The 10 Biggest Security Stories Of 2010

CRN.com | Nov 30, 2010

Out With A Bang

Indeed, 2010 was a year that went big — big data breaches, big threats and bigger-than-big acquisitions. Major security players were gobbled up left and right by private equity firms or stack giants. Seemingly impenetrable multinational corporations scrambled to keep their data secure in the wake of sophisticated hacker attacks. And botnets evolved to incorporate search and destroy code that could target nuclear plants and other critical infrastructure.

So, in the spirit of the year’s larger-than-life happenings, here’s a look at what the 10 biggest security stories 2010 had to offer.

1. Intel’s Surprise McAfee Move

In a blockbuster move Intel in August unveiled plans to buy McAfee for a whopping $7.68 billion, including $48 per share in cash.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini has said that he does not plan to change McAfee’s business model, sales practices or products. However, Intel has also said that current security measures fail to address billions of new Internet-ready devices such as mobile and wireless devices, TVs, cars, medical devices and ATM machines. The marriage of security onto the chipset could better protect Internet-ready devices from a myriad of sophisticated malware threats.

Meanwhile, some partners have said that the merger, while potentially revolutionary, carries weighty implications that could significantly impact McAfee’s channel program and lower-end offerings.

2. Google Blindsided By ‘Operation Aurora’

Kicking off 2010, Google and more than 30 other corporations, including Intel and Adobe, suffered a serious malware attack, considered by some to be the most significant in corporate history. The attack, which appeared to be sourced from China, enabled hackers to infiltrate corporate networks to steal critical assets such as intellectual property.

During the attack, dubbed Operation Aurora, victims received a link delivered via e-mail or IM from what appeared to be a “trusted source.” The victims clicked on the link, which redirected them to a malicious Web site hosted in Taiwan that exploited a zero-day Internet Explorer vulnerability to download malware onto their systems. The malware then set up a backdoor that connected the victims’ computers to command and control servers in Taiwan, