Chuck's Blog

Virtualize Me!

Virtualization changes everything -- a saying that's becoming more and more true as this revolution in computing spreads throughout the industry.

If you're an IT vendor, this is a big deal.  If you're an IT user, this is a big deal.

And if you're in between those two -- say, an outsourcer or system integrator -- this is a big deal as well.

I had a great session with one of EMC's outsourcing / SI partners last week.  Many of their clients had started to ask "virtualize me!" but the answers weren't always easy for them ...

Trends in NGDC Discussions

Sorry, yet another acronym -- this one stands for "Next Generation Data Center".

I'm now involved in about a half-dozen ongoing NGDC discussions with different customers.  And out of the haze, clear patterns and trends are starting to emerge, sort of a rough consensus as to what's going to be important, and what's not.

All sorts of caveats apply to what I'm about to share (see below), but I'm finding it interesting that (a) so many large IT shops are having these discussions, and (b) the similarities are starting to be more pronounced.

Taking Cost Out Of The Data Center

With the recent shifts in the economy, there seems to be an entirely new interest in "cost out".

Sure, improving efficiency and taking capex / opex out of the IT budget has always been a popular topic, but it seems that it's become even *more* popular recently.

And there seems to be two major threads: a strategic thread about re-architecting IT (saving that one for another post!), and a more tactical flavor around "what can we do today?".

I thought I'd share with you the most popular quick-win cost-out projects we're seeing these days.

CX4 Announcement: Reactions and Perspectives

I was travelling yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to offer my thoughts on the CX4 announcement.

However, I do have the luxury of stepping back a bit and offering some personal perspective on what it all might mean.

And I think there's more to the story here than meets the eye.

Adventures In Server Marketing

Storage vendors aren't alone in occasionally having klutzy marketing moves.

I saw this morning that Dell was outed trying to trademark the term "cloud computing".

Sure, I can see the interest in the press -- and with customers -- growing every day.   And, like every buzzword that comes sailing through our collective psyche, there's always a strong temptation by corprorate marketing people to "own" the word and the concept.

But history has taught me that (a) you can't, and (b) you shouldn't try.

Here's why ...

Adventures In Storage Marketing

I work in the information technology business, and I work in marketing, so it's no surprise that I've become an armchair analyst of many different marketing styles.

It's also no surprise that I often find much to find fault with regarding how the good people at NetApp go about their daily activities of building, marketing, selling and supporting their products. 

It's more than picking at a few nits: it's a fundamental style issue for me.  There are good ways to do things, and not-so-good ways to do things. 

And, once again, I'm sorry to say that I have yet another example of what not to do.