TechNews feedTechnology
Google Architecture
2008/July/03
An insight into Google’s architecture solutions and approaches to large scale apps.
http://highscalability.com/google-architecture
http://highscalability.com/google-architecture
IT department is dead
2008/January/10
Just before joining Google, last June 2007, I had a heated discussion with some of my peers and team members at Merck Serono where I stated that I believed we would see the disappearance of standard IT as has been until now and companies would specialize and outsource as they have been doing for decades with all the other non-core business activities. It was not a popular opinion! ;-)
Just think: how many companies nowadays have trucks (replaced by shipping companies), bellboys (replaced my courier/messenger services), security guards (replaced by Securitas & alike), have printing presses, etc... This may sound odd but 50 years ago, companies had all of those internally. Now, even finance services are sometimes outsourced to specialized accounting companies.
So, why should IT be any different?!? Why does a newspaper, for instance, need to have their own sysadmin to install a fileserver and a mailserver? Why do they need their own mail server, actually? Why not split the techie stuff to a specialized company (not a consulting company, but a true technology company) that does nothing but that?
I had already mentioned this in a previous post at the occasion of an article that predicted the decrease of datacenters. But I had the opinion the argument did not extend far enough. (Datacenters are obvious due to the sheer entry-level necessary to have a proper datacenter. Not many small to medium companies can afford one. Those that think they do, have stupid leadership and run computers in a closet with no ventilation, until the day it all goes down in flames and the business with it. )
Now, an article in Network World finally puts it in the open: "IT department is dead".
Now what?
I think, the future will show we'll have true technology companies and then we'll have a few guys, in the so-called IT department, doing the customization of business applications and leading the interaction with the guys that actually run things. But don't call it a technology department: changing the default values on an SAP form(*) is as much technology as typing your username/password to login to GMail!
For those techies currently afraid of this move, just think: your employment will change but you'll be working for a true technology company directly. Your future company's customers will be your current company. And you'll be able to install Windows Server 2008 (in 2010) or Linux (version "really almost there") all day long, if that's your thing. Think Google, think Yahoo, think salesforce.com, think SAP Hosting, think Siebel CRM OnDemand, etc... These guys do nothing but technology all day.
So, techies will be fine. Better, in fact.
Good times ahead, indeed.
(*) Replace this with Siebel form, Oracle Financials, Word doc, etc... as you see fit.
Just think: how many companies nowadays have trucks (replaced by shipping companies), bellboys (replaced my courier/messenger services), security guards (replaced by Securitas & alike), have printing presses, etc... This may sound odd but 50 years ago, companies had all of those internally. Now, even finance services are sometimes outsourced to specialized accounting companies.
So, why should IT be any different?!? Why does a newspaper, for instance, need to have their own sysadmin to install a fileserver and a mailserver? Why do they need their own mail server, actually? Why not split the techie stuff to a specialized company (not a consulting company, but a true technology company) that does nothing but that?
I had already mentioned this in a previous post at the occasion of an article that predicted the decrease of datacenters. But I had the opinion the argument did not extend far enough. (Datacenters are obvious due to the sheer entry-level necessary to have a proper datacenter. Not many small to medium companies can afford one. Those that think they do, have stupid leadership and run computers in a closet with no ventilation, until the day it all goes down in flames and the business with it. )
Now, an article in Network World finally puts it in the open: "IT department is dead".
Now what?
I think, the future will show we'll have true technology companies and then we'll have a few guys, in the so-called IT department, doing the customization of business applications and leading the interaction with the guys that actually run things. But don't call it a technology department: changing the default values on an SAP form(*) is as much technology as typing your username/password to login to GMail!
For those techies currently afraid of this move, just think: your employment will change but you'll be working for a true technology company directly. Your future company's customers will be your current company. And you'll be able to install Windows Server 2008 (in 2010) or Linux (version "really almost there") all day long, if that's your thing. Think Google, think Yahoo, think salesforce.com, think SAP Hosting, think Siebel CRM OnDemand, etc... These guys do nothing but technology all day.
So, techies will be fine. Better, in fact.
Good times ahead, indeed.
(*) Replace this with Siebel form, Oracle Financials, Word doc, etc... as you see fit.
Picasaweb & Geocoding
2007/July/28
I did a bit of testing today and was mesmerized with the integration of maps & photos. The result can be, besides a few wasted hours, very interesting to see afterwards.
