Driving for operational performance, agility and efficiency
Cloud computing has certainly challenged traditional thinking in relation to IT infrastructure and operations, but the datacentre remains critical to most organisations. Against this background, the aim is to create the right blend of modern infrastructure and services to meet ever-changing business needs and demands.
Our Content:
Opening up mainframe data, one utility at a time
Freeform Dynamics recently caught up with VirtualZ, an often overlooked vendor of connectivity tools that[...]
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Cloud Storage Revisited: What has the last decade taught us?
It is clear that cloud storage has become an important component of modern IT infrastructure.[...]
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IT Sustainability: Passive vs Active Gains
In the 20 odd years that I’ve been following developments in ‘Green IT’, the industry[...]
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The convergence of OT and IT
Having worked in both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) environments for years, I’ve[...]
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Observability and Security: Thoughts on the Cisco-Splunk Acquisition
The tech world is now trying to work out exactly what the news of Cisco’s[...]
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Mainframes and workload placement: Time for a dose of objectivity?
When Tony Lock and I interviewed Reg Harbeck, Chief Strategist at Mainframe Analytics Ltd, it[...]
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From clipboards to smart data capture; how software-defined scanning is changing the game
When I first heard about ‘smart data capture’, I couldn’t help thinking back to a[...]
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The Untapped Potential of Liquid Cooling in Modern Data Centres
Ever since IBM sold off its x86 business to Lenovo back in 2014, I’ve been[...]
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Taking the next step in mainframe observability
Despite their frequently less visible role, mainframes remain indispensable in supporting the critical operations of[...]
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The mainframe skills crunch; an outsider vs insider perspective
During my career, I’ve worked hands-on with a great many operating systems, programming languages, mainstream[...]
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Taking IT Cost Tracking and FinOps to the next level
A CIO I interviewed recently told me candidly: “It’s always a bit nerve wracking when[...]
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Mainframe Skills: Challenge or Opportunity?
People in mainframe circles have been talking about skills development and succession planning ever since[...]
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Making IT sustainability more objective and actionable
I’ve heard a lot of pitches from technology companies on how they can help customers[...]
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It’s Time to Raise the Bar on Observability
Observability has come a long way in the last 30 years
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The Evolving Role of Converged Infrastructure in Modern IT
Where does CI fit in a world of hybrid cloud?
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Tape is back on the main menu
The news that another of the big players in global file systems, Hammerspace, has integrated[...]
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Evaluating the Potential of Hyper-Converged Storage
What to consider when planning for modern IT and the hybrid cloud era
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Kubernetes as an enterprise multi-cloud enabler
Building out your environment to create a full lifecycle delivery platform
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The key to future IT success is a switch to managing services, not systems
For most of the history of commercial IT, system design has focused on meeting the[...]
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Standardized solution implementation services
Shorten time-to-value, reduce costs and risks, and future-proof your investment
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Getting real about IT sustainability
From good intentions to tangible results through smart systems selection
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Have you made the right platform choices to minimise risk?
Critical systems have to run and run…
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Don’t let your smart software suffer from poor platform choices
Mismatched AI and analytics can be massively inefficient
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To maximise potential, mainframers must reach out and engage
The team here has always had immense respect for the mainframe community
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Kubernetes and the open-source maintainer question
While much of October's KubeCon-CloudNativeCon North America
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S/4HANA without compromise
A modern ERP architecture needs a powerful and future-proof platform
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VMware’s breadth and depth impresses, but is it still a safe bet?
At the recent VMware Explore conference in Barcelona
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Supporting the needs of highly unpredictable workloads
It’s all about flexibility, scalability and cost effectiveness
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The modern SD-WAN advantage
Even if you run an SD-WAN today, it’s time to check what’s new
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Singing the key management blues
We need cryptographic keys, but who is going to manage them?
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Why does ransomware still work?
As someone who first encountered ransomware during the last millennium
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SMB-friendly IT solutions are needed
Your business deserves more than a cut-down enterprise offering
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Evaluating the potential of hyper-converged storage
What to consider when planning for modern IT and the hybrid cloud era
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Even data fragmentation has gone virtual
Throwback Thursday: If there’s one thing our report from eight years ago reminds us
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EDSFF: a new standard for enterprise SSDs
Bringing NMVe up to date with the needs of the data center
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Private cloud in contexts old and new
Throwback Thursday: What a difference a decade can make
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Remember when cloud was going to kill the IT channel?
Throwback Thursday: taking a regular stroll in the Freeform Dynamics archives.
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Has the data centre of the future already arrived?
Throwback Thursday: Predicting the future back in 2012
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Accelerating your journey to data maturity with S/4HANA Infographic
Contributors: Dale Vile and Laura Rose
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Why I’m uneasy about the Salesforce Slack acquisition
Analyst Opinion: Most coverage on the Salesforce acquisition of Slack has focused on the industry[...]
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Identity and access management revisited
A changing world demands simplification and an urgent focus on security
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Hyper-converged has come of age Infographic
Modern infrastructure options are now integral to service delivery
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Modernizing database technology stacks
How many different database technologies are you running, how up to date are they, and[...]
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Taming your information sprawl with cloud data management
An Evaluation Guide for Business
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S/4HANA Revisited
Has the time now come for SAP’s next-generation application environment to go mainstream?
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Key factors in the network security buying decision
How – and why – network security professionals select solutions and suppliers
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Hyper-converged has come of age
Modern infrastructure options are now integral to service delivery
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The Hybrid IT Platform Imperative
Building a solid systems foundation for digital transformation
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The role of machine learning and automation in storage
Drivers, perceptions, readiness and practicalities
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Manage your data, not just your storage
Don’t get burnt by keeping ‘cold’ data on expensive ‘hot’ storage systems
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Analytics-Driven Storage Management
An evaluation and decision guide for IT leaders and professionals
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Modern Data Protection for HCI
HCI has moved on, and data protection for HCI has to catch up
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Investing in data storage in the age of cloud & compliance
A guide for business executives
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Taking the drudgery out of analytics
Analyst Blog: In recent years the importance of analytics has grown dramatically
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Why backup to flash
Analyst Blog: There are some things that simply have to happen, no matter how modern[...]
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Making server decisions for hybrid IT
If you think hybrid IT renders your server knowledge obsolete, think again
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Accelerate to hybrid cloud
FUJITSU Integrated System PRIMEFLEX for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub brings cloud into the data center
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Consistency is key with hybrid cloud
Can Microsoft Azure Stack Hub negate your public cloud barriers?
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Turning the tables on cloud service providers
Experienced customers are now calling the shots
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The real value of NVMe is end-to-end
Analyst Blog Although much is made of NVMe’s role as the modern successor to SAS[...]
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Are you ready for NVMe?
Analyst Blog IT has always been hit by marketing waves that speak of new systems[...]
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Data Centre Evolution
Will HCI change how we design and build core IT systems? The way we build[...]
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The fall and rise of the Mono-socket Server
Why cores matter as much as sockets Things are different on the desktop, but in[...]
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The Economics of Application Platforms
Don’t let anarchy or false economies hold back future-proof transformation
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Storage in the Era of NVMe
An Evaluation Guide for IT Teams As an IT professional dealing with storage, you will[...]
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Choice in a Shifting Landscape
A Business Perspective on Enterprise Storage in the Age of Flash and NVMe As you[...]
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The Service Integration Journey Infographic
Content Contributors: Bryan Betts & Laura Rose
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Simplifying Multi-Cloud Service Delivery
The emerging role of the Cloud Services Marketplace
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NVMe: a fresh start for storage
It’s time for a real change, not just iterative AFA evolution
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Persistent Container Storage: The Business Case
Considerations for organizations deploying containers in production
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Accelerating business transformation with desktop virtualization – Transportation Sector
If you work in the transportation sector, your focus is likely to be that of[...]
