MCPc Blog

Week in Review: Top IT Articles from Week of July 30 - August 3, 2012

In case you missed them, here is the some of the top IT news from the past week, courtesy of the MCPc blogging team.

Windows PC sales hit a low as tablet sales soar in Q2, Canalys says (ComputerWorld)

As a result of their rapidly increasing popularity, the tablet market has exploded, increasing 75% since Q2 last year. The future certainly looks bright for tablets, but it’s looking a little dimmer for PCs. Although still on top of the market by a long shot, their shipment totals are at an all-time low, and the new ultrabooks aren’t exactly wowing consumers. In the upcoming quarters, companies hope to fix that by releasing ultrabooks with tablet features and other tablet/laptop hybrids, in attempt to ride some of the tablet market’s popularity.

Google’s Nexus 7 Tablet Review Rundown (Forbes)

In case you hadn’t gotten around to reading reviews of the Nexus 7 yet, Forbes has provided a nice collection of different opinions from around the internet. The tablet is certainly winning over critics, and if the reviews won you over too, you will be pleased to know that Google has just recently restocked its 16gb Nexus 7s, which sold out a week after launch.

Small and Mid-Size Businesses See Productivity in the Cloud: Surveys (Forbes)

The cloud is definitely growing. The article has a ton of statistics you’ll want to check out to see how the cloud is coming along, thanks to two comprehensive surveys. Here are a few we found interesting:

• 62% of businesses are using the cloud in some capacity. This is up from 48% at the beginning of the year, and 28% a year ago.

• 52% of businesses are using cloud-based file sharing in some capacity

• 40% of executives recognize cloud computing as one of the top three technology investments to make in 2012

Google Fiber: Pros and Cons (PCWorld)

As Google unrolls its Fiber network, PCWorld takes a look at some of its pros and cons. Despite some weaknesses, both the TV and Internet-Only services are undeniably spectacular. The fact that it’s cheap, it’s lightning fast, and it offers a lot of storage should be enough to look past some of the downsides when it reaches your city.

12 Effective Habits of Indispensable IT Pros (ITWorld)

ITWorld offers 12 great habits to develop that will help you get ahead of your competition and hopefully put you on track for a rewarding IT career. Some of the advice may come across as basic, but one tip that seemed really useful, given its evolution in the workplace, is to learn all about cloud computing and cloud services. "The cloud puts greater demands on both your technical and your business-of-IT skills. If you're CIO, it's an opportunity to take your capabilities up to the next level,” says Deloitte Consulting’s Mark White in the article.

How Microsoft Surface Stacks Up Against Its Tablet Competition (PCWorld)

Microsoft’s new tablet Surface hopes to make an impact on the market. The tablet has some features that set it apart, but is it going to be better than the iPad and the Android tablets? Check out PCWorld’s in-depth look at all of Surface’s specs in comparison not only to those other tablets, but also to ultrabooks, something it hopes to compete against as well.

 

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration.

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Week in Review: Top IT Articles from Week of July 23-27, 2012

In case you missed them, here is the some of the top IT news from the past week, courtesy of the MCPc blogging team.

Why IT Matters More Than Ever (PCWorld)

PCWorld takes a look at four reasons why IT has become extremely important as we head into the future. Its role may have changed a little from how it was defined early in its existence, but with things like the cloud and other new technology rampantly taking over the industry, IT is more relevant than ever to the business goals of an organization.

A Clearer View of Cloud Computing Security Now That the Haze is Gone (CIO)

Now that the buzz has settled down, companies are realizing the cloud is more than just a cost management tool. Here are eight tips on how to get the most out of the cloud.

The 5 Hottest IT Jobs Right Now (CIO)

These five jobs have seen significant growth in the last year. iPhone developers have seen the greatest job market growth, and jobs involving cloud computing have really skyrocketed as well. The IT job market is showing no signs of slowing down.

IT’s Olympic challenge: Live streaming employees (ComputerWorld)

As the Olympics approach and prepare to take over the media, the biggest problem facing IT is employees who stream the events live. One company stated that this could increase mobile charges by 5 to 10%. This articles outlines the data problems the Olympics might cause, and how those problems can be combated.

