Microsoft names their SaaS "Cloud Infrastructure Services"

Information Week in this weeks issue, is reporting about Microsoft's epiphany regarding Software as a Service. This is not new. Microsoft for several years has offered through resellers like HP, SPLA (Service Providers License agreement). What may be new is Microsoft may have discovered, 1) Advertisement supported on line services, and 2) the strategic ability to "eat their own young." The second may even be more important that the first.

With Its Head In The 'Cloud,' Microsoft Talks Web Services

Company leaders outline progress, promise more resources, in software-plus-services push.

By J. Nicholas Hoover
InformationWeek
July 28, 2007 12:00 AM (From the July 30, 2007 issue)

Microsoft last week continued to sketch out its emerging software-as-a-service strategy. In speech after speech at the company's annual meeting with financial analysts, Microsoft executives discussed the company's high-priority shift from a heavy reliance on shrink-wrapped software.

"From my viewpoint, every one of our software offerings is either a socket for a new attached service or an upgrade or up-sell opportunity to extend a product's value proposition up to the Web and potentially through to mobile devices," said chief software architect Ray Ozzie.

Throwing talent, resources, money at the ad business Microsoft's online architecture starts with a "foundation services" layer that includes the data centers from which its Web services run. The number of servers in Microsoft's services infrastructure has more than doubled in the last year, according to Ozzie. A new data center will break ground this week in San Antonio.

At the next level are "cloud infrastructure services," which Ozzie described as a kind of "utility computing fabric" of virtualized services, application frameworks, management infrastructure, storage, and network services. Microsoft expects to offer those capabilities to developers and to enterprise customers over time, Ozzie said.

The other layers in Microsoft's services model include "Live platform services" (identity and presence services, for example) that have an online advertising infrastructure, and applications such as CRM.

Microsoft will give Web-based "click-to-run capabilities" to Windows applications, CEO Steve Ballmer said. Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft's business division, added that there's a place online for "traditional office productivity," though he didn't say whether that meant Web versions of Office apps or lesser collaborative document editing and sharing capabilities.

Microsoft will extend its software offerings with "connected productivity scenarios" that might include document sharing, note taking, meetings, and universal access on the Web and mobile devices, Ozzie said. For line-of-business employees, CRM, lightweight ERP, and "issue-tracking solutions" may be in store.

Microsoft has been investing heavily in its advertising platform, including the $6 billion it's spending to acquire aQuantive. Last week, it disclosed plans to buy AdECN, an ad exchange that Microsoft officials likened to a stock exchange where ads are auctioned off to advertising networks that are exchange members. Yahoo bought an ad exchange, Right Media, earlier this year.

'HELL-BENT' ON SUCCESS
"We are hell-bent and determined to allocate the talent, the resources, the money, the innovation to absolutely become a powerhouse in the ad business," said Ballmer. "This is essential if our software-plus-services vision is going to come to fruition." And there was progress to report: Microsoft last week revealed deals to serve advertisements to visitors to social news site Digg and in-game advertising for five EA Sports video games.

As part of that effort to innovate and gain market position, Microsoft said it has formed an applied research group called the Internet Services Research Center to accelerate the development and deployment of Microsoft advertising technologies. The group will be headed by VP Harry Shum, formerly chief scientist for the company's search and advertising platform group under senior VP Satya Nadella.

Until the next post,

Steve

Let the Mash Ups begin.

Last month it was SalesForce.com and Google announcing a strategic alliance. This month it is Zoho and Facebook. But there is another type of Mash Up that has my interest today.

That is the mash up between hardware, software and services. Zonbu is offering a very small footprint Linux based PC for 99 USD. Included is a version of Linux with enough applications that meets the needs for many users.

Open Office and Mozilla are the two main applications included with a total of 20 available. There are games, media players and IM also on board. One of my now must have applications, Skype, is also included. For a complete list of included applications visit the Zonbu Application URL.

It has been known for years that thin clients consume less energy. In many countries the reduction in energy costs when combined with the cost to remove the heat that a standard PC will generate, offers paybacks times in months, not years. Now small, fanless, footprint PCs are achieving a similar lower energy use.

Zonbu offers ten reasons, listed on their website, for you to use Zonbu solution.

1) Green avenger

energy efficient design helps protect the planet.

2) Virtual virtuoso
Comes with every program most people ever need.

3) Incomparable Value

For $99 and $12.95 a month, run Zonbu anytime, all the time.

4) The fast life
Sets up in seconds, and everything's plug & play.

5) Self-assured
Automatically installs patches, upgrades and protects against viruses.

6) Happy exchanges
Easy hardware replacement — with all your data intact.

7) Easy going
Access your data from any PC — anywhere on the Internet.

8) Forget-me-not
From photos to tax numbers — automatically backs up all your data.

9) Penny-wise
Efficient hardware saves up to $10 per month on energy bills.

10) The small, silent type
Quiet operation and elegant, compact lines.

The question that now needs to be asked is “where is the value?” Yesterday I took one of my thin clients, an old NTA 6020 and dropped in 256 meg of memory, 4 Gig SanDisk and installed Ubuntu Feisty Fawn. I suppose you could contact Ewayco.com and order from them something very similar to what Zonbu has to offer. But both solutions would be missing what Zonbu is offering.

