"...their vision has been instrumental in our adoption of these technologies before they become buzzwords." - Network Manager at Nelson Mullins
"I would simply say that they do the work you need and do it very well." - Director of IT at Piedmont Healthcare
"Not only are the eGroup engineers extremely good, they have all been able to fit in with my existing staff and build relationships that are beneficial for all of our projects." - VP and CIO, Beaufort Memorial Hospital
We called around to other companies to see who they used and over and over the name eGroup was given. After the first meeting, I knew they had the knowledge and staff to meet our needs." - IT Director, MCAngus, Goudelocke and Courie
"I was skeptical about the amount of work they wanted to do in a short amount of time. But we were able to get it all accomplished in less time than they expected. Totally blew us away." - IT Manager, Horry Electric Cooperative
"With their expertise at our disposal, it is like having additional staff on hand. They have never made us feel like we were just another client. More like colleagues." - IT Manager, Horry Electric Cooperative
I was reading through the latest announcements from Cisco and I thought this was cool. It is a new cloud platform on the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers that “..simplifies how consumers connect, control and interact with their connected devices, including personal entertainment and home appliances”. Its a cool read and I think one of the best features is that they are creating a new Linksys developer community
“Cisco also announced the opening of its Linksys Developer Community to assist app developers interested in working with Cisco to expand the Cisco Connect Cloud home network platform for Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers. More information can be found at here and at http://developer.cisco.com/web/ldc.”
Allowing third parties to create apps for the home network could take the home network in a direction not seen before. Read more here:
Many origanizations struggle with managing the vast landscape of user PCs, the increasingly challenging task of mainting end user security, and all the while staying compliant. In addition, IT departments must use multiple applications and systems to accomplish these tasks. Enter Windows Intune, Microsoft’s cloud PC management solution.
The Windows Intune Cloud Service, coupled with Windows 7, allows IT administrators to centrally manage PCs without having to install any onsite infrastruture. This Microsoft hosted solution allows organizations to deploy Windows updates, mantain end point security, and provide remote assistance for every PC via the Intune web console, including those that are currently not connected to the company’s local network. Also, administrators can effeciently manage their computer assets and licenses to stay compliant. Intune uses Microsoft’s Malware Protection Engine, the same technology used in Forefront and Security Essentials. This solution, in addition to centrally managed security polices, allow IT departments to maintain endpoint security without the need for extra onsite servers. The Desktop Optimization Pack can be purchased to add additional functionality including Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, and Application Virtualization add-ins.
I am sure most of you know by now that Citrix acquired Cloud.Com last week. Here is a great video that shows off exactly what the Cloud.Com CloudStack offering Citrix now owns is all about.
In the race to the cloud, we all knew that Google was going to be one of the front runners to the race, and we have for a long time been hearing about the fabled ChromeOS, but I was a little surprised by what I saw in the Chromebook announcement.
The Chromebook is a completely web based system that runs a thin OS on it built with the Chrome browser. This browser gives you access to the internet and al your Apps stored in the cloud. The OS is thin enough that Google is boasting a 8 second boot time on the Samsung version of the Chromebook. While keeping the Chromebook close to an internet source is desirable, Google is supplying apps like Gmail, Google Docs, and more in an “offline” mode.
The true test for me with the Chromebook is going to be it functionality with 3rd party applications like VMware View and Citrix. Google has teamed up with both virtual desktop providers, but there isn’t much clear information about what the capabilities of these apps on the Chromebook will be yet. I would like to see a local mode available for VMware View.
Below are a few of the Google marketing videos with basic (if not vague) information on the Chromebook.
I think this one is a wait and see. They will be released to the general public 6/15. See Google’s Chromebook launch page for more information.
VMware just introduced Cloud Foundry which represents a new generation of an application platform, architected specifically for cloud computing environments and delivered as a service from enterprise datacenters and public cloud service providers. VMware is first in the industry to deliver an Open Platform as a Service (PaaS).
What is Cloud Foundry? Cloud Foundry is a modern application platform built specifically to simplify the development, deployment and operation of cloud era applications. With Cloud Foundry, VMware offers choice of clouds, frameworks and application services for developers to build upon.
How does Cloud Foundry fit into VMware’s Application Platform Strategy? Cloud Foundry extends VMware’s commitment to Open PaaS, delivering choice of the broadest set of development frameworks and languages, heterogeneous application services and cloud deployment environments.