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Accelerating business transformation with desktop virtualization – Government Sector
Organizations across every sector are differentiating their products and services by focusing on their customers,[...]
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Accelerating business transformation with desktop virtualization – Education Sector
If you work in education, particularly higher education, you’re probably focused on a range of[...]
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Accelerating business transformation with desktop virtualization – Insurance Sector
As an insurer, regulatory upheaval and political change are likely to be towards the top[...]
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Healthcare sector revisits desktop virtualization
There’s no definitive “right way” to provide healthcare, but if you work within this sector,[...]
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Manufacturers take a fresh look at desktop virtualization
Digital transformation initiatives come in many shapes and sizes, and if you’re a manufacturer, these[...]
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Data Centre monitoring is not up to the job
What will it take to get investment? There is a quote that almost everyone working[...]
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Accelerating business transformation with desktop virtualization – Retail Sector
It’s in the interests of every sector to become more agile, more adaptable and more[...]
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Accelerating business transformation with desktop virtualization – Banking Sector
Digital transformation programs are probably a priority for your company, as banks and financial institutions[...]
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Fast-track creation of the modern digital workspace
What once seemed impossible is now perfectly doable
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Hyperconverged Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Change
It’s not just about platform automation
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Desktop virtualization as an accelerator of digital transformation
Fast-track creation of a modern digital workspace
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How Agile and DevOps enable digital readiness and transformation
In today’s world, software is everywhere – and it is spreading fast. Once it was[...]
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Is your data centre ready for automation?
SDDC could be part of the answer, if only we can get there
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Privacy lessons from the fitness fiasco
Analyst opinion Most of us already recognise that technology has the potential to wipe out[...]
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Information management is going mainstream – at last!
Analyst opinion Some assumptions have been held by IT pros for so long that they[...]
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Microsoft presents its quantum computing credentials
Thoughts from the Future Decoded event
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The politics and practicalities of IT procurement
Is cloud becoming a strategic disrupter?
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The Impact of Automation on IT Operations Infographic
Are you ready for the software-defined datacentre?
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Socitm 2017 Annual Conference
Public sector IT practitioners snatch a few hours to think, listen and learn
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The Enterprise Cloud Imperative
Have cloud investments to date laid a good enough foundation for the future, or is[...]
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The Impact of Automation on IT Operations
Over three quarters of those surveyed in a recent multi-national study said the pressure on[...]
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Datacentre Power and Cooling – Essential but frequently underperforming
Research reveals the secrets of essential DC Infrastructure There are very few organisations now where[...]
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The less-hidden benefits of modern Flash
Let’s go surfing the waves of AFA automation and orchestration Done properly, All-Flash Arrays are[...]
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Building a data-savvy digital infrastructure
Fujitsu’s MetaArc and NetApp’s Data Fabric in context
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Deciding between normal and software-defined storage
Is dedicated storage still the way to go, or can my server take over this[...]
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Six key questions to ask before buying storage
Don’t let a pushy sales rep trap you into an unwise purchase
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Data loss and the “I’m alright” fallacy
How your business’s survival could depend on resilient storage
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How can you discuss storage with business people without losing their attention?
Thankfully, the days when IT was seen simply as an unwelcome but necessary cost are[...]
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Modern Storage for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
Advanced solutions deliver SMBs power and simplicity
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Datacentre realities in the digital age
How well are you keeping up with escalating business demands? A recent survey of 320[...]
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Datacentre facilities in the spotlight
How strong are the foundations supporting your IT infrastructure? Facilities infrastructure, which includes power management,[...]
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Power and the 24×7 imperative
What’s required to ensure business continuity in the datacentre? Modern businesses depend on IT. As[...]
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Application Platforms Matter
Cloud services are increasingly becoming part of the IT delivery mix, but a recent study[...]
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All-Flash Arrays
All-Flash is becoming ‘the new normal’ in enterprise storage, but is right consider it as[...]
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IT service delivery models
Will the cloud make your datacentre redundant? With many organisations under pressure and IT teams[...]
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Datacentre power management
Does your approach need a rethink? Effective and efficient management of power within the datacentre[...]
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Datacentre Strategy and Evolution
Despite the advent to cloud computing the datacentre remains central to corporate IT. But with[...]
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DevOps and Cloud Computing
Many are exploiting cloud computing to drive business advantage, while others are enjoying the flexibility[...]
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The Data Centre and Cloud – What’s Going On?
A look at recent developments in the delivery of IT Services For much of the[...]
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The 2nd Generation All-Flash Opportunity Infographic
Content Contributors: Dale Vile & Jack Vile
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Getting into Software-Defined Storage
In a nutshell Software-defined storage, or SDS, has the potential to significantly change how you[...]
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Understanding Software-Defined Storage
In a nutshell The term “software-defined storage” (SDS) is all over the press, yet sometimes[...]
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The trouble with business executives…
When IT teams and their colleagues within the business get along, life is good for[...]
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IT pros speak about frustration with AFA vendors
As part of a recent survey we asked a panel of IT professionals to give[...]
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The Green Data Centre – Myth or Reality
Every few years, core IT infrastructure issues surge into visibility on the corporate radar. Often,[...]
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It’s Artificial Intelligence, but not as we know it
Ed: AI is figuring more and more prominently in our industry coverage at Freeform Dynamics.[...]
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The power management skills gap
A recent survey by Freeform Dynamics of 320 senior data centre professionals reveals that datacentre[...]
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Five years later, the hybrid cloud is real
When we surveyed over 300 IT and business professionals back in 2011 on their attitudes[...]
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Getting all-flash storage investment approved
We are at an interesting time in the all-flash storage array market
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Cloud computing reality check
Introduction: Is cloud really a kind of magic? Many have positioned cloud computing as the[...]
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Enterprise Flash – The New Normal?
In a nutshell All-Flash Arrays (AFAs) have come a very long way in a short[...]
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Will hyper-converged infrastructure kill traditional storage?
In a nutshell Deciding which direction to take with your storage purchasing is a tough[...]
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Protecting data in your hyper-converged environment
In a nutshell Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) has been gaining popularity as a way of simplifying[...]
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All-flash storage uncertainty and doubt
In a nutshell All-flash arrays are arguably coming of age, but in an early market,[...]
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IT Ops as a Digital Business Enabler
Some argue that IT operations doesn’t matter anymore; it’s all about developers. Our aim in[...]
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Managed Services in the Data Centre
From stability to agility Data centres have been around a long time during which various[...]
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AMZN, AAPL, GOOGL, FB, and MSFT
With a combined market capitalization of $2.3 trillion, Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft hold[...]
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Everyone’s talking about Dedupe
In a nutshell Storage is a very hot topic in every data centre and computer[...]
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The Impact of Cloud on IT Teams
We often hear that cloud computing dramatically reduces the need for in-house IT teams, and[...]
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Facebook CIO says: “Microsoft got cool again”
Microsoft used day two of its Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) to focus on announcements related[...]
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Capacity planning in an age of agile and on-demand IT
Capabilities are still far from ideal
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2016 – The year of the ‘Butterfly Wings’ effect?
Changing data centres step by step or wing flap by wing flap
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Agonising over cloud versus on-premise
In a nutshell Keeping your IT infrastructure in line with evolving application and business needs[...]
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A higher impact approach to IT investment
In a nutshell You may have doubts about the value for money or level of[...]
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Enterprise Git in Perspective
In a nutshell If asked to name a distributed version control system (DVCS), most people[...]
