It looks like the end for the PC. Unlike the Dinosaurs the PC will not just vanish from the face of the Earth – they will just stop being replaced and gradually die out to be spotted on the desks of die-hard antiquarians and IT folk who like to tinker with the insides of anything that can be opened. I can even date when this process began. It was the day, the 18th August to […]
Cloud Computing
607 posts
Virtualization has been a boon for multiuser systems, letting them run the Windows operating system and applications on servers. Each user’s state is saved as a virtual desktop that can be remotely accessed from PCs, laptops, netbooks, tablets, smartphones and even dumb “thin clients” (terminals costing as little as $200). The downside is that remote users of server-hosted virtualization need to be online to take advantage of the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)—a show-stopper for highly […]
As enterprises adopt storage and server virtualization strategies, they are realizing that monitoring, reporting, and managing such an environment actually increases the complexities of storage management. This has been a challenge even in a physical environment as administrators try to understand the resources upon which business-critical applications depend. This assumes a higher degree of complexity in a virtual environment, wherein physical storage is now separated by two or more degrees from the application, making a […]
Defense Department officials are looking to balance efficiency, effectiveness and security while moving away from the department’s decentralized network of computer servers and data centers and into “cloud” computing, the DOD’s deputy chief information officer said Sept. 7. “We must balance all three,” said Robert J. Carey, who is also the deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management, integration and technology. “We have to serve the information needs of our warfighters, as well as […]
Microsoft’s confirmation that client versions of Windows 8 will include its Hyper-V hypervisor could turn out to be one of the most interesting and significant aspects of the upcoming platform. With a baked-in Type 1 hypervisor, various kinds of use cases that have been mooted for virtualisation will become possible, such as running separate corporate and personal desktop environments side by side simultaneously on the same machine. This kind of virtualisation is now familiar on […]
The central aspect of any business is communication, and ensuring high levels of contact are maintained is a key concern for any company. Broadband and VoIP services are two of the most common aspects of business operations in the modern world, but what actually are they? Whilst the vast majority of us will be familiar with the concept of broadband we are often unable to distinguish home services for business ones. VoIP, on the other […]
Combining mobile technology and cloud computing holds promise for the CAD/CAM community, writes Peter Thorne, managing director of Cambashi. Considering what mobile technologies have to offer the CAD/CAM community, the case for them appears to be fairly straightforward. Connected tablets, laptops and smartphones allow users to access CAD designs, engineering applications and data, as well as interact with the project team. These devices can be used in the field, where actions and decisions can be […]
Cloud computing is certainly attracting headlines in the media. You might have noticed Microsoft’s Cloud Power advertising blitz, or seen Apple’s Steve Jobs talking excitedly about iCloud. The trouble is that, for most companies, it’s hard to work out whether any of this hype is relevant to their business. So is the cloud an option for you? As it happens, it is likely that your company already uses a cloud-based solution. If you subscribe to […]
Business seems to be switching on to the benefits of virtual computing: 37% of companies say they will migrate 61% or more of their applications to a private cloud environment in the future. But while cloud technology is constantly touted as the next big thing in IT, only 6% of companies are planning on moving to the full public cloud. Which suggests that concerns over security become even more real once applications move beyond a […]
Many small-business owners may not realize that the cloud plays a big role in their business operations, and its importance is growing every day. I’m often asked, “What exactly is the cloud, and why does my company need it?” Simply put, the cloud hosts resources and applications that are accessed through the Internet, and it now offers small businesses access to powerful capabilities that once were only within reach of larger corporations. From a small-business […]