Tag: Dell

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Supplier Report: 1/7/2017

Japan’s love of technology might be backfiring for their salarymen as 36 white collar workers have been replaced by IBM’s Watson technology (long term they will need it due to declining a declining population). Foxconn workers in China are also being phased out in favor of automation and robotics (because young Chinese workers don’t want to be treated like robots).

The US Healthcare industry is expected to grow their use of cognitive computing by 42% (compound annual growth rate) over the next 4 years. During those 4 years your car is also expected to get much smarter as Amazon and Microsoft are putting their AI technologies in your dashboard.

Acquisitions

  • Google buys Sweden’s Limes Audio to boost Hangouts voice quality

    “As more and more businesses adopt our video conferencing solutions, powered by Chromebox for Meetings and Google Hangouts, it’s critical that we provide a great audio experience. With G Suite customers now relying on video communications for their day-to-day meetings, it’s more important than ever to ensure low-cost, high-quality audio.”

    https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/05/google-acquires-limes-audio/?ncid=rss

  • Why LinkedIn Under Microsoft Is Doomed (this article is a little misguided, but a fun read)

    There are two things Microsoft will most likely do to LinkedIn. The first would be to leave it alone, which—from what I can tell—will worsen the product. But Redmond could also come in and ruin the product with a few years of meddling, just as it did with everything from Nokia to WebTV.

    So the likelihood of anything good coming from the LinkedIn buyout is improbable, at best. This, despite the fact that Satya Nadella is at the helm. The problem is the corporate culture, not the bosses.

    http://www.pcmag.com/commentary/350754/why-linkedin-under-microsoft-is-doomed

Artificial Intelligence

Cloud

  • AT&T Goes All In on IoT at CES

    In a series of announcement at the show, AT&T revealed a new partnership with Emerson for methane emissions monitoring, announced the addition of Portland, Ore., as a new spotlight city in its Smart Cities program, and launched a new IoT Professional Services offering that will lend the carrier’s expertise to help businesses design, test, deploy, and manage IoT solutions. Alongside the latter, AT&T also introduced a new light version of its IoT Starter Kit, a dedicated starter kit for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT service, and a more streamlined IoT device certification process.

    https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2017/01/t-goes-all-iot-ces

  • Microsoft unveils connected car strategy at CES 2017: ‘Cloud will do the heavy lifting’

    The platform allows automakers to leverage Microsoft’s virtual assistants, business applications, and office services, the post said. It will also help integrate productivity tools such as Cortana, Office 365, and Skype for Business into vehicles.

    http://www.techrepublic.com/article/microsoft-unveils-connected-car-strategy-at-ces-2017-cloud-will-do-the-heavy-lifting/

Datacenter

  • Dell EMC serves up ‘white glove’ treatment to exclusive top-tier partner level

    “Partners with Titanium Black status have placed a big bet on Dell EMC,” Byrne said. “They’re going above and beyond. They’re investing heavily in us and we are returning the investment in them so they can continue to achieve the extraordinary.

    “Titanium Black provides a rare and distinctive opportunity far and above what partners have experienced anywhere in the industry. Through the Dell EMC Partner Program, Dell EMC and our partners will attack the market, with our Titanium Black partners leading the way. We will deliver incredible transformation for our customers. We’ll be the channel to watch.”

    http://www.channelnomics.com/channelnomics-us/news/3001801/dell-emc-serves-up-white-glove-treatment-to-exclusive-top-tier-partner-level

  • Better Buy: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co vs. Cisco Systems, Inc

    Even after its banner 2016, HP Enterprise stock is trading at a mere 11 times future earnings, making it one of the best values in its sector. Cisco is tradingat just 12 times forward earnings, and with its nearly 3.5% dividend yield and future prospects, it’s the better buy for growth and income investors.

    That said, when the smoke clears, HP Enterprise will be ideally positioned to grow by leaps and bounds as 2017 progresses — and beyond. For investors in search of pure growth potential, HP Enterprise gets the nod.

    http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/04/better-buy-hewlett-packard-enterprise-co-vs-cisco-systems-inc.html
    But where is HPE’s growth coming from? Storage? That can’t last.