Are their more powerful packages available? I am writing this post using Microsoft Word hosted on a 64-bit machine running Vista Ultimate. Cables run everywhere. The machine to my immediate left has Microsoft Server 2008 with TS installed. Next to it is Server 2003. Add network storage, printers and few more boxes, but now I would be missing the point also. Zonbu is offering a turnkey solution that they think meets the needs of enough people that they can grow a business. The solution is really the triad of hardware, software, and online service, packaged with some green paper and pledge to “make it just work.”

Below is “The Concept” as presented in the sites FAQ.

"Zonbu was started to radically simplify and enhance your computing experience by offering an affordable, hassle-free, environmentally-friendly personal computer and software suite that take advantage of advances in open source software, self-healing architectures, and Web services. These combined advances enable one of the first dramatic changes in the personal computing model since the advent of personal computers.”

Comes with a three-year warranty. So what are the real costs in USD?

The PC is $99.00. Per month subscription 12.95 times 36 = $466.20. If you do not have a monitor, mouse or keyboard you will need to purchase them. Lets add $200.00. Could speed more or less.

The other major cost is broadband but that would be the same as if you had a PC. Subtract the three years of Antivirus you will not need if your current OS needs one. Subtract any repairs cost associated with your current solution. Add shipping costs for sending back a broken unit. Zonbu will cross ship a replacement unit.

Subtract energy savings. Depending on your location, the saving may offset the monthly subscription.

Subtract all software costs. All the software that you can use is included and maintained (updated) by Zonbu. This is the real test. You cannot add you own software. If you want something that is not on the menu, go to another restaurant. Here is that link back to the applications list. Remember, that you have a world class browser to access any online applications from other vendors like Google, Saleforce.com, Zoho, Facebook, et al. Maybe not that much of a problem after all, but just maybe not for everyone.

Zonbu does offer the option of purchasing the device for 249 USD if you choose not to participate in the two year service subscription. Service subscription begins at 12.95 USD for the basic service that includes 25 GB of server side storage. For an additional monthly subscription of 14.95 USD or 19.95 USD, server side storage can be increased to 50 or 100 GB.

My personal opinion is that this is a very viable option for more just a few. May need time and tender loving care to refine the total product into a sustainable package. I wish for them much success.

Now if they just had an inexpensive, small footprint laptop with Wifi…..!

Until the next post,

Steve

Pen and Paper: A new thin client, "Digital Pen Voting"

Got a call from a fellow IT guy, friend, and some time collaborator advising me he has something to give me. It is the manual for WEB 3.0 OS from 1992. WEB 3.0 sat atop MS DOS 3.X turning the connected devices into a Peer-to-Peer network, with E-mail. We installed a 20 node network for a NFP group in 1990 or 1991. New Samsung 386s with large 40 Meg hard drives. What could we put into those 8 Meg D: drives?

Of course everyone remembers what happened. Microsoft acquired the technology and it became Windows For Workgroups. One of the graphics that the developer (Josh) put into the WEB 3.0 OS still remains on the login screen of Server 2003. Probably does not do the exactly the same it did 17 years ago and the colors have changed, but the graphic is still there.

Chris has something else to show me. Paper. “Yes, it is a pad of paper.”

He insists I look more closely. “It has dots!” Ok, it has dots. “ I bought 10 pads for a dollar each at the close out store.” With all those dots, even thought you can barley see them, maybe 50 cents would have been a better price.

He then pulls out a pen. “You write on the paper.”

“But of course, that is what you normally do.”

“Exactly!” he proclaims.

“Let me show you. I want to send you an email. I write in this area your email address. Then I write in the subject line the subject. Now I can write anything on this piece of paper that I want to. Then check this box. And then this email is sent to you.”

Huh?

“THE PEN is a camera!”

Huh?

“THE PEN knows about the dots on the paper and records what you have written and stores that information in the 1 Meg of on board memory. Since it does not need to store what is printed on the form, it can store up to 40-50 written pages at a time. It then sends the stored data to a router, PC or a cell phone, and then that stored information is directed to the server-hosted application that processes the transmitted data as if you had entered it from a console. The paper form is the monitor and the pen is a combination keyboard and mouse.”

“Server Hosted Application?”

“Yes. Much of this is like your Server Based Computing.”

“The paper has a form printed over the top of the dot pattern and the digital pen can see the pattern of dots through the form but the pen or camera or what ever you want to call it, does not see what we humans can see and that is the printed form over the dots. The pen knows about the dots and where it is on the page. The pen has no need to know what we humans need to see. It is somewhat like your Server Based Computing when you separate the application execution from the presentation and then sends keystrokes, and mouse movements.”

“Is it not also like a data base form in that the form guides us on how to enter information but the database cares only about what information you entered and where it will store what you have entered?”

“I think you starting to grasp the idea.”

We are in sports bar that appears to have been a TV store that skipped the closeout sale before becoming a bar. No need for a theme just fill the wall space up with more and bigger screens. And servers that know how to sell…beer. She takes our order.

“Chris, these dots, are they like a Global Position Satellite system for paper?”

