You are here: Home » Blog

We’re Caught in a Trap, I Can’t Walk Out – Server Patching and Vertical Integration

Server Firmware Upgrade Highlights

  • Most leading vendors are restricting firmware upgrades to servers under warranty
  • Some doubt over whether critical fixes will be supplied to those without
  • Designed to protect supplier investments and IP
  • Limits customer maintenance and disposal choices
  • Changing server platforms is harder than buying a new car
  • Could herald a return to Vertical Integration and customer lock-in

datacentre

Read more »

Atlantis Launches ILIO USX – Pooled Storage For Virtualised Servers

Atlantis Highlights

  • Launches USX software for server virtualisation environments beyond its current VDI markets
  • The separation of control and data planes makes USX an SDS approach
  • Aggregates RAM, Flash, DAS, NAS and SAN into a pooled resource
  • Bring the advantages of higher storage utilisation and lower cost – typically missing in virtualised server environments
  • Has reseller agreements with Dell, HP and IBM and is talking to NetApp and EMC
  • Has sold 500k licences to 440 customers – a number with significant VDI deployments
  • Tested on IBM/Lenovo X6 servers with eXFlash, Claims a ‘logical’ Flash capacity extension to 60TB, 3.7 million IOPS and a latency of 0.6 ms

virtualised Read more »

System x Changes Riders – What’s In It For Lenovo And IBM?

Announcement Highlights

  • Lenovo to pay IBM $2.3B for its System x business
  • 7.5k staff including Adalio Sanchez will join Lenovo
  • Lenovo will become IBM’s ‘supplier of x86 server technology’
  • Lenovo will resell IBM StorWize storage arrays, GPFS, SmartCloud Entry and some x86 software
  • IBM will retain PureApplication and PureData appliances and the Pure brand
  • The sale will be completed once regulators have had their say, with ‘business as usual’ until then
  • Could make Lenovo the number 4 server player
  • Will improve IBM’s profitability

vm v gb Read more »

IBM/Lenovo System X6 – Huge Memory Extensions In x86 Servers

System X6 Highlights

  • Announces x3850 X6, x3950 X6 and Flex System x880 X6 servers
  • DRAM memory scales to 12TB in the largest 8-way system
  • Modular design point that can allow customers to reduce acquisition cost by up to 28% by selecting only the parts they really need
  • Adds eXFlash memory channel storage giving up to 12.8TB of ultra-low latency storage on a 4-way system
  • Adds resiliency features for huge memories and increased system availability
  • Adds 7 X6 solution editions, including those for HANA, DB2 BLU and Microsoft SQL
  • Stands to gain share as the x86 server market turns to scale-up and in-memory databases in 2014

x6 Read more »

Will Cisco’s Application-Centric Infrastructure Win In SDN?

ACI Highlights

  • Has a dominant position in enterprise networks, is growing in the server market
  • Is dependent on up-stream partnerships for storage, virtualisation and applications
  • Launches ACI – differentiated by being an application-driven SDN approach
  • Proposes DevOps teams to improve application lifecycle management
  • Designed for Service Providers and Enterprises
  • The ecosystem includes VCE, EMC, NetApp and even VMware
  • Some users are selecting Cloud or workload-optimised systems avoiding yet another architectural debate

cisco Read more »

Server Market Down 4% In Q3 2013 – A Better 2014 In Prospect

Server Market Highlights

  • Revenue declines 4% to $13.4B for the quarter
  • Shipments up 2% to 3.7M
  • 78% of server revenues were for x86-based products
  • Installed Base up 6% to 48.9M
  • For the year to the end of September revenues declined 2% to $56.2B
  • Shipments up 3% to 14.9M
  • HP maintains its lead
  • Dell increases its share – challenges IBM’s 2nd position

server share Read more »

HP Converged Systems – New Business Unit, New Systems

HP ConvergedSystem Highlights

  • Launches ConvergedSystem brand and adjusts the organisation, brand, offerings and features
  • Improves the ordering process
  • Continues to focus on indirect sales
  • Adds OneView secret sauce orchestration software
  • Announces 5 new ConvergedSystems
  • Moves up the CIandIS stack
  • Will need to move rapidly to address 2014 opportunities

HP CIandIS Offerings – December 2013

hp ci
Source and Copyright ITCandor/METISfiles, 2013 Read more »

ITCandor 2014 Predictions – Growth At Last

ITCandor Expectations 2014

1. The ITC Market Grows 1.4% To $6.7 Trillion – A Post-Recession Year
2. A Stronger Recovery In Asia Pacific And The Americas Than EMEA
3. Over 20 Country Markets Grow In 2014
4. Gaming, SaaS, Smart Devices And Infrastructure Software Grow – Outsourcing, Fixed Line Telecom And PCs Fall
5. Cloud Computing Grows 6.3% To $1.6 Trillion
6. Business Stronger Than Consumer Demand In 2014
7. All Industry Sectors (But Central Government) Grow
8. Multi-Channel Marketing Takes Over
9. In-Memory Databases Define Big Data Success
10. Integration Drives Supplier And Product Strategies

vision
For a pdf copy of our predictions, click here
Read more »

What’s The Beef About In-Memory Databases?