The Evoluton of IT: BYOD and Consumerization (TechNewsWorld)

BYOD has become a reality and is rapidly sweeping IT departments everywhere. If properly managed, BYOD can make workplace productivity increase while lowering IT burdens.  This article outlines some management ideas that can fix some of the problems that might come with BYOD’s benefits.

Google's Lightning-fast Fiber Network Now Live in Kansas City (PCWorld)

Google rolled out its impressive Fiber internet and TV services in Kansas City this week. Capable of transferring a blistering 1gb per second while remaining relatively cost-friendly, it is undeniable that Google Fiber will completely change the way we share data.

 

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration.

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Mobile Work: The New Executive Mindset and What it Means for Your Business

 

A blur is occurring between work and personal time.

Time that used to be free, such as the time spent in the evenings and weekends, is now becoming time to check email, monitor social media or make a quick business call. Even time that I used to cherish as my sacred time—time on the airplane—has been invaded! Look at how many flights actually have WiFi available on them! I mean, come on people, I am all about being connected, but losing my airplane time is killing me!

Because of this, business professionals find themselves “plugged in” at all times. And, as business thoughts occur during personal time, likewise personal decisions occur during business hours.

With these advancements, businesses see employees utilizing more flextime, multiple locations and preferred devices to complete tasks. While this could appear to be counterproductive, it has been found that when workers are able to choose how they work, it can actually make them more productive.

The @ Work State of Mind Study

Forbes Insights, in conjunction with Gyro, recently published a market research and development study—The @ Work State of Mind—to see the true impact of these newfound capabilities.

The report was based on both survey and interview results from more than 543 executives holding a myriad of positions and from a variety of companies.

• Respondents mostly came from the United States, but executives from the United Kingdom and Continental Europe were also included.
• 47% worked for companies taking in annual revenues of more than $1 billion, while 31% of those questioned worked for companies with revenues less than $100 million.
• The top three industries represented were banking / financial services / insurance, manufacturing and professional services industries.

Key Report Statistics & Findings

Following are some of the statistics we found most interesting, particularly in their regard to executives’ anywhere, anytime access to company data.

• 41% of executives surveyed step away from dinner or other family gatherings to deal with business calls or other work issues.
• 63% send and receive work-related email and have business discussions during vacations; only 3% said the never do.
• 55% make at least 20% of their work decisions at home.
• 98% check and send work email from home.
• 52% receive business information around the clock, including weekends.

Though it may seem as though this would lead to higher levels of stress and work dissatisfaction, in fact the study found the opposite to be true—at least in the United States. While only 19% of U.S. respondents feel irritated by the blending of their work and personal lives, 30% of European respondents said so. As I read through the list of findings, it was pretty much me checking off the list as I went down it. And, I agree with the findings in that I do not feel irritated by the blending of work and personal time...except on the plane!

Shift in Employee Demand Requires Shift in Business

So, how can organizations take advantage of the promise of the @ Work State of mind, while keeping employees satisfied with their work? The answer is a blend of two crucial elements:

1. Corporate culture and organizational change that encourages and empowers employees to work on their terms.
2. Solid IT infrastructure that supports the shift in end-user demands.

Though the culture element is something best executed internally, we have an answer for the IT side of the equation—the anyplace workspace.

Anyplace Workspace and the @ Work State of Mind

The anyplace workspace answers the call of the @ Work State of Mind by helping organizations provide employees with the devices, networks, data and support they need, wherever and whenever they need them.

And, it includes the backend systems needed to maintain IT insight, management and data security.

Are you living in an @ Work State of Mind? Are your organization’s employees and leaders?  Is your infrastructure ready to support the anyplace workspace?

 

Darin Haines, Chief Technology Officer, leads MCPc's technology consulting practice and spends much of his time speaking to business and IT leaders about effectively using collaboration and other advanced technologies. Connect with Darin on LinkedIn.

 

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April Roundup: Top IT Industry Articles

This month, our collection of top industry articles highlights the consumerization of IT, virtualization of Tier 1 applications, open cloud computing and tech industry headlines.  