“If that would help your visualize what is going on then think of it in that way. But no. Although the barely visible dots appear to be uniform they are just the opposite. Each collection of dots is unique. The owners of this process have used a real estate metaphor to define where these dots are with respect to that one page and all the other unique pages in the world.”

“Like the county maps down at the courthouse that defines where the property is located, who owns the property, and the tax rate? How much does this stuff cost?”

“Hold the cost thought for later, And yes it much like the county recorders office, except larger.”

“How much larger?”

“Imagine starting out at the county court house and we started laying down a unique page of paper side by side and up and down. No two pages would be the same. We keep doing this until we ran out of discreet pages. How much of an area do think we could cover?”

“Ten square blocks?”

“Try again.”

“One hundred?”

“No.”

“How large?”

“About an area the size of Europe and Asia combined!”

“That’s big.”

The food arrives. I need some time to think about what Chris is trying to show me.

Here is an input device that transmits collected data from a unique form that is not replicated anywhere else in the world. “Chris do the pages in your pad have the same dot pattern for each page?”

“Yes, but remember that this form is the only form that can have this dot pattern.”

This process takes information that a human places on a printed form and transmits only that data that the application needs to start the downstream process. The fact that the page is unique means the pen can send collected data over a network knowing that on the backside an application will know about this page’s information and where and how it is to manage the data. Ok.

Then I start to think, does this process require special paper? Does it require a special printer? What about the ink, the toner, print on color paper? If the dots are black can I use black for my form or does it have to be a color other than black? Do I have to buy the paper from a proprietary source? I ask.

“Chris, does this process require a special printer or other supplies that must be purchased from the vendor?”

“No. If using a laser printer it recommended that you use a 600 or 1200 DPI color laser printer using white paper that has enough opacity for the pen not to misread dots that are printed on the back side of the paper.”

“Can you use a monochrome printer?”

“It is possible but not recommended for most applications. It is best to use carbon based black toner with high pigment content. This allows for high absorption in the IF band 800-950 nm. Use Cyan, Magenta and Yellow toner to create the text and graphics that we humans need to see. The pen sees the black dots and we see the human interface.”

“You now have an pen and paper process that can fill out forms and have that information processed directly into a back end application. Do you have an application in mind?”

“Replace many DRE and all the optical scan voting machines. I named it 'Digital Paper Voting'.”

I am taken back. I would have expected something like filing out insurance claim forms or renew form at the bureau of motor vehicles for my automobile license. He wants to replace many DRE and optical scan voting machines in the US.

“Chris, boards of elections all over the US have spent millions, or is it billions, of dollars updating to these high tech machines. Why would you think that they would change them out for a pen and paper system?”

“The DRE machines were supposed to be the better technology answer to punch cards and pull down lever machines. Then legislation added that there should be a paper audit trail. The original purpose of the DRE was to directly record electronically the vote. The results go directly in to a data cartridge and it is transported directly back to the board. No paper. Many of these boards are going to have to update the DRE equipment to conform to the new legislation requiring a paper audit trail.

Optical scan requires heavy card stock. It is sensitive to humidity and requires special handling. Digital Paper is very low cost compared to the OpScan paper. You can print ballots internally at your own office (read: Ballot on Demand). There is no need for an expensive precinct optical scanner.

More on the plus side of the equation for digital paper, the voter is provided with a natural and familiar interface--ink on a page! The paper ballot is retained for hand counting in re-counts and for other audits. Each voting station contains a pen and cradle; so votes are "recorded" in the 'booth'. You can use your old punch card booths--no need for expensive DREs (except the disabled voters).

Digital paper and pen can be used in early voting states, or in-house absentee voting. And it allows easy integration with vendors who already have ballot creation software/end of night tabulation systems and election night website output.”

I look at the WEB 3.0 Network Operating System manual dated April 1, 1992. “Could this be as significant as the WEB?”

“Maybe. The difference is that WEB was for network guys that wanted a simpler alternative to Novell. Digital paper is for everyone.”

For more information about digital pen and paper, visit www.votingindustry.com. Or you can view a Digital Pen Voting system demonstration on YouTube.






Until the next post,


Steve

Server Based Computing Reaches New High: Flight Level 370.

From Chris Preimesberger at Desktop Linux

May 29

Singapore Airlines is offering access to Sun's StarOffice 8 office productivity suite free of charge to passengers on its new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. StarOffice, Sun's proprietary version of OpenOffice.org, runs on the aircraft's Linux server and is accessed via a seat-back terminal at each passenger's seat, according to Sun.

Passengers run StarOffice from seat-back terminals that connect to a Linux-based server on the plane

Thanks to new USB ports embedded in the armrest of each chair (near the headphone jack), passengers now can use a USB key (aka thumb drive) or other portable drive to access their documents, spreadsheets, and presentation files from software running on the plane's Linux server.

StarOffice 8 supports both Open Document Format and Microsoft Office formats, and can export files to PDF format. Thus, passengers won't need to use their laptops if they are doing work on Word documents, spreadsheets, and presentation-type files -- all they need to do is carry the documents with them on a USB key or other USB storage device, such as an MP3 player.