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Why are backup and recovery measures often not as robust as they should be?
Data protection is essential for every business and its importance cannot be underestimated for disaster[...]
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Scale-out storage: Proprietary? Commodity? Or both?
There is no doubting that scale-out storage is now thoroughly achievable. Indeed, scale-out is pretty[...]
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IBM’s Spectrum Suite of storage tools is going to be a hard sell
IBM’s announcement of a storage suite with per Tb pricing is a natural move following[...]
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Combining DCIM and Cloud / CoLo / Managed Services
There is no doubt that requirements for IT to deliver additional capabilities continue to increase.[...]
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Network Security Solutions
IT Security is complex and trying to work out whether it is better to use[...]
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Will open source storage make the hyperscale dream real?
Open-source software has become an important presence in many areas of IT, and now, as[...]
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What changes will have the biggest impact on your IT in the next three years?
The rate of change in IT and business has never been more rapid. Standing still[...]
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Enterprise Storage Architectures
Enterprise scale up storage arrays have traditionally been expensive to acquire and complex to manage.[...]
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Infrastructure Readiness Temperature Check
IT infrastructures are often coping pretty well with current business requirements, but many IT professionals[...]
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Key Advances in Storage Technology
While your storage infrastructure may be meeting current needs, you will almost certainly be investing[...]
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Modern Storage Options for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
If you work in a small or medium-sized business environment, storage is probably something you[...]
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Data Protection and Management in a Box
In today’s fast-moving, information-intensive business environment, data management is more of a challenge than ever.[...]
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Ceph as an Enabler of Growth and Scalability
A perennial problem with storage is how to deal with escalating requirements in a smooth,[...]
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Future Proofing Your Network
Network traffic flows have become pretty complex in today’s distributed business environment, and not just[...]
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Cloud and Security Challenges
Cloud adoption is taking place in organisations of all sizes. Internal cloud systems are being[...]
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You can do more with backup than just cloning your data
As we all know, the world of backup is changing, and not just in obvious[...]
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Windows Server 2003 end of support – Don’t panic, do something secure, now
Webcast recorded 12th June 2015 Firstly, Tony Lock and Dale Vile show you where your[...]
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Cloud Security Temperature Check
In a recent online survey in which responses were gathered from almost three hundred IT[...]
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What scares you most about ‘the cloud’?
Cloud computing has gone mainstream. While a hard-core of naysayers still exists, the black-and-white negative[...]
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What hyper-converged storage really means for you
To paraphrase an old joke, ask three IT “experts” for a definition of hyper-convergence and[...]
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Evolution of the OpenText portfolio
A few days into my first software sales role back in the 90’s, I was[...]
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The Role of Cloud Storage
The chances are that your storage systems are subject to a range of pressures, almost[...]
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Storage Quality of Service Management
Organisations are increasingly turning to multi-tiered shared storage environments to deal with growing data volumes,[...]
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My life under Estonia’s digital government
There is much government talk about the economic importance of enabling a digital society. Yet[...]
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The Impact of VMware VVOLs on Storage
VMware Virtual Volumes (VVOLs) are due to be released in 2015 and have been designed[...]
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Is your storage ready for the future?
In a recent research study we looked at the challenge of building a storage infrastructure[...]
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Are data centres heading towards a future of technology hardware monocultures?
You have probably heard the representatives of at least a few vendors say IT is moving[...]
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The Promise and Practicalities of Flash
With the flash storage market developing rapidly it’s important to understand the nature of the[...]
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Data Protection and RAID
Rapid data growth, a greater emphasis on operational risk and developments in storage hardware are[...]
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Hyper-Scale Data Management
The term ‘Software Defined Storage’ is used to describe a wide range of ideas and[...]
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Storage Infrastructure Wakeup Call
The storage solutions you run today face many challenges, of which the explosive growth in[...]
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STORAGE under PRESSURE
Meeting basic storage needs has been a necessity for some time now. But with rapid[...]
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Creating the Storage Advantage
By Dale Vile Management Summary Most organisations are able to deal with their basic storage[...]
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Inertia has its virtues, but change is happening
As the old year draws to a close it’s time for CIOs and analysts to[...]
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21st century data protection: Get back up to date
In this webcast discover how you create a new architecture for backup and recovery, how[...]
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Into the Compute Era. Your data centre for the next 25 years
Converged infrastructure, the software defined data centre and cloud computing allow you to optimise your[...]
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Manage security in real time
You face more, and more dangerous threats every day – drive-by infections, APTs, executive targeted[...]
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Software Defined Data Centres
Recently the vendor community has put considerable efforts into promoting the ‘Software Defined Data Centre”[...]
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The Democratization of IT Disaster Recovery
If it has been a while since you thought about your DR measures, or a[...]
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Information Management and Access in the Public Sector
With the advent of digitisation, all public sector environments generate and capture a significant amount[...]
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How to simplify your IT with blade servers
Blade systems can help you establish control over sprawl while simplifying the administration of your[...]
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Why we need converged infrastructure (and how to do it)
In recent years, physical server numbers have remained static but virtual server numbers continue to[...]
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A mainframe-based cloud service?
As an industry analyst, it feels like I spend hours of my life sitting through[...]
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User Access – Time for a change?
User expectations and the range of devices they use to access IT systems are growing[...]
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Migrating to Windows Server 2012
Extended support for Windows Server 2003 ends on 14 July 2015, so you need to[...]
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How to simplify storage management
How to create storage that’s responsive to changing workloads and applications, that can deliver the[...]
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How to simplify your IT with cloud apps
Lots of you are considering cloud apps, but find it hard to figure out what’s[...]
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Building an open cloud: Say no to silos
It’s a hybrid world. But proprietary clouds are hard to integrate and less flexible. On[...]
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Desktop Virtualisation
Over the decades data centres and computer rooms have taken on many challenges in order[...]
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Controlling Application Access
Freeform Dynamics conducted a research study in early 2014 looking at trends and developments in[...]
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Are GPUs about to enter IT’s mainstream?
By Charles Brett Until relatively recently most in IT looked upon Graphics Processing Units (GPUs[1])[...]
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ADCs – Love them or hate them
By Dale Vile Best of breed versus integrated multi-function solutions – it’s a discussion that’s[...]
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The challenges of network fragmentation
By Tony Lock Originally published for the channel A recent survey by Freeform Dynamics revealed[...]
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The State of Network Infrastructure
By Tony Lock Networks are the glue that allow users to function effectively in their[...]
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Managing virtual servers is still an issue for many
By Dale Vile If you are feeling inadequate because you’re not in full control of[...]
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Enterprise Networks – Where do IT Pros see challenges?
By Tony Lock The challenges placed on IT daily grow more demanding. In addition to[...]
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The Death of the Corporate Network Perimeter
By Tony Lock In a recent survey over 400 respondents gave us the inside track[...]
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Making the case for network modernisation
By Dale Vile Would you design your corporate network the way it is today if[...]
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Get REAL about data location in the cloud
Where to put your data, how to decide in the real world Performance, compliance, privacy,[...]
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Juggling Performance, Availability and Security
By Tony Lock A recent report from Freeform Dynamics illustrates that many corporate networks are[...]
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Controlling Application Access
Application performance, availability and security challenges are quietly creeping up in the context of internal[...]
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Predictions for 2014
My views on market developments in 2014 are not sensational, I’m afraid. I offer them[...]
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Entropy and Data Quality
By Tony Lock IT systems are subject to many of the same laws that govern[...]
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Data Stored Factor: do you know how many times is a given piece of data stored?
By Charles Brett Are enterprises asking the right questions about data and its storage? This[...]
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Building a future proof service portfolio
By Dale Vile We constantly hear that cloud is the future and that distributors, resellers,[...]
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Customer Data Quality in Context
Are you a business manager/executive? Read on to find out why sometimes you may have[...]
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Managing Customer Data Quality
IT Leaders and Architects, when was the last time you could look at one of[...]
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Software Defined Networking (SDN) continues to move forwards
By Charles Brett and Tony Lock During an Analyst Briefing at the IBM Development Laboratory[...]
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How much is a mobile data gigabyte?
By Charles Brett A gigabyte is 1,073,741,824 bytes. Computer science tells us this is so.[...]
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Could what happened to flight engineers apply to data storage and its management?
By Charles Brett Flight engineers in cockpits began to disappear in the 1980s as aircraft[...]
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The Business Value of Data Protection
By Tony Lock The data held in every business is valuable and in the current[...]
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The DC you have to the DC you need
Your data centres are stuck in a rut. While 90 per cent have had an[...]
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Device Proliferation and Data Fragmentation
By Tony Lock Bring your own device (BYOD) continues to attract considerable attention, but the[...]
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The SaaS opportunity for SMBs
By Dale Vile Software as a Service (SaaS) is potentially a great fit for small[...]
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Clouds and the Data Centre weather forecast
By Tony Lock Enterprise Data Centres are complex collections of systems acquired over long spans[...]
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Unravelling the SMB SaaS opportunity for resellers
By Dale Vile SMBs and cloud computing are a match made in heaven. That’s the[...]
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The Data Fragmentation Challenge
By Tony Lock Every IT professional is acutely conscious of the rapid rate at which[...]
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Data fragmentation challenges for CIOs
By Tony Lock A recent survey by Freeform Dynamics confirmed that access to accurate information[...]
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SMBs are tumbling into the cloud? Oh get real
By Dale Vile This article was originally published for the channel. SMBs are now turning[...]
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The End User Security Jigsaw
Organisations of all sizes are trying to understand the security implications of mobile working, device[...]
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The Data Protection Imperative
In this short paper, we spell out why the time has come to adopt a[...]
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Data Protection as a Business Enabler
While the importance of business information is almost universally recognised, few organisations have enjoyed either[...]
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All about OpenStack
Proprietary cloud threatens lock-in, higher cost and application silos. There is an alternative: OpenStack is[...]
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Virtualisation where are my savings?
Three years ago you listened to vendors telling you how much we would all save[...]
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Storage Anywhere and Everywhere
With more departmental applications, collaboration and sharing environments, and even cloud-based services, with access via[...]
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The Data Centre Today and Tomorrow
By Freeform Dynamics Our analysts recently took part in an expert clinic looking at some[...]
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Forget Big Data – No one is panning for gold
By Tony Lock CIOs have been subjected to the combined efforts of a significant proportion[...]
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Raising your game with Software as a Service
Cloud computing, and Software as a Service (SaaS) in particular, can in theory deliver a[...]
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’Big Data changes EVERYTHING’ vs ’Hadoop? For my 200-customer biz?’
By Dale Vile As an industry analyst, it sometimes feels like I am flitting between[...]
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Managing expanding business – Critical Linux workloads
Evidence from users in the real world shows that for large workloads, the mainframe offers[...]
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DCIM and Energy Management
By Tony Lock Over several decades IT management has focussed almost exclusively on keeping servers[...]
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Speeding up ‘Change’
By Tony Lock For much of the last decade ‘IT’ has become something of a[...]
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Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 is a big bet for Microsoft, and is a major step forward[...]
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Workload placement in a hybrid world
Research shows that you are going to mix your platforms and deployment models in the[...]
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Do SMBs have less of a mobile and collaboration need?
By Dale Vile Yahoo!’s decision last month to axe home working prompted a lot of[...]
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Cloud Opportunities
By Team Freeform It seems that every week yet another visionary or IT vendor with[...]
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Cloud is more about choice than hosting
By Dale Vile There’s a trick we use at Freeform Dynamics when trying to figure[...]
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To PaaS or not to PaaS – that is the question
By Dale Vile Most forms of cloud computing are starting to find their place in[...]
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User driven IT adoption – Problem or opportunity?
By Dale Vile The latest catchy but dubious term to emanate from the vendor and[...]
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Security, privacy and data protection
By Tony Lock Many businesses today are faced with the challenge of rapidly fluctuating operating[...]
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Data Centre Evolution
By Tony Lock Data centres and computer rooms are an important hub of many organisations,[...]
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Your local Public Cloud
By Andrew Buss A few weeks back we looked at the role that private and[...]
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Cloud storage matters
The storage architecture you will need for a private cloud deployment will probably be very[...]
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Big Data, Analytics and the Future of Data Centres
Audience – IT & Business professionals Occasion – VMUG Meeting, Manchester February 12, 2013 Presenter(s)[...]
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Virtual application networking
If you’re implementing a private or a hybrid cloud, then your network fabric needs a[...]
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Datacentre modernisation in 2013
By Andrew Buss Most IT departments today recognise that things could be run much more[...]
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Consolidation in the cloud
As the feverish excitement of cloud hype becomes a practical challenge for you to solve,[...]
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A Data Centre that takes care of itself
A DC that takes care of itself. Can you build it, do you want it?[...]
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Developing the modern datacentre into a services hub
By Andrew Buss A number of IT vendors have recently gone on the record saying[...]
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Building the future proof datacentre
By Andrew Buss The last decade has seen massive leaps in performance and capability across[...]
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The next decade of data centre evolution
By Dale Vile To some, the mere concept of enterprise datacentres still being around in[...]
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The data centre in 2020
By Tony Lock There has never been a clearer understanding of how quickly business is[...]
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Email and collaboration options for MSPs
Cloud is a broad brush term that covers several different approaches to delivering IT services[...]
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A Vision for the Data Centre
The death of on-premise IT as a result of hosted cloud services is greatly exaggerated.[...]
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Defragging your Datacentre
By Andrew Buss The world of business is becoming faster moving, more competitive and ever[...]
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Taming the procurement elephant
The cost of supplying IT services inside businesses has never been more visible with considerable[...]
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Analytics and Big Data
By Tony Lock ‘Big Data’ is a hot topic receiving considerable attention from the marketing[...]
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Upping your game with Windows Server 2012
Andrew Buss met up with Chris Losch, from Newham Council, and Gary Collins, from Intercept[...]
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Why you need an interactive archive
Many organisations today only archive data when there is some external legislative driver forcing their[...]
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Future-proofing the data centre
Dale Vile meets with Hewlett-Packard’s David Chalmers They discussed how recent innovations in server, storage[...]
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IT Service Management and Business Requirements
By Tony Lock A couple of years before terms such as “Cloud”, “Big Data” and[...]
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Cross-Selling to the Cloud
By Dale Vile The notion of cloud computing taking more of the action in the[...]
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Bridging the great divide
By Andrew Buss At the Intel Developer Forum 2012 in San Francisco, Intel looked to[...]
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Big Data and Analytics
Results of a web survey illustrate the state of business information and analytics today. Just[...]
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Lack of Understanding inhibits adoption of Big Data
By Tony Lock Read any IT publication, online or hard copy, and it is hard[...]
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Datacentre in a box – Something for everyone?
CIOs have a tough job delivering an expanding range of services to ever more demanding[...]
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The Big Data Revolution
Big Data suffers misuse but at its heart is really about getting more value from[...]
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Effective B2B Integration
The way in which organisations communicate and transact across supply and demand chains has a[...]
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What should CIOs be demanding of Storage Vendors?
In most organisations the acquisition of storage and its associated management tools was, until recently,[...]