Software/SaaS

  • Oracle is starting to fine customers who thought they were using free Java software

    At issue, reports Clarke, is a hugely popular version of Java called Java Standard Edition (or Java SE), that anyone can download from the Oracle website.

    One unnamed retailer that underwent an audit on Java was issued a $100,000 bill, negotiated down to $30,000, The Register reports. And this could be only the beginning. Sources told Clarke that Oracle has hired 20 Java specialists for its License Management Services (LMS) department, the ones who do the audits.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/oracle-starts-to-audit-java-customers-2016-12
    But Oracle is publicly stating that they ARE NOT increasing audits…
    Oracle denies it’s ramping up a program that fines customers for using software they thought was free

    Oracle’s commitment to Java and its community remains stronger than ever, as shared recently at JavaOne. Oracle is not ramping Java SE compliance activity or hiring of compliance staff. The licensing model and policies for Java SE have remained unchanged since before the acquisition of Sun Microsystems. It is incorrect to imply that it’s easy for users to accidentally use Java SE Advanced features.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/oracle-says-it-is-not-ramping-up-a-audits-of-java-2016-12

  • It’s Official: Microsoft Eliminates Yammer Enterprise Plan

    Orton described that decision as a natural product evolution. Earlier this year, Microsoft turned on Yammer by default for all eligible Office 365 customers. Since then, the vast majority of Yammer customers use it as part of an Office 365 subscription. The stand-alone version was retired Jan. 1, although those who are already using it can continue to do so at least through the end of this year (and, in exceptional cases, as long as 2019).

    http://www.cmswire.com/digital-workplace/its-official-microsoft-eliminates-yammer-enterprise-plan/

Other

  • 11 things we think will happen in business technology in 2017

    In 2016, Microsoft and Google — widely seen as the second- and third-place contenders in the cloud wars with Amazon, respectively — made big hires and masterminded partnerships and acquisitions to bolster out their sales pitch to enterprises.

    Amazon may be the undisputed leader in the space, but Microsoft and Google aren’t taking it lying down. Watch this space: The cloud computing market is still growing, and so vicious competition will be the order of the day.

    http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/11-things-we-think-will-happen-in-business-10830675.php

  • Department of Labor sues Google over wage data

    The agency is seeking what it calls “routine” information about wages and the company’s equal opportunity program. The agency filed a lawsuit with its Office of Administrative Law Judges to gain access to the information, it announced Wednesday.

    Google, as a federal contractor, is required to provide the data as part of a compliance check by the agency’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), according to the Department of Labor. The inquiry is focused on Google’s compliance with equal employment laws, the agency said.

    http://www.cio.com/article/3154772/government/department-of-labor-sues-google-over-wage-data.html

Photo: Megapixelstock

Posted on

Supplier Report: 7/30/2016

sn_docks_Austin Neill

For weeks we have been asking if Java is dead… while the rumors of its demise may have been greatly exaggerated, Google may have created the final nail for Java’s future coffin.

Speaking of the future, does IBM have their eyes set on the golden goose Cerner? Acquiring Cerner would finally get them access to hospital information they so desperately want. While IBM is pining for a purchase, Oracle made a big one happen by grabbing NetSuite for $9.3B. Of course we can’t ignore Verizon’s purchase of Yahoo, oh wait I dedicated a whole podcast to that move.

Microsoft seems to be in a funk this week with news that they are cutting employees and potentially misrepresenting their cloud growth (yes, Microsoft too).

IBM

  • Cerner Could Be a Prized Asset for IBM

    To date the only active buyer on the health care front when it comes to large mega cap companies is IBM (IBM) , though its one missing link is access to hospitals, explained Mohan Naidu of Oppenheimer on Tuesday.

    While Cerner would fill that gap, Naidu cautioned that the likelihood of a potential deal comes down to both timing and how much IBM would be willing to pay. The health care IT firm’s scarcity value would likely require a pretty hefty premium, he said.