IT Transformation

According to Network World’s Johna Till Johnson in her article on Consumerization and the Next Wave of IT Transformation, IT has been replaced with enterprise technology (ET), as it is no longer restricted to workplaces. Instead, it permeates throughout enterprise, and includes mobile, display and sensor technologies, next-generation computing, big data and more.

Says Johnson, “ET, in a nutshell, is the combination of technologies that enables embedded, networked, intelligence.” At MCPc, we see ET as the anyplace workspace.

Note: Want evidence of ET in action? Consider the tablet, which some predict may become our primary computing device.

In addition to a change in technologies and infrastructure, the shift from IT to ET has propelled industry professionals into a more strategic role within organizations, making them increasingly more important to bottom-line successes. In fact, more than one-third of IT budgets are now spent on the cloud, with a quarter of respondents indicating that the cloud will help shape business strategy.

For tips to capitalize on future trends like cloud and ET, read CIO’s Creating Culture of IT Innovation Includes Rewarding Failure.

Virtualization of Tier 1 Apps

To gain the most benefit and value out of private clouds, organizations need to take their tech to the next level by virtualizing even mission-critical applications. However, this is an area where many environments lag behind.

To help you make the transition; CIO’s Thor Olavsrud (@ThorOlavsrud) offers six steps to maximize success:

1. Understand vendor-specific considerations related to your VM hypervisor.
2. Discuss architecture needs with your system integrator/consultants.
3. Inventory your current infrastructure, noting what needs to be upgraded.
4. Update and align processes and policies for a virtual environment.
5. Develop a backup strategy.
6. Consolidate physical and virtual components for centralized management.

Open Cloud Computing

Open clouds—such as OpenStack and Citrix’ newly released CloudStack—may not compare with proprietary technology just yet; however, they are a disruptive force that should not be overlooked, as explained in Open Clouds: Immature or Good Enough? by ReadWriteCloud’s Joe Brockmeier (@jzb).

This is because open technologies standardize and commoditize the IaaS market, offering a lower price point than proprietary alternatives, without vendor lock in.

In fact, with growing interest in open clouds, there is an increasing demand for trained IT professionals with expertise in the area, and a possibility for certification programs down the road.

IT Industry News

• Google introduced Google Drive, a cloud-based, online storage platform. While great for individuals, this collaboration hub opens up a can of worms for IT departments, as it isn’t built with enterprise security in mind.
• Windows 8 Editions, the newest Windows operating systems for PCs and tablets, were unveiled. Among other upgrades, editions feature the Windows App Store and a flexible, fluid experience whether accessed via a touch screen or keyboard. For enterprise-level security, management, productivity and virtualization, the company announced Windows 8 Enterprise.
• HP’s newest cloud service, Converged Cloud, syncs with OpenStack software. The result: A private IaaS solution that is compatible with public offerings, making hybrid cloud implementations more viable.
• Cisco and NetApp expanded their FlexPod offering with cost-effective, pre-validated design architectures ideal for smaller workloads (500-1,000 users). Wondering if FlexPod is right for you? Check out our recent blog post for evaluation tips.
• Dell grew its cloud offerings with the purchase of Wyse Technologies. Plans are underway to use Wyse’s thin client and desktop virtualization technologies to offer an end-to-end cloud solution.
• Microsoft reengineered its certifications program to better prepare professionals to build and manage cloud environments. The change reflects a larger industry shift in the skill sets required of today’s IT professionals.

What articles did you enjoy last month? Please share your thoughts and additional resources in the comments below.

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration.

 

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Evaluating FlexPod: Will It Work For Your Business?

If you’re like many of your IT peers, you’ve probably built and deployed your IT infrastructure using distributed technology and infrastructure components on an application-by-application basis.

While historically this approach was sufficient, when IT operated essentially in a silo, as IT becomes more central to all elements of the business a downside comes to the forefront. App-by-app infrastructure development results in fragmented, silo-specific data centers that, when required to meet the needs of multiple departments, are ripe with inefficiencies.   