"With heightened security, access to laptops during flights can sometimes be restricted," said Wong Heng Chew, managing director at Sun's Singapore division. "The availability of StarOffice ... offers Singapore Airlines' customers the opportunity to work on and access their information in an open, secure and freely available fashion independent of any vendor or file formats during their flights."

The first of the new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft was delivered last November and entered commercial services on the Singapore-Paris route in early December 2006, a Sun spokesperson said. Singapore Airlines currently deploys the 777-300ER aircraft to destinations such as Paris, Zurich, Seoul, San Francisco, Milan, Barcelona, and Hong Kong.

According to Sun, StarOffice software is a complete, feature-rich office productivity product that includes powerful word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database, graphics, drawing, photo editing and web publishing applications. Fully compatible with MS Office, it includes a built-in PDF export and supports XML, Flash, and HTML.

-- Chris Preimesberger

Do not need a laptop on the plane. Hotels are now offering thin clients in room. Several thin client vendors offer portable "laptop" like thin clients. A secure thumb drive is about all you need.

Until the next post,

Steve

BTW; the next post will be about a new class of thin clients. Pen and Paper! Thats right. Pen and paper can replace a thin or fat client console.

CBS, Viacom Give Joost $45M Boost

Already a Joost beta tester. IT works. Still has a few hiccups but on most occasions, when i can view the entire episode, it is Telvision.

Internet TV broadcaster Joost landed $45 million in financing, pulling in capital from a list that includes CBS Corp., Viacom and Sequoia Capital.

"This funding represents a tremendous vote of confidence in Joost's platform," said Janus Friis, co-founder of Joost. "We've carefully selected these investors from a variety of interested parties, as they are best-in-class in their respective arenas and bring unique assets to Joost that will enable us to significantly accelerate growth and development of the Company."

Why an interest with Joost when this blog is about SBC. IP TV is just a heartbeat away from VoIP and SBC. It is biderectional and has a one to many relationship with the users.

Click on an scheduled ad or a link posted in the program for more information regarding the product. A viewer, in a Rich Content Program, can see a necklace being worn by an on screen character and get information about that prop. "My girlfreind would really like that necklance!" Just click on the prop.

Until the next post,

Steve

Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition with help from Intel

Looks like i was not the only person that noticed Intel's recent press release. From Matt Zimmerman at Ubuntu:

At the heart of the Ubuntu project lies a belief that open source software and technology can play a key role in enabling individuals to achieve their potential. A central goal has been the creation of a world-class, free and open source operating system that we have worked to make accessible across notebooks, desktops, thin clients and servers.

Three years on, it is clear that new types of device - small, handheld, graphical tablets which are Internet-enabled are going to change the way we communicate and collaborate. These devices place new demands on open source software and require innovative graphical interfaces, improved power management and better responsiveness.

Intel, specifically, have announced a new low-power processor and chipset architecture which will be designed to allow full internet use on these mobile Internet devices.

To fulfil the aims of our mission and in response to the technical challenges that these devices pose, we are announcing the Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded project.

We will start more detailed planning at the Ubuntu Developer Summit next week in Seville and the first release of this edition will be in October with Ubuntu 7.10. If you are interested in the project, please get involved.

We will be working through our normal development processes on Launchpad, the developer mailing lists and IRC.

Finally, we are delighted to be working with Intel on this version of Ubuntu. Intel are making significant contributions of technology, people and expertise to the project. We hope that others who are interested in producing an easy-to-use and open source environment for this class of device will join us in making this a success.

--
- mdz

Until the next post,

Steve

DevonIT and IBM

DevonIt often shows up as an advertiser on this Blog. Received this press release in my email Inbox today from them and thought it appropriate to give them some space. I use one of their thin client devices, 6020A , as a testing device on my test bench. Works good.

2007 Press Releases

IBM Unveils New Blade "Eco" System for Next-Generation Client Computing

Blade.org Partner Devon IT Invests $8M in R&D with IBM BladeCenter;
New Solution Eliminates 90 Percent of the Energy Consumed by Desk Side Computing

ST.LOUIS, MO., PartnerWorld 2007 - May 1, 2007 - Today at its PartnerWorld 2007 Conference, IBM (NYSE: IBM) previewed the latest in next generation client computing with the new BladeCenter "Workstation Blade", developed in collaboration with Blade.org partner Devon IT. The new offering will include the new IBM Workstation Blade and its associated "eco" system of connection broker software and desktop device from Devon IT, designed to help customers host workstation environments remotely to significantly reduce energy consumption in the workplace.

The new blade-based solution from IBM and Devon IT will be ideal for traders in financial services and CAD design engineers, who find themselves traditionally surrounded by several workstations generating heat and noise. By moving desktop and applications to blade servers designed to more efficiently dissipate heat, and utilizing a desktop device with no spinning hard drives for storage or fans needed to dissipate heat, the energy consumed desk side can be reduced by up to 90 percent. While a typical workstation can consume up to 300 watts, a desktop device from Devon IT consumes merely 15 watts, the equivalent of the amount of energy consumed to run an electric shaver.