    Morningstar Inc. analyst Vishnu Lekraj added on Tuesday that Cerner is viewed as a “crowned jewel” in the health care IT space, describing its software assets as top tier in the industry and a “big prize” to gain: “To a company that’s lacking in servicing health care it would be a prime target,” he said.

    https://www.thestreet.com/story/13653083/1/cerner-could-be-a-prized-asset-for-ibm.html
    Note: IBM has approximately $14B in cash as of 3/31/2016 (credit: Spoons)

  • IBM Hired Hundreds of Designers to Figure Out What Customers Want

    So to shake up the status quo, IBM, Cognizant, Infosys and others have been racing to hire thousands of designers who once would have taken more specialized jobs—at an ad agency, say, or an industrial-design shop. At IBM, they team up with engineers and consultants and embed with a multiplicity of clients. Besides providing customer insights, the teams encourage constant feedback and tweak products as they’re built—a process aimed at getting them out faster. It’s how successful Silicon Valley startups operate but radical for the IT services industry.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-25/ibm-hired-hundreds-of-designers-to-figure-out-what-customers-want

  • IBM to deploy recruitment process automation at ITC Infotech

    The implementation will help us enhance employee experience. This will create visibility in social media and provide real time data and dashboards. We hope that this will also help us improve recruitment efficiency in terms of cost, productivity and time to fulfill, added Anand Talwar, Chief Human Resource Officer, ITC Infotech.

    http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/companies/ibm-to-deploy-recruitment-process-automation-at-itc-infotech/328122/

Oracle

  • Oracle buys enterprise cloud services company NetSuite for $9.3B
    The rumors are true…

    Oracle will acquire NetSuite for about $9.3 billion, or $109 per share in an all-cash deal, the companies announced Thursday. Both Oracle and NetSuite’s cloud service offerings aimed at enterprise customers will continue to operate and “coexist in the marketplace forever,” according to a statement by Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.

    https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/28/oracle-buys-enterprise-cloud-services-company-netsuite-for-9-3b/
    The Flawed Logic Behind Oracle’s NetSuite Deal

    Oracle Corp.’s $9.3 billion bid for cloud financial software provider NetSuite should help boost Oracle’s lagging cloud business. But Oracle is paying a high price, particularly as NetSuite is too small to really move the needle for Oracle. Another big issue: NetSuite plays in a software category—financial management systems—whose mojo is being sapped by newer apps.

    https://www.theinformation.com/the-flawed-logic-behind-oracles-netsuite-deal
    A look at Oracle’s 10 biggest acquisitions
    http://www.networkworld.com/article/3101876/software/a-look-at-oracle-s-10-biggest-acquisitions.html

  • Pulling back the covers on Oracle lawsuit: State could spend $27 million in legal fees

    According to the Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office, the state has spent nearly $16 million so far building its case that the giant software company badly bungled development of the Cover Oregon heath-care exchange. With the trial not set to begin until January, the Department of Justice has estimated the cost of the lawsuit could top $27 million by next April, making it one of the most expensive in department history.

    “I had feared it would be extremely high, but my God, I’m shocked by that number,” said Mike McLane, House Republican leader.

    http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/07/puling_back_the_covers_on_orac.html

Microsoft

  • Is Microsoft Massively Overstating Its Cloud Revenues?
    Another cloud provider, another rumor of misreported revenues…

    In its quarterly 10-Q filing with the SEC from April, Microsoft breaks out the specific products it includes in its commercial cloud figure in the following way, “Our commercial cloud … primarily comprises Office 365 Commercial, Microsoft Azure, and Dynamics CRM Online.” As such, Microsoft’s commercial cloud pulls sales from two different official reporting divisions — intelligent cloud and productivity and business processes — each of which contains several unique products, making it guesswork at best to glean how much of that stated $12 billion in sales belongs to which product.

