InnoTech Conference & Expo - Ricardo Mendes Reporting

Watch this KOKH FOX 25 :: Morning News Clip from Oklahoma morning show where the 4th annual InnoTech conference just took place.

Minicom's own Ricardo Mendes was at Innotech and had this to say about it:

We shared the booth with Wright Line and Eaton.

The representatives from each company were: Terri Marroquin; Sr. Account Manager from Wright line John McIlwain; Account Sales Manager from Eaton Ricardo Mendes; Sales Rep from Minicom Advanced Systems

We were showing our management platform AccessIT and KVM.net II where we shared a booth with Wright Line and Eaton.

It was a great local show. The attendees were from local business, local government and federal government.

*****

A new social network for Oklahoma's Tech Community was launched last year, membership is growing so if you are in the area - be sure to sign up!

Hot Topic: Data Center Security

According to this article on eWeek.com, the majority of data centers do not have adequate defenses in place in the event of a cyber-attack. A study by AFCOM, the world's largest data center industry association, found that:

“Sixty-one percent of survey respondents said they see cyber-terrorism as a threat they need to deal with, but only a little over one-third of data center managers actually have included it in their disaster recovery plans, AFCOM said. Only 25 percent have addressed cyber-terrorism in their policies and procedures manuals, and only 60 percent have a written policies and procedures manual, AFCOM said. Only about 20 percent provide any cyber-terrorism employee training. On the other hand, 82 percent report that they perform background security checks on all potential new employees—another solid defense against cyber-terrorists, AFCOM said.”

There is an obvious gap between the perceived need for a deterrent for cyber-terrorism and what actually is actually done to prevent attacks.

Laziness? Lack of time? Lack of money? Don’t really believe it is necessary?

How do you explain this gap?

Channel Insider’s slideshow, Top Reasons SMB Security Still Sags, seems to provide some answers to this conundrum.

10 Common Network Security Design Flaws

Brian Posey’s article on TechRepublic highlights 10 common network security design flaws. The list has clear headings, with practical advice on how to fix these flaws.

Read more about each one to get the full story, but here is the short list:
1. Set it and forget it
2. Opening more firewall ports than necessary
3. Pulling double duty
4. Ignoring network workstations
5. Failing to use SSL encryption where it counts
6. Using self-signed certificates
7. Excessive security logging
8. Randomly grouping virtual servers
9. Placing member servers in the DMZ
10. Depending on users to install updates

You don’t need to do a public mea culpa, but take a look at your network – is your company at risk as a result of any of these practices, or are these flaws so basic that only a novice would find them on his or her network?

Green Homeland Security Data Center

Congress requires Homeland Security's data center to go green

Homeland Security has a nice fat budget for expansion and upgrades for its data center, but it is conditional.

According to the article on nextgov:
The fiscal 2010 Homeland Security appropriations bill requires the department to spend $38.5 million to upgrade the power capabilities at the National Center for Critical Information Processing and Storage, known as Data Center One and based at NASA's Stennis Space Center, near the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. Homeland Security cannot spend the remaining $45 million on building out the data center, which will provide information processing for the entire department, until DHS officials can make certain the data center has enough power and uses green technologies to reduce demand.

Will green considerations help maximize the budget, or does it mean getting less bang per buck?

Creating a CIO Profile

Two interesting pieces on the ideal CIO:

One man’s take on Tomorrow’s CIO and the Implications for SMBs

It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s CIO Superman!?


The first piece talks about the importance of having a CIO who is receptive to technology innovations, particularly those he identifies as the “Big Four”:

Cloud computing
Software As a Service (SAAS)
Open source
Web application hybrids (aka mash-ups)

The author argues, “Each of these innovations is or will be disruptive to your business, much like the Internet itself. However unlike the Internet, which was relative easy to understand and to envision its role in the future of your business, The Big Four are more arcane conceptually, more complicated technically and more difficult to envision. Consequently, businesses with the new brand of technology leadership are pursuing these approaches, whereas those that don’t are not.”

He also claims that these innovations are technology’s “certain future” which SMBs cannot afford to ignore.

A persuasive argument, especially convincing since the author acknowledges that he usually does not necessarily recommend new technologies for SMBs.

Is a CIO who does not embrace these innovations by definition “Yesterday’s CIO?” Does a reluctance to adopt these innovations necessarily mean a company will get left behind?