"Prior to the desktop PC boom 25 years ago, desktop client computing was hosted by networks of connected servers. By the 1990s PCs became connected and played a driving force in server and networking advancements," said Doug Balog, vice president and business line executive, IBM BladeCenter. "Today, new advances in servers and networking is helping to enable efficient hosting of complex client environments on servers allowing centralized management and security under the control of the datacenter. With its highly efficient design, IBM BladeCenter has arrived as the ideal platform for server-hosted client computing."

The new solution will also help improve business security and privacy by moving desktop assets and corporate IP back into the data center. Business productivity can be realized by providing users with a more flexible environment with free seating, and a robust infrastructure that enables access at ranges up to 2500 miles, comparable to the distance between San Francisco and New York. Lower management and traditional desk side support costs can also dramatically reduce IT operating costs.

The IBM Workstation Blade will also offer unique, breakthrough and leading edge remote display and graphics acceleration. Unlike competitive offerings, IBM's Workstation Blade relies on hardware compression techniques in the render and transfer of I/O and graphics from blade server to desktop device, drastically improving the quality of image delivered and the performance and speed of the process. In addition, end users will be able to use a full array of USB devices, beneficial for less demanding graphics applications. The IBM Workstation Blade will extend the infrastructure integration capabilities of IBM's family of BladeCenter systems, and will complement IBM's Virtual Client Solution, introduced in 2005. IBM can offer customers a wide range of 'remote desktop' computing options. These include, publishing server based applications, offering a server based Virtual Client Solution, as well as the ability to offer a high end workstation class blade computing environment.

Investing in the Promise of IBM BladeCenter
When IBM opened up the specifications to IBM BladeCenter in 2004, it took a unique stance in the industry enabling entrepreneurial innovation to drive the development of blade-based computing. Since then customers have benefited from the collaborative approach that has kept IBM at the forefront of blade system design and solution innovation.

Devon IT began its collaborative relationship with IBM in 2005 and has since invested over $8 million dollars in research and development with IBM to drive innovation in next generation client computing.

"IBM is clearly the leader in Blade computing technologies, and we are proud to offer our technology as part of the Workstation Blade initiative," said Joe Makoid, president, Devon IT. "As a founding member of Blade.org, Devon IT has collaborated with industry leaders like IBM to help establish a framework for alternative desktop computing methods. This has given Devon IT the opportunity to drive our business and embark on future server-hosted desktop projects with IBM that will continue to reduce desktop computing costs for enterprise IT customers."

Devon IT recently launched its Server Desktop Solution Center at its headquarters in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The Server Desktop Solution Center is the industry's first facility where companies can bring their own servers - either physically or virtually - to test and implement server-centric computing environments. Customers can test Devon IT desktop devices, IBM BladeCenter systems and servers, software from Citrix, and virtualization solutions from VMware, along with products from other server-based computing companies. Industry experts from Devon IT and CentriServ also offer seminars, classes, and comprehensive solution and integration services to help companies understand and implement server-centric computing environments.

About Devon IT
Devon IT is an information technology company that focuses on offering desktop devices, alternative desktop computing methods, and ultra-secure remote access solutions that provide enterprise customers with greater security, enhanced manageability, improved reliability, and lower costs. Devon IT develops products which support IBM's Hosted Client Infrastructure and Blade Computing ecosystem and is a founding member of Blade.org. More information is available at www.devonit.com

About Blade.org
Blade.org is a collaborative organization and developer community focused on accelerating the development and adoption of blade server solutions. The organization provides leadership to the blade market and fosters a thriving industry ecosystem focused on delivering valuable solutions to blade computing customers.

For more information about IBM BladeCenter, please visit www.ibm.com/bladecenter.

---

Media Contacts

Vineeta Durani IBM Media Relations 415-545-2350 vdurani@us.ibm.com

Paul Mancini Devon IT 610-757-4108 pmancini@devonit.com

Until the next post,

Steve

WiMax Laptop Card Approved by (US) FCC

There are some elements of Server Based Computing that are common to the industry at large. Connectivity being one of them. Have been following Clearwire since it entered the Jacksonville, FL market several years ago. Notice in the last paragraph of this press release a reference to 2 to 4 kilometers. The distance is estimating a "None Line of Sight" distance. With Wifi this distance is measured in meters . How many meters are there in a kilometer? It is that big of a change!

Regulators have approved the first WiMax wireless broadband laptop PC card to be offered by Clearwire.

Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service

Tuesday, May 01, 2007 8:00 PM PDT

Regulators have approved the first WiMax wireless broadband laptop PC card to be offered by Clearwire Corp., and it should be available to users later this year, the company said Tuesday.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved a WiMax laptop PC card that fits into a standard Type II laptop card slot and can be used with the Windows Vista and XP operating systems, Clearwire said in a statement. The card works on Clearwire's WiMax network, which has been built with Motorola Inc. wi4 Expedience wireless networking equipment.

Approval of the high performance WiMax card should propel the use of WiMax by broadening the potential base of customers, Clearwire said in a statement.

Laptop PC users were instrumental in increasing the popularity of Wi-Fi, which WiMax aims to replace with its speedier wireless Internet service and wider ranging access. Wi-Fi became popular because it freed people from sitting at home connected to the Internet by wire, and instead allowed them to sip coffee at Starbucks while reading e-mails wirelessly on their laptop PCs.