    The same problem exists in the intelligent cloud reporting segment, making it frustratingly difficult to gauge the progress of this strategic imperative. When Microsoft announced its new financial reporting structure, it outlined intelligent cloud as including “results from public, private and hybrid server products and services such as Windows Server, SQL Server, System Center, Azure, and Enterprise Services.”

    http://host.madison.com/business/investment/markets-and-stocks/is-microsoft-massively-overstating-its-cloud-revenues/article_985d1685-e5dd-5433-8eb7-c5c93c717a77.html
    sn_lying_ms

  • Microsoft is laying off an additional 2,850 employees

    The latest round of job cuts is in addition to the 1,850 layoffs that were announced in May, reports Engadget. Microsoft made the announcement in its latest SEC filing. Most of the layoffs are ex-Nokia employees, the company Microsoft acquired to try to become a hardware player in the smartphone space. Microsoft says that 900 of the 2,850 employees it plans on laying off have already been notified, with the rest of the additional layoffs coming before mid-2017

    https://news.fastcompany.com/microsoft-is-laying-off-an-additional-2850-employees-4015477

  • Microsoft misjudges millennials, spectacularly

    Since this spring Microsoft has had to apologize publicly three times for offensive, anti-Semitic, sexist, homophobic and racist words and acts, all in the name of getting millennials onboard. One of the incidents could be deemed unintentional, but a lack of foresight certainly contributed to the resulting marketing calamity. Memo to Microsoft: There are much better ways to lure millennials to your brand. In fact, thinking that any of this might help is deeply insulting to your target audience.

    http://www.computerworld.com/article/3101397/it-management/microsoft-misjudges-millennials-spectacularly.html

Storage (Dell | Infinidate | Netapp)

  • Ditch your Macs, Dell tells EMC staff

    Amid Dell’s looming takeover of EMC, an edict has been issued insisting that Dell customers must only ever see Dell laptops during meetings and consulting engagements, EMC insiders have told The Register.

    At least EMC staff after being offered nice replacement kit, in the form of the gaming-bred XPS machines, that another insider told us have been promised to incoming Dell employees.

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/29/ditch_your_macs_dell_emc/

  • Two in five execs grumble flash technology is too expensive, research finds

    Yet NetApp argues that the benefits of flash go beyond the bottom line. “Our research shows that while the business value of flash in terms of performance and responsiveness is understood by IT decision makers, education on the true value of flash needs to continue further up the chain,” said Laurence James, EMEA products, alliances and solutions manager at NetApp. “Flash is a long-term investment that can transform business performance and should not be analysed in terms of capital investment alone.”

    That is a TERRIBLE sales tactic, you are either saving money or going after a performance boost.
    http://www.cloudcomputing-news.net/news/2016/jul/29/execs-grumble-flash-technology-too-expensive-research-finds/

Other

  • Verizon buys Yahoo for $4.8B

    As a side note to all this, some anecdotal evidence. We’ve been hearing for months that AOL offices in different regions have been readying themselves for a future with more purple in it. That’s run the gamut from keeping a holding pattern over new office space and future hires, through to strategic ‘sprints’ to consider developments in coming months around R&D initiatives, advertising and more.

    “We are preparing. It sometimes feels like the only thing we talk about,” one AOL executive told me. It may be a sign of how confident Verizon and AOL are of a winning bid, but also of how they would like to kickstart an integration and get working together as quickly as possible. (Poor integrations being one of the killers of so many mergers, of course.)

    https://sn.joeylombardi.com/?p=1927
    Why a Verizon and Yahoo merger would be like Microsoft snapping up CompuServe

    Here’s the other infuriating part of Verizon and AOL “purchasing” Yahoo assets. What assets? I know the one-time competitor to Google has some of the highest traffic on the planet, what with all of their weather apps and such. But even Google has figured out how to break free from the old “click my banner” trick so popular in 2007. Major companies like eyeballs, consumers like innovation. That’s the problem with investors who still use a BlackBerry. They want to buy a logo. They see brand acquisition as a conquest, not a business strategy.

    http://www.computerworld.com/article/3099116/internet/why-an-verizon-and-yahoo-merger-would-be-like-microsoft-snapping-up-compuserve.html

  • Salesforce’s Benioff says he would have paid more than $26B for LinkedIn

    Of course, the Benioff email didn’t say how much more he would have offered, or how the revised bid would have been restructured. Microsoft won in part because of the amount on the table, but also because if offered all cash. Salesforce had offered a mix of cash and stock.