The second piece talks about the difficulties of finding a CIO with ideal qualifications, which include:

Leadership abilities
Hands-on technology background
Experience in leading large change programs
Experience in running successful IT infrastructure operations
Management experience in a non-IT function
Innovative thinking that can solve relevant industry and business issues

The ability to understand how projects and operations impact corporate financials
The fact that talent with these credentials is hard to find seems to indicate that if a CIO is of a certain caliber, he or she does not need to follow any proscribed mandate. A strong CIO can pick and choose which, if any, new technologies are appropriate for their company.

CASE STUDY: Ohio's Area Agency on Aging District 7

We recently installed AccessIT in the Area Agency on Aging District 7 in Ohio. Here's what Charlie Maillet, IT engineering and operations specialist for the Agency had to say about it:

“Minicom’s KVM IP solution is very appealing because I can manage my whole network from my desk,” stated Charlie Maillet.“They offered the most cost effective solution with the best technology to simplify management of our network.”


The Challenge:
Due to budget cuts, Ohio's Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7) was challenged to do more with less. Rather than cut programs that keep seniors in their homes longer, the organization looked to improve their operations by enhancing IT efficiency and implemented a KVM IP solution from Minicom that would save money, enable remote access and provide a more efficient method to manage their distributed network.


The Solution:
Using AccessIT™, AAA7 system administrators gain centralized remote access and power control that enhances IT efficiency & productivity, improving their ability to serve the community’s population


The Products Used in this installation were: AccessIT, Smart 116 IP, & IP Control

Learn more about remote server access, watch this short webcast now: Achieving Remote Server KVM Access to your data center

Red Flag: No Money = Server Failure, According to Gartner

Read Gartner’s doom and gloom predictions about how not replacing servers could result in increased server failure over the next two years.

According to the article:
“In round numbers, the scheduled replacement of some three million servers worldwide, or about 3% of all servers, has been delayed, Peter Sondergaard, Gartner's global head of research, said today at the research firm's Symposium/ITxpo 2009 conference here. He added that the number of delayed replacements should reach 10% of all servers by 2010.”

The general tone of the article is that even though this past year was the worst in terms of IT budgets, things will not stabilize for a few more years.

If your servers are nearing the end of their run, will you make noise to get what you need, or will you accept that shrinking budgets mean less than optimal data center equipment?

Slideshow: Industry Graveyard 2009

2009 is not over, but these products, companies and events are.

Network World’s slideshow has spooky images of all that has passed to the other side in the last year such Goodbye SOA, Circuit City, GeoCities Web hosting service, and domain tasting.

Turning Up the Heat on Data Centers

Keeping data centers at the right temperature is a continual challenge. The Data Center Journal’s article “Chill Pill for Hot Data” talks about a system which claims to have gotten the balance just right. How did they do it? According to the article:

“The research team merely wrote software to connect the gap between management systems that otherwise run separately for IT and facilities management. Traditionally speaking, companies have otherwise kept both these realms separate. And now the team has connected up these systems resulting in huge savings.”

Definitely intriguing, especially the bit about big savings, with the projection that most data centers will see ROI within a year.

Does the article’s claim that at least 90% of data centers maintain a temperature that is five degrees cooler than necessary ring true, in your experience?

The Luxury of Organization

It is inspiration, well written, and logical: How to Keep Networked Applications Humming During Organizational Change outlines exactly what you need to do to get a complete picture of your network application’s status.


In the ideal world, IT managers would have the time and resources to implement every one of these steps during organizational change.

In real life – not so realistic. The systematic steps presented here would be a luxury to implement during calm periods. The chances of being able to follow this checklist during turbulent times are slim to none, unless you work for a company with time, money, and resources to burn.


Can you use this as a “cheat sheet” and extrapolate the bare bones for your needs? Do these ambitious plans cause you to become overwhelmed to the point where they have no value at all?

Cool Pictures of Sophisticated Data Center Technology

This slideshow about secrets of successful data centers is worth seeing for the pictures alone.

Who wouldn’t want to check out pictures of a data center on fire (slide 5) or the beauty of stacked blade servers (slide 15)?

PTS Data Center Solutions, Peter Sacco Interview

Recently I had a chance to Interview Peter Sacco, President of PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc. Founded in 1998, PTS is a data center consulting, engineering, & construction firm as well as turnkey solutions provider. They offer a broad range of project experience in designing data centers, computer rooms, and technical spaces. PTS employs industry best practices in integrating proven, ‘best-of-breed’, critical infrastructure technologies that result in always available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable, and maintainable mission critical environments.