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Personal Use of a Windows Tablet in Business – It’s ready for operational use
There is no doubt that “Tablet” devices and “Slates” are attracting a lot of attention[...]
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Agility without anxiety
Dale Vile met up with Perforce’s Mark Warren to discuss how to do agile development[...]
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Private Cloud and Data Centre Evolution
Will every data centre become a cloud? As nearly everyone working in IT understands, things[...]
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Translating private cloud into customer requirements
Identifying the ingredients that make the difference for agile IT The term ‘Private Cloud’ is[...]
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Engineering IT for agility – Getting the foundations right
One of the certainties when it comes to running IT is that change is constant.[...]
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Balancing storage efficiency and data security
We know from our many studies that most IT organisations are stretched operationally while having[...]
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Data fragmentation challenges restrict business flexibility
Business must be ready to respond to rapidly changing market conditions. For any organisation to[...]
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Siloed approach to IT security increases business risk
It is said that the technology at the heart of IT changes at a bewildering[...]
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Private Cloud and IT Service Delivery
The impacts on budgets, reporting and IT delivery models. When economic times are hard there[...]
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Getting private cloud to play nicely
By Dale Vile We were surprised at the strength of positive sentiment and relative lack[...]
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Playing the SLA long game
By Dale Vile When IT is your day job it’s easy to lose sight of[...]
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From virtualisation to private cloud
Lots of people are talking about private cloud as the next natural step from virtualisation.[...]
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Private Cloud Forecast – Sunny or Stormy times ahead for CIOs?
Businesses are still operating under enormous economic pressure and, as would be expected, this continues[...]
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Analyst Headlines: Accelerating Cloud Adoption
Andrew Buss explains how enterprise drivers and aspirations will shape cloud adoption and the opportunity[...]
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Behind the Headlines: Accelerating Cloud Adoption
Andrew Buss explains how enterprise drivers and aspirations will shape cloud adoption and the opportunity[...]
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Analyst Headlines: Securing the Data Center
Andrew Buss share’s his views on the significance of a simplified Data Center architecture. This[...]
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Behind the Headlines: Securing the Data Center
Andrew Buss share’s his views on the significance of a simplified Data Center architecture. This[...]
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Analyst Headlines: Securing the Wide Area
Andrew Buss discusses how security needs to become embedded and automated within the network and[...]
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Behind the Headlines: Securing the Wide Area
Andrew Buss discusses how security needs to become embedded and automated within the network and[...]
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Unilever adopts new technology to drive agile infrastructure delivery
Andrew Buss speaks with Garry Meaburn, the operations effectiveness and tooling manager at Unilever and[...]
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Private Cloud and IT Service Delivery
By Martha Bennett, Tony Lock & Dale Vile Key Points IT funding is under stress,[...]
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The Links between Public and Private Cloud
By Martha Bennett and Tony Lock Key Points ‘Cloud’ concepts are widely understood, but practical[...]
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The infrastructure and management implications of Desktop Virtualisation
Desktops are now visibly mission critical Desktop Virtualisation is a topic that has enjoyed considerable[...]
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Desktop Virtualization
Desktop virtualization has progressed from a niche way of handling exceptional user requirements to a[...]
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Private Cloud in Context
To make sense of private cloud, you need unravel it from the broader cloud computing[...]
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Energy Aware Planning and Decision Making
Energy availability and management is increasingly becoming an important agenda item for IT leaders, but[...]
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Working smarter, not harder
What options are there to help people work together more effectively? The emergence of new[...]
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Seven enablers of effective disaster recovery for SMEs
By Tony Lock In a nutshell: Recent research carried out by Freeform Dynamics identified seven[...]
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Time to assess the value of the data you hold
Failing to do so could be costly There’s no need to rattle off another set[...]
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Unified Infrastructure Management
Wonderful in theory, but few have it available Going back, say, five or ten years,[...]
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Office 365 in the real world
A run through of precisely what it takes to move your business productivity apps to[...]
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Delivering better services with integrated management
What’s in it for IT professionals? When systems are implemented and managed in isolation, it[...]
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Conducting the trio, not orchestrating a symphony
Tunes to get you started ’Dynamic workload management’ and ’private cloud’ are just two of[...]
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IT Infrastructure Management Must Move with the Times
The technologies and solutions used in the IT infrastructure have changed dramatically over the years,[...]
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Key points to highlight when selling storage
Organisations of all shapes and sizes are struggling to deal with the rapid growth of[...]
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Fast Forward to Big Data
Does ’cloud’ have a roll in providing customers with access to new data sources to[...]
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Readers tell us why implementing change is so hard
Readers have provided some great feedback during our latest workshop on a topic that has[...]
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Managing IT like a (service) pro
Organisations are often told that running their IT as a service would be the right[...]
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Stop fighting fires and start managing change
It’s treating the root cause of rigidity that really matters For most of the past[...]
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Turning virtualisation into advantage
Freedom to move, not bogging things down The road to hell, they say, is paved[...]
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Getting mobility working for you
Breaking down the barriers to effective communications For many companies, particularly in these challenging economic[...]
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Banging your head against the invisible wall
Has virtualisation really moved the game forward? OK, so you’ve virtualised a bunch of servers[...]
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Virtualisation roadblocks: From sprawl to stall
A prompt to move to the next level of management? The early days of x86[...]
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Is Big Data just Big Hype?
If the deluge of headlines and vendor marketing materials is anything to go by, ‘big[...]
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SaaS based Email and Office Productivity
Over the course of many months there has been considerable coverage of ‘Cloud’ based office[...]
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Understanding desktop virtualisation
Looking after an organisation’s estate of desktop and laptop PCs can be a difficult and[...]
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Storage Through the Looking Glass
Talk of storage technology makes business people yawn, but the state of the storage infrastructure[...]
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The Business of Electronic Data Storage
By Dale Vile, Tony Lock and Martha Bennett Introduction Storage and retrieval of electronic data[...]
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Rising to the information management challenge
In a world of increasingly devolved decision making, few would disagree that it’s important to[...]
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CA ERwin – Getting reacquainted with an old friend
Back in the deep dark past, when I designed and optimised relational databases for a[...]
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Getting to grips with SMB resilience
It is recognised across almost all companies that disasters or major events can interrupt business[...]
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Winners and losers in the information race
The mainstream media generally portrays the financial services industry as being in a total mess,[...]
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The secrets of effective disaster recovery
There’s no magic bullet, but there’s a formula Many IT and business executives groan when[...]
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Amazon AWS Direct Connect hits the UK
Last week was extremely busy, so the first I heard of Amazon’s Direct Connect service[...]
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Oracle fleshes out its ’big data’ portfolio
I couldn’t say this for certain, but I get the impression that the marketing noise[...]
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SaaS based Email and Office Productivity Tools
If you have an old email server in need of an upgrade or have calls[...]
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Unlock the business value of your information
Stakeholders are increasingly looking to get information ’on demand’ to regulatory bodies; seeking more complex[...]
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Flatter, faster, more manageable networks
What are the drivers of data centre networking investment? As companies rely ever more on[...]
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Forecasting logon storms with desktop virtualisation
Desktop virtualisation is all about centralising the various aspects of client computing such as processing,[...]
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The trials and tribulations of data centre networking
By Tony Lock For much of the last decade data centre networking, along with networking[...]
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Building tech for the flexible worker
Remote workers need support and training. The IT department needs to secure their devices and[...]
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Big data in Context
Audience – IT & Business professionals Occasion – TheRegister:IntelAcademy, 22nd November 2011 Presenter(s) – Martha[...]
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Data retention, FOI and the storage budget
The data retention policy in too many organisations has historically boiled down to ‘keep everything[...]
