Cloud computing, its a complex set of ideas that always sounds good in techie conversations, but translates terribly when referenced with reality. I am as guilty as any for ringing the cloud computing and services-based delivery bells in public without truly explaining its real applicable truth. So, with the full intent of disclosing all I know and making it easy to digest. Here we go...

In a Nutshell
Imagine two web servers, both configured identically. One web server hosts website A; an online store selling men’s shirts. Website A gets a good amount of traffic, but is really only drawing about 15% of the servers resources (memory, processor cycles, storage, etc.). Website B hosts streaming video and has a great deal of traffic. At times, Website B is drawing 100% percent of its host server’s resources and, quite often, the delivery of the content suffers. Meanwhile, a server (hosting Website A) has 85% of its system resources sitting dormant and unused. This is the computing world in which most of us live. Resources unused while other resources are strapped. It results in many machines not being utilized to their full capacity. Cloud computing addresses this...

Cloud computing allows us to disengage from the idea that an application runs on a physical machine. In cloud computing, all available servers that are designated to be part of ‘the cloud’ can chip in. In our previous example with Website A and Website B, both servers would exists as one ‘cloud’ therefore, while Website A would only use 15% of the resources, the other 85% would be available to any application or website (in our case--Website B) in the cloud. The result is a much more efficient method for utilizing system resources and a much more enabled environment for delivering applications and services.

Who’s Playing in the Cloud?
Many players, both private and public have jumped at the idea of shared processing power, shared storage and easily deliverable application infrastructures. Most notable, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have all designed arenas for application clouding and some even offering software as a service (SaaS) for many of their newer retail enterprise offerings.

A first step into cloud computing is online storage. Instead of having a local storage area network (SAN) or a RAID array to store your local data, providers believe that enterprise storage should be offered like a service (imagine paying for storage like electricity or natural gas--pay as you go, only for what you use). Amazon has entered the market with Simple Storage Server (or Amazon S3), however, slow speeds have provided Amazon and its customers with a fair share of problems.

Another player is ParaScale. ParaScale promises a tighter, faster offering for cloud storage, however the organization is still in beta funding stage and only employs 22 people.

What it Means to You
The reality is that regardless of what you provide, software as a services (SaaS), Cloud Computing, Virtualization and Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) and services will affect the way you buy and sell services. Continue to explore your options, keep yourself up-to-date on the terminology and tune in to [the rockpile] for more on where the Cloud is headed!

All the best,
tanner

Handy Engineering Conversions

1. Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter? = Eskimo Pi

2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup? = Won ton

3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash? = 1 microscope

4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement? = 1 bananosecond

6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour? = Knot furlong

7. 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone? = 1 Rod Serling

8. Half of a large intestine? = 1 semicolon

9. 1,000,000 aches? = 1 megahurtz

10. Basic unit of laryngitis? = 1 hoarsepower

11. Shortest distance between two jokes? = A straight line

12. 453.6 graham crackers? = 1 pound cake

13. 1 million-million microphones? = 1 megaphone

14. 1 million bicycles? = 2 megacycles

15. 365.25 days? = 1 unicycle

16. 2000 mockingbirds? = 2 kilomockingbirds

17. 10 cards? = 1 decacards

18. 1 kilogram of falling figs? = 1 Fig Newton

19. 1000 milliliters of wet socks? = 1 literhosen

20. 1 millionth of a fish? = 1 microfiche

21. 1 trillion pins? = 1 terrapin

22. 10 rations? = 1 decoration

23. 100 rations? = 1 C-ration

24. 2 monograms? = 1 diagram

25. 8 nickels? = 2 paradigms

26. 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital? = 1 IV League

27. 100 Senators? = Not 1 decision

Courtesy: Contractor City

I just recently tested out a new app that I must say has really impressed me. It's called Xslimmer (www.xslimmer.com). It's a simple app for the Mac that is designed to slim down apps for use only on the target host machine.

Most apps, especially for Mac, come packaged to run on both the Intel and PPC processor platforms. This, on top of language support for nearly 50 different languages can add some real heft to applications, especially mainstream packages (i.e. MS Office, Keynote, Numbers, etc.)

The app is simple to use. Click on the "Genie" button at the top of the page and the app will whir away for some time, collecting all available applications on the Mac system. Not only will the app find Mac apps, it actually dug through my apps contained in a VMware image of XP as well. If found unused processor and language support in those apps contained in XP without direction.






You can see that overall, I have saved 4GB of space and increased the launch time of my apps considerably since moving Xslimmer in. Thin apps, no fat. My kinda party.

Take a look at Xslimmer (www.xslimmer.com) and let me know what you think.

all the best,
tanner

A visual testament as to why you should never ignore your customer...

How well do you know your customers? How well do you think they know you? That's a question that you need to take very seriously as a business owner, especially in times of financial strain like we're currently experiencing in the American marketplace.

ReproMAX Technologies is in the process of self-definition. Every day--every time I sit down to work through a program or engage a new company I realize more and more of what we could be as an organization. We're focused on providing technological structure, guidance, training and general know-how to our partner and associate companies worldwide. From backup services to the sales consulting I'm doing, I'm beginning to realize the broad scope of what we, as an organization, need to be.

This is a long-awaited stage of evolution for ReproMAX. IT is becoming a key focus for nearly every company on our roster and the issues that are affecting them are, in most cases, universal. Due to this, I realize that our horizon and mission as a company continues to expand... sometimes nearly to a point of unmanageable size. There is one saving grace that I remember can guide our organization into exactly the right harbor slip: customer service.

Customer Service is a term that has been orphaned from its true meaning. We have "customer service" departments, we have "customer service" reps, but in all reality, customer service is a mission, not a department. Customer service is a reputation and a belief that no matter the issue, there is always a cooperative solution that will benefit both parties. Its a willingness to see things from a different angle and approach any customer as a peer, a respected individual. Customer service is a way of life and in most cases; customer service is your brand--like it or not.

Your brand is who you are to everyone but you. You may see a company steadily growing in technology with a young vibrant and capable IT staff that can accomplish amazing feats in information management. Your customer may see you as an old, stuffy and inflexible company. Why? Because of your customer service. Think about how one single waiter can ruin your opinion of a restaurant or how one single person at the insurance company (my Jean at American Family) can make it so convenient to work with the company that you'll never even think of moving your business elsewhere. To me, Jean is American Family Insurance. That's it. She defines the brand and her customer service is what builds my total view of the organization.

Whether you're headlong into technology or still running ammonia machines, there's a place in the market for you; a place where there is profitability, great customers, stable income and good people. You can't find it on your own, you must be guided there by listening to your customers, taking care of their needs and willing to go out of your way to define your brand. Each and every employee. So, before sales training, before management training and before IT certifications; train your people in the religion of customer service and make it your key personnel asset.

All the best,
Tanner