Please share a little about PTS for our readers that are not familiar with you yet:

[Peter Sacco] From our corporate headquarters in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and our office in Orange County, California, PTS works to fulfill our mission of creating satisfied customers by emphasizing pre-design & planning services to provide the optimal solution to meet our clients’ needs and result in an early & accurate alignment between scope, schedule, and budget.

How does PTS differentiate itself from other data center solution providers?

[Peter Sacco] We have an expert staff of industry leading consulting and engineering professionals, a high ROI from fast turnaround, decreased number of vendors, and superior quality of workmanship. We make use of best practices & proven technologies to deliver our solutions in a predictable manner. We’ve also made strategic alliances with best-in-class technology firms.

What services does PTS offer?

[Peter Sacco] PTS is uniquely qualified to provide a turnkey solution for projects from conception through implementation. Our services include:
1. Planning & Feasibility Consulting(Surveying, Planning, Site Assessments, Financial Analysis, Conceptual Design, and Project Cost Estimating)
2. Facility & Support Infrastructure Design & Engineering(Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Structural, Controls, Security, Structured Cabling, Design Documents, Written Specifications, Forensic Analysis)
3. Construction & Project Management(Design/Build or Bid & Specification)
4. IT Infrastructure Design & Implementation(LAN/WAN, Network Security, Servers & Storage Systems, Wireless, A/V, Surveillance)
5. Monitoring(IT & Support Infrastructure Solutions)
6. Maintenance (Support Infrastructure Start-up, Preventative Maintenance, and Unscheduled Services)

What is your target market?

[Peter Sacco] IT personnel of medium business (>500 people), although we do a fair amount of large enterprise work as well, and on occasion work for small companies.

What is the most challenging project you worked on?

[Peter Sacco] Every project has its own unique set of challenges, but that is what allows PTS to shine. While it is important to have the right staff with the right skill sets, just as important was finding staff that shares the same culture of problem solving, acting with a sense of urgency, and client satisfaction is what clients come to appreciate about PTS most of all.

How is your company planning for the future?

[Peter Sacco] PTS has just in the last year expanded its horizons on three (3) fronts; (1) data center education and training, (2) new product development, and (3) IT services and solutions
1. We recently launched PTS’ Data Center Education Series (DCES) and are offering module-based, instructor lead, training in data center specific topics, such as Fundamentals of Power, Fundamentals of Cooling, Fundamentals of Data Cabling, and more in partnership with Global Knowledge Training (www.globalknowledge.com)
2. At the start of 2009, PTS embarked on the development of its first product, software to track the maintaining of data center and computer room environments. We expect to go into beta testing in a few days with our Data Center Maintenance Management Software (DCMMS). We feel DCMMS will fill the empty gap in Data Center Management not presently being filled by other software service the space.
3. In October 2009, we expanded our IT services and solutions offerings by formally launching PTS Information Technology Solutions Group (ITSG).

On a more personal note, you are obviously a very busy person, what do you like to do most when you aren’t at work?

[Peter Sacco] My passion is football. I am very active in the community I live, Franklin Lakes, NJ (also where PTS HQ is!). I have been coaching junior football for over 15 years and don’t see stopping anytime soon.

Thank you Peter for taking the time out of your busy schedule!

If you want to find out more information about PTS, they are very active online:

Website: http://www.ptsdcs.com/
Blog: DataCenterDesign.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/PTS
Facebook: facebook.ptsdcs.com
Twitter: twitter.com/PTSDataCenter

Net Neutrality: What is it All About?

Great article on NetworkWorld.com which explains:

• What net neutrality is
• What the FCC has agreed to do
• Who is for net neutrality
• Who is against net neutrality
• How net neutrality affects businesses
• How net neutrality affects carriers
• How net neutrality affects residential Internet users
• Which services would probably be affected the most

What do you think: Do we need net neutrality in order to stop Internet providers from charging high fees, or will net neutrality result in higher flat rates for services or paying by the byte for Internet traffic, as the Internet providers claim?

Synexx National Conference - Saul Mishaan Meets Resellers

Saul Mishaan, President of Minicom North America went to the Synnex 2009 National Conference earlier this month.

The Synnex National Conference is an expo promoting Synnex partners to their attending resellers. About 260 resellers were at the event this year. Saul represented Minicom with a presence in the Digital Signage Booth. He mostly met with resellers during the 3 hour event. The experience with Digital Signage ranged from extreme novice to well versed. Saul found it interesting that quite a few of the resellers he spoke to in the booth were more experienced and successful in KVM than Digital Signage.

It just goes to show you that Digital Signage’s roots are very much still attached to KVM – which is how Minicom got started. Are you surprised?

Thanks for the update Saul!

