John O Connell’s Blog

The IT industry is on the verge of a major transformation and the business benefits of moving to cloud infrastructure in terms of cost savings, efficiency and the environment need to be promoted.

Yesterday IT infrastructure provider Novosco, storage giant EMC, and leading communications technology provider Cisco hosted a virtual data centre briefing at the Europa Hotel, Belfast.

via SiliconRepublic.com: Business benefits of cloud computing need to be explored – CIO.

Cloud computing and net neutrality are becoming major factors in forcing telecoms operators to upgrade their core network bandwidth, according to an industry analyst.

In turn, top industry players such as Nortel, Cisco and Juniper Networks are pushing towards high-speed 100Gbps Ethernet products in response to operator demand, Ovum principal analyst John Mazur told ZDNet UK.

via Cloud pushing telecoms into bandwidth boost – ZDNet.co.uk.

A working definition for cloud computing — a new computer technique with potential for achieving significant cost savings and information technology agility — has been released by a team of computer security experts at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Since the US federal government is considering cloud computing as a component of its new technology infrastructure, it is NIST’s role to evaluate it and then promote its effective and secure use within government and industry by providing technical guidance and developing standards.

via Computer security team defines cloud computing.

Industry experts have given a broadly positive reaction to Google Wave. Still in development Google Wave is a browser-based tool that mixes e-mail with Instant Messaging and real-time online collaboration elements. Harry McCracken of Technologizer.com wrote “It s one of the most ambitious services that Google or anyone else has cooked up”. Google Wave is currently only open to developers interested in building applications for the tool. Google Wave co-creator Lars Rasmussen wrote on the official Google blog: “A wave is equal parts conversation and document where people can communicate and work together with richly formatted text photos videos maps and more. “In Google Wave you create a wave and add people to it. Everyone on your wave can use richly formatted text photos gadgets and even feeds from other sources on the web. They can insert a reply or edit the wave directly.

via BBC NEWS | Technology | Strong reception for Google Wave.

It’s been interesting watching the reaction of bloggers and main stream media pick up on the “Google Wave”, Since the news broke on twitter last week.

Listen in on

TWiT 197: Steal This Diploma

Open-source software has won the argument. Now a new threat to openness looms

“FIRST they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi probably never said these words, despite claims to the contrary, but they perfectly describe the progress of open-source software over the past 15 years or so. Such software, the underlying recipe for which is created by volunteers and distributed free online, was initially dismissed as the plaything of nerdy hobbyists. Big software firms derided the idea that anyone would put their trust in free software written by mysterious online collectives. Was it really secure? Whom would you call if it went wrong?

At the time, selling software to large companies was sometimes likened to drug dealing, because once a firm installed a piece of software, it had to pay a stream of licence fees for upgrades, security patches and technical support. Switching to a rival product was difficult and expensive. But with open-source software there was much less of a lock-in. There are no licence fees, and the file formats and data structures are open. Open-source software gained ground during the dotcom boom and even more so afterwards, as a way to cut costs.

via Computing: Unlocking the cloud | The Economist.

How could you build a business with the newly announced Google Wave?

Wave is like email mixed with collaborative editing and instant messaging. It’s conceivable that the Google Wave paradigm will replace today’s group collaboration tools with something less fractured (everything’s in one place), universal (document equals IM equals email) and more centralized (one application instead of many). Heck, it could even replace email itself.

via Business Opportunities around Google Wave.

First Look Google Wave I ve written an article titled “Need to Know: Google Wave ” that will appear in the July 2009 issue of Windows IT Pro Magazine. I ll publish the full article here on the SuperSite when possible but for now here s an excerpt with some images and links where you can get more information. Google Wave is a big deal a game changer and it is has deep implications for Microsoft and users of the software giant s products.

via Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows: First Look: Google Wave.

10 reasons Why Cloud Computing is the Wave of the Future April 29 2009 at 10 04:35 AM by Gilberto J. Perera Rating: 0 out of 5 What is all this Cloud computing mumbo jumbo about and why should I care Our editor Gilberto J. Perera puts it to us straight. Before we delve into the reasons why cloud computing is the wave of the future we must first understand what cloud computing is. According to Berkeley scientists “Cloud computing refers to both the applications delivered as services over the Internet and the hardware and systems software in the datacenters that provide those services. The services themselves have long been referred to as Software as a Service SaaS so we use that term. The datacenter hardware and software is what we will call a Cloud.”

via 10 reasons Why Cloud Computing is the Wave of the Future – LaptopLogic.com.

The Cloud-Computing Myth Avi Cohen 05.25.09 12 00 PM EDT There s always a new era of “network computing” around the corner but we won t reach it soon. John Chambers among others has reignited a fervor around the prospects of “cloud computing.” Distributed computing has been championed on several occasions perennially reemerging every five years or so but failing each time to overcome significant hurdles and operational risks before fading back into remission.

via The Cloud-Computing Myth – Forbes.com.