Clearwire, of Kirkland, Washington, expects the WiMax laptop PC cards to be available in the second half of this year. The company currently offers broadband wireless services in the U.S. and Europe. Its subscribers rose to 206,000 as of the end of last year, from just 1,000 on Sep. 30, 2004, it said when it filed to list on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC in February. Its subscriber base has grown despite wireline alternatives for users, including broadband cable modems and DSL (digital subscriber line) Internet service.

As of the end of last year, Clearwire services were available to 9.6 million people, including 8.6 million throughout the U.S., and one million in Brussels, Belgium and Dublin, Ireland, the company said.

WiMax base stations can send broadband Internet signals to far greater distances than Wi-Fi technology. Although estimates vary on how far WiMax signals can go, in densely populated cities, where users are not likely to be positioned within sight of access points, the distance should be between 2 km and 4 km.

Until the next post,

Steve

Made in India PC for just about $ 100

In a previous post i posed the question could China or India spur the next wave of Server Based Computing. It looks like India may the first. Novatium announced an ambitious plan to provide as a subscription service its Net PC to 10 million users over the next 5 years. Combine this announcement with India government planning to make broadband widely available and you have an environment for SBC growth. The subscription service is targeted at 400 rupees (about 10 USD) per month. Below is the release from The Hindu News Update Service.

New Delhi, April 29 (PTI): While global computing giants like IBM and AMD are yet to give shape to their ambitious plans for a computer that costs 100 dollars or less, an Indian company has already set its eyes on 10 million potential customers with its up-and-running PC priced at Rs 4,500 only.

The machine, launched by Chennai-based Novatium Solutions in 2004, costs a little over 100 dollars as of today in the US currency, thanks to the depreciation in the greenback, but it was priced at less than 100 dollars till a few months back.

Novatium is targeting 10 million users in the next five years for this innovative product, company CEO Alok Singh told PTI from Chennai.

The company has already started a successful commercial pilot for its NetPC computer in Chennai, he said.

"Since our trial was commercial in nature, we plan to stick to it. Going forward, we plan to expand into 6-7 big cities in the next year. Some of our immediate plans are going into two new cities in this quarter and two more in the next quarter," Singh said.

Novatium was co-founded by US-based Analog Devices chairman Ray Stata, Netcore Solutions managing director Rajesh Jain and professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT Madras.

The company's NetPC works on a "thin client" concept. This is a small box and does not contain any software or application. It is linked to a central server, which hosts all applications.

"Network PC (NetPC) costs around 100 dollars (less than Rs 4,400) and along with a monthly subscription of around Rs 400, it provides you with internet connection and almost everything like authentic softwares, applications etc," Singh said.

"The use of mobile chips forms the basis of our low-cost computer model," he added.

NetPC is probably one of the very few successful attempts when a company has been able to replicate a business model that combines philanthropy with sound economic sense.

US-based business software giant Oracle Corporation's founder Larry Ellison had mooted the idea of a low-cost network computer way back in 1990, while Nicholas Negroponte, the former director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Labs, has been long outlining designs for a sub-100 dollar computer.

In 2005, chip maker AMD also ventured out in the low-cost computing space and similarly, while Intel is also investigating ways to make low-cost PCs available in Eastern Europe, India and other developing areas.

When Negroponte, now heading the ambitious non-profit global project One Laptop Per Child, first unveiled his 100 dollar computer model in 2005, the computing legend Bill Gates scoffed it for not being a "decent machine."

Things have changed a lot since then and when Negroponte revealed the machine finally last week, it turned out to be running on Microsoft's operating system, Windows XP Starter Edition.

However, the cost of the product coming out from One Laptop Per Child, designed for school children in developing countries, has been put at 175 dollars -- which is quite higher than that of the Indian NetPC product.

According to experts, the price of softwares especially operating systems and expensive add-ons ramps up the price of desktop computers. This has a domino effect and when it finally arrives to the end-user it costs at least 300-400 dollars (Rs 14,000 -17,500).

"While TV and mobile phone penetration has gone up by leaps and bounds, computing is nowhere. A way to increase computer users in the country could be by making computers at a less cost and then offering the same at a lesser price," Singh said.

Novatium devices support all the common network operating systems, namely, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Solaris 9 and 10, Red Hat Linux and other Linux distributions.

"The company has tied-up with various partners and is planning to ramp up operations soon," Singh said.

"Due to our business-model we had to tie up with partners that take care of content applications, server applications, he said, adding that these partners provide critical links for our personal computer network.

"The challenge for my company is to bring in new users and with the kind of targets we have set, we are confident more and more people will use NetPC," Singh said.

Will keep you posted as to who are the partners. The news release does not mention any of them by name.

Until the next post,

Steve

Microsoft Longhorn Standard Server Beta 3

Downloaded Microsoft Longhorn Standard Server Beta 3 for 64 and 32 this weekend. Both installed flawlessly. Looks like they have keep much of what is in Terminal Server 2003 that worked well and added a few new items. Things like load balancing/management/fault tolerance, application publishing, web access and support for some client plug and play devices.