Virtualization can change that by creating a consolidated data center that is efficient, easy to manage and has reduced power demands. And building this type of environment can be very simple when you use a building-block storage solution like FlexPod.

FlexPod offers a set of pre-validated infrastructure building blocks that allow you to build a private cloud or virtualize your data center working with your existing infrastructure. All FlexPods are built on a baseline configuration that includes servers and switches from Cisco, storage from NetApp, and a virtualization component from Citrix, VMware or Microsoft (depending on your manufacturer preference).

 

 

The Key to FlexPod? Flexibility, of Course!

All FlexPod solutions start with a standard blueprint, which you can modify to suit your unique needs. The solution will work, as long as the modifications are made within supported manufacturer standards and overall interoperability. 

Think of it in terms of building a house: The standard blueprint calls for a 10’ by 10’ picture window; however, you want a 12’ by 16’ picture window. How do you know the larger window will work? Your builder inserts the dimensions of the new window into the blueprint and sees that it doesn’t interfere with any other structure. 

The same is true of FlexPod. You have complete flexibility over the build, as long as it fits within the larger framework. For example, you can:

• Buy new, or mix in existing software.
• Purchase the server blades in the quantity and configuration desired.
• Buy as many server chasses, software products, NetApp storage array combinations of Cisco network switches, etc., as you want.
• Deploy VMware View, Microsoft Hyper-V or bare metal.
• Integrate management software (or not).

Making it even easier to get started, smaller organizations can benefit from FlexPod’s new, entry-level design architectures, which are still pre-validated, but priced and sized for smaller workloads.

Am I a Good Fit for a FlexPod Solution?

You’re a strong candidate if you use NetApp for storage, but not if you use EMC. Don’t use either? The following are a few key questions to determine if FlexPod is right for you:

• What is your desired use case (e.g. VDI, DR, new application, re-platforming, virtualization (Phase I or II), etc.)? Note: Understanding the end goal is the single greatest key to success.
• What virtualization investments have you already made? Can you integrate FlexPod in a way that builds on them rather than rips and replaces?
• What is the age of your infrastructure? Must it be reused or is greenfield possible?
• How quickly do you want to be up and running? Speed to market is often a business advantage, if not an absolute requirement.

What Do You Think?

Are you looking to build out FlexPod or exploring other options in virtual infrastructure? What solutions are of interest? Share your experiences and thoughts below.

Bill Cannon is a longtime member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a sponsoring member of the 802.11 Standards Committee. He participated in IEEE’s deliberations of the formal definition of both cloud computing and its studies on the relationships between cloud computing and virtualization. He currently serves as a Partner Manager for key technology manufacturers. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.

 

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Is Your Business Ready for the Anyplace Workspace™?

If you’re a regular MCPc blog reader, you already know that our team gets “geeked” by mobile, collaborative technologies that prove impactful on organizational IT ecosystems and business bottom lines.

That’s why we’re very excited to announce the launch of the anyplace workspace.

What Is the Anyplace Workspace?

The idea of the anyplace workspace is just what it sounds like. Our mission is to help clients create environments that enable employees to work anywhere, anytime, from any device, while maintaining security and management oversight. The concept is grounded in five core pillars of the IT environment: devices, desktops, network, data and support. It leverages technology from all major vendors, and aims to provide a validated framework for the cloud while still being highly customizable to the unique needs of individual organizations.

Why Now?

Just take a look at some of these statistics on the growing mobile workforce:

• 60% of the workforce feels they don’t need to be in the office to feel productive.
• 32% of employees rely on more than one device on any given workday.
• Web-based email usage has fallen 6%, while mobile email rose 36%.
• Mobile users access smartphones for information management, web conferencing, office suites and more.

Clearly, the consumerization of IT has dramatically changed the way employees interact with, access and store company information and data. Outdated environments simply can’t handle the influx—or the risks—this shift presents.

How Is It Different?

With the anyplace workspace approach, we can help organizations build IT environments around the way modern workforces want to operate.

More importantly, by focusing in on specific business goals, and the possibilities enabled by modern technology, we hone in on how employees could operate if given the proper tools, and set out to achieve this IT utopia.