KVM Switches Enjoy Surge in Popularity in India

The number of KVM switches being used in India has grown significantly in recent times, due in large part to the government’s establishment of 27 new data centers, and the mandate that financial institutes have to have business continuity and disaster recovery solutions, as discussed in an article on CIOL.com.


Points mentioned in the article that are encouraging for companies like Minicom that sell KVM switches (among other things):

· Globally the market for KVM switches will exceed $1 billion by 2011, increasing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.1 percent (2006-2011).

· Research indicates that the trend toward IP KVM solutions will continue, accounting for over half of all KVM revenues by 2011

· With the changing trends and advancements in the technology, the customer base of KVM switches is likely to increase.


I would like to draw your attention to the conclusion of the article:


“Opportunities for SPs


Solution providers who are providing solutions in the data center domain have the opportunity to avail the benefits of KVM switches as they can offer the complete solution to the customers.
‘When a solution provider is selling racks, equipments for remote management and data center solutions, it makes sense for him to drive the KVM switches as well. This way, he can offer the complete solutions to the customers at one go and this would increase his profitability also,’ said Motwani from Raritan.
This kind of unified selling is something that other vendors have also been propounding for quite some time. Most of the data center specialists have already embraced this concept and offer KVM switches as part of the total solution they give to their clients.
But with the potential in the KVM industry, especially keeping in mind that this is one market that is expected to grow in the years to come, there is still space for the entry of more solution providers in this segment.”


There is a glaring omission here, which is the mention of Minicom’s Remote Access Management solutions.

Extra Server, anyone?

Unused Servers Cost Businesses $25B Annually: Study

The numbers here sounds pretty serious. One in six servers - about 4.7 million worldwide - is sitting idle, according to a global survey of IT managers.

Take a peek at your server room – does this sound right to you? Is this consistent with your experience?

65,000 Time Warner Cable Customers Exposed to Remote Access Hack

Scary!

65,000 Time Warner Cable customers have been exposed to a remote access hack, as reported by wired.com. Blogger David Chen was helping a friend with the setting on his cable modem when he inadvertently realized there was a problem.

What does this kind of vulnerability mean? According to Chen:

“ ‘From within your own network, an intruder can eavesdrop on sensitive data being sent over the internet and even worse, they can manipulate the DNS address to point trusted sites to malicious servers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks,’ Chen wrote on his blog. ‘Someone skilled enough can possibly even modify and install a new firmware onto the router, which can then automatically scan and infect other routers automatically.’ "

The article does not mention any cases where users who were exposed had anyone tamper with their settings, which means that the threat was only that. While a serious potential problem, it is reassuring that either a)no hacker discovered the vulnerability b)no hacker cared enough to do anything about it if they did.

Ideally, any paid service should mandate the use off the highest level of encrypted remote access possible. If you want remote access solutions for your data center that you can trust, for example, there is no reason to worry with Minicom’s AccessIT. With SSL and high grade 256-bit AES encryption, you can sleep easily at night after watching cable TV.

Virtual Servers, Real Problems?

This article identifies the five biggest challenges of server virtualization as:

1. Network connections

2. Network storage

3. Sizing storage capacity

4. Back-up challenges

5. Application support

As companies dip their toes into the untested waters of virtualization, new issues arise as a result of the change to IT Infrastructures. Do articles like the one above, which outline challenges and provide solutions, make you eager to embrace new technologies like virtualization, or do they scare you off?

Virtual Web Event: Dealing With Data Centers In Tough Times

There are so many free online resources for small and medium businesses to learn from. I came across the next virtual event by InformationWeek and bMighty that looks like it will be very informative:

bMighty and InformationWeek SMB present the latest in our ongoing series of
Virtual Events: Data Centers For Growing Companies -- dedicated to helping small and midsize companies deal with data centers in tough times.

This virtual event is here to help with InformationWeek and bMighty editors, industry experts, and real IT folks sharing a unique mix of battle-tested best practices, experience-earned tips from the trenches, and new ideas and innovations to help you do more with less.

Taking place on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Register here

Service Providers Using Skype

Two recent articles by Jon Arnold, Principal, J Arnold & Associates on TMCnet.com cover some good points on how Skype can be used by Service Providers.

Take a look at both articles:

Why Skype Is Good News for Service Providers (Part 1)

Why Skype is Good News for Service Providers, Part 2

We use Skype to communicate to our offices around the world as well as customers. Our technical support have also used Skype to conduct an online IP product demo – so we know how useful this free service can be.

How does your company use Skype?