In a new research note, Ovum’s Saurabh Sharma makes the case for making sure there is service orientation behind the cloud. As he explains it: “It is true that cloud computing can be pursued without SOA, but it is also true that these attempts often fail to deliver the real business value of cloud computing.” Service oriented architecture is a way of designing, sharable technology-based services, regardless of language, platform or underlying hardware, in a well-governed, orchestrated manner that is meaningful to the business. Sharma spells out two good reasons for laying an SOA foundation underneath cloud services: SOA addresses complex integration issues created by cloud computing: Let’s face it, right now, cloud is only creating more information and application silos, not less. SOA, on ... Continue reading →
For some time now, there have been predictions that cloud and SaaS could mean the demise of systems integrators. After all, working with big, legacy, on-premise systems is their bread and butter. As more companies move business to the cloud, there would be less need for this kind of work, particularly since SaaS vendors could package integration as part of their value proposition. This isn’t old thinking, either. Just a few months ago, I pointed out two pieces that called into question these long-term, expensive engagements that tend to rely on custom code. I quoted Phil Wainewright of ZDNet:The trouble with the old, labor-intensive, craftwork approach to delivering, implementing and maintaining IT is that it’s becoming obsolete in an increasingly cloud-oriented world — too slow, ... Continue reading →
Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, two PayPal co-founders, didn’t mince words when it came to the state of innovation in North America: it’s dead. And it’s been dead for a while — since the 1970s. We've slowed to a crawl, say PayPal co-founders. (Photo: Rafe Needleman/CNET) CNET’s Rafe Needleman caught up to Thiel and Levchin at this week’s TechCrunch Disrupt conference, where Thiel alleges that we have become a complacent — not an innovative or risk-taking — culture: “He points to transportation. As technology advances, we should be moving around more quickly. But we’re not. The Concorde is retired, our trains are slow, and post-9/11 security restrictions make door-to-door air travel slower than ever.” The transportation analogy does have a ring of truth to it. ... Continue reading →
Many companies seem happy with their own private clouds. Is this a market that public cloud infrastructure providers can ultimately crack? Along with established Infrastructure as a Service providers such as Amazon Web Services and RackSpace, IT vendors such as Microsoft and HP have been upping the ante, offering greater capacity and scalability to the enterprise market. But at least one new survey (sponsored by Microsoft, by the way) finds that enterprise IT managers see private clouds as a world apart from public clouds. In or out? Private cloud is seen as a world apart from public cloud. Photo: Wikipedua Generally, “public” cloud consists of online services, delivered and billed over the Internet from an outside, third-party provider, while “private” cloud is based on online ... Continue reading →
Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson recently got into some hot water over apparent misstatements in his official bio that added a bachelor’s degree in computer science to his accounting degree. It’s not clear if the erroneous credential was a mistake, but if it was intentional, Thompson may have been feeling the pressure to show technical acumen. But is technical background really essential to lead or work in the tech industry? Vivek Wadhwa, for one, recently wrote that “Silicon Valley needs humanities students.” It’s time to take on the prevailing conventional wisdom that tech companies need to be run and staffed by tech grads, he advicates. Could, say, a philosophy major help run a tech company? Wadhwa points to the example of Damon Horowitz, a philosopher and ... Continue reading →
Cover photo for a 1964 brochure for the PDS 1020 Digital Computer. Madison Avenue's strategy for popularizing computers shifted from the 1950s through the 1980s. At first pitches focused on reliability and speed, but by the 1960s, advertising brochures put big systems in gardens next to fashion models. When PCs came on the market, the sales pitch changed again. Computing went family friendly, with endorsements from Bill Cosby, William Shatner, and even Charlie Chaplin. Welcome to the Computer History Museum's "Selling the Computer Revolution" exhibit. In 1983, advertising pioneer David Ogilvy summarized his mission as follows: "I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. When I write an advertisement, I don't want you to tell me ... Continue reading →
Nasdaq CEO Says ‘Poor Design’ in IPO Software Delayed Facebook By Nina Mehta - 2012-05-20T21:11:07Z Enlarge image Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Greifeld. Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Greifeld. Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg “Poor design” in Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ)’s software driving auctions for initial public offerings delayed Facebook Inc.’s first day of trading, the exchange operator’s chief executive officer said. Computer systems designed to establish an opening price were overwhelmed by order cancellations and updates as the “biggest IPO cross in the history of mankind” was occurring, Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld said today in a conference call with reporters. Nasdaq’s systems fell into a “loop” that prevented the second-largest U.S. stock venue operator from ... Continue reading →
Within a matter of days, or even hours, the commercial space race enters a new realm. The first US commercial space flight to the International Space Station, conducted by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a private company, is set to launch on Saturday, May 19th, if all goes well. Blast off! SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket test fires April 30, 2012. Photo: SpaceX SpaceX will launch its Dragon space capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Cape Canaveral launch complex. If the May 19th launch is scrubbed, the space agency will attempt a second launch on May 22nd. The SpaceX craft may potentially serve as a cost-effective replacement for the recently retired NASA Space Shuttle. It also opens the door to a new era ... Continue reading →
Within a matter of days, or even hours, the commercial space race enters a new realm. The first US commercial space flight to the International Space Station, conducted by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a private company, is set to launch on Saturday, May 19th, if all goes well. Blast off! SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket test fires April 30, 2012. Photo: SpaceX SpaceX will launch its Dragon space capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Cape Canaveral launch complex. If the May 19th launch is scrubbed, the space agency will attempt a second launch on May 22nd. The SpaceX craft may potentially serve as a cost-effective replacement for the recently retired NASA Space Shuttle. It also opens the door to a new era ... Continue reading →
