The One Plan to rule them all

March 22, 2011

I’m a big fan of what the mobile phone network Three are doing with their One Plan. Unlimited data, inclusive of tethering, shows they have an enlightened view of the way the world of mobile devices and data may be going. They’ve encouraged Skype, Messenger etc for some time. I’ve been using a MiFi for the last year or so with my iPad and MacBook and it is flawless.  Now that you get WiFi tethering in IOS 4.3, I think I am going to move to the One Plan and use that instead.

It got me thinking, though, about the number of SIMs and contracts we have and are likely to have, as more and more devices are connected via mobile data. In our household, off the top of my head there are two phones, a MiFi, a Kindle, a satnav – all of which have SIMs and data connections. If I hadn’t had to get the iPad as soon as it came out, I would probably have a 3G one of those too. Add into the mix the likelihood of connected cars and other devices, and I could well imagine that each of us could have four or five SIMs and potentially contracts to manage (inclusive data on the Kindle and satnav notwithstanding).

Wouldn’t it be good to be able to have a single plan with multiple SIMs across many different devices?

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Fourth Dimension for Foursquare?

February 24, 2011

I’m not quite sure why, but I quite enjoy the whole Foursquare thing. Not many people are doing it in the UK, and there doesn’t seem to be any particular benefit.  But hey, it is a bit of fun! I’m trying to persuade our consultancy team to use it so it’s easier to know at a glance where everyone is (maybe there needs to be a corporate Foursquare?)

One thing that really irritates me however is at a train station, where lots of people have added and checked in to loads of different-timed trains.So what I am suggesting is that Foursquare adds a ‘fourth dimension’, time, and gives people the opportunity to check in to particular trains (and buses etc I guess) at particular times. Perhaps a 10 minute window?

One of the best places (or times) to know when you are in the same place as a friend is on a lengthy journey. It would be great. Can’t be that much development, can it? I came across Minglebird which will allow you to check in with people… Next step time!

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To Cloud or not to Cloud, Part 2 (Cloud and the Channel)

February 17, 2011

Great article here from ESG on how service providers should work with and recognise the worth of the channel when it comes to positioning their services. I’m absolutely convinced that this is the case. I’m certain that there is a ‘service’ play here and a space for the trusted advisor to act as a ‘cloud broker’. I’m fairly certain that this cloud thing is a long-term play and a lot of organisations will have on- and off-premises infrastructure for a considerable amount of time. We as resellers can and should act as a bridge between these two worlds and offer some guidance through what is a complicated marketplace at present!

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iPhone 4 ‘No Service’

February 13, 2011

I got back from VMware Partner Exchange (PEX) in Orlando early Saturday morning. After suffering AT&T (I see now why Americans are so excited about getting iPhone on a second carrier), I was keen to let the family know when I was going to make it home.

Unfortunately, my iPhone wouldn’t connect to O2. It was stuck on ‘searching…’:

Phone home?

I did the old ‘turn it off, turn in back on again’. No dice. Resetting the network settings didn’t work either. It was connecting to wireless just fine. I like to think of myself as someone who can fix these things, so I was getting a bit annoyed. In my frustration, I tapped the ‘Automatic’ button under Carriers repeatedly, four or five times. As if by magic, up popped a list of the UK networks – I tapped O2 and there I was.

So if that happens to you, give it a go…

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How to win the tablet war…

February 11, 2011

Up until now, there has really been very little competition for my beloved iPad. I guess the Galaxy Tab is probably the closest… I’m pleased to see that the HP WebOS tablet looks good, although the price has yet to be revealed, it doesn’t sound like it will have 3G, and it probably won’t be out until the summer. All the same I am keen to have a play!

Nokia doesn’t seem to have got anywhere with tablets, despite the fact that the Nokia N770 (I think it was) could be considered an early attempt. Who knows, maybe the tie-up with Microsoft will accelerate this!

I’ve just been away at a conference, and it made me think about how a forward-thinking company could win, or at least have a good go. The wireless at this conference was terrible – and without it, my access to email, Twitter etc was severely limited. Meanwhile, my Kindle just worked and I have been able to download a couple of books for the flight back. Wouldn’t it be great if a tablet manufacturer managed to do the whole ‘global 3G’ thing that Amazon have done? Admittedly a tablet will drag a whole lot more bandwidth, but for regular travellers it would be a godsend.

Anyone up for the challenge?

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To cloud or not to cloud.. (part 1, I suspect!)

