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Supplier Report: 11/15/2014

Photo: Tim Parkinson, Flickr

IBM

  1. IBM sells US Government $325M in supercomputers (they are the fastest computers ever made):
    http://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/300074813/ibm-cheers-325m-supercomputer-and-openpower-cpu-win.htm
  2. IBM CFO: Not all revenue is good revenue:

    “In just the last 10 years, we were split 30, 33 and 36 hardware, software and services and now our hardware business just last year was down to seven percent of our profit, and services was nearly half and software was nearly the other half,” he explains.

    http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/techflash/2014/11/ibm-cfo-schroeter-all-revenue-is-not-good-revenue.html

  3. Apparently this is big news: Ginni Rometty was granted membership to Augusta golf course. (She was denied 2 years ago, there is like 60 articles on this topic).
    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/56436d16-6b6e-11e4-ae52-00144feabdc0.html
  4. IBM Watson group introducing mobile health app:

    However, the abundance of data about our health and health concerns creates a problem: how do we manage it all? That’s where Watson comes in. Watson’s cognitive computing abilities sort through all that data and finds exactly what you need based on your medical history and genetic information.

    http://www.techtimes.com/articles/20172/20141113/ibms-watson-wants-to-help-you-manage-your-health.htm

  5. IBM Study: IT Departments Build Shared Value, Shared Belief with Business Leaders
    Credit: IBMhttp://public.dhe.ibm.com/common/ssi/ecm/en/gbe03627usen/GBE03627USEN.PDF
  6. IBM’s heavy SoftLayer push beings – offering $10,000 credits and free access to BlueMix apps:
    http://www.cloudwedge.com/4891-ibm-offers-startups-10k-per-month-in-softlayer-credits/They are specifically targeting start-ups (giving them free support and mentoring as well)
    http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2014/11/10/ibm-wants-startups-on-its-cloud/

Oracle

  1. Oracle allowing SAP to pay only $349M in a $1.3B legal copyright (TomorrowNow) settlement:
    http://www.nasdaq.com/article/oracle-settles-for-sap-to-pay-359m-in-copyright-suit-analyst-blog-cm414331
  2. Monopoly claim against Oracle can proceed:

    Sun released its UNIX-based Solaris operating system in 1992. Sun provided end users free updates of its copyrighted, proprietary Solaris system, bug fixes and firmware for free. But that ended in 2011, when Oracle purchased Sun Microsystems, and required customers to sign exclusive contracts tying them to Oracle support services.

    http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/11/12/oracle-not-off-the-hook-in-monopoly-case.htm

  3. Oracle’s corporate pay system still under fire:

    Oracle took great troubles in the previous year to face complaints about how much it paid top executives of the firm. Larry Ellison, founder of oracle even took a pay cut. Yet the firm investors persist to signal their condemnation of the firm’s compensation performs. For the third year in line, more investors voted beside than for a nonbinding suggestion to support the pay awarded to firm executives.

    http://www.streetwisereport.com/will-oracle-corporation-nyseorcl-skyrocket-on-pay-cuts-adobe-systems-incorporated-nasdaqadbe-channeladvisor-corp-nyseecom/16098/

HP

  1. HP under fire for Israeli support at the Palestine borders:

    The company supplies products and services to the Israeli “Ministry of Defense” and the Israeli Navy, and maintains a presence in an illegal West Bank settlement. It also supplies and maintains a high-tech system of ID controls at Israel’s brutal and sadistic network of racist checkpoints in the West Bank.

    http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/adri-nieuwhof/hp-spins-israeli-checkpoints-role-reducing-friction-palestinians

  2. HP releases mobile device management system (focus is on mid and small sized companies):

    Rather than confining the use of IT management services in the cloud to smartphones and tablets, Park says the time has come to simplify the management of all mobile computing devices. While large enterprise IT organizations usually have dedicated solutions to manage devices, Park notes that the average SMB organization is now being overwhelmed because every employee now has multiple devices to be managed.

    http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/it-unmasked/hp-unfurls-mobile-device-management-service-in-the-cloud.html

Other

  1. There has been a security flaw in Windows since Win05 that was just recently patched:
    http://www.businessinsider.com.au/microsoft-fixes-19-year-old-bug-in-windows-2014-11
    PS: If this is another shell shock situation, forget my name 🙂 [NOTE: It was patched in May]
  2. SalesForce drops $640M on San Francisco office:
    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/salesforce-signs-agreement-to-purchase-50-fremont-street-building-expanding-worldwide-headquarters-in-san-francisco-2014-11-12
  3. Microsoft’s SaaS Cloud Strategy is working:
    They are avoiding a hardware show-down with Amazon and Google and pushing their SaaS product line and making smart partnerships with companies like DropBox and SalesForce.
    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/11/10/this-is-why-microsoft-corporation-will-win-the-clo.aspx

Article Count: 766

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Productivity Bulletin: 11/14/2014

Photo: Sean MacEntee, Flickr

Posted on

Supplier Report: 11/8/2014

Photo: The Atlantic

IBM

  1. The first output of the Apple and IBM deal:

    Apple enterprise users can now get direct product support through the enterprise partnership unveiled by IBM and Apple in July.

    http://www.eweek.com/mobile/first-fruits-of-apple-ibm-deal-applecare-for-enterprise-services.html

  2. IBM cloud services are gaining a stronger market hold:

    The latest global analysis from Synergy Research Group ranks IBM as the top hybrid and private cloud provider for the enterprise and positions the company among the top three providers in the cloud market for the third quarter of 2014.

