Archive for September 12, 2017

VMware Has Lots Of News From VMworld 2017 Europe

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 12, 2017 by itnerd

Today at VMworld 2017 Europe, VMware unveiled new innovations to help VMware Cloud Provider partners migrate VMware workloads, expand service offerings to drive revenue and growth, lower cost through automation and more efficient operations, and create unique differentiation through VMware’s Cloud Provider program. Today’s news includes:

  • Initial availability of VMware HCX technologies to enable multi-cloud and multi-site application migration and portability;
  • Debut of VMware Cloud Provider Platform to address the strategic business imperatives of Cloud Providers globally;
  • New VMware Cloud Verified Trust Mark and initial VMware Cloud Verified partners;
  • Continued innovation and success of VMware Cloud Providers globally

VMware Cloud Providers represent more than 4,000 partners building services using VMware Cloud Infrastructure technologies, operating in more than 110 countries. VMware Cloud Providers give customers the flexibility to choose the ideal cloud provider based on the needs of the business and the needs of IT. Customers can select from a variety of offerings with the optimal set of services and expertise while also managing costs and selecting services that operate in required geographic locations. Through the use of VMware Cloud Infrastructure technologies, VMware Cloud Providers preserve a common operating environment, promoting more seamless portability of apps and interoperability between multiple clouds without compromising visibility, operations, automation, security and governance.

VMware HCX Technologies: Any Cloud to Any Cloud Application Portability

VMware HCX technologies delivers any cloud to any cloud secure, seamless interoperability and mobility, enabling large scale application migration and ongoing portability with zero application downtime or refactoring. Offered through VMware Cloud Providers and initially available from IBM, a key design partner, and OVH, HCX technologies enables customers to modernize data centres with the most current VMware SDDC offerings while maintaining business continuity, application uptime, network architectures and performance.

HCX technologies provides operational support to enable efficient cloud migration and protect the integrity of applications at the origination and destination cloud. Data synchronization, network extension, traffic engineering, automated VPN and WAN optimizations and built in security all provide the critical operational capabilities to ensure efficient and effective cloud migration.

VMware HCX technologies enables infrastructure hybridity. Customers can now securely extend data centres to the cloud while maintaining the same governance and control. The technology creates a secure, high-performance and highly reliable hybrid fabric that seamlessly interconnects multiple sites. It provides flexibility to deploy workloads on the cloud for regional and cyclical capacity, supporting bi-directional mobility, business continuity and disaster recovery.

VMware Cloud Provider Platform Drives Differentiation, Efficiency and Revenue

VMware Cloud Provider Platform enables VMware Cloud Providers to meet their critical business imperatives: drive operational efficiency, quickly monetize new services, and compete more effectively. Delivering flexible tenancy and self-service options at scale across multi-tenant and single-tenant cloud-hosted environments, the Cloud Provider Platform enables partners to rapidly deploy and scale up an environment upon which they can build their own value-added differentiated cloud services. VMware Cloud Provider Platform combines a core set of VMware’s industry-leading cloud infrastructure, with cloud provider management and operations software, and new a tested and validated Certified Reference Design, to empower VMware Cloud Providers with:

  • Flexible, tenant-specific metering for subscription and on demand services
  • Self-service multi-tenant compute, network, storage, and other infrastructure services
  • Granular, role-based access per tenant to VMware NSX-based networking services
  • Valuable ecosystem services through key vendors
  • Lower OPEX and accelerated time to revenue

The Cloud Provider Platform serves as a seamless onramp for partners to adopt the newest innovations from VMware for cloud providers, including VMware vSphere, VMware NSX and VMware vCloud Director. The new Certified Reference Designs will establish performance benchmarks and tenant SLAs and provides hardware and software sizing guidelines for defined scale profiles. This accelerates time to value for cloud providers while improving service assurance and enabling better end customer satisfaction. VMware Cloud Providers can currently purchase platform components to deploy against the Certified Reference Design through the existing Cloud Provider bundles.

VMware Cloud Verified Partners Accelerate Customers’ Digital Transformation

To help customers identify a provider that can deliver services with VMware Cloud Infrastructure technology, VMware is announcing a new class of VMware Cloud Verified partners, signified by a VMware Cloud Verified trust mark. Providers carrying the VMware Cloud Verified trust mark have made deep investments in VMware Cloud Infrastructure technologies and are committed to offering key services and support on top of a common infrastructure. This new trust mark identifies VMware Cloud Providers that fuel business growth by driving innovation, improving efficiency and lowering costs for customers as they transform application portfolios for a multi-cloud, multi-device world.

