The future of business will include artificial intelligence (AI) in every nook and cranny, along with transparent, immersive experiences and entirely new digital platforms, according to consulting firm Gartner.Digital business will be driven by those three megatrends over the next five to 10 years, it says.That's because a kind of joining between humans and technology is going to replace the static-like tech we’re used to. The new combination will be enabled by revolutionary amounts of data, better computing power and ubiquitous ecosystems.+ Also on Network World: Gartner Top 10 technology trends you should know for 2017 +
Importantly, to get there, new digital “ecosystem-enabling” platforms will have to replace traditional “compartmentalized technical infrastructure.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The natural cycle in IT is to move from decentralized to centralized services. When networking first appeared, it was implemented at a department level for printer sharing. It was decentralized—resulting in a hodgepodge of networks and protocols. Eventually IT organizations determined that it was much more efficient to centralize this effort and we saw the adoption of large-scale, TCP/IP networks. Today nearly every IT organization has a centralized networking team that manages and deploys IP-based infrastructure.When SaaS applications such as Salesforce first appeared, they were adopted by sales organizations. As adoption levels grew, enterprises needed centralized data integration, identity and access management, and other functions that are inefficient to deliver at departmental scale. Today Salesforce is typically managed by a centralized IT organization.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The natural cycle in IT is to move from decentralized to centralized services. When networking first appeared, it was implemented at a department level for printer sharing. It was decentralized—resulting in a hodgepodge of networks and protocols. Eventually IT organizations determined that it was much more efficient to centralize this effort and we saw the adoption of large-scale, TCP/IP networks. Today nearly every IT organization has a centralized networking team that manages and deploys IP-based infrastructure.When SaaS applications such as Salesforce first appeared, they were adopted by sales organizations. As adoption levels grew, enterprises needed centralized data integration, identity and access management, and other functions that are inefficient to deliver at departmental scale. Today Salesforce is typically managed by a centralized IT organization.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Interconnection is the fuel of digital business, and organizations must understand its power if they hope to handle the global digital economy’s increasing demands. For such a pivotal business enabler, interconnection has long been tough to quantify. But new research from the company I work for, Equinix, does just that by looking at installed interconnection bandwidth capacity and projected growth. The Global Interconnection Index, published by Equinix and sourced from multiple analyst reports, is an industry-first look at how interconnection bandwidth is shaping and scaling the digital world. It aims to give digital business the insight needed to prepare for tomorrow. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Interconnection is the fuel of digital business, and organizations must understand its power if they hope to handle the global digital economy’s increasing demands. For such a pivotal business enabler, interconnection has long been tough to quantify. But new research from the company I work for, Equinix, does just that by looking at installed interconnection bandwidth capacity and projected growth. The Global Interconnection Index, published by Equinix and sourced from multiple analyst reports, is an industry-first look at how interconnection bandwidth is shaping and scaling the digital world. It aims to give digital business the insight needed to prepare for tomorrow. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Oracle is now offering its Exadata Cloud service on bare-metal servers it provides through its data centers. The company launched Exadata Cloud two years ago to offer its database services as a cloud service and has upgraded it considerably to compete with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.Exadata Cloud is basically the cloud version of the Exadata Database Machine, which features Oracle’s database software, servers, storage and network connectivity all integrated on custom hardware the company inherited from its acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010.+ Also on Network World: Oracle CEO Mark Hurd: We have the whole cloud stack +
The upgrade to the Exadata Cloud infrastructure on bare metal means customers can now get their own dedicated database appliance in the cloud instead of running the database in a virtual machine, which is how most cloud services are offered. Bare metal means dedicated hardware, which should increase performance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Oracle is now offering its Exadata Cloud service on bare-metal servers it provides through its data centers. The company launched Exadata Cloud two years ago to offer its database services as a cloud service and has upgraded it considerably to compete with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.Exadata Cloud is basically the cloud version of the Exadata Database Machine, which features Oracle’s database software, servers, storage and network connectivity all integrated on custom hardware the company inherited from its acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010.+ Also on Network World: Oracle CEO Mark Hurd: We have the whole cloud stack +
The upgrade to the Exadata Cloud infrastructure on bare metal means customers can now get their own dedicated database appliance in the cloud instead of running the database in a virtual machine, which is how most cloud services are offered. Bare metal means dedicated hardware, which should increase performance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Safely store massive amounts of photos, videos and music with this 4TB external drive from WD. It comes equipped with WD Backup software so you can automatically back up photos, videos, music and documents on your preferred schedule. And built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with WD Security software helps keep your content private and safe. The 4TB My Passport model is currently priced just $10 higher than its 3TB counterpart with this 31% off deal. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Safely store massive amounts of photos, videos and music with this 4TB external drive from WD. It comes equipped with WD Backup software so you can automatically back up photos, videos, music and documents on your preferred schedule. And built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with WD Security software helps keep your content private and safe. The 4TB My Passport model is currently priced just $10 higher than its 3TB counterpart with this 31% off deal. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Whether in the park, at the beach, at a music festival or out trekking, Solartab lets you enjoy free and endless solar power. Simply open up the Solartab to start solar charging either the internal battery or or USB devices like your phone or tablet. Thanks to Solartab’s huge internal battery, you can even charge your devices after the sun sets. The typical list price on the charger has been reduced 47% to $69. See this deal on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Whether in the park, at the beach, at a music festival or out trekking, Solartab lets you enjoy free and endless solar power. Simply open up the Solartab to start solar charging either the internal battery or or USB devices like your phone or tablet. Thanks to Solartab’s huge internal battery, you can even charge your devices after the sun sets. The typical list price on the charger has been reduced 47% to $69. See this deal on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
