Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

DELL’s New Play = A Vision of Grandeur…

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

I, for one, do not understand Dell’s mindset in acquiring Perot Systems. 

My first instinct is that Dell has maximized their margins on hardware for pretty much all things IT for a good 12-15 years; and are now, in the midst of a recession, looking to bolster their bottom line.

I would say look elsewhere…

With that said, I do give kudos to DELL for the acquisition of EqualLogic as it has expanded their product line.  I do not see this latest action as doing the same.  Hardware and distribution of hardware are VERY different than Professional  Services.

My take on this is that DELL has a very solid hardware and distribution company that has changed the game and made all others in the same space either better or changed their game plan.  Now, this same company is paying a pretty steep premium (in my estimation) to delve into a space that is highly competitive and saturated.

But hey, what is $4B to DELL?

I say it is a sunk cost… 

 I will delve into Perot Systems and EDS in upcoming blogs.

‘Til next time,

Todd

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Open Source Momentum…. Not So Fast….

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

In a classic case of ‘two steps forward, one step back’, it seems that just after Microsoft gave 22,000 lines of source code and somewhat ‘validated’ the open source community, a couple of researchers found a serious security hole that has been present in the Linux kernel for get this, wait for it… 8 YEARS. 

This latest vulnerability bug involves the way kernel-level routines react when left unimplemented.  Since these are unimplemented, it leads to the kernel executing code at NULL and leaves the Operating System open to local privilege escalation and completely compromises the system.

This is the second time in less than a month that a serious security vulnerability has been reported in the Linux kernel.  The first, in mid-July, described a similar bug regarding NULL reference pointers that put newer versions at risk of complete compromise.

The scope of systems affected by this latest bug are all 2.4 and 2.6 versions since May 2001 running on the Intel platform.

I feel these two occurrences should prompt questions from users of Open Source software.  For example: 

1) What is the current testing process?  It seems regression testing back in May 2001 was not completed at all or not thorough enough. 

2) Going forward, how can we feel safer regarding kernel updates?

3) Since SELinux did not catch it, is there a problem with Security-Enhanced Linux?

4) Is there any way we can get a report on the number of systems that were affected?  And   at what level?

I think there are two upsides to these vulnerabilities, and that is that this should be a wakeup call for the testing process as well as pointing out the fact that even though it is open source and free, utilizing a professional and proactive vendor will help in mitigating your risk. 

 

Talk to you later,

 

TASCer

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Cloud Computing – Caveat Emptor

Friday, June 5th, 2009

I attended a Webcast yesterday that was jointly performed by global IT solutions organization and a global IT hardware and software vendor.  During this hour plus long presentation I kept asking myself: “Is this another IT buzzword or can this platform really change the game?”

I can honestly say that at the end of the presentation I am a firm believer that it is currently a mere buzzword and not the panacea that many companies are pitching it as.

You may ask yourself why did I come to that conclusion, and I would answer that with the following:

-   Gartner’s Hype Cycle clearly shows this platform is still in its infancy

- Too many unknowns on how it actually works, how it is billed, legal ramifications

The last point was made clearly obvious to me when I asked the presenters the question: “In your experience, has organization’s legal departments modified the way in which this platform and method of delivery affects their vendor contracts? And if not, do you have any insights on what key modifications need to be made to ensure business continuity and service?”

Their answer? There wasn’t one.

To me, this is the key reason why Cloud Computing is still a hype-enriched buzzword at this point.  Granted, it does provide some great benefits to a company, but until there are some concrete vendor management processes and policies in place, I feel that it is a can of worms waiting to be cracked open.

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IT Leaders Can Shine?

Friday, February 27th, 2009

I recently read an article which contains quotes from Tony Scott, CIO of Microsoft; which, to me, speaks volumes regarding the current state of the IT / business relationships. 

In this article, Mr. Scott not only alludes to the fact that CIO’s are separate from other ‘C-level Colleagues’, but he also has the gall to posit that IT has historically been the focal point for ‘first-line’ cost and other operational savings, and that IT should be ‘used to it’ because they have been in this situation for 8+ years.

My position is that this view is the exact opposite of what the view should be. To me, IT should be viewed as a trusted partner for all business units and C-level leadership should be viewed as a whole, not by function alone.

ALL lines of business rely on IT, and this is NOT the time for IT to once again maintain the status quo of being the de facto department for quick and easy cost savings initiatives. This is, however, the time for IT to step out of the cost-center stigma and rise to the occasion.

With proper leadership and vision, this can be readily achieved.

With that said, I also feel that there is an immediate need for a ‘refresh’ of IT leadership and management talent and it is imperative that this happens sooner than later.

Today’s dynamic nature of business and technology ‘should’ force existing IT leaders to either acclimate or step away; both of which are not currently occurring; to the detriment of both IT and business.

Due to this fact, the onus falls on the other C-level individuals to force this issue…

 

 

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Bill Gates Dodges Possible Headache

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

Bill Gates’ recent retirement could possibly not have occurred at a more opportune time.  With past anti-trust sanctions regarding product documentation fresh in their memory, the Technical Committee (TC) has vowed to be even more thorough in their examinations for the upcoming Windows 7 release.

With the release of Vista and it’s many shortcomings, Microsoft has made an obvious effort in trying to re-polish their brand with some clever (albeit non-effective) ad campaigns.  It seems their second phase is to roll-out a new product ASAP to try to wipe the Vista stigma from our memories.

Even though Microsoft has made strides in their documentation efforts of late, the laser-like focus of the TC on Windows 7 could very easily delay shipping by many months, if not years, which would aide in the continued tarnishing of the brand. 

Either way you look at it, Microsoft needs to ‘replace’ Vista posthaste and dealing with anything regarding the federal government and compliance can, and often is, a VERY sticky proposition.

This is one headache I personally would not want to be a part of and I’m sure it isn’t even on Bill’s mind as he sits on the beach, counting his $$.

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PundIT?

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

Pundit is generally defined as:

pun·dit (pndt)

n.

1. A source of opinion; a critic: a political pundit.
2. A learned person.
3. Hinduism Variant of pandit
 
PundIT is exactly the same, but with a focus on the Information Technology industry.  Stay tuned for more!

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