Just check it out on my Portugal photos album:
-Acacio
Just check it out on my Portugal photos album:
-Acacio
Intel multi-core programming opensource library (threading)
2007/July/26
Intel has done a new small step into the future of multi-core programming. Read More...
Datacenters: an endangered species?
2007/July/25
The future of IT: specialization via dedicated IT companies, regional/global IT providers/outsourcers. Read More...
IOV: I/O Virtualization
2007/July/07
While server virtualization is becoming quite mature, one of the missing aspects is I/O virtualization, with significant performance and compatibility issues. But, the field is not stopped and there is progress in creating a I/O virtualization layer with improved performance and isolation from physical HW.
Article here: IO virtualization
DELL VESO server
2007/July/07
As I mentioned a few days ago, VMWare ESX Lite seems to be a reality soon as DELL is nearing the launch of a new server tyoe, the VESO.
The VESO is to be an easy way to deploy VMWare ESX Lite farms, configuration via Web browser, SAN attaching and iSCSI booting (very interesting!).
Article here: New Dell 'VESO' server built on VMware
The VESO is to be an easy way to deploy VMWare ESX Lite farms, configuration via Web browser, SAN attaching and iSCSI booting (very interesting!).
Article here: New Dell 'VESO' server built on VMware
Google updates Docs & Spreadsheets
2007/June/29
Google has, once again, updated Google Docs & Spreadsheets, its key initiative to bring users to break independence from the OS and use Internet services.
Despite small, the changes are a signal that Google will continue investing in this technology (and the enabling technologies beneath it). A good signal, IMHO.
You can check Google Apps here.
Despite small, the changes are a signal that Google will continue investing in this technology (and the enabling technologies beneath it). A good signal, IMHO.
You can check Google Apps here.
Hot, HOT, virtualization field: Xen, VMware and the new stuff: Qumranet, KVM, Parallels and ... Microsoft VS
2007/June/28
In an interesting article, TechTarget provides a quick overview of the recent developments in new virtualization solutions (here).
Despite being quite recent, KVM has provided an impressive feature set and promises interesting developments in the near future (although I consider the Xen/hypervisor approach much better).
Meanwhile, Xen is gaining momentum, VMware is fast enriching its solution and the old goat, Microsoft, is not standing still but it does seem that it's clearly reacting, not leading the field.
Despite being quite recent, KVM has provided an impressive feature set and promises interesting developments in the near future (although I consider the Xen/hypervisor approach much better).
Meanwhile, Xen is gaining momentum, VMware is fast enriching its solution and the old goat, Microsoft, is not standing still but it does seem that it's clearly reacting, not leading the field.
VKernel: self-contained VMware monitoring/capacity planning appliance
2007/June/25
Quite interesting for a FREE addition to an ESX farm. It comes in the form of a VM that has performance monitoring, capacity planning and chargeback reporting.
Reports: http://www.vkernel.com/reports.htm
Homepage: http://www.vkernel.com/index.asp
Reports: http://www.vkernel.com/reports.htm
Homepage: http://www.vkernel.com/index.asp
Virtualization news: DXtreme. ESX Lite & 64-bit Xen
2007/June/21
Lots of interesting news around virtualization this week.
Xen beats VMware to native 64-bit punch - here
VMware performance spikes with InovaWave DXtreme, users say - here
Interesting to see that the concepts & solutions already done for high-end virtualization solutions, in the mainframe and Unix worlds (IBM & Sun), are now being re-discovered in the PC virtualization world too. I think it's a matter of weeks before DXtreme is bought by VMWare or Microsoft.
VMware prepping embedded 'ESX Lite' hypervisor - here
This is the most interesting piece of news and could mark a significant departure for IT datacenters in how virtualization is approached, becoming a lot more commoditized than it is today.
Xen beats VMware to native 64-bit punch - here
VMware performance spikes with InovaWave DXtreme, users say - here
Interesting to see that the concepts & solutions already done for high-end virtualization solutions, in the mainframe and Unix worlds (IBM & Sun), are now being re-discovered in the PC virtualization world too. I think it's a matter of weeks before DXtreme is bought by VMWare or Microsoft.
VMware prepping embedded 'ESX Lite' hypervisor - here
This is the most interesting piece of news and could mark a significant departure for IT datacenters in how virtualization is approached, becoming a lot more commoditized than it is today.