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Expert Clinic – Building cloud-optimised networks
Cloud computing is all about providing services as reliably and transparently as possible to the[...]
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The storage boom and bust cycle
More data more often than not means more disks. It was ever thus – but[...]
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Enabling Rapid and Effective IT Recovery
IT vendors have traditionally targeted the lucrative large enterprise market with their data protection and[...]
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Disaster Recovery in European SMBs
By Tony Lock, Martha Bennett and Dale Vile KEY POINTS The term ‘disaster recovery’ is[...]
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Clouds for hire
Is it effective to build out a network infrastructure to handle all workloads, rather than[...]
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A View from Above the Clouds
Audience – IT & Business professionals Occasion – IAP Symposium, 14th October 2011 Presenter(s) –[...]
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Expert Clinic – Revamp the network to cope with explosion in mobile kit
Ethernet was originally conceived of as being used by networks consisting of limited numbers of[...]
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Expert Clinic – Mixing network traffic types on Ethernet
For much of the past decade the “networking” that connects users to their applications and[...]
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Expert Clinic – Cumulo Ethernet: Building Ethernet cloud fabrics
One subject that is getting plenty of attention in IT circles is “Cloud” although, truth[...]
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Big data and the cloud
One of the big advantages of cloud computing is scalability in terms of both server[...]
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Smarter Networking for a smarter data centre
How do data centre networks need to evolve as business systems become ever more complex?[...]
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Beware the cost of virtualisation lock-in
As the old saying goes, repeat something enough times and it becomes accepted as the[...]
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Will SaaS make you more efficient?
SaaS might give you more availability, it might cut your capital costs, and it might[...]
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Expert Clinic – Flattening Ethernet
The concept of an IT service used to be defined as an individual, often silo’d,[...]
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Virtual worlds away in SMB space
Industry-standard x86 servers have now been used in SMBs for about 20 years, making this[...]
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The Ethernet traffic mix-up
For much of the past decade the “networking” that connects users to their applications and[...]
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How to gear up for dynamic service delivery
If servers and applications form the heart of the IT infrastructure, then the network is[...]
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Software Licensing and Subscription
By Tony Lock KEY FINDINGS Few organisations know what software they are using The vast[...]
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The impact of Cloud on IT
By Andrew Buss and Dale Vile KEY POINTS Cloud is complementary to existing IT infrastructure[...]
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Server Virtualisation Snapshot
For much of the last three years x86 server virtualisation has been highly visible in[...]
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The how and why of virtualising core business applications
When it come to virtualisation and private cloud, it seems that IT is happy to[...]
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The Co-operative on virtualisation & Windows 7
Windows 7 migration is not just about upgrading the operating system. In this webcast we[...]
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Cloud Connectivity
By Andrew Buss KEY POINTS Connectivity is not widely perceived to be a major barrier[...]
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Royal Mail opens the kimono once more
Is it possible to migrate a large scale email environment to the cloud and keep[...]
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Does Office 365 keep its promises?
Running your email and office applications in the cloud is not a new idea; Google[...]
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Operating System Selection
Open Source and Proprietary – The Decision Criteria The selection of operating systems was once[...]
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Cloud today, tomorrow, not yet
Given all the hype and conjecture recently, we could be forgiven for thinking that we[...]
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Cloud Computing Checkpoint
By Dale Vile KEY POINTS Views of cloud computing are wide, varied and often contradictory[...]
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Licensing in the virtual age
By Andrew Buss Having sat through countless vendor cloud pitches, there seems to be an[...]
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Is the backward, protectionist IT channel holding back cloud progress?
I have been conducting a lot of interviews recently with vendors, resellers and SIs about[...]
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Server Virtualisation Scale-Up
By Tony Lock & Dale Vile KEY FINDINGS Server proliferation is still a challenge, and[...]
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Cloud and Storage
By Tony Lock The topic of “Cloud” has not escaped the attention of anyone in[...]
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Do not rush into cloud
If you work in what is known as the IT channel, chances are you will[...]
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The Royal Mail moves to the cloud
Private cloud is a nice theory, but what does it translate to in practice when[...]
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Negotiating your way to a dynamic IT environment
That thorny question of software licenses The principle of server virtualisation is now pretty well[...]
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Cloud Service Categories
There are many ways to classify cloud service offerings. The most basic is to relate[...]
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The workload challenge
Today, IT Infrastructure is evolving at a tremendous pace. The Mainframe computer, now often referred[...]
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Decision criteria for open source and proprietary software
The selection of operating systems was once one of the major decisions IT managers had[...]
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The mainframe comes of age … again?
Economic pressure has led to more finance directors and CFOs scrutinising expenditure to a painstaking[...]
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Exploiting the mainframe for new workload requirements
IT architects and CIOs have a number of factors to take into consideration when it[...]
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Have you thought about using a mainframe for that?
Data centre managers and IT operations staff in large enterprises are now faced with a[...]
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PaaS potential and practicality: This is a hype-free zone
One of the advantages of using Platform as a Service (PaaS) to develop and deploy[...]
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Lessons from the library: Behind the UK’s web archive
After all, the role of libraries in general has been increasingly threatened by the march[...]
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Can telephony and IT work together?
Terms such as ‘network convergence’ and ‘unified comms’ have been used to describe the coming[...]
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Trust and security in the cloud
By Andrew Buss & Dale Vile KEY FINDINGS Many companies could do much better when[...]
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Investigating the channel aspects of the cloud
I am currently looking at the extent to which it makes sense for those in[...]
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The realities of SaaS and Security
With upgrades to Windows 7 and Office 2010 high on the agenda, questions are being[...]
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Desktop virtualisation: Myths jar with realities
Vendors have been pushing desktop virtualisation hard over the course of the past year. So[...]
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Data Centre Orchestration webcast
In this Webinar Tony Lock, Tim Phillips (The Register), Graham Rushton (Avenade) and Greg Charman[...]
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Where is the immediate cloud opportunity?
Let’s get specific Pinning the term ‘cloud computing’ down to a single definition is not[...]
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Cloud computing in context
Audience – IT & Business professionals Occasion – BCS Meeting, Leeds, July 2010 Presenter(s) –[...]
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Modern-day desktop refresh
Our recent research highlights that many organisations are considering refreshing their desktop estates or have[...]
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The automation conundrum
By Andrew Buss Our research tells us that the move to virtualisation on volume servers[...]
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SaaS suppliers are no black box, evaluation is key
An aspect of cloud computing that is often overlooked is supplier evaluation and management. We[...]
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SaaS security: it comes down to knowing what you are doing
A lot of things have happened recently that may cause us to think twice about[...]
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SaaS providers – The good, the bad and the ugly
Interested in software as a service (SaaS) but worried about the risks to your information?[...]
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Driving value from IT
While no one has the luxury of wiping out history and designing the optimum infrastructure[...]
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Who say Management and SaaS don’t mix?
Management in IT is a challenge for many organisations. Integrated management is a tough nut[...]
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Applied Desktop Virtualisation
By Tony Lock & Dale Vile KEY FINDINGS With desktop refresh now on the agenda,[...]
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Buying into the cloud
A lot of companies are reporting that individual departments and even business users are adopting[...]
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Software as a service can breed dependency so choose suppliers with care
Cloud computing is frequently likened to utility services such as electricity, water or gas. If[...]
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The weakest link in Software as a Service
The delivery of cloud based application functionality via the Software as a Service (SaaS) model[...]
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Intelligent cacheing for optimised storage
Virtualisation is an accepted part of server and data centre strategy. One of the biggest[...]
