Here is a collection of buzzwords to conjure with; Cloud, Mobile, Big Data, Consumerisation, Something-as-a-Service, Wearable Tech, Internet of Things. Almost certainly terms you have heard individually before, almost certainly words that each have a different meaning to each of you and doubtless, in isolation, representing major shifts in the technological landscape. Taken as a … Continued
In the IT world we are bombarded by alarming news about threats to infrastructures from outside. There is talk of BYOD and increased threats from mobile devices; statistics and reports warn of the growth in cybercrime and state-sponsored attacks; along with the pros and cons of technologies such as cloud security, virtualisation and big data. … Continued
Technology is a key driver for any business’ ability to grow and scale – something which a huge 85 percent of UK small businesses recognise. That’s why those who stay abreast of the latest IT innovations and implement a powerful and flexible IT infrastructure will be primed for success. In the business world, one of … Continued
Anyone involved in the Data Centre business from design to operations continues to face significant challenges. The impact on the physical infrastructure of virtualisation and cloud computing has escalated the importance of specifying the most effective and cost efficient equipment that suits the needs of the business. The first step in meeting these challenges is … Continued
Using cloud and virtualisation technologies and delivering desktop as service (DaaS) is seen as a great opportunity for any organisation looking to increase the flexibility and mobility of its workforce. Whether the main aim is to avoid the cost and complexity of managing Windows migrations, respond to changing business models, enable a shared services model, … Continued
The four significant trends that were the driving force behind Ethernet fabrics in 2012 remain valid as we move into another year. No longer are data operations handled from a server room and a switch closet. Now, small, medium and large organisations all have data centres. Each of these data centres, regardless of its size, endures … Continued
A completely disruptive technology has been introduced to data centre computing over the last decade. Virtualisation has provided enormous flexibility, including the ability to dynamically optimise resource utilisation based on workloads. As a result, application architectures have evolved. Applications can now be decomposed into components that run in their own virtual machine containers while sharing … Continued
Businesses now have to store an unprecedented amount of information. 1.8 zettabytes of data was generated in 2011 alone, and the total is expected to reach 35 zettabytes by 2020 – enough to fill approximately 70 billion desktop hard drives. The most pressing concern is where to store all this data. Unfortunately, simply moving the … Continued
Virtualisation and cloud are bringing greater flexibility, agility and capabilities to users – but very little has been done to test data recovery plans. This lack of preparation can have serious consequences if a data disaster strikes. Adoption might be inevitable but it takes time and investment to create a data recovery plan that can … Continued
Just as companies got a handle on the value of IT, emerging technology platforms such as virtualisation have the potential to destabilise the goodwill between business and IT chiefs. Right up until this new wave in computing, IT’s relationship with business was enhanced by strong management practices supported by technologies that provided a measurable view … Continued
The first PC viruses appeared more than 25 years ago. Little did we realise that this was just the beginning of what would become a series of threat waves. For nearly 10 years viruses endured as the primary method of attack, but over time were largely matched by defenders’ talents to block and protect against … Continued
The ancient Mayans are often recognised for their skills in accurately analysing planets and stars in the night sky with the most primitive of tools. Ancient tablets provide evidence of their understanding of astronomy, as well as their ability to accurately predict lunar and solar eclipses many decades ahead. Such examples of human endeavour are … Continued
Data is a cause of stress for organisations like never before. From exploding data rates and multiple legacy tools, to regulation, virtualisation and always-present resource constraints, the practice of storing and protecting data remains a significant challenge. The terms “data protection” and “backup” are sometimes used as synonyms, but there are actually distinct differences. In … Continued
With the April 2014 end-of-life deadline for Windows XP looming large on the horizon, 2012 was the year that saw the majority of organisations on the migration journey to Windows 7. Certainly for those that have yet to start, time is now of the essence. The move to XP took larger organisations at least a … Continued
Computer systems used to be sold to only the largest businesses as ‘closed’ proprietary data processing solutions. And the data processing department controlled the flow of information within the business and dictated the speed of change. The data processing department evolved into the ‘management information systems’ department as service development was outsourced to 3rd parties … Continued
Last year saw a huge upsurge in the amount of online hacking. Cyber attacks in some form or another were practically a monthly occurrence. In fact, Venture Beat called 2012 a ‘big, bad year for online security breaches’, citing high-profile companies such as AOL, LinkedIn, Google and Yahoo as falling victim to hacking attacks that … Continued
For some time now IT managers and IT decision-makers have come under increasing pressure to enable the use of personal devices in the work environment. In just a short period of time ‘bring your own device’ has become common business parlance. But for businesses, simply allowing access of personal devices isn’t the answer. To ensure … Continued
Virtualisation is becoming a predominant feature in how IT services are delivered and managed. While the benefits are huge they come with increased security risks that are only now being understood. The vulnerabilities of virtual infrastructure stem from how virtual machines are purpose designed to be easy to share and copy. When combined with how … Continued
There is a real buzz in the IT industry at the moment with the launch of Windows 8, especially as it seems that consumers, businesses and PC manufacturers have all stalled any new investment awaiting Microsoft’s new operating system. Windows 8 is expected to stimulate spending in the PC industry, which has experienced the largest … Continued
There are major changes underway in the delivery and consumption of IT services that will impact everybody in their personal and business lives. While the effects are being felt already in the design of new devices, software development, data centre design, IT and network provision – there are three underlying trends that will carry these … Continued
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