A well-designed and managed anyplace workspace will drive previously unheard-of levels of flexibility, mobility, productivity, efficiency, innovation and support.

Who’s On Board?

After talking about our ideas for the anyplace workspace with contacts at leading technology manufacturers, we found an outpour of support through sponsorships. Thus, the architecture behind an anyplace workspace ecosystem is truly the best available, from vendors, including: VMware, NetApp, Cisco, Citrix, Eaton, HP, Apple and more.

The anyplace workspace is a commitment from MCPc that captures the heart of what we do for our customers. It’s an approach dedicated to helping organizations gain real business benefits driven by an innovative, holistic approach to IT.

Connect & Share Your Story

What would your ideal anyplace workspace look like? What challenges have you had along the way toward implementing it for your organization? Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

To learn more about the anyplace workspace, visit anyplaceworkspace.com, or contact us today to speak with an anyplace workspace architect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jed Ayres, Senior Vice President, Partner Management & Marketing, is responsible for driving MCPc's relationships with industry partners as well as the overall go-to-market strategy of the organization. He has more than 17 years of IT industry experience. Connect with Jed on LinkedIn.

 

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MCPc’s 2012 Technology Trend Predictions

From Gartner’s Top 10 Strategic Technologies for business to CNN’s Top 10 Tech Trends geared more toward consumers, new and popular technology for 2012 is a hot topic. Most articles list the obvious trends: mobile, social, cloud, apps and analytics to name a few. But what do these trending technologies mean for your organization?

Our team of chief bloggers has weighed in with their own 2012 technology trends below. While many coincide to what we’re reading in IT industry publications, the thoughts listed here are from the field and based on market demand.

 

Andy Jones, Senior Vice President of Sales

Trends from the trenches include further adoption into virtualization and the broadening of cloud offerings, mobile device management, and collaboration with video.

• Virtualization and the cloud. As employee demand for mobility rises, we’ll see further adoption into virtual applications and virtual desktops, paving the way for the cloud. I expect we’ll also see the cloud industry gaining greater definition as adoption increases, as well as broader, varied offerings in PaaS, Saas, AaaS and IaaS.
• Mobile device management (MDM) is going to be huge. There are millions of devices out there that organizations are trying desperately to get their arms around. The need to manage, monitor and secure any device accessing the corporate network—from smartphones to Kindles to iPads—will drive growth and demand for MDM software. Expect the iPad 3’s introduction in March to fuel MDM conversations.
• Welcome the play of collaboration with video. More and more companies are starting to look at the benefits around collaboration, especially with video, and how this technology can improve organizational flexibility and mobility.
• Applications everywhere. Last year, Chris Anderson (@chr1sa) and Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) wrote a profound article called The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet. I expect their predictions of access to information via application to come to fruition in 2012—but beyond the just the web, with heavy application development taking place for desktop, mobile and print. 

Darin Haines, Group President, Advanced Technology Group

Mobile, big data, consumerization and video will be some of 2012’s top tech trends.

• A mobile tsunami will strike in 2012, leaving no task behind. From social media to enterprise email, print and commerce, everything will go mobile or be driven by mobile in 2012. Location-based services for business and the consumer will be more highly adopted and expected.
• Big data will get even bigger. The data explosion will drive a need for comprehensive analytics to forecast business intelligence (BI) and decision-making. Having a handle on big data, via SaaS or other forms of XaaS, will give businesses a high-demand competitive advantage.
• Consumerization on steroids. Driven by consumer mobility and networking, tablets, cloud services and BYO3 (employees not just bringing one device, but three devices to the workplace) will hit the office. The ease of consumer video and social networking will spur enterprise adoption, and IT will need to manage access and security.
• Video, everywhere. Video is now 40 percent of consumer Internet traffic, according to the Cisco® Visual Networking Index. Consumers and corporations will dive into video for personal and business communications.

 

Ira Grossman, Vice President, Personal Systems Group

Personal system mobility, access, applications and end-user segmentation will impact IT initiatives in 2012.

