Finding the Path to IT modernization

Modernization is a particular challenge for IT entities, which have to face the legacy systems and applications, but modernizing IT will lead to more agile, efficient organizations better able to serve the public, often at a lower cost.

Blockages in the path of modernization/ Present system
1.       Legacy systems: Organizations can have compelling reasons for keeping a legacy system, such as - the system works satisfactorily and the owner sees no reason for changing it. Further, the costs of redesigning or replacing the system are difficult or time taking. For e.g. NASA's Space Shuttle program still uses a large amount of 1970s-era technology.
2.       IT infrastructure: Various organizations are always resistant to the innovations and does not accept the tech advancements readily. They clung to the old machines and do not welcome any hardware/software changes.
3.       Efficiency and transparency: Reluctant nature of companies to modernization is the roadblocks in efficiency and transparency.
4.       Open standards: The methodology and practice of working needs to be redefined as old practices always hamper the performance.
5.       Skilled workforce: Modernization needs skilled workforce who is capable of understanding technology. But, sadly our public sector lack such people who are tech savvy or even understand simple technology.


Solutions for Legacy Problem
IT organizations face some hard choices when going for modernization. Before choosing the modernization path, various analysts advise that IT managers need to take the important first step of understanding and assessing current IT assets.
Go on as before: Organizations may choose to not act, to continue monitoring and maintaining existing systems and infrastructure. There are costs to this choice but without adequately trained staff, doing nothing is becoming harder for facing competition.
Retire and replace the systems: This approach can be expensive. Turning to SOA can be a wise decision.
Modernization: This can take many forms, including using SOA to extend some of the legacy data via web services and re-hosting. But migration to new languages and new platforms must be undertaken deliberately and with experienced partners.
Application Portfolio Management: The premise of APM is that before prescribing remediation of a legacy system, customers need to know what they have currently. APM provides the ability to assess the complexity of assets. APM can be done in as lightweight a way as simply filling spreadsheets with code counts—or to seek help from vendors and partners.

Pathway for Modernization
By modernizing existing technology with the help of various applications provided by companies like Oracle can reduce costs, increase agility, eliminate reliance on legacy skill sets and satisfy compliance requirements while preserving business-specific data and functionality.
Re-hosting: firms can shift an application to another without disturbing the day-to-day business.
Re-architecting: organizations can use tools to reassemble the business-relevant code from legacy applications while eliminating technology-specific code.
Commercial Off -the –Shelf (COTS) Replacement: managers can replace a legacy application with a COTS application.
SOA Integration: firms can wrap the legacy applications, creating SOA services that function on a new platform but are implemented by the existing code.
Automated Migration: IT professionals can automate the migration to new technologies, as it does not change the application design.

Conclusion
Modernizing the IT infrastructure, by moving to open standards or using service-oriented architecture, will increase efficiency and transparency and as a result will transform the service delivery.

Will Google encash Microsoft and Yahoo deal?

The long discussed Microsoft Yahoo deal is on the verge of closure and is now with anti-trust authorities for the final decision. The concerned authorities are scrutinizing its pros and cons, and closely analyzing its implications in the short and long term.

The deal had undergone many phases and many considerations. It was picked up last month again after its failure last year due to Yahoo not agreeing to the Microsoft payment terms. Where reviewers peg it as a deal to spell end for Google’s monopoly, others find it a chance for Google to improve on its offerings. Google is touted as one company that keeps constantly innovating and improvising; the deal will induce more momentum and zeal.
Google's benefits from the deal

With so much hype attached to Microsoft and Yahoo deal, it is speculated that Google will get benefitted from this alliance. On a brighter side, Yahoo will definitely add $500 million every year to its operating income and Microsoft will jump to second position but this joint venture has something that Google can really encash on - “Time” and new features.

Google is currently under scrutiny due to its privacy infringements and piling the data on users. With Microsoft and Yahoo deal coming in limelight, Google will definitely get time to improve on its image and perception by DOJ (Department of Justice). Google will get time to pull its strings and work on the efforts that can help it to abandon those claims. Where EU (European Union) and DOJ will remain busy in analyzing the impact of Microsoft and Yahoo deal on online business, Google can find ways to remove the label of “data capturing search engine.” The deal will put pressure on Google to make its privacy policies more stringent and at par with the other two leaders.

The story has more to it. Google can innovate rather than just iterate and can look for other viable options that can help it to get engaged with users more deeply.
Google's advantages over other
Google has the lion’s share of search market and earlier it has to defend its territories from Microsoft and Yahoo, but now its fears are just limited to Microsoft in Web search spectrum. In the ad spectrum, still it has to fight with Yahoo but now the competition has been trimmed to one candidate in a field.

