The November 27, 2006 issue of Forbes Magazine (www.forbes.com) contains an article entitled "Desperate Acts: Google and Microsoft are hungry to get each other's business". According to the article: "Microsoft is expected to spend $650 million next year to let the world know it has a shiny new search service and Web Advertising network"
Microsoft's share of searches dropped this year from 11% to 9%. "Google handled 61% of the 204 billion searches worldwide in the past 12 months."
To compete with Google, Microsoft is upgrading its live.com site with better maps. "Microsoft is flying camera-equipped planes around the globe to create 3-D vesions of 100 cities, at $150,000 per location. The goal is to create a massively detailed, searchable map of neighborhoods and landmarks."
Monday, November 27, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Running out of Internet Addresses
The November 6, 2006 issue of Business Week (www.businessweek.com) includes an article entitled "More Elbow Room on the Net: A pending upgrade will provide an almost limitless number of addresses"
The current standard for IP addresses on the Internet (IP version 4) supports up to 4.3 billion IP addresses (4.3 x 10 to the 9th power). This limit is projected to be reached by 2010.
The new standard for addressing (IP version 6) will support up to 3.4 x 10 to the 38th power addresses. IP version 6 comes with encryption and authenication built in.
The Department of Defense and other government agencies expect to spent tens of billions of dollars over the next ten years to upgrade its telephone and computer systems.
"Federal purchasing officials have already said they plan to require all civilian and defense agencies to upgrade their key network equipment to IPv6 within 20 months."
The current standard for IP addresses on the Internet (IP version 4) supports up to 4.3 billion IP addresses (4.3 x 10 to the 9th power). This limit is projected to be reached by 2010.
The new standard for addressing (IP version 6) will support up to 3.4 x 10 to the 38th power addresses. IP version 6 comes with encryption and authenication built in.
The Department of Defense and other government agencies expect to spent tens of billions of dollars over the next ten years to upgrade its telephone and computer systems.
"Federal purchasing officials have already said they plan to require all civilian and defense agencies to upgrade their key network equipment to IPv6 within 20 months."
Thursday, September 21, 2006
When Art Meets Science
The September 18, 2006 Computerworld (www.computerworld.com) contains an article entitled "When Art Meets Science" with a subhead "BI (Business Intelligence) Professionals are in Demand, but the job takes a rare combination of business and technical skills"
Quotes:
"A business foundation also helps BI analysts know how to present the required data"
"Presenting BI data is where creativity comes in. 'It's an art'"
"Companies with highly sophisticated BI needs also look to hire candidates with mathematical and statistical training"
Quotes:
"A business foundation also helps BI analysts know how to present the required data"
"Presenting BI data is where creativity comes in. 'It's an art'"
"Companies with highly sophisticated BI needs also look to hire candidates with mathematical and statistical training"
Business Intelligence Home Runs
The September 18, 2006 issue of Computerworld (www.computerworld.com) has a story entitled "Business Intelligence Home Runs"
"See how 15 companies used the power of analytic software to make better business decisions and produce a big ROI (Return on Investment)"
One example: Alliant Energy Corp. "The subsidiaries of this Madison, Wisconsin based energy services provider services approximately 1.5 million customers. Payback: Significant savings in manhours needed to prepare reports, and increased visibility into financial data."
Another example: Eastern Mountain Sports Inc. "This specialty outdoor retailer has more than 80 stores in the northeastern U.S. plus online sales. Payback: The ability to identify individual customer purchasing patterns and thereby increase certain types of sales by as much as 73%"
"See how 15 companies used the power of analytic software to make better business decisions and produce a big ROI (Return on Investment)"
One example: Alliant Energy Corp. "The subsidiaries of this Madison, Wisconsin based energy services provider services approximately 1.5 million customers. Payback: Significant savings in manhours needed to prepare reports, and increased visibility into financial data."
Another example: Eastern Mountain Sports Inc. "This specialty outdoor retailer has more than 80 stores in the northeastern U.S. plus online sales. Payback: The ability to identify individual customer purchasing patterns and thereby increase certain types of sales by as much as 73%"
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Computing at Speed of Light
September 19, 2006 article in San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com) entitled "Computing at Speed of Light" gives more details on Intel and UC Santa Barbara "breakthrough in the way silicon chips are made could make computers faster, speeding up long-promised technologies like delivering video to home computers and making search and other Internet activities more powerful."