The initial VMware Cloud Verified partners are CenturyLink, Fujitsu, IBM Cloud, OVH and Rackspace. The VMware Cloud Verified designation gives customers confidence that these providers are adopting the most complete, most advanced VMware technologies from their cloud service providers, assuring the greatest degree of interoperability across clouds and the greatest advantage for their business. VMware will continue to introduce new Cloud Verified partners over time to drive greater flexibility for customers in their selection of global cloud providers with consistent infrastructure and consistent operations.

 

Additional Resources

Leave a comment »

Clio Named One of Canada’s Most Innovative Technology Companies

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 12, 2017 by itnerd
Clio, the leader in cloud-based legal practice management software, has just been named one of Canada’s 20 Most Innovative Technology Companies by the Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX).
Hundreds of companies from all regions of Canada were reviewed by a selection committee made up of technology industry experts and investors from across the country. The CIX Top 20 are selected based on a number of key factors including product/service offering, depth of management, market opportunity, and business model, and are considered game-changing companies.
Clio was the only legal software to be selected for 2017.  Clio has the largest customer base of any legal practice management software with more than 150,000 clients in over 80 countries.
Clio will be at CIX 2017 on October 17-18 to share their story and unique innovation to a crowd of over 750 investors and peers in the North America technology ecosystem. Alongside these showcases will be dynamic sessions led by Canada’s top tech business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs.

Leave a comment »

So… What Did Apple Announce Today?

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 12, 2017 by itnerd

This is one Apple event where Apple apparently couldn’t keep its secrets under wraps. After the apparent golden master versions of iOS 11 leaked over the weekend, dedicated Apple watchers were able to figure out what the company was going to announce today. So, live from the brand new Steve Jobs Theater, here we go with what was announced, but you likely knew about anyway:

  • Apple released a new version of the Apple Watch today to maintain the fact that they are the #1 watch brand in the world…. Though they didn’t provide any numbers to back that up…. And they have an industry-leading customer satisfaction rate of 97%. But I digress as all you care about is what is new about the Apple Watch. Beyond what Apple previously announced in terms of watchOS 4, which by the way will be available on September 19th, Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular built in was announced. It uses the same phone number as your iPhone so you can leave your iPhone behind and be reached on your Apple Watch as it takes calls independent of the iPhone. In other words, welcome to the Dick Tracy era. It also allows you to stream music off Apple Music (presumably). It comes equipped with a new S3 2 core processor which is 70% faster. Siri can now talk too. It’s 50% more battery efficient too. The case for Apple Watch Series 3 is the same size as Apple Watch Series 2. The Series 1 Apple Watch will now start at $249 USD and the new Series 3 will start at $329 USD without cellular and $399 USD with cellular. You can pre-order on Sept. 15 and it should be available on Sep 22. For Canadians reading this, Bell and Telus are listed as carriers that will have the new Apple Watch. Thirteen other countries will also have the new Apple Watch on this date. Oh, they also announced new bands and new colors too.
  • AppleTV 4k was announced today. It supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. which means it should deliver great visuals. It uses the same A10X chip as the iPad pro as well. But the clear play is content. If you bought an HD movie on iTunes, it’s upgraded to 4k HDR at no charge. Netflix and Amazon Prime instant video will be 4k later this year. Plus live sports and local content are coming. The 32GB one costs $179 USD. 64GB costs $199 USD. The fourth-generation Apple TV remains available in 32GB for the same $149 USD.  Pre-orders September 15 and it will be available September 22.
  • The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were announced today. You still get 4.7″ and 5.5″ screens, but they’ve amped everything else up. A new Retina HD screen builds 3D Touch into the display with True Tone. There’s better and louder speakers. “A11 Bionic” chip is now powering the device which is 25% faster than the A10. It’s paired with the first ever Apple GPU design which is a big bloody deal as Apple hasn’t been in the chip designing business for that long. In terms of the camera, there’s an enhanced 12MP camera with better image signal processor. It now supports 1080p slomo video at 240fps and 4K at 60fps. Wireless charging using the Qi standard is now available. You can pre order on Sept 15, and it will be available on Sept 22. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be available in 64GB and 256GB storage capacities from $699 USD and $799 USD respectively.
  • The “one more thing” that was announced was the iPhone X. It has a 5.8″ display that is edge to edge. It follows the tight curve of the design. Glass on front and back makes it look sharp. It’s water and dust sealed and comes in Space Gray and Pearl Silver. It has a new display called the Super Retina display which is a OLED display with 458ppi which is an insane amount of pixels. You can wake the iPhone x by raising the phone or you can tap on screen. It has a new UI which allows you to swipe up from bottom to go Home. Which by the way illustrates that there is no more home button. For multitasking, swipe up and pause, and you’re in multitasking. You unlock the phone with your face and that’s called FaceID and Face ID is supported everywhere Touch ID is. For example, you can use your face to pay for stuff which sounds weird. The camera is a dual 12MP sensors. It can be charged wirelessly as well. It’s all powered by the “A11 Bionic” chip. It starts at $999 USD and you can pre-order one on October 27 and it ships on November 3. iPhone X comes in 64GB and 256GB capacities.
  • As an aside, the iPhone SE, the iPhone 6S, and the iPhone 7 aren’t going anywhere for now.
  • Related to this, Apple is making a mat called AirPower that can charge the Series 3 Watch, iPhone 8 or X, and Airpods in wireless charging case at the same time. It will be available “next year”…… Whatever that means.
  • For those of you who aren’t getting an iPhone 8, iOS 11 will be available Sept. 19.

