to promising University startups. However, this funding is only for U of M students.

Another promising peak at an accelerator is Inceptis LLC., which will specialize in Class II medical devices, which Minnesota has been a leading provider in. But again, having such a tight focus doesn’t necessarily allow for broad innovation.

If Minnesota wants to compete with the likes of Ohio, or even on a national scale with its promising healthcare companies, we need to have more accelerators both keeping the talent here and providing incentive.

Now, it seems, is a ripe time to start the debate. Investment is hot, Health IT is blossoming, and Minnesota has the means to secure a leading position in the field. The only real question is who will step up to the plate?

The Ramifications of Intel Switching to BGA over LGA CPUs

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After hearing about intel potentially moving to Ball Grid Array (BGA) CPUs instead of Land Grid Array (LGA) CPUs, I have siphoned through the harsh comments and lamenting modders, possibly coming out of it a bit sad, but mostly optimistic.

I have been building desktop PCs since I was 15 years old. With this experience I have come to love the modding/desktop community, but I have also realized the potential for a better desktop. This does not mean I fully support the move to BGA, but it does mean I support what it could mean for the microprocessor market: a greater wealth of competition.

Intel has come to dominate the CPU market, and it is largely due to their push into mobile chips, where the status quo is BGA. The major downfall of BGA is the inability to upgrade. BGA chips are soldered to the motherboard, whereas LGA chips are mounted. This means you can replace an LGA chip, but replacing a BGA would require both a new chip and motherboard.

While this technique does not concern me, since my norm is to upgrade both my MoBo and CPU simultaneously, it seems that most of the feedback is what it could lead to. Desktops were made to be modular, and with the announcement of intels potential change in design, and with Apple soldering RAM into MacBooks, the community is concerned it could lead to less customization and the potential death of the desktop elite.

One thing to keep in mind, and I strongly suggest it, is intel is not the sole entity in the game. If they choose to go only BGA, that opens up the market to manufacturers. It comes down to a simple question. Do you want a dedicated, almost cult following of computer builders and modders? I would say yes.

Another example is the integration of BGA CPUs in the market. There is a ton of stipulation that intel plans to slowly integrate BGAs and then switch to only BGAs. That seems like a longshot. One, if intel slowly integrates this plan it will give them the data they need to decide if they only produce BGA chips. If the market still wants LGA, and they are selling them in good quantity, I cannot see why they would stop producing them. A major argument is for greater control of the market, but in my opinion, and possibly blind optimism, a manufacturer will realize the market potential and capitalize on both communities. Be that modders, enthusiasts or regular desktop consumers.

Two, if intel goes into only producing BGAs, I am confident there will be backlash. People will be upset, and someone else will step into the game. It’s hard for me to imagine the desktop truly dying. Sure, some of the industry players change, but most change is good and can lead to better ways of building and producing. What is important to remember is this is all speculation. Most reports are coming from rumor mills, and until an intel press release, we cannot be sure.

A Response to Robert McMillan on iOS 6

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After happily drinking my morning pot of coffee and settling down in my cube at work, the first article I came across was by Robert McMillan about iOS 6 giving corporate IT environments “new ways to lock down the iOS 6 OS,”and transition iPads into something “more like cash registers than tablets.”

Besides the many references to “corporate types” that was definitely not needed, and made corporate workers sound more like thugs, the article was, in my opinion, extremely biased. Just because a company integrates certain features into their new OS doesn’t mean some “corporate type” is going to put a stranglehold on your iPad.

The key difference here is who owns the device. If the company bought and gave you the iPad for work, they should be the ones in control of that device. However, certain trends like Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) allow IT environments to focus more on client needs than strangling out features. And it’s your own device, meaning you are in control.

To discuss Apple’s new features in iOS 6 is fine and understandable with the recent release. To attack corporate environments and suggest they will take away all your power as a user of a device is not. That’s simply not how it works.

We recently pushed out iPads in our work environment and I can tell you first hand we’re not trying to take away user power over their device. Yes, we have management tools, but you need management tools in a work environment to keep it secure. It also helps with people who may not be technologically fluent.

If you do not have certain management tools set in place, this can lead to far worse implications such as the release of private data. I, for one, appreciate Apple realizing the iPad is being used in corporate environments. It says right in the article, “94 percent of Fortune 500 are using, or at least testing out, iPads.”

This to me sounds like Apple is not trying to give “corporate types” the right to strangle the iPads usability, but that Apple is compensating for a shift in their demographics, giving corporate environments tools they need to keep their environment secure.

