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The Coolest Thing I Saw At DEMO
Every year at Demo there's one presenter that captures my imagination and actually seems to be providing something that I will find useful. This year, while Skyfire showed off the beta of an intriguing new mobile browser and BitGravity displayed its power new network platform for high-definition video, the choice was easy: Silobreaker.
Dog Food Is Important, But Don't Forget The Dog
Long ago, Microsoft verbified the term "dog food" to describe the act of using its own products within Microsoft, as they are being developed. Dogfooding helps developers make sure the product really works the way it's supposed to work, on real computers with real users trying to get real work done. Yet all that focus on the dog food ignores the importance of the dogs.
DEMO Update: The Problems With 'Me-Centric' Search
Among the presenters in the final stretch of the 2008 Demo conference were a pair of companies that are focused on search results geared specifically to the preferences, needs, and personality of the searcher. It was apparent that that's not necessarily such a great thing.
Next-Gen Collaboration Takes Stage At DEMO
In the after-lunch lull at Demo 08, a group of companies displayed new sets of collaboration technologies that can transform the way companies connect and collaborate remotely.
Open Source 'Movement' Becoming A Gold Rush
I see references to the open source "movement," as if it were a cohesive ideological gathering, like the Labor Movement of the 1930s or maybe the Wobblies. I agree there are certain shared values among open source developers and a favored way of doing things, but I've always doubted the political agenda. After the $1 billion Sun/MySQL deal, however, my doubts have been erased. It's clear there is a movement -- and it's headed toward the bank.
At DEMO, Re-Rebranded Flypaper Aims To Be The YouTube Of Online Presentations
In the process of reinventing itself, Flypaper Studio wants to reinvent the way people create online presentations. And its ambitions go beyond merely giving users the tools to do that; the company plans to host multimedia presentations for everyone to see.
At DEMO, The Pen Is Mightier Than The Cord
Like many people, I tend to zone out when I hear the phrase "pen-based computing." Plenty of variations on the concept have been tried, including the LeapFrog Fly, which was aimed at the "tween" market. But when Livescribe showed off its latest version at Demo this afternoon, I was impressed.
Full Nelson: Recommind's Enterprise Search On TechWebTV
Groupware. Portals. Enterprise search. I'm not saying they're irrelevant, I just sort of forgot about them. Like tricycles, ER, and Oasis; the use of the word "bashful." But they're all relevant in some way (except probably Oasis), especially enterprise search: Witness -- speaking of bashful -- Microsoft's recent purchase of Fast (see video below for a fun perspective from Steve Ballmer at Web 2.0 on Microsoft and search).
DEMO Update: Skyfire Debuts New Mobile Browser
With all the transformation occurring in the mobile and wireless market -- with powerful new devices and established mobile browsers jostling for users' attention -- it's an interesting time for a new mobile browser to appear. That's what happened today at Demo.
Old Scheduling Dog Shows DEMO A New Trick
We often hear that business technology must look and feel more like personal technology, and Demo's kick-off presentation came from a company that's moving in that direction. TimeTrade Systems, whose enterprise scheduling software is used by 300 companies, demonstrated an innovative scheduler for individual users.
At DEMO, Microsoft Keeps A Watchful Eye
At the Demo conference this week, dozens of entrepreneurs will vie for the attention of investors, customers, and the media. Microsoft is none of those things, yet it's a platinum sponsor of the event. Why? Microsoft is looking to bring more up-and-coming companies into its fold.
Demo Preview: Let's Get Liquid
I just touched down in windy Palm Springs for the 2008 Demo conference, which doesn't actually start up until tomorrow morning, but it's already clear that, here in the desert, the big buzzword for this year's startup showcase is "liquid."
Xsigo I/O Virtualization On TechWebTV
This is taking the virtualization thing just a bit too far! First we've got servers being virtualized, then storage, and now Xsigo, among others, (I'll come back to this) is virtualizating I/O. But that's not all: CEO Ashok Krishnamurthi was stuck in some traffic bottleneck (oh, the irony) so he left his StartupCity TV filming in the hands of marketing manager Kelly Ciccone and damn if she didn't do a great job. Virtualized interview, indeed.
Lombardi Executive Re-org and 2007 Results
Lombardi held an analyst conference call last week in advance of today's press releases - a relatively new format for Lombardi - to discuss their executive reorganization against the backdrop of their 2007 results and 2008 strategy. Rod Favaron, CEO (and, until last week, President) and Phil Gilbert, President (formerly CTO) gave us the update...
Put-to-the-Test: Embarcadero EA/Studio 1.5
Process modeling tool highlights include BPMN support, low cost and integration with ER/Studio data modeling environment.