February 3, 2011

In between driving 450 miles yesterday, I managed to spend some time with two customers, and, as you might expect in this day and age, the conversation turned to ‘cloud’.
One organisation, a retailer, is going gung-ho for cloud. The centralised/distributed model, with a migration to operational expenditure, really suits them. They are also giving consideration to what their next generation of access devices might look like, including the potential of tablets in-store – even more reason to access services from the cloud (or perhaps cloud-delivered services is more of a reason for the tablets- but I suspect that is more about serving customers).
The other company is a financial organisation, holding many and various sensitive data within their systems. For them, any form of public cloud is an absolute no, as regulations dictate that they know exactly where their data are. Having said that, they are well down the road towards a private cloud strategy – heavily virtualised for starters, and beginning to wrap the ITIL based processes around the infrastructure that will mean that they can deliver IT as a service.
I guess my point is that this cloud thing is by no means cut-and-dried, and there are many ways to approach it depending on the needs of your business. As always with this sort of thing, that’s the place to start! Let’s not do cloud because it is cool or sexy- or because the CEO thinks it is the latest buzz. Let’s do it where there is a benefit to the business.
Same as any technology acquisition decision then, I hope!

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Chopping the spaghetti

February 1, 2011

My friend, and Microsoft technology evangelist John Westworth posted this blog recently about cloud silos and the new spaghetti infrastructure. I guess the implication is that organisations should, where possible, take the full cloud stack from a large vendor (such as Microsoft).

It feels to me as if this suggestion slightly sidelines the role of the channel. Let’s face it, we (resellers, SIs etc) have always integrated software (frequently and to a large degree from Microsoft), hardware and components of stacks from different vendors in order to (and this is the important bit) meet our customers’ business requirements. I don’t see this being significantly different in the cloudy world. We will have to evolve of course, but I am certain that there is a role for the channel partner as cloud broker, cloud service delivery manager, cloud integrator, cloud migrator… Not every organisation wants to deal with the vendors directly – there will be a service play around Cloud, of that I am certain.

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Why SAM is about more than compliance

January 31, 2011

I was moved by this article in the industry press about how most Software Asset Management (SAM) work is in response to the threat or actuality of a vendor or enforcement body audit. I can’t deny that a significant number of our SAM engagements are driven by fear of audit. What I would add, however, is that a lot of organisations are starting to realise that good SAM is a matter of good financial stewardship and that the benefits extend far beyond simply the avoidance of a fine or bad publicity in the event of a forced audit.

SAM is a significant opportunity to save money, through the rationalisation of software titles in use, the ‘harvesting’ and redeployment of installed and licensed software which is not being used, and the cancellation of maintenance contracts for software which has been retired (often missed). Significantly, accurate knowledge on your existing license situation can enable you to negotiate from a ‘point of strength’ for licensing purchases and contract renewals.

Access to network audit data about installed software is a powerful aid to your helpdesk in diagnosing issues. Audit data about hardware can help you plan for and cost upgrades, such as Windows 7. It’s even possible to calculate probable carbon footprint and deduce possible savings, a service which Softcat can provide.

For me, an important part of SAM is making the most of the software you have paid for. Many organisations have subscribed to annuity-based agreements, such as the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, or Open Value Subscription. These agreements give you access to a range of software – some of which is pretty powerful and has real potential business benefit. Obviously there is effort involved in rolling out this software – but surely if there is a business need there it is sensible to look at software you don’t have to pay any extra for?

If you need any more information on saving money through good management of your software assets, have a look here where you can view our guide to Software Asset Management.

Posted in IT Channel, Software Asset Management | Leave a Comment »

Will more WiFi drive centralised computing?

January 26, 2011

I’m interested (and not a little pleased) to hear that there seems to be a lot going on around WiFi at the mo – with O2 planning to offer it for free, Virgin thinking about it, and Sky (probably) buying The Cloud. With 3G still not being quite up to speed (whilst I love my Three MiFi, and connectivity is almost universal, O2 still seem to struggle), I wonder if this will help accelerate demand for remote access and therefore centralised computing (VDI, terminal services et al).

My feeling would be that as people get more and more used to pervasive connectivity, they will be more and more demanding around access to work systems. I’m sure one day all our corporate apps will be delivered from the cloud, but in the meantime I reckon we will see more companies centralise their desktops as a way-point on this journey…

Let’s just hope the signal’s strong enough…

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Silly Snow Season is here again!

November 30, 2010

Tube strikes on Monday; snow and ice today; I can’t be alone in having had meetings cancelled this week. Looking at the news, I’m quite glad I’m not travelling to Newcastle tonight – even though it is one of my favourite cities, it doesn’t look much fun at the minute.

Watching BBC News this morning (on the iPad of course, while I was making my daughter’s sandwiches!), they were again talking about people working from home – not just during periods of snow, but generally to save on transport infrastructure, time etc. Back-to-back with that, there was an article on how Hogg Robinson, a corporate travel company, had doubled their profit as travel increases. (I’m assuming this isn’t just down to the ridiculous costs of train fares!)

We’ve got a video conferencing system at Softcat – it’s really useful for talking to the Manchester team without a three hour drive. We use Office Communications Server, so we can communicate across offices and see where everyone is at a glance. We have remote access systems powered by Citrix, or just OWA for those that don’t need business systems. Last year in the snow, I really think we picked up a load of business as other organisations just weren’t there. We had people working from home, from our offices, from wherever – and we got the job done!

Isn’t it time to look at your unified communications and business continuity strategy?

Posted in DR/BC/HA, Unified Communications | Leave a Comment »

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