Bing is worth a good bet on internet spectrum and in search gamut. In fact, the reports suggest that it had assimilated good market share in last two months where as the shares for Yahoo and Google have slipped.

What could be better than having the rivals’ workforce arriving at your doorstep and that is what Google can really look upto and can even target them. With Yahoo users going off the board, Google can make offers to them and can even exploit their talent hub for further improvements.
Conclusion

On conclusive note, we can say that its really too early to say these things but deal will lay foundation for Google to be more stronger than ever before.

Freecom outs usb 3.0 external hard drive

External drives make a significant part of day-day-devices. These days thay are usually connected via USB 2.0 ports. But now Freecom has introduced what it claims to be the first ever USB 3.0 external hard drive. This brand new drive is called the Hard Drive XS 3.0.

The Hard Drive XS 3.0 is said to be the first external hard drive to offer the SuperSpeed USB technology. Thanks to the USB 3.0 port, this drive offers transfer speeds of approximately 130Mbps. This speed promises to enable users backup their data as well as upload information within seconds. The drive boasts of its small form factor that renders it completely portable.

“The rapid transfer speeds of USB 3.0 are going to make sharing information easier than ever before, and with the rise of interactive web applications and new media showing no signs of slowing, it’s arrived just in time,” said Axel Lucassen, managing director. “From downloaded TV programmes to digital photos and music, data-rich files are abundant both at home and in the office. The Hard Drive XS 3.0 is the first drive in the world to enable users to back up even the biggest files at unprecedented speeds, combining the latest technology with style and practicality to bring a new breed of hard drive to an increasingly demanding market.”

This Freecom drive is said to be ideal for home as well as professional users who constantly need to transfer large files. The XS 3.0 is also said to be the smallest 3.5” hard drive available in the market. This hard drive flaunts a form-fitting rubber enclosure that is said to ensure optimal grip. This unique design also claims to reduce the vibration. This fanless system is virtually silent in its operation.

“We now can transfer a 5GB movie in just 38 seconds – it’s unbelievably fast,” continued Lucassen. “Besides being SuperSpeed ready, the Hard Drive XS 3.0 also outperforms the competition in terms of security. Our USB 3.0 solution will have high-speed hardware encryption with AES 256 bit – this not only the fastest but also the safest storage solution on the market.”

The hard drive XS 3.0 will be offered in varying capacities up to 2TB. It claims to store up to 4,00,000 mp3 songs or more than 2,000 movies. The highlight of this drive is its backward compatibility while it works flawlessly with all USB 2.0 enabled computers. Freecom also plans to launch its USB 3.0 controller to allow computer users to take advantage of the standard’s top speeds.

The Freecom Hard Drive XS 3.0 will enter the European market by mid-November. The drive will be made available in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB storage capacities. The pricing for these drives will start at €119 (approx. Rs. 5,641) for the 1TB capacity. The company will also offer Controller Card for desktops and Express Controller Card for notebooks for a price of €25.95 and €29.95 respectively.

USB 3.0

Intel has introduced one of its latest developed Universal Serial Bus called USB 3.0 which is the latest super speed personal connector which can perform 10 times faster compared to its predecessors. This device has been designed to provide a solution for transferring data in computers, mobile phones, and other digital media appliances.
This device has also been designed to provide low-power consumption and improved energy utilization process. While the USB 3.0 has been made to provide greater bandwidth capacity to support video cameras, flash readers, and external hard drives, this blueprint is still undergoing various modification and can be expected to be released to the general public in 2009 or 2010.

Most of USB devices have some drawbacks and one of these is high CPU usage. To address this setback, experts suggest that specs such as sustainable power consumption, channel capacity, and cable length must be first modified and developed to maximize its functions.
Another impressive feature of this USB is that it can effectively identify if the port is in inactive condition, after detecting this, the device will then automatically cut the power supply to conserve electricity. This process is a far outcry from other devices which are designed to turn off the entire port system in order to conserve energy. While these two processes are designed to provide effective power consumption and improved electric usage, the former has been considered to provide a more effective procedure in energy consumption.
Other specs of USB 3.0 are still not yet revealed by Intel since this is still considered to be a prototype model. But according to experts, even though that this has not yet been introduced to the general public, other products such as Firewire 800 are now expected to be completely out of the market. In spite of the fact that this has already been introduced last year, there is no manufacturer or company that has proclaimed its willingness to produce consumer electronics products which will utilize this standard.
The USB 3.0 will require fiber optic cable. This prototype has also been designed to provide full compatibility with USB 1.0 AND USB 2.0.