VMware has struggled to bring end users under the authority of its x86 virtualized datacenter. AirWatch could be the missing element. VMware’s purchase of mobile device management and mobile security vendor AirWatch, announced January 22, raises two big questions. First, how is AirWatch different from its other end-user oriented acquisitions, akin to SlideRocket, which it held for under two years before divesting? Indeed, it shed SlideRocket with out clear return at the investment. Second, VMware paid a premium at $1.54 billion for a 1,600-employee company. What did it get besides increasing VMware’s headcount? Does AirWatch fit into the entire VMware strategy better than SlideRocket and Zimbra did? AirWatch is another variety of end-user company from SlideRocket, which VMware purchased in 2011 when then-CEO Paul Maritz was looking for the top-user applications that could lure the loads onto virtualized desktops. Maritz is gone, moved directly to head the Pivotal spinoff, and so are the top-user application acquisitions. [Wish to learn more about how VMware balances R&D and... Read More »

Google’s 60% cut in block-storage pricing is a move intended to unseat Amazon’s dominance in cloud infrastructure. 8 Great Cloud Storage Services (click image for larger view and for slideshow) The highlight of Google’s coming-out party for Compute Engine’s general availability as supported infrastructure was the pricing on its virtual servers and storage. It shows a heretofore absent determination on Google’s part to compete with the market leader, Amazon Web Services, and secondarily, Microsoft. Amazon has made it difficult for competitors to draw customers by repeatedly lowering prices on standard virtual servers and storage. Microsoft has matched its moves, particularly on storage. With its announcement this week, Google has come with reference to matching AWS’s virtual server prices while, in a clever move, it has flipped prices around on storage to undercut Amazon. It cut the cost for storage attached to working virtual machines by 60%, making it cheaper than Amazon’s Elastic Block Store. It made up for that massive cut by leaving prices on... Read More »

Prototype device aims to warn wearers of triggers that cause emotional overeating. Don’t search for it for your next Victoria’s Secret catalogue, however. 8 Wearable Tech Devices To Watch (click image for larger view) Reports indicate Microsoft could unveil a smartwatch sometime next year, but meanwhile, here’s some unusual evidence of the company’s interest in wearable technology: a smartbra designed to attenuate emotional eating. According to a newly published study, the bra is provided with sensors that monitor the wearer’s mood and trigger a smartphone app to alert the user when it detects an oncoming binge. These alerts are shaped by user feedback, enabling the bra to enhance its ability to read a particular person’s feelings. Microsoft researchers conducted the study with collaborators from the University of Rochester in Ny and University of Southampton within the UK. The project sought to associate emotions with poor eating habits, and to decide if wearable devices can help you. [Despite rumors on the contrary, Microsoft Isn’t Killing Windows... Read More »

Traditional security features don’t stand a possibility in a knowledge-centric world. But inside the crisis lie opportunities for IT security pros. Information security discussions have moved from wiring closets to corporate boardrooms. In early 2012, Bloomberg Government and the Ponemon Institute issued a study that showed 172 US-based organizations — from multinational corporations to the government — spend a combined $5.3 billion on cybersecurity. These institutions estimated they are going to spend $46.6 billion to adequately address today’s attacks — from state-sponsored campaigns to rogue activism that threaten data and the nation’s critical infrastructure. Our systems are becoming so tied to the net, this “grid” could be compromised with a single swipe. The threat is real, relevant, and happening instantly. It appears 2013 might be remembered because the year when the avalanche of knowledge — from social media and enterprise big data — collided head on with our ability to keep up the safety and privacy of that data. The info generated by individuals, corporations,... Read More »

Microsoft officially rebrands SkyDrive as OneDrive, adding new features and launching promotions within the process. Microsoft on Wednesday officially rebranded its SkyDrive cloud storage platform as OneDrive. To mark the transition, the corporate also introduced a brand new feature that permits videos to be shared like photos, in addition to automatic photo backup for the Android version of the service. Microsoft also announced plenty of new promotions that let users to procure additional cupboard space. Microsoft agreed to desert the SkyDrive name in July, after a British court ruled that it violated a hallmark owned by the British Sky Broadcasting Group. Microsoft revealed the OneDrive branding in January, setting the stage for Wednesday’s official crossover. As a product that caters to both businesses and consumers, OneDrive isn’t just a cloud storage play, but in addition a meaningful portion of the company’s “One Microsoft” strategy. It competes with formidable cloud storage services including Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox. Despite the cruel field, Microsoft’s offering has become... Read More »