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Secure your departmental apps
Throughout a workshop on The Register, we’ve been looking at resiliency and security for hosted[...]
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Next generation systems management
By Andrew Buss Complex environments undergo continual upheaval. For many businesses, although the IT infrastructure[...]
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What you think about SaaS
Throughout a workshop conducted on The Register, we have been looking at the factors that[...]
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Whose data is it anyway?
Losing control of one’s data is among the first concerns that arise when software as[...]
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Desktop Virtualisation
By Tony Lock Desktop management has long been an almost “taboo” subject in most businesses.[...]
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The next stage of network evolution
The modern enterprise network is at the heart of IT service delivery, and consideration needs[...]
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Putting the SaaS into security management
In all areas of business, security and privacy are built on good policy, properly applied.[...]
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Channel impact of cloud computing
The writing is on the wall. As cloud computing steamrolls across the market, on-premise infrastructure[...]
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Is cloud data secure?
Would your data be more secure in the hands of Google or left where it[...]
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A question of performance
Software as a service (SaaS) promises a lot but many are still nervous about relying[...]
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Trust and risk in the cloud
Stick enough kit and multi-tenant software in one huge data centre and there is no[...]
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Moving beyond consolidation: The steps towards a private cloud
Many companies have essentially completed their migration to server virtualisation. The next challenge is moving[...]
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Who said anything about green?
Desktop virtualisation gets you part way there anyway Green and sustainability initiatives might be interesting[...]
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Desktop virtualisation: One size doesn’t fit all
The many solutions to be found under the term ’Desktop Virtualisation’ have been vigorously promoted[...]
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The changing shape of the desktop
By Josie Sephton, Dale Vile & Tony Lock KEY FINDINGS The desktop environment is ready[...]
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The perception and reality of cloud security
Some back to front thinking in evidence? One of the most frequent concerns about cloud[...]
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Modern solutions to an ever-growing challenge
What could be new about backup and recovery? After all, everyone has been doing it[...]
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IT Services and Systems Management
By Andrew Buss KEY FINDINGS The passive evolution of systems and tools has led to[...]
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What’s the real deal on cloud?
Back to basics on what cloud computing is really about – what’s real, what’s not,[...]
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Public Cloud: Sorting out the peaks from the troughs
We know many of you remain sceptical of the whole ‘Cloud’ thing and are unsure[...]
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The great mainframe utilisation debate
Are you getting the most out of yours? Someone recently asked me why mainframes are[...]
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Cloud computing will devalue the role of IT professionals
Exploding this and other myths You’ve heard the rhetoric: Cloud computing changes everything. The days[...]
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Intel helps customers take ownership of the cloud agenda
Most major players in the IT industry have attempted to take ownership of the cloud[...]
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Applied Cloud Computing
By Dale Vile and Tony Lock Introduction The term ‘cloud computing’ is one of the[...]
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The differences that silicon can make to the desktop
Looking at the sleek laptops, all-in-one and small form factor PCs of today, they have[...]
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Hypervisors: grinding through to bare metal
We are generally pretty familiar by now with the concept of virtualisation on the desktop,[...]
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Why you should upgrade to 802.11n
The notebook market started to gather steam in the early 2000s with the launch of[...]
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Keys to data encryption adoption
Data protection remains top-of-mind for many companies. Data losses continue across both public and private[...]
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Is your server estate becoming too complex to manage?
In earlier articles in this workshop we reported on research carried out by Freeform Dynamics[...]
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The threat and promise of server virtualisation security
Given that IT security is all about understanding, and mitigating risks, it is inevitably going[...]
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Devices and the Cloud
What’s your perfect device? Are you a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android smartphone fan? Are you[...]
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Server Virtualisation beyond Consolidation
By Jon Collins In a nutshell: Many organisations have adopted server virtualisation to support their[...]
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Business bureaucracy vs dynamic IT
According to many pundits, here’s the plan for the next generation data centre: we can[...]
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Desktop virtualisation: The control-plus-flexibility problem
Desktop virtualisation is attracting serious attention as organisations consider the future potential directions for delivering[...]
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Beyond the cloud computing hype
Have you ever wondered what we will be left with once the marketing people get[...]
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Defining cloud computing
The media, social media, analyst and marketing domains sometimes act like an echo chamber. The[...]
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HPC goes mainstream
Many people tend to associate High Performance Computing (HPC) with exotic supercomputers with esoteric CPUs,[...]
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How do you choose a hypervisor?
We know that the majority of organisations that we survey have adopted server virtualisation to[...]
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Storage Technology Evolution and Alignment
By Jon Collins and Tony Lock Executive summary Few organisations today would deny their absolute[...]
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Improving Systems Agility
By Dale Vile One of the most common complaints heard from business people about the[...]
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Life after cloud computing
By Dale Vile Have you ever wondered what we will be left with once the[...]
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Desktop virtualisation: The control-plus-flexibility problem
Desktop virtualisation is attracting serious attention as organisations consider the future potential directions for delivering[...]
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Your desktop virtualisation reality check
Migrating desktops is never easy. The promise of better management and security that is offered[...]
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Managing a virtual desktop environment
In a previous article in this series we highlighted growing interest in deploying virtual desktop[...]
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Storage resellers: Trust is the key
A storage reseller can be a vital partner for organisations embarking on a storage infrastructure[...]
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Desktop virtualisation: why, how, and how much?
As anyone who has started down the path will confirm, desktop virtualisation is not a[...]
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The Mainframe Extends its Reach
Over the course of the last decade there has been considerable discussion about the future[...]
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Thinking Beyond the Clouds
By Jon Collins and Dale Vile A number of trends are having an impact on[...]
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Streamlining the network
Ethernet networks have evolved dramatically in capabilities and scale over the past decade. Networks have[...]
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How can Organisations be helped to exploit Storage Management Solutions?
The amount of data stored by organisations continues to grow at a very fast rate.[...]
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The cloud’s impact on security?
We tried to get through this workshop without using the five letter C-word, but we[...]
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The Business of Interoperability
By Dale Vile and Jon Collins ‘Interoperability’ is a widely used word in IT industry[...]
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Selling the cloud
Vendors are pushing cloud for all they are worth. And customers talk about it too,[...]
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Time for action on storage management
The amount of data stored by organisations continues to grow very fast. It has become[...]
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IT infrastructure for mid-sized organizations
By Jon Collins IT infrastructure is often presented in a way that is more relevant[...]
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Servers: Getting a grip on power and control
The Register’s Tim Phillips, our own Andrew Buss and Intel’s Iain Beckingham give power efficiency[...]
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Mobile virtualisation
By Josie Sephton Given the push towards platform virtualisation as a way of optimising hardware[...]
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The pre-integration balancing act
For as long as I have been in IT, the ‘right’ way to drive things[...]
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The software licensing minefield
Software vendors make their money from licensing software for individual and corporate use. From the[...]
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Evolution of Hosted Server Computing
by Dale Vile There has been much talk and activity in the industry recently around[...]
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Understanding the market for elastic cloud services
By Dale Vile The idea of utility computing has been around for a long time,[...]
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Cloud Confusion
By Tony Lock In this article we revisit some research conducted in 2008, covering perceptions[...]
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Driving value from IT
Audience – IT decision makers Occasion – CA Mainframe Madness May 2010 Presenter(s) – Jon[...]
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What’s in the box? Supporting chipsets and virtualisation demands
Selecting the right choice of components for an industry standard x64 server is much more[...]
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The impact of virtualisation on securing systems
Virtualisation has become an established trend in the x86 server market and is moving into[...]
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Servers: Refurbish, repurpose or recycle?
With the worst of the recession looking to have passed (touch wood), things are looking[...]