AWS primarily and Azure, of late, dominate today’s discussions around storage, backup and compute power. A quick glance at headlines from technology journalists, and a reader can glean a common coverage theme that ties these writers together — the ongoing discussion around the benefits of going all-in on the public cloud. However, in most cases technology journalists are writing about larger corporations, or big name installations, which may or may not reflect the actual trends taking place in the marketplace, especially at mid-size companies and organizations experiencing a growth spurt.As one who is regularly engaged with the CIOs at mid-size and smaller companies and organizations, I don’t see them going all-in on the cloud right now; rather some are pulling back from it and either opting a hybrid cloud solution, or are going all-in with on-prem backup solutions. In fact, according to a survey published by SMB analyst firm Techaisle LLS, the hybrid cloud is now being used by 32 percent of midmarket (100 to 999 employees) organizations, and that figure is expected to remain relatively flat at 31 percent into next year, in spite of what your read in the press about AWS or Azure penetration.To read Continue reading
AWS primarily and Azure, of late, dominate today’s discussions around storage, backup and compute power. A quick glance at headlines from technology journalists, and a reader can glean a common coverage theme that ties these writers together — the ongoing discussion around the benefits of going all-in on the public cloud. However, in most cases technology journalists are writing about larger corporations, or big name installations, which may or may not reflect the actual trends taking place in the marketplace, especially at mid-size companies and organizations experiencing a growth spurt.As one who is regularly engaged with the CIOs at mid-size and smaller companies and organizations, I don’t see them going all-in on the cloud right now; rather some are pulling back from it and either opting a hybrid cloud solution, or are going all-in with on-prem backup solutions. In fact, according to a survey published by SMB analyst firm Techaisle LLS, the hybrid cloud is now being used by 32 percent of midmarket (100 to 999 employees) organizations, and that figure is expected to remain relatively flat at 31 percent into next year, in spite of what your read in the press about AWS or Azure penetration.To read Continue reading
At the end of 2016, China had over 700 million internet users, more than double the number of internet users in the U.S. And as the Chinese tech market continues to shift from hardware to software and services, Forrester Research analysts predict this will drive software growth of 10 percent over the next couple years.China is now a critical market for global technology companies and enterprises. It’s little wonder that tech giants like Apple, Facebook and others are clamoring to secure a hold there, even when it means addressing unique challenges and making certain compromises.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The next great leap forward in Wi-Fi got a little closer to reality Tuesday with Broadcom’s announcement of a new family of chips designed to comply with the not-yet-finalized 802.11ax standard, but you might not need to game-plan for the arrival of 802.11ax products in the enterprise for quite awhile.However, thanks to several factors, including an unusual adoption cycle, the capabilities of existing Wi-Fi hardware and the standards process itself, 802.11ax is unlikely to take enterprise wireless customers by storm before late 2018, according to experts.+ ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Does MU-MIMO really expand Wi-Fi capacity? + 3 real-world examples of IoT rolled out in the enterprise + How Wi-Fi could get a boost from Li-FiTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
SD-WAN is gaining tremendous traction among enterprises owing to the benefits it offers — cost savings from efficient use of low-cost Internet and wireless links, centralized control and management, network agility, speed to deployment of new sites, and optimized cloud connectivity—to list a few. And while a DIY model provides enterprise IT managers unprecedented flexibility and control over their WAN, a managed SD-WAN service may be better suited for businesses that prefer a turn-key service due to factors discussed in my previous blog.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In the real estate world, the mantra is location, location, location. In the network and server administration world, the mantra is visibility, visibility, visibility. If you don't know what your network and servers are doing at every second of the day, you're flying blind. Sooner or later, you're going to meet with disaster.Fortunately, many good tools, both commercial and open source, are available to shine much-needed light into your environment. Because good and free always beat good and costly, I've compiled a list of my favorite open source tools that prove their worth day in and day out in networks of any size. From network and server monitoring to trending, graphing, and even switch and router configuration backups, these utilities will see you through.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The story of Extreme Networks is one of the more remarkable turnarounds I’ve seen in technology in years. About two years ago the company had a market cap of under $300 million, and I thought they were a sure-fire acquisition target for someone who wanted some decent technology on the cheap — because it was becoming apparently clear that the once-cool networking company had lost its way like so many others before it.Many of the brand names we have known in the past — Nortel, 3Com, Cabletron, Lucent, FORE systems and Foundry — all dropped as Cisco got bigger and HP Networking gobbled up the low end. There just didn’t seem to be room for another vendor. If an acquisition happened, it would likely fall on the scrap heap that so many other networking vendors have been tossed on.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
For decades, enterprises have relied on the public internet for business-critical SaaS applications and data traffic. The reason why is pretty simple: it’s cost-efficient, it’s easy to use and it’s already there. Compare that to the logistical, financial and implementation challenges of installing an alternative private network, and it’s clear why enterprises have been pretty content with the internet for their entire digital lives.But, it’s 2017. And, if there’s one thing clear about the public internet today, it’s that it no longer cuts it. Rampant DDoS attacks and other cyber threats posed by hackers, rogue employees and nation-states have not just revealed the security, reliability and transparency cracks in the public internet — they’ve blown them wide open.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
If you already know this page exists, let it serve as a reminder. Amazon's back to school deals page centralizes their best discounts on everything from laptops to calculators to pencils and batteries. If you still have supplies left to buy, there's plenty of time. Grab your list, fill your cart, and start putting check marks on your list while also saving some cash. Visit Amazon's back to school Electronics deals page here, or their main back to school deals page right here.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here