In-Memory Highlights

  • Faster databases improve business
  • In-memory databases help support near real-time processes
  • Choices include
    • TP monitor v relational database
    • SQL v noSQL programming
    • Column v Row axes
    • Scale up, scale out or massively parallel appliance hardware
  • Workloads are typically OLTP, OLAP and tied-application
  • SAP HANA, IBM DB2 BLU, Oracle 12g, Windows SQL Server 2014 all have in-memory aspects

in-mem

Read more »

Actifio – Managing The Scary Growth Of Copy Data

Actifio Highlights

  • Boston-based storage software company specialising in the management of copy data
  • Copy Data Management provides instant data access for a host of enterprise use cases including data protection, business continuity, dev/test, data insights, and active archive
  • Version 6.0 enhances features for Cloud Service Providers, automated dev/test data management, mobile management and integration with many Enterprise applications
  • A strong set of initial customers
  • 130 resellers with users in 22 countries
  • Virtualizing data silos, as Vmware does for virtualized servers
  • Has to make its disruptive technology fit with conservative Enterprise data centres

capacity growth Read more »

Zadara – A Cloud Approach For The Storage You Already Have

Zadara Highlights

  • A privately owned storage company with funds from venture capital and Toshiba
  • Nelson Nahum and team have lots of experience, including StorAge (acquired by LSI)
  • VPSA delivers SAN and NAS
  • Partners include eircom, KVH, Dimesion Data and CloudSigma
  • Offers a pay-as-you-co Cloud approach for the storage you already have

disk and tape Read more »

Emulex – A Strategy For Great IT Migrations

Emulex Highlights

  • Introduces Gen 5 FC Flash Services technology products running at 16GFC
    • CrossLink addresses the growth of East/West traffic with the use of vMotion
    • ExpressLane helps with QoS and prioritisation of flash in hybrid storage solutions
  • Identifies numerous types of IT migration to illustrate current market change
  • Has a simple strategy – Connect, Monitor, Manage
  • As a specialist NOC supplier strong OEM allies in IBM, HP and EMC

emulex Read more »

Basho Launches Riak 2.0 – Disruptive Distributed Databases

Basho Highlights

  • Riak is Open Source noSQL distributed database and S3-compliant storage software
  • Basho makes money from Enterprise software versions and services
  • Customers include Comcast, BestBuy, AT&T and the UK NHS
  • Seagate has built Riak compatibility into its Kinetic Open Storage platform
  • Version 2.0 includes security, structured data and search functions
  • NoSQL, Column Store and MPP database techniques have different pros and cons
  • The rise of disruptive scale-out databases coincides with a new focus on scale-up in-memory databases
lizzie hingley

Lizzie Hingley Art

Read more »

Michael Dell – I Bought The Company Back

Dell Strategy Highlights

  • Provides a clear, concise overview of the strategy, businesses and priorities following privatisation
  • His strategy focuses ‘transform, connect, inform, protect’ themes
  • His businesses are end-user computing, enterprise, software and services
  • ‘We’re now a family-run business again’, ‘The PC is not dead’, ‘I bought the company back’
  • No longer needed the stock market for investment, or wanted to continue to focus on short-term issues

dell 01 Read more »

Hitachi Data Systems – Beyond Unified, Virtualised And Flash

HDS Highlights

  • The ‘One Hitachi’ will globalise a mix of industrial and IT businesses
  • HDS has strong Unified, Virtualised and Flash Storage
  • It is a good server player with UCP Integrated Systems and SMP x86 servers
  • Is acquiring new customers through Managed Service Solutions
  • Uses its industrial heritage to match Big Data to The Internet of Things
  • Needs to make more noise through marketing

storage-q213  Read more »

Spectra Logic Announces BlackPearl – Tape Archiving For The Internet Generation

Spectra Logic Highlights

  • Announces BlackPearl – a deep storage appliance sitting between clients and tape libraries allowing a RESTful interface
  • Expands the use of Amazon’s S3 language with its DS3 bulk commands
  • Claims significantly lower costs with tape libraries (versus long term disk storage)
  • Wins endorsement from Yahoo!, NASCAR, axle Video and EVC
  • Makes tape archiving relevant for the Internet generation

BlackPearl 2U Appliance_Angle Read more »

IBM Adds SoftLayer To SCE Cloud Services

IBM Cloud Services Highlights

  • Adds Internet-centric ‘Cloud native’ SoftLayer to existing SmartCloud Enterprise ‘Cloud enabled’ services
  • Including SoftLayer, has 22 Cloud service data centres in all regions of the globe
  • Launches SAP and Oracle SmartCloud+ services
  • Readies OpenStack-based BlueMix platform for LoB developers for 2014 launch
  • Customers Bison maxess and Monitise attest to the advantages of partnering in cutting down deployment time and supporting international expansion
  • We estimate it will make over $2B Cloud revenues in 2013
  • Expands the choices users have in how to run IT far beyond the ‘build or buy’ decisions of traditional outsourcing

ibm cloud Read more »

Celebrating 30 Years!

It’s all gone past so fast and it’s been lots of fun – I just celebrated 30 years since I joined Tom Bachman’s Inteco as a fresh-faced 20-something in September 1983.

I’ve put a few pictures together below. They’re from my many happy years at IDC and here at ITCandor. Hope you enjoy them!

martin 06

Group Bull President Jean-Marie Decarpentries, Jane Dorley and me

martin 05

Speaking for HP at the end of the 1990s

martin 04

IDC France and friends in 1990

martin 02

Meeting the All Blacks – thanks to Unisys

martin 01a

Paxman and Hingley in the early 2000s

martin 09

The ‘go to’ analyst for server stories back in 1999