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But is that really cloud? Check out this survey
Some have accused me of being a cloud computing sceptic, and it’s true that I[...]
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But is that really cloud computing?
By Dale Vile The term ‘cloud computing’ is in routine use within the IT industry.[...]
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Why server virtualisation can store up trouble
The cost savings and performance offered by server virtualisation can raise unforeseen issues for storage[...]
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What’s in store for availability management?
Roughly speaking, availability management is what your organisation does to ensure IT services stay up[...]
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Building high availability into IT
What does ‘high availability’ actually mean in the context of IT today? We’ve written elsewhere[...]
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Server financing: CAPEX, OPEX or something else
In the current economic climate access to spending money is tight across all businesses. In[...]
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Securing Your Network
In this three part podcast Jason Stamper, editor at CBR, talks to Jon Collins and[...]
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Workload selection on mixed server estates
Over the last year or so Freeform Dynamics has asked Reg readers if the new[...]
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Server patching principles. The nirvana process
In the imperfect world we live in, patching stuff, be it desktops, software or servers[...]
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Architecting for IT service delivery
A few years back I was involved in a project that turned out far more[...]
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Provisioning – how do you approach it?
Buying new physical servers has always taken time and effort. Unfortunately virtualisation has managed to[...]
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Exploiting the new dynamism
Got the new kit? Now make it work A combination of today’s fast moving, interconnected[...]
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Demystifying architecture for non-enterprise organisations
By Jon Collins Architecture, schmarchitecture… words like “architecture” get banded around in IT like they[...]
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Change management in x86 server estates
Changes to the IT environment are the source of some of the biggest headaches for[...]
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Is IT service delivery really changing?
The new world we’ve been hearing about for years is slowly drifting into focus. Globally[...]
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Business Communications in Context
by Josie Sephton and Dale Vile The proliferation of communications channels has set expectations around[...]
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Virtualisation and sorcery: We’re all apprentices now
It’s funny to think what might be made of this virtualisation lab in a few[...]
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Are CIOs ready to use cloud computing?
By Tony Lock Seldom in the history of IT have CIOs faced a marketing barrage[...]
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High Performance for All
by Jon Collins, Tony Lock and Dale Vile Most medium and large organisations need to[...]
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Virtualisation and Security
As x86 / x64 server virtualisation moves into everyday operations, what impact does it have[...]
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IT infrastructure for midsized companies
Zeynep Koch of Oracle joins Jon Collins to discuss IT infrastructure for midsized companies, the[...]
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Infrastructure Consolidation
By Tony Lock Research results obtained by Freeform Dynamics towards the end of 2009 show[...]
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Keep an eye on the big picture
By Martin Atherton In a nutshell: There are lots of things we could do to[...]
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Can IT Financing and Management Models Survive IT Change?
By Tony Lock In a nutshell: The models used for businesses to create IT budgets[...]
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Storage in the virtual era
by Freeform Dynamics The growth in use of server virtualisation technology is having a knock-on[...]
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Approaching x86 Consolidation
by Freeform Dynamics All IT initiatives need an objective view of requirements and choices on[...]
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Server Virtualisation for real: When your IT shop really is a Zoo
Keeping virtualised IT systems running requires more than technology. This webcast looks at how Chester[...]
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How do you manage service levels in a virtualised environment?
In previous research projects we’ve examined the impact of service level monitoring and management, and[...]
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The case for storage virtualisation
‘Virtualisation’ is acknowledged by IT professionals as being a pretty good thing. But when we[...]
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Server Virtualisation for Hard-Nosed People
This webcast reveals the experiences of organisations who have extensive practice of x86 server virtualisation.[...]
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Evolution of x86 Server Estates
by Dale Vile and Jon Collins Justifying the purchase of x86 servers to run new[...]
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Desktop Modernisation
by Dale Vile and Tony Lock The personal computer is one of the few parts[...]
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Breaking out of the virtualisation pilot
By Jon Collins The IT industry is full of bad habits, none greater than treating[...]
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What is service management?
This 60-minute webcast features Martin Atherton and Tony Lock, who donning business and IT hats[...]
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Evolution of Dynamic IT
by Dale Vile and Tony Lock Against the backdrop of an increasingly fast moving and[...]
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Pricing the fluffy stuff
By Josie Sephton Cloud really is the new black, and it is hard to get[...]
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Server Virtualization in Context
by Dale Vile and Jon Collins One of the hottest topics in the IT industry[...]
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Desktop Virtualisation
by Martin Atherton and Jon Collins It is early days for virtualisation in the desktop[...]
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The Virtualization Workshop
In this Webcast hosted by Tim Philips, Jon Collins talks to Microsoft’s virtualisation lead David[...]
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The strategic upside of power accountability
By Dale Vile Research conducted by Freeform Dynamics a year ago suggested that the majority[...]
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Making IT Work In The Real World
Most organisations run a mix of systems in their IT infrastructure. One of the challenges[...]
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SOA and Growth Markets
by Jon Collins and Dale Vile KEY FINDINGS SOA is as relevant in growth economies[...]
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BT and Cloud
By Dale Vile While the cloud computing market is in its infancy at the moment,[...]
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Clarity on Cloud
By Dale Vile A senior exec from a major IT vendor recently commented in a[...]
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Server Platforms and Operating Systems
By Tony Lock What’s happening today in the server infrastructures deployed by organisations, large and[...]
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Challenging the cloud revolution
By Dale Vile Some niche and emerging enterprise IT suppliers, such as Salesforce.com, Google and[...]
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The Business Service Management Imperative
by Jon Collins What is Business Service Management, anyway? Business Service Management (BSM) has been[...]
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WAN Optimisation
There is a lot of talk concerning ’Cloud services’. But what are some of the[...]
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How to ensure a smooth converged comms transition
by Josie Sephton Converged communications promises to accelerate business processes and remove frustration and friction[...]
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Taking stock of the IT environment
by Martin Atherton and Jon Collins The business demands more and more from its investment[...]
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Application Platforms
by Jon Collins and Martin Atherton KEY FINDINGS The principle of application platforms is clear,[...]
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Taking cloud to the mainstream
by Dale Vile The hype around cloud computing is pretty intensive. The IT industry and[...]
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Data Centres, Carbon and Clouds
by David Tebbutt The purpose of this paper is to set the data centre and[...]
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Service Orientation in Business
by Jon Collins KEY FINDINGS While change is a certainty in business, some still struggle[...]
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Risk and Resilience
The application availability gamble The modern business is highly dependent on IT. When systems go[...]
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Cloud Computing: Silver lining…
by David Tebbutt Since so many people are talking about cloud computing, it really wouldn’t[...]
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Green Computing
By David Tebbutt and Dale Vile Today’s newspapers are awash with green initiatives. Where computers[...]
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IT on the front foot
by Jon Collins and Dale Vile A number of new and established approaches to IT[...]
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Storage Vendors for All Sizes
by Tony Lock I have spent a lot of time over the course of the[...]
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The Great Virtualization Debate
by Tony Lock With virtualization close to the top of every CIO’s to do list,[...]
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Relieving the Systems Management Burden
by Martin Atherton The management of operational IT is not without its challenges, indeed it[...]
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IT Management Checkpoint
by Martin Atherton Existing IT management strategies have enabled organisations to take control of their[...]
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Life in the SaaS lane
by Dale Vile Evangelists will tell you that Software as a Service (SaaS) is the[...]
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Deploying CMDB Technology
by Martin Atherton As organisations look to improve how IT is delivered to the[...]
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Vista Value Indicators
by Dale Vile Windows Vista was launched to enterprise customers towards the end of[...]
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