• Self-service IT environments. A focus on self-service for level 0 support and deployment prevails, as organizations ready their IT environment for PC choice and employee BYO3.
• MDM and policy. IT organizations will need to review mobile policies to account for device proliferation and user demands for flexibility. Out-tasking core IT functions like PC lifecycle management can free up internal resources to focus on these more strategic and impactful initiatives.
• Application development. IT priorities driven by sales and marketing business leaders leverage the near immediate availability of apps as the new and preferred way to interact with clients—delivering content, data and BI. Apps are already being rewritten and re-factored to operate natively on tablets.
• End-user segmentation. Organizations will need to take a formal approach to user segmentation as they consider IT initiatives such as thin client computing, thick client refresh, Windows 8, and tablets as a complete replacement to traditional end points.

 

Jeff Goldstein, Senior Consultant, Imaging & Printing Group

For print to survive 2012, it has to be mobile, efficient, and backed by data.

• Mobile will reduce the need to print. Mobile devices aren’t equipped with built-in print drivers. As more organizations adopt mobile strategies, and as more people become hyper-mobile, the need to print will fade. Organizations will enable mobile print using middleware, such as HP ePrint Enterprise, if needed; however, the cost of the software will prompt organizations to decide if mobile printing is truly a requirement.
• Managed Print Services (MPS) will require more creative solutions. Quickly becoming a commodity, resellers will offer more than just MPS. To provide true value to their clients—helping them become more cost effective and efficient—MPS providers will consider: data that justifies software investments, print policy regulations to cut costs, business workflows that reduce or eliminate print altogether and more.

Your Thoughts?

What predictions do you have for the year ahead, and how do industry insights and those listed above compare to your IT forecasts?

 

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration.

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Green IT: Power Down to Gear Up for 2012

As you evaluate technology plans for the upcoming year, be sure to bank your organization's power usage—and costs—by enforcing environmentally friendly technology best practices.

The movement toward more “green” IT has been propelled by efficient technologies like virtualization, power management, updates to print capabilities and more. Not only do innovative technologies like these reduce organizations’ overall carbon footprints, but the return on green technology investments also helps balance bottom lines. (After all, the goal of green is to reduce energy consumption, which costs.) 

As you start planning for a more efficient 2012, here are our top technology trends that advance green IT.

1. Power Management Software — There are IT products available that apply directly to power management and “useful work” performed by servers and data center appliances. With software like that from 1E, IT managers can view devices in waking mode, sleep mode, hibernation mode, etc., to evaluate where devices are consuming the most power, and create rules to automatically power them down when not in use.

With software management tools in place, installing power management software across the IT environment can be fairly quick (1-3 days) and painless. And, ROI on projects like this is almost instant, showing in 2-3 months.

Example: 1E's PC power management software, NightWatchman, can be utilized to shutdown desktop PCs after hours. AT&T expects to save $12M and reduce carbon emissions by 123,000 tons per year using 1E technology to save electricity on PCs at rest.

Quick Hint: Employees may think that a sleeping PC is efficient, but deep sleep is better. Management software helps illustrate this difference.

2. Virtualization — Anything you can do from a server consolidation standpoint will help your organization gain returns in energy efficiency. Fewer machines require less power, cooling and so on.

Evaluate the entire network to determine server performance and most useful workloads. For example, stacks like the Cisco UCS Manager can actually pull power away from a unit to save energy. It’s similar to the Honda Eco Assist system, which shows you when you’re driving efficiently and saving power.

3. Upgrade Your Technology Fleet — It’s a large undertaking, but executed with strategic technology refresh planning and management, replacing older devices can bring significant return on power usage and cost.

Even technology that’s only a few years old can likely be upgraded to deliver return on both efficiency and investment. For example, advancements in compliance ratings and available technology have made compressors more efficient than those from just two years ago; any infrastructure that’s more than three years old should be assessed.