    I wouldn’t be proud of that…
    http://venturebeat.com/2016/07/25/salesforces-benioff-says-he-would-have-paid-more-than-26b-for-linkedin/

  • Teradata agrees to acquire data company, to expand services

    Miami Township-based Teradata (NYSE: TDC) will acquire Big Data Partnership, a London-based EMEA-based services provider of big data solutions and training. Big Data Partnership has what Teradata calls deep expertise in disruptive technologies, including Apache Hadoop, and helps its clients discover how to become more data driven and data savvy through data science and the adoption of the latest big data technologies.

    http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2016/07/25/teradata-agrees-to-acquire-data-company-to-expand.html

  • FireEye Stock Jumps on Takeover Speculation

    Possible acquirers include Symantec, which reportedly made an offer for FireEye in June before ultimately buying Blue Coat Systems. International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) may also be interested in the company, with both tech titans aiming to grow their respective security businesses.

    http://www.pantagraph.com/business/investment/markets-and-stocks/fireeye-stock-jumps-on-takeover-speculation/article_4c9bb33c-a526-5bdc-80ab-ac29e3798859.html

  • Why open source programming languages are crushing proprietary peers

    Even more impressive than R, however, is Go, the open source language first released by Google. Based in large measure on a 5X boom in active GitHub repositories defaulting to Go as their primary language, developers have gone gaga for Go. Go may even give the venerable Java a run for its money, given developers’ propensity to use it to build cloud applications.

    http://www.techrepublic.com/article/why-open-source-programming-languages-are-crushing-proprietary-peers/

  • CSC reportedly plans layoffs ahead of HPE merger

    Computer Sciences Corp. plans to lay off about 500 workers ahead of its merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s enterprise services business, according to a Computerworld report. But the company says the layoffs are unrelated to the proposed merger.

    http://www.ciodive.com/news/csc-reportedly-plans-layoffs-ahead-of-hpe-merger/423504/

Photo: Austin Neill

Posted on

Supplier Report: 6/11/2016

sn_lightening_Torsten Dettlaff

IBM scored a 10 year, $300M deal with Emirate Airlines. While they may be celebrating, HPE is hot on big blue’s AI heels with their Hexis platform.

Oracle is still dealing with last week’s lawsuit news. Investors haven’t overreacted to the possibility of false cloud sales…yet. However, the government is said to be eager to process Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance issues.

IBM

  • IBM Lands $300 Million Deal with Emirates Airline

    Under the new, enhanced-IT managed-services arrangement, IBM will “provide IT Infrastructure delivered as a service, allowing the airline to improve efficiency on its passenger support systems and functions.” The deal calls for fully managed services utilizing IBM’s mainframe, data storage, and the capability to encrypt data in near real-time.

    http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/060716/ibm-lands-300-million-deal-emirates-airline-ibm.aspx

  • IBM Shifts Spark Development to its Cloud

    IBM said it is expanding access to the data analytics development tools available on its Bluemix cloud platform, giving data scientists working in the R programming language faster access to more data along with new contributions to SparkR, SparkSQL and Apache SparkML.

    http://www.enterprisetech.com/2016/06/07/ibm-shifts-spark-development-cloud/

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

  • HPE Discover 2016: Meg Whitman keynote
  • HPE’s Whitman Says Open to Cloud Deals With Amazon, Google

    “We may do something over time with Google and Amazon,” Whitman said Tuesday during an interview at her company’s annual event, Discover 2016, in Las Vegas. “They are not enterprise companies for the most part. They may get there. I know that is their ambition.”

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-07/hpe-s-whitman-says-open-to-cloud-deals-with-amazon-google

  • HPE vs IBM Watson: Machine learning is ‘more than an opportunity for expensive consulting’ says software GM

    HPE has maintained an aggressive stance on the company’s proposed future in machine learning and AI at this week’s Discover 2016 conference in Las Vegas. Today, HP Software general manager Robert Youngjohn took another glove off, slyly describing IBM’s Watson as “expensive consulting with a smaller technology platform”.

    http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2460943/hpe-vs-ibm-watson-machine-learning-is-more-than-an-opportunity-for-expensive-consulting-says-software-gm