    http://www.eweek.com/cloud/ibm-tracks-cloud-deals-to-top-ranking.html

  3. IBM Intelligent Cloud Security Portfolio:

    According to a new IBM study of nearly 150 Chief Information Security Information Officers (CISOs), while 85 percent say their organizations are now moving to cloud, almost half expect a major cloud provider to experience a security breach. Despite these concerns, critical workloads processing customer and sensitive data are still moving to the cloud.

    https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/45326.wss

  4. Can IBM before relevant again?
    This article kind of sums up the themes presented on this report the last month: IBM’s issues, the corporate break ups of Symantec and HP, and the growing cloud focus.  Good read.
    http://www.ecoustics.com/articles/ibm-relevant-sorting-biggest-basket/
  5. Korea is now getting an IBM cloud center (doesn’t say if it is under the SoftLayer umbrella)
    http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/11/07/2014110701265.html
  6. IBM cuts 50,000 jobs in India and will replace Global Services lead:
    Erich Clementi will be replaced as of Jan. 1 by Martin Jetter, who heads IBM’s operations in Japan.
    http://wraltechwire.com/as-ibm-reportedly-cuts-50-000-india-jobs-ceo-replaces-global-services-leader/14146112/

Oracle

  1. How did Larry Ellison make is fortune?

    IBM researcher Edward Codd inspired him with a research paper titled “A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks.” IBM didn’t see the potential in the product and essentially allowed Ellison and the co-founders of Software Development Laboratories, a forerunner to Oracle, to build the first commercial relational database system.

    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/11/05/heres-how-the-second-richest-tech-geek-made-his-bi.aspx

HP

  1. HP is building a data driven operating system from scratch:
    http://sdtimes.com/hps-plan-new-operating-system-speed-less-energy/
  2. Lots of news about HP creating a smart watch (yawn)
    http://www.bidnessetc.com/28411-hp-teams-up-with-micheal-bastian-to-make-classy-wearables/
  3. Another heavy news cycle on HP’s 3D printer and scanner release that was covered last week.
    http://seekingalpha.com/article/2658555-3d-printing-revolutionary-industry-terrible-investment

Other

  1. A breakdown of the pressures EMC is facing to split.

    Greenlight Capital Inc., the $10 billion firm run by David Einhorn, today disclosed a new “medium-sized” stake in EMC. The hedge fund said Hopkinton, Massachusetts-based EMC is trading at a “sizable discount to the sum of its parts” because of its structure, where businesses ranging from enterprise storage, software virtualization and cloud infrastructure trade under the parent company.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-05/emc-gets-einhorn-investment-adding-to-activist-pressures.html

  2. Michael Dell continues to talk a big game since going private:

    Dell said HP’s move to split into two separate companies was to help shareholders, not customers. Concerning IBM, he said, “To be in the end-to-end solutions business you have to have both ends. Or else it’s the end. We think it’s very important to have the complete solution.”

    http://www.crn.com/news/data-center/300074692/michael-dell-slams-hp-ibm-as-dell-world-gets-under-way.htm

  3. Tableau’s CEO says company’s biggest issue is getting talent:
    https://gigaom.com/2014/11/06/tableau-ceo-says-the-companys-biggest-challenge-now-is-talent/

Article Count: 741

Posted on

Productivity Bulletin: 11/05/2014

Photo: Sean MacEntee, Flickr

  • Prepare for a presentation like it is the zombie apocalypse:

    It all boils down to the essentials and these essentials are the same when it comes to presenting. If you get these wrong, it’s your audience that become members of the undead, growling and snarling.

    http://www.masterpresenting.com/2014/10/29/stopping-zombie-presenting/

  • Having trouble tracking down someone’s email address, this website can help:
    http://www.voilanorbert.com/
  • Finding the right way to get angry…

    The aim of the discomfort caveat is to disarm the person, to keep them from becoming defensive. When someone hears that you are uncomfortable and that the conversation is difficult for you, it increases the likelihood that they will approach what you have to say with empathy. After using this opening, you can then delve deeper into what bothers you, what you think and feel in the aftermath of whatever happened (why anger emerged instead of other feelings).

    http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_right_way_to_get_angry?

  • Managing cumulative stress:

    In your day-to-day life, there are things that fill your bucket up. These are inputs like sleep, nutrition, meditation, stretching, laughter, and other forms of recovery.

    There are also forces that drain the water from your bucket. These are outputs like lifting weights or running, stress from work or school, relationship problems, or other forms of stress and anxiety.

    http://jamesclear.com/cumulative-stress

  • Dealing with a negative performance review:

    Do:
    Ask questions and get clarifications — it’s critical to understand the specific ways you can improve
    Take the initiative to make a detailed plan of action
    Remember to see the value in feedback — it can be a springboard for positive change
    Don’t:
    Get angry or argue with the feedback — you’ll only make things worse
    Turn only to sympathetic friends to vent — you also need honest mirrors to make sense of the review
    Consider the review the final word — how you react to the feedback is far more important

    http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/10/what-to-do-after-a-bad-performance-review/

  • Small Talk: Ask people about their challenges…

    A great question I love is challenges. “What kind of challenges did you have at work this week? What kind of challenges do you have living in this part of the country? What kinds of challenges do you have raising teenagers?” Everyone has got challenges. It gets people to share what their priorities in life are at that point in time.

    http://lifehacker.com/generate-better-small-talk-by-asking-about-challenges-1651767365