The article reports that the implementation of this new technology could be five to seven years away from market.
"Nothing is faster than light. This is the final frontier in the speed wars." said G. Dan Hutcheson, chief executive of VLSI Research, a San Jose Chip analysis firm.
The article reports that the implementation of this new technology could be five to seven years away from market.
"Nothing is faster than light. This is the final frontier in the speed wars." said G. Dan Hutcheson, chief executive of VLSI Research, a San Jose Chip analysis firm.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Intel Breakthrough Creating Lasers on Chips
Article in September 18, 2006 Wall Street Journal headlined "Intel Claims Breathrough in Creating Lasers on Chips"
"Researchers at Intel Corp. and the University of California Santa Barbara, are claiming a breakthrough in creating lasers on computer chips, a development that could lead to sharp reductions in the cost of ultrafast data communications"
"The Intel and UCSB researchers added the missing light-generating capability by finding a way to glue a layer of indium phosphide, a material used in conventional lasers, to a silicon wafer"
"Researchers at Intel Corp. and the University of California Santa Barbara, are claiming a breakthrough in creating lasers on computer chips, a development that could lead to sharp reductions in the cost of ultrafast data communications"
"The Intel and UCSB researchers added the missing light-generating capability by finding a way to glue a layer of indium phosphide, a material used in conventional lasers, to a silicon wafer"
Monday, September 18, 2006
Forbes Article:The Cheap Revolution
The September 18 issue of Forbes Magazine (www.forbes.com) has a cover story entitled "The Cheap Revolution: Free Software. Bargain Chips. The always-on Ineternet"
"The history of computing has been defined by three major eras: Mainframe, microcomputer, and client server. Now a fourth wave is emerging--and a chance to create the next tech giants."
According to the article, the fourth wave entails "racks of cheap pc-style servers that run Linux software "
Companies which are exploiting this trend include Rackable, Azul, Red Hat, MySQL
"The history of computing has been defined by three major eras: Mainframe, microcomputer, and client server. Now a fourth wave is emerging--and a chance to create the next tech giants."
According to the article, the fourth wave entails "racks of cheap pc-style servers that run Linux software "
Companies which are exploiting this trend include Rackable, Azul, Red Hat, MySQL
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Google Executive Charges San Francisco Stalling on Wi-Fi
According to the September 16, 2006 San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com) a Google executive is charging that San Francisco is stalling on negotiations for Wi-Fi access throughout the city. Google executive Chris Sacca is quoted as saying that talks to develop the final contract "have advanceed little since they started and that officials have made unreasonable demands, including a request for free computers and a share in revenues."
"Ultimately, Sacca said, the Wi-Fi network could be obsolete before it is built if the delays continue"
"Ultimately, Sacca said, the Wi-Fi network could be obsolete before it is built if the delays continue"
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Business Week Article: What is Propping Up Economy
The September 25, 2006 Business Week (www.businessweek.com) cover story is entitled "What is Really Propping Up the Economy" The subhead reads "Since 2001, the health-care industry has added 1.7 million jobs. The rest of the private sector? None"
Quotes:
"Perhaps most surprising, information technology, the great electronic promise of the 1990's, has turned into one of the biggest job-growth disappointments of all time. "
"Almost invisibly, health care has become the main American job program of the 21st century."
"If current trends continue, 30% to 40% of all new jobs created over the next 25 years will be in health care"
"One solution would be to make health care less labor-intensive by investing a lot more in information technology"
What do you think?
Quotes:
"Perhaps most surprising, information technology, the great electronic promise of the 1990's, has turned into one of the biggest job-growth disappointments of all time. "
"Almost invisibly, health care has become the main American job program of the 21st century."
"If current trends continue, 30% to 40% of all new jobs created over the next 25 years will be in health care"
"One solution would be to make health care less labor-intensive by investing a lot more in information technology"
What do you think?
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