The caveat with load management is that the servers must be in a domain. A footnote suggests that 2-5 or 6 servers maybe the most you would want in the load managed farm. Or maybe the upper limit is not known and Microsoft is recommending that for test purposes you might not exceed a small number.

However, I did notice very quickly that my Linux based thin clients would not connect to either the 64 or 32 bit version of TS. Maybe Rdesktop will need a little tweaking?

As a lark loaded Skype as an application. Installed the Vista desktop experience and enabled audio on the client. Everything works except for the microphone. Get a nasty error message that a sound recording device is not installed.

Here is the link if you want to get a copy of Longhorn Server. The license is good for a year.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/longhorn/audsel.mspx

Until the next post,

Steve

US FFA may switch to a Google Dell Linux SBC solution?

Read with interest that Microsoft will allow Vista to become a hosted application for those with SA. Also read that Dell will continue offering XP on some products. But while sifting through some old searches, came across this 6 week old article in Information Week dated March 6.

"FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration) May Ditch Microsoft's Windows Vista And Office For Google And Linux Combo"

Microsoft has for years had the ability to publish a product like Google Applications For Your Domain. However, it appears to me they find it difficult to “eat their own young.” I suspect that internally they have battled with idea that SBC and thin clients replacing some Personal Computers is not in the best interest of Microsoft. A PC on every desk may have once been the goal but now i believe it is the access to the power of computing when and where the customer wants it. The FFA may have just said “Google Dell 123, turn right 110, climb and maintain flight level...” and others are insisting this flying stuff is just fantasy and will never ever take off.

FAA chief information officer David Bowen said he's taking a close look at the Premier Edition of Google Apps as he mulls replacements for the agency's Windows XP-based desktop computers and laptops.

By Paul McDougal
InformationWeek

March 6, 2007 11:00 AM

March is coming in like a lion for Microsoft's public sector business. Days after InformationWeek reported that the Department of Transportation has placed a moratorium on upgrades to Vista, Office 2007, and Internet Explorer 7, the top technology official at the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that he is considering a permanent ban on the Microsoft in favor of a combination of Google's new online business applications running on Linux-based hardware.

In an interview, FAA chief information officer David Bowen said he's taking a close look at the Premier Edition of Google Apps as he mulls replacements for the agency's Windows XP-based desktop computers and laptops. Bowen cited several reasons why he finds Apps attractive. "It's a different sort of computing strategy," he said. "It takes the desktop out of the way so you're running a very thin client. From a security and management standpoint that would have some advantages."

Google Apps Premier Edition last month at a price of $50 per user, per year. It features online e-mail, calendaring, messaging, and talk applications, as well as a word and a spreadsheet . The launch followed Google's introduction of a similar suite aimed at consumers in August. The new Premier Edition, however, offers enhancements, including 24x7 support, aimed squarely at corporate and government environments.

Bowen said he's in talks with the aviation safety agency's main hardware supplier, Dell Computer, to determine if it could deliver Linux-based computers capable of accessing Google Apps through a non-Microsoft browser once the FAA's XP-based computers pass their shelf life. "We have discussions going on with Dell," Bowen said. "We're trying to figure out what our roadmap will be after we're no longer able to acquire Windows XP."

Bowen, however, said he has not definitely ruled out an FAA-wide upgrade to and related software -- if Microsoft can satisfy his concerns over compatibility with the agency's existing applications and demonstrate why such a move would make financial sense given Google Apps's low price. "We have a trip to Microsoft scheduled for later this month," said Bowen.

Like the Department of Transportation, the FAA -- technically under DOT but managed separately -- has its own moratorium in place on upgrades to Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 7, and 2007. Among other things, Bowen said the FAA's copies of IBM's software don't work properly on test PCs running Windows Vista.

Bowen's compatibility concerns, combined with the potential cost of upgrading the FAA's 45,000 workers to Microsoft's next-generation desktop environment, could make the moratorium permanent. "We're considering the cost to deploy [Windows Vista] in our organization. But when you consider the incompatibilities, and the fact that we haven't seen much in the way of documented business value, we felt that we needed to do a lot more study," said Bowen.

Because of Google Apps' sudden entry into the desktop productivity market, what once would have been a routine decision at the FAA to eventually upgrade to Microsoft's latest software is now firmly up in the air. With similar debates doubtless playing out at other government agencies -- and in the private sector -- Microsoft is going to have to work a lot harder than in past years convincing customers to follow its well worn path of new releases and follow-on patches.

Until the next post,

Steve

Mobile SBC Clients 2008 and beyond.

Have managed a terminal server using a RDP client on a cell phone and worked. Not well, but it worked. That is why I am easily side tracked by convergent devices and UMPC form factors. Although the death of the UMPC has often been reported, Intel is betting otherwise. Below is a news release from Intel. Not just 40% smaller components but, Wi-Fi AND WiMax included.

Intel Keeps Mobile Engine Humming, Fueled By Silicon Technology Advances

Innovation, Processing Performance and Cooperation Key to Moving Forward Faster

INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, Beijing, April 18, 2007

Describing the latest trends in mobile computing at the Intel Developer Forum today, Intel Corporation executives said that personalization and content are key drivers behind increased demand for notebook PCs and mobile Internet devices (MIDs).