Microsoft's Financial Results Have Flash, When You Can Find Them
Last week, Microsoft announced some impressive financial results from 2007. I thought I would drill down a bit into the financials, so it seemed natural to go to Microsoft's investor page. I found a lot of interesting things there, even before I got a chance to read the annual report.
Startup Tackles E-Mail E-Discovery
Fortiva has launched an archiving service to address e-discovery for e-mail. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) demand that enterprises involved in litigation be able to produce relevant e-mails within prescribed time limits.
Operational BI: Getting 'Real Time' About Performance
Operational business intelligence is about delivering information to people when and how they need it in the context of business need. Explore the five best practices best-in-class companies are using to drive faster, better decision making and higher customer satisfaction.
How To Fix The Windows Vista Bootloader
The folks over at NeoSmart Technologies have posted an interesting document on how to deal with Windows Vista's finicky bootloader.
A10 Networks Steps Up, As Juniper Steps Out
While Juniper Networks closes down its DX line of load-balancing appliances, market newcomer A10 Networks is closing deals. A10 president and CEO Lee Chen says his company has signed four new accounts in the past month.
Quest Goes All The Way With Vizioncore
Vizioncore, a startup that provides disaster recovery and backup software for virtual environments, has been bought up by Quest Software. Quest has had a controlling stake in Vizioncore since 2005.
A Windows 7 Early Arrival May Mean Vista's Early Demise
This week has brought more rumblings about the successor to Windows Vista, currently known by its "Windows 7" code name. It's still not clear what information is fact and what is fiction, but there are a few hints that it may arrive earlier than its previously expected date of 2010.
Anti-Leadership Vaccine At Red Hat; Is Whitehurst The Answer?
Oracle strips out Red Hat logos and offer its own Linux? Red Hat refused to be provoked. Novell wants to cozy up to Microsoft? That's a fellow Linux distributor's affair. Microsoft has patents that govern parts of Linux? No tough rejoinder from Red Hat. Now Jim Whitehurst has arrived on the scene as the new CEO. He's an engaging and experienced manager. And he's going to need all his skills to find an antidote to Red Hat's anti-leadership vaccine.
Leaky Nuke Lab Is Poor Endorsement For A Security Product
A new startup has licensed technology from Los Alamos National Laboratory to help enterprises respond to security incidents. But does the company really want to be associated with a lab that routinely mishandles nuclear weapons secrets?
Microsoft To Startups: Join Us
Microsoft added more than 30 companies to its Startup Accelerator Program this week. Which is kind of like the Federal Reserve's three-quarters of a percent cut in a key interest rates Tuesday ... some might think it's too little too late.
A Virtual Windows Garden Of Eden
Yesterday brought quite a bit of virtualization news on both the consumer and business fronts. Microsoft finally decriminalized the use of Windows Vista Home products in a virtual machine, and made a major push for virtualization in the corporate world. Apple got into the act by supporting 64-bit windows in its Boot Camp product. Yet there are still a few things you can't virtualize.
Sprint Reshuffles Operations to Stymie Growing Losses
The new year started off on an ominous note for Sprint Nextel employees: 4.000 of which will add the moniker former to their job titles. The changes underscore the wireless carriers ongoing struggle to compete in the cutthroat cellular market.
Actuate Launches Its First Web-Based Performance Management Software
Actuate OnPerformance includes many of the same features as the company's on-premise Performancesoft Suite.
Next-Era BI: Proactive, Pervasive, Performance-Oriented
How do you differentiate your business when same-old BI and same-old automation are commodities? Cognos, SAP-Business Objects and independent vendors present visions and real-world examples of blended solutions.
BizAutomation.com Targets NetSuite in Small-Business CRM, ERP Market
The company expects to fill what it sees as a market void -- Web-based software that's affordable to small businesses with up to 50 employees.
Windows Server 2008: Less Is More
IT departments are conservative by nature, and with good reason. Change for change's sake just adds more trouble to the endless supply of troubles that IT departments have to manage. The new Windows Server 2008 has the potential to remove some of that trouble by offering fewer things to break. Certainly there are new features in Windows Server 2008, and those will be useful to many customers. However, I'
Led By Software, VC Investing Hits Six-Year High
U.S.-based venture capital firms invested $29.4 billion in 2007, the highest level of investment since 2001, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. The IT sector, led by software companies, was the biggest single area of funding. The fastest growing: clean tech.
Will AT&T Offer The iPhone To Business Customers?
Earlier today my colleague, Eric Zeman, reported that IBM is ready to extend Notes access to the iPhone. Now one rumor claims that AT&T will offer the iPhone to its business customers. Who said the iPhone was not ready for the enterprise?
SAP Completes Business Objects Buy, Details 'Business Optimization' Vision
Nine "joint product packages" present roadmap toward business intelligence and information management product offerings.