I’m Learning Python

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Python LogoWith all the talk about Rackspace going purely OpenStack today I have been riding a wave of excitement. More initiatives towards open source cloud computing!?! That’s pretty cool. Instead of my usual trend of riding my excitement curve (i.e. drink a ton of coffee and rapidly try to explain numerous articles I’ve read to everyone in my workplace) I will add one more thing.

In an attempt to make my enthusiasm beneficial to me I am going to learn Python. Not only that, I will document it all right here. It’s a new series that I am both excited and terrified for. Hopefully I can provide an in-depth review of what I am learning and how it is benefiting me.

I’m going to start with the Python Tutorial and move down a chain of tutorials along the way, giving my insights into which ones worked the best for me. Prepare yourselves! It may be a slippery slope leading to me crying in a corner, but on the upside I will be learning.

CloudU Review

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After finally finishing the CloudU curriculum it’s easy to see why the certification is free.While I did learn a fair amount of new information about Cloud Computing, much of the curriculum is recycled throughout the ten lessons.

Ben Kepes does a wonderful job of explaining the differences between the three layers of the cloud computing stack. Initially I wasn’t sure how to differentiate between Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). While the line between the two is indeed blurring, Kepes’ lesson plan gave me further insight into the differences between them.

Kepes also does a good job explaining various ways to move your business to the Cloud. Whether your operation is large or small there is some great advice to either going all in with your move or proceeding with a slow migration.

Where the curriculum falls apart is in its length. The lessons typically focus on two aspects of Cloud Computing: what makes up the Cloud and how to plan a move to the Cloud. You could easily condense the ten lessons to five. This would not only make it more accessible to people, it would also get rid of all the repeating that takes place throughout the lessons.

Speaking of accessibility, Rackspace should also invest in a proofreader. Throughout the entire curriculum you will find grammar errors, spelling mishaps and an overall lack of editing. As I mentioned before, this can make it hard to progress through the lessons, but it can also cause your judgment to be questioned if you recommend the certificate to a friend or coworker.

BOTTOM LINE: If you’re looking to learn a bit about what Cloud Computing is and how it works from a basic standpoint, this is not a bad program to consider. It is by no means a resume builder, and probably won’t get you a promotion, but it gives you something to consider if you’re planning a move to the Cloud. I would recommend this only for self interest, and not for job placement.

A Slow and Awkward Beginning to CloudU

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After three lessons of Rackspace’s CloudU Certification curriculum I have seen some good, some bad and some just plain ugly. Let me preface this post by saying one thing: I am not a grammar Nazi. You may even find mistakes in my punctuation and grammar on this blog. However, when you’re writing lesson plans for a certification, I would hope someone has proofread your material. It seems this is not the case for this certification. Ben Kepes has multiple errors in punctuation and grammar.

I can get past a few things, but missing words or just using the complete wrong words to explain how something technical works is just bad. Not only can it cause some serious confusion if you are not already familiar with how cloud technology works, but it also takes away some of the power your certification offers. If I were to tell my boss, a friend or someone I respected that I took this program and then they went through and saw these mistakes, they are going to question the validity of whatever else is being written around cloud computing and also question my judgment. This is not a question that should come up. I should be in awe of the raw power of the cloud, question why I haven’t integrated it into my environment and most of all want to keep going through with the curriculum.

All that being said, I am still obligated to go through with this program. While the writing is marginal at best, the format of the curriculum so far makes sense. It starts out slow, sure, but it should. Rackspace is trying to teach all sorts of folks. So far the only thing I have actually learned from the program is the difference between Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS), which is helpful when trying to understand the cloud stack.  I’m hoping the pace will pick up in future lessons as I still look forward to learning more about cloud computing. Perhaps even the writing will improve.

A look into Vendor-Neutral Cloud Computing Certifications

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Through my internet endeavors and professional duties I have come to the conclusion that vendor-neutral certifications provide a more well-rounded and honest analysis of certain technologies.  With the 2010′s being labelled the “Cloud Decade” and my own interests in familiarizing myself with virtualization, I figure a certification can only be a good thing.

Due to this, I am presenting a series of articles based on my experiences and thoughts through Rackspace’s CloudU Certification program. In the next couple of weeks, I will analyze, complain, and laugh at my stupidity through the ten lessons the certification offers.

If the experience seems fruitful, I will take a vendor-specific approach. Either way, you get to experience me learning on the internet.