"The Internet is one of the driving forces in today's PC market and there is a desire for the Internet to be mobile," said David (Dadi) Perlmutter, Intel senior vice president and general manager, Mobility Group. "Intel is serving the market today with notebook PCs, and will expand its reach by adding WiMax to notebooks as well as small form factor MIDs in 2008."

Perlmutter continued by discussing the importance of high-performance processors to enable users to have mobile access to the internet. Intel continues to provide high-performance processors based on innovative silicon technology that delivers energy efficiency and great battery life needed by users on-the-go including the next generation Centrino processor technology "Santa Rosa."

Due in May, Santa Rosa processor technology is comprised of a next-generation Intel® Core™2 Duo processor, the Mobile Intel® 965 Express chipset family, Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Network Connection, Intel® 82566MM and 82566MC Gigabit Network Connection, and optional Intel® Turbo memory. Perlmutter demonstrated how Intel Turbo Memory decreases resume time from notebook hibernation, thus increasing productivity and reducing system power consumption.

In the first half of 2008, Santa Rosa will be refreshed with Intel's innovative 45nm Hi-k dual core mobile processor, codenamed "Penryn." Later in 2008, Perlmutter said Intel will deliver "Montevina" processor technology, also with Penryn, for greater performance and energy efficiency. With approximately 40 percent smaller components, Montevina will be ideal for mini- and sub-notebooks, and will include integrated hardware decode for high-definition video.

For the first time, Intel will make its integrated Wi-Fi/WiMAX solution available as an option with Montevina-based notebooks, enabling people to connect to Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks worldwide. Mobile WiMAX provides multi-megabit speed, greater throughput and wider range versus other wireless broadband technologies, which is crucial as consumers increasingly want to access user-generated content, high-definition videos, music, photos and other large data files while on the go.

Redefining Mobility with Innovation, Integration
Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, described the evolution of the personal mobile Internet, outlined changes in Intel's silicon roadmap that will create radical reductions in power requirements and innovative new packaging technology, and disclosed a range of leading industry players Intel is working with to establish the MID and ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) categories.

Chandrasekher introduced the Intel® Ultra Mobile platform 2007 (formerly codenamed "McCaslin") for MIDs and UMPCs and said systems will be available over the summer from Aigo*, Asus*, Fujitsu*, Haier*, HTC* and Samsung*. The Intel Ultra Mobile platform 2007 is based on the Intel processor A100 and A110, the Intel 945GU Express Chipset and the Intel ICH7U I/O Controller Hub.

"Today's environment is primed for a truly personal, mobile Internet experience and the Intel Ultra Mobile platform 2007 combines the flexibility of a PC with the mobility of a handheld device," said Chandrasekher. "But we will not stop here. In 2008, Intel will deliver an entirely new platform based on Intel's 45nm low-power microarchitecture designed from the ground up to let people to carry their personal mobile Internet in their pocket."

Pulling in the schedule by half a year, Chandrasekher said Intel will deliver its next-generation platform for MIDs and UMPCs codenamed "Menlow" in the first half of 2008. While demonstrating the world's first working Menlow-based prototype, he said it will be based on a new 45nm Hi-k low power microarchitecture-based processor, codenamed "Silverthorne," and next-generation chipset, codenamed "Poulsbo."

Chandrasekher also announced the formation of the Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance. Together, alliance members will work on engineering challenges, including power management, wireless communications, and software integration, that are associated with delivering the full Internet in ever-smaller MID form factors.

45nm High-k Metal Gate Transistors Technology Leadership
Intel's next-generation processors for the ultra-mobile, mobile, desktop, workstation and server segments will be based on the company's leading 45nm silicon process technology that uses its revolutionary high-k metal gate transistors.

During his Technology Insight presentation, Intel Senior Fellow Mark Bohr said the company now has working versions of its Silverthorne processor based on its 45nm Hi-k low power microarchitecture for MIDs and UMPCs. Silverthorne joins already working versions of its 45nm Hi-k Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Intel Xeon family of processors. Today, Intel has more than 15 different 45nm Hi-k product designs in various stages of development, and will have two 45nm manufacturing fabs in production by the end of the year, with four in production by the second half of 2008.

Intel's long-standing research and technology pipeline has led to innovative advances in silicon technology that in turn allow the company to continuously deliver the cost and performance benefits of Moore's Law. In 2003, Intel was the first to introduce strained silicon technology to greatly increase the speed of its transistors on its 90nm process.

Intel is already working on technology for 32nm, 22nm and beyond. Bohr described several options that Intel is researching for future technology generations, including tri-gate transistors, Indium Antimonide quantum well transistors and carbon nanotube interconnects.

View Intel Developer Forum Day 2 news disclosures.

View product information for the Intel® Ultra Mobile Platform 2007 at www.intel.com/products/mid/ultramobile2007.htm

View the complete Intel Developer Forum press kit at http://www.intel.com/pressroom/idf.

About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

Intel, Intel Core, Centrino, Xeon and the Intel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

* Other brands may be claimed as the property of others.