Microsoft Executive Exits Could Provide Opportunities
In the past few months, Microsoft has announced several high-profile retirements or departures from the executive ranks. The list includes Rob Short, Jeff Raikes, Bruce Jaffe, and B
Jobs: Android Hurts Google More Than It Helps
Never one to hide his opinions, Apple's Steve Jobs yesterday sat down with John Markoff of The New York Times Bits blog to share his thoughts on a number of topics including Google's Android. Guess what? Steveorino doesn't think Android is such a good idea.
Windows Home Server: A Good Idea But A Tough Sell
In the past month there has been serious concern regarding data loss in Microsoft's brand-new Windows Home Server. The problem has yet to be completely explained or resolved, but no doubt it will be fixed and the vendors will wipe egg off their faces. The big problem remaining for Microsoft and its partners is how to sell these home servers.
Hey! What About NetBeans?
"What about NetBeans?" A reader gently asked in response to Monday's blog filled with encomiums for Eclipse, but no mention of Sun's premiere IDE, NetBeans... The Sun vs. IBM tussle over the course of Java is not over, nor is it totally irrelevant; however, I would wager it just feels irrelevant to most developers.
A Trinity Of Presentation Software: Video, Music, And HTML (Amen To That!)
Freepath, spun off last year from a company that specializes in software for houses of worship, has secured $1.5 million in Series A funding. Its software can be used to create multimedia business presentations in conjunction with--or as a potential alternative to--Microsoft's PowerPoint.
Where WAS Microsoft -- And Vista -- At CES?
Watching Steve Jobs do it again at Macworld Tuesday, whipping up tech enthusiasm (even though the MacBook Air doesn't give him as much to work with as the iPhone did a year ago), I was struck by the comparison with Microsoft at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. Bill Gates booked in on his Final Farewell Tour, but even with that, the giant software company seemed to barely bother to show up.
Does Steve Jobs Hate 3G?
Earlier today I was sitting around in a design-induced stupor as I gazed longingly at online pictures of Apple's latest killer product: MacBook Air. For all of its amazing design, the MacBook Air is missing one important technology: 3G. Why doesn't Apple build 3G into its notebooks?
Time to Develop a Strategy for Mobile Marketing
Just when you thought that you had Internet marketing figured out, a new advertising vehicle has emerged. Mobile marketing has already taken root in Asia, mainly in Japan and South Korea, and is soon expected to wash up onshore here.
Microsoft Slashes Prices For Home Versions Of Office 2008 For Mac
Put away your varsity jackets and cheerleader outfits -- you don't have to lie about being a student anymore to get access to Microsoft Office for the Mac for the lowest price. With Office 2008 for Mac, being introduced Tuesday, Microsoft is replacing the student and teacher edition of Office, priced at $149, with a home and student edition, priced at $149.95.
MEGA To Update Modeling Tools With Latest BPMN Standard
Among the benefits of incorporating the standard in the MEGA Modeling Suite is the ability to share business process information in a standard manner among business and technical groups.
Microsoft's Beta Download Center: Bigger, Prettier, And Slower
Last week, I took a look at the reasons behind Microsoft's MSDN site being slow. Looking around the rest of the Microsoft site since then, I fear that Microsoft may be making many of these changes to showcase its latest technologies at the expense of speed and usability.
Totally Eclipse: The Default IDE for Almost Everybody
After starting a third review in a row of a software development environment based on the Eclipse platform (PyDev, Adobe Flex 3, and Nexaweb Enterprise Suite), something a friend said to me a year or two ago rang true, "There will be two major players in development software, Microsoft and its tools and Eclipse and its tools." A cynic might say, "Good for Eclipse, not bad at all for a camel built by a committee;" but then to make a point cynics are often unfair and inaccurate.
Giving Active Directory The Finger
Do you know who has permission to reset passwords, create accounts, and elevate permissions in your organization? Sanjay Tandon, a former Microsoft program manager of Active Directory, bets the answer will surprise -- and dismay -- your security and compliance officers.
The Junk E-Mail Epidemic
Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson got so fed up with unsolicited e-mail that he blacklisted dozens of PR professionals from his in-box. Barracuda Networks CEO Dean Drako has contemplated removing the e-mail address from his business card. Extreme measures? Not to those of us swamped with quasi-spam.
Who Deserves Blame For Microsoft's Slow Site?
Yesterday I had a brief oh-that-would-explain-it moment when I read Windows Server 2008 Behind 'Slow' Microsoft.com. I spend a lot of time on Microsoft's sites, and they have been horribly slow the past few months. But after further investigation, I don't think the problem is Windows Server 2008. Or, at least it's not the main problem.
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