  • HPE Leads Contracting Server Market As Cloud Popularity Grows

    “The real driver of global growth continues to be the hyperscale data center segment. The enterprise and small or midsize business (SMB) segments remain relatively flat as end users in these segments accommodated their increased application requirements through virtualization and considered cloud alternatives.” Total sector revenues reached £13 billion during the first quarter of 2016, of which HPE secured $3.3 billion – a quarter of the whole market and an increase of 3.3 percent.

    http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/cloud/gartner-server-market-cloud-growth-193198

Oracle

  • Oracle’s New Legal Challenge: Of Companies And Culture

    While companies are not people, companies can have cultures. What’s at stake in all of these matters, regardless of their ultimate disposition, is what impact they might have on Oracle’s culture and how changes in that culture could potentially lead to conduct that slows the company’s growth and leads to weaker than current valuation metrics. There’s little doubt that Oracle or at least its senior executives have one of the more macho and competitive cultures in corporate America. Larry Ellison, Chairman of the Board and CTO of the company, competes in just about every way he can and against everyone that he can. Mark Hurd, co-president of Oracle, enjoys or is credited with a similar macho personality. It is part of who they are.

    Also:

    The Fortune article about the “redemption” of Mark Hurd said that although Hurd didn’t always care for the niceties of making employees feel good, he always got results. A brief walk down memory lane or conversations with ex-HPE employees might challenge the accuracy of that statement. Talking of things about which I do have first-hand knowledge, Mark Hurd and his colleagues ruined HPE’s software business and destroyed a significant amount of shareholder value in the process.

    http://seekingalpha.com/article/3981044-oracles-new-legal-challenge-companies-culture

  • Why Oracle’s Fiscal 4Q16 Results Will Likely Miss Expectations

    Oracle’s Software segment reported revenues of $6.4 billion in fiscal 3Q16, which was flat on a constant currency basis. Oracle’s cloud revenues, which include SaaS (software-as-a-service), PaaS (platform-as-a-service), and IaaS (infrastructure-as-a-service), grew to $735 million. The segment grew by 44% on a YoY constant currency basis.

    Oracle’s Hardware and Services segments reported revenues of $1.1 billion and $793 million, respectively. Hardware revenues fell by 2% while services revenues grew a meager 1%

    sn_oracle-saas-and-paas
    http://marketrealist.com/2016/06/why-oracles-fiscal-4q16-results-will-likely-miss-expectations/

Dell | EMC

  • Dell to offload $3.25 billion in junk bonds to further fund EMC buyout

    Denali Holding, the parent company of Dell, is offering $3.25bn of senior notes to finance, in part, the acquisition of EMC. Dell has already sold $20bn of investment-grade secured bonds and $5bn of institutional loans to fund the $67bn EMC takeover. Under the deal, EMC shareholders will receive $24.05 per share in cash in addition to tracking stock linked to a portion of EMC’s economic interest in the VMware business.

    http://www.cbronline.com/news/verticals/tmt/dell-to-offload-325-billion-in-junk-bonds-to-further-fund-emc-buyout-4918338

Other

  • Google’s DeepMind Is Developing An AI Kill Switch To Prevent A Skynet Apocalypse

    Fortunately, some of the major players are actually also working on systems and methods to help maintain control of super-intelligent AI agents. In fact, a team of researchers at Google-owned DeepMind (the team that built Alpha Go, the machine that beat Lee Sedol handily) , along with University of Oxford scientists, are developing a proverbial kill switch of sorts for AI. Google acquired artificial intelligence startup DeepMind back in 2014 for $580 million or so, and back in the day Google CEO Eric Schmidt called it “an important bet.” Together with U. Oxford, the team has released a paper entitled “Safely Interruptible Agents.”

    The paper details the following in abstract: “Reinforcement learning agents interacting with a complex environment like the real world are unlikely to behave optimally all the time. If such an agent is operating in real-time under human supervision, now and then it may be necessary for a human operator to press the big red button to prevent the agent from continuing a harmful sequence of actions—harmful either for the agent or for the environment—and lead the agent into a safer situation.”

    http://hothardware.com/news/google-ai-kill-switch-could-prevent-skynet-takeover

Photo: Torsten Dettlaff