Oddly enough, macOS High Sierra and tvOS weren’t mentioned. But I would imagine that they’re going to be available on September 19th. I’ll update this post with that and anything else that I come across.

UPDATE: macOS High Sierra will be available on September 25th. tvOS will be out on September 19.

UPDATE #2: It appears that Apple has new AirPods that work with the AirPower charging mat. The difference is the case which supports wireless charging and it isn’t clear if that will be sold separately to those who own AirPods. Nor is it clear when they will ship.

UPDATE #3: You can watch a replay of the event.  Just head to the event page and it will start streaming.

UPDATE #4: Telus reached out to me to say that besides the Series 3 Apple Watch, they will offer all of Apple’s latest products starting on September 22, including the new generation iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Customers will be able to pre-order iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus beginning Friday September 15 at telus.com.

1 Comment »

Review: Urban Armor Gear Monarch Series Case For iPhone 7/6/6S Plus

Posted in Products with tags on September 12, 2017 by itnerd

When I buy a case for my phone, it has to be tough. That’s because I have this habit of either dropping my phone in places like server rooms and wiring closets, or I do things like hiking, cycling, cross country skiing and the like where the possibility of dropping my phone exists. So when Urban Armor Gear sent me their Monarch Series Case for my iPhone 7 (it also fits the 6 Plus and 6S Plus), it got my attention.

IMG_0730.JPG

So, what makes this case special? For starters, it weighs next to nothing and is extremely thin. Which means it doesn’t add too much in the way of bulk and the phone once in the case still feels decent in you pocket. The fact that is so thin is something that I really liked as I do not like cases that add bulk to an otherwise thin phone. The construction of the case makes it clear that it’s meant to survive. It’s easy to grip which means it won’t slip out of your hands. It’s got redundant buttons that make it easy to power the phone on and off as well as adjust the volume. The case has a very minimal raised edge around the screen so that if you put your phone face down, an object won’t scratch the screen. But to make doubly sure that your screen doesn’t get damaged, I’d recommend a screen protector as well. Finally, it’s got a metal frame and a lot of impact absorbing material. The two materials combine to ensure that a drop will not kill your phone. In fact, the company claims that it is constructed to exceed the military drop-test standard (MIL STD 810G 516.6) by a factor of 2.

IMG_0731

If you look closely at the picture, the company has also added some leather to give the case a bit of style.

I accidentally did a drop test of my own when my iPhone 7 Plus fell out of my pocket from a height of three feet onto concrete and the phone survived. What was even more impressive was the fact that the case didn’t have a scratch.

The Urban Armor Gear Monarch Series Case for the iPhone 7/6/6S Plus retails for $60 USD and is warrantied for 10 years which implies that they have a lot of confidence in the quality of this case. Thus I would suggest that if you want a case that will survive whatever you can throw at it, this case should be at the top of your list to look at.

2 Comments »