Consider the following technologies as you prioritize technology fleet upgrades:

• Thin Clients: The typical desktop thin client consumes 6-7 watts of power, while the laptop consumes about 85 watts. Multiply this power savings across your company’s technology fleet, and it’s a return with impact.
• LCD vs. LED: Consider newer monitors. LCD monitors use old technology, while LED monitors are far more energy efficient. LED backlighting technology enables less power consumption, making it a more eco-friendly business solution.
• Print: 5-10 year-old machines are power drains; they’re horribly inefficient. Companies should look at efficiency studies around their printer fleets. Ink and toner savings are another consideration, which along with better-managed power, will also come down in usage and therefore cost.

When prioritizing a technology refresh, consider the initial time and cost investment for each upgrade (thin clients, printer consolidation, etc.) in comparison to the cost savings you’ll realize in return.

Quick Tips for the Holidays

If you’re itching to swing green IT practices into motion, the upcoming holiday season is a great place to start. Long weekends and office vacations are perfect times to cut back on your organization’s overall power usage.

Encourage your team to unplug—not just shut devices down. While powering down is great for the end of the day, chargeable devices that are still plugged in use standby power, also known as vampire power. In some households this accounts for almost 10% of overall electricity, according to Wikipedia. Think of the implications for business usage.

Final Thoughts: Return on Green

The return on moving toward green IT practices in your business is pretty clear, but it can also be calculated with this Green ROI Tool shared by IBM (registering your contact information is required). Check out your return, and feel free to share other best practices toward green IT in the comments below.

Andy Jones is Senior Vice President of Sales. He has more than 15 years of IT industry experience, and is an expert on cloud, virtualization and managed services solutions. Connect with Andy on LinkedIn.

 

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November Roundup: Top IT Industry Articles

Each month we read hundreds of IT industry articles, then choose the highlights to share with our readers. November’s articles focus on: virtualization’s lessons learned, mobility in the workplace, security against advanced persistent threats (APTs), IT project management, and other recent industry headlines of note.

Lessons Learned in Virtualization 

Charles Babcock’s (@babcockcw) Information Week article, 4 Lessons Learned from Virtualization Masters, examines organizations that are well virtualized (70–98%) and shares their lessons learned along the way. Insights to remember on your path toward a more virtualized IT environment include:

• Well-managed virtualized environments mean integration among multiple complex, moving parts.
• Expect a change in datacenter relationships, and enforce monitored chargeback systems for efficiency.
• Use transaction databases or virtual servers to isolate troubleshooting, operations, data loss and functionality.
• Pair a high-speed environment with a broad-range environment to spread workload capacity across servers.

Tech Target’s Calculating Virtualization ROI Using Unconventional Factors, by Brien Posey, reminds readers that reduced cost isn’t the only reason to virtualize. Other considerations when calculating return include high-availability metrics, reduced licensing costs and quicker provisioning times.

Mobility in the Workplace

The 2011 Cisco Connect World Survey found flexibility with mobile devices to be more important than salary for 40-45% of college students and young professionals.

But the trend isn’t just for millennials … See the blog series about our “iPad-only executive,” Darin Haines (@DarinHaines), a seasoned professional with nearly twenty years of IT industry experience. The series covers a day in the life of an iPad-only exec, winning applications that make the iPad Darin’s preferred computing device, and the software and tools we use to manage iPad-dependent employees.

IT Security Battles APTs

In Network World’s The Network Is the Security, Jon Oltsik (@joltsik) outlines how detailed network monitoring, data and analytics—including that of network behaviors, payload analysis, performance and more—can help organizations ramp up security against APTs. 

In the follow-up article, Data Security and APTs, Oltsik examines ESG research on the data security tools that organizations are investing in to protect against APTs. He finds that data encryption, complete database security, mobile security and access management are the data security controls organizations will continue to look to for defense.

Project Management

Have you found The Secret to IT Project Success? In Bob Lewis’ (@ITCatalysts) Infoworld article, he discusses how completing a project is only the beginning for IT. While IT is used to ensuring that regular operations run smoothly and efficiently, the real success is when IT can bring successful business change and impact to the forefront.

What does successful business change look like? Following are Lewis’ four steps to determine the impact for your organization:

• Define success.
• Take responsibility—or make sure you clearly define who will—for both the project completion and business change.
• Incorporate business change management into each project.
• Make project implementation a milestone, and let your operational manager lead this project.

For more on bringing a business focus to IT, check out Nigel Fenwick’s (@NigelFenwick) Forrester blog post, How to Get Beyond Alignment, or the MCPc blog post, The Evolving Role of the CIO.

In the News …

• Brian Madden and team launch ConsumerizeIT.com, including a blog, commentary, discussions, events and more geared to address the evolving challenges and solutions around consumerization.
• Wyse acquires Trellia, boosting its mobile security and cloud profile.    
• BlackBerry faces trouble amidst market competition: Availability and price confusion may pull PlayBook from BestBuy and other locations, but RIM's platform product management representative says BlackBerry isn't dead.

Your Top Picks

What articles stuck out from your November reading? Please share your additional articles, topics of interest or questions in the comments below.

 

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration.

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October Roundup: Top IT Industry Articles

Each month we read tons of industry articles, then choose some of the highlights and favorite headlines to share with our readers—keeping you up-to-date in today’s tech. October’s articles featured below focus on: 2012 IT planning, the ever-changing roles of CIOs, managing BYOD and mobile, and recent industry (and vertical market IT) headlines to note.

Start Planning 2012’s IT & Business Goals

The evolution of virtualization was named No. 1 in Gartner’s 10 Key Trends for 2012. The Network World article by Michael Cooney (@NWWlayer8) notes that overall, Gartner’s trends include items that have traditionally fallen outside the regular scope of IT—like energy efficiency and social media influence—which helps illustrate the converging IT landscape.

Some of the other top trends identified in the article include: consumerization and app development, compute per square foot, and staff retention and retraining.

As your organization moves to a more virtualized environment, note the impacts of virtualization on network topology and demand, as emphasized by Josh Stephens (@sw_headgeek) in the Computerworld article, Virtualization’s Slow Creep Into Your Network, Becoming a Flood?

The Ever-Evolving Role of CIO

Is IT Facing a Leadership Crisis? That’s what Meredith Levinson (@meridith) asks in her CIO article, and she brings valid insight to the continually discussed topic with the profile of David Reynolds, a current sales manager and aspiring CIO.

While traditional CIOs managed network systems and IT troubleshooting, advances in technology—and the direct business impact potentials of that technology—calls for CIOs to develop more a more business-minded focus. In the case of David Reynolds, a background with finance and the IT help desk positions this systems manager as a business-minded professional that can speak the languages of both business and IT—necessary requirements for evolving CIOs.

Read more on the topic in the MCPc blog post: The Evolving Role of CIO.

Managing BYOD and Mobile

Forrester’s July 2011 survey noted that 60% of companies already enable BYOD. Rethinking Enterprise Infrastructure in the BYOD Era, written by Arthur Cole of IT Business Edge, reminds IT pros that BYOD doesn’t have to be a threat to the network, as long as it prompts IT to rethink basic roles and responsibilities of the organization’s IT infrastructure, such as secure access and device management.

“But after that, what? Well, securing and managing those devices, aka mobile device management, aka MDM, is necessary, of course,” says ZDNet’s Eric Lai (@ericylai) in the article, After BYOD, What’s Next? It's the Apps, Stupid.

For tips on How to Create the Best Mobile Device Management Policy, check out this ReadWriteMobile article from Mark Gentile.

Industry Headlines to Note... 

• The world lost an industry leader and visionary. Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, and the world paid tribute. Read MCPc’s tribute and take on the Steve Jobs effect.
• Forrester urged IT to support the Mac, as it finds Mac users to be more productive.
• Citrix acquired ShareFile and App-DNA, making strides toward more efficient cloud-based solutions. Read about the implications for IT pros in our blog post on the topic.
• In healthcare: The American Medical Journal discussed the impact of health technology assessments on the decision-making processes in public versus not-for-profit private hospitals.
• In education: iPads are making their way into classrooms, while smartphones are revamping campus tours. 

Your Top Picks

What were your favorite reads from October? Feel free to post additional articles, topics of interest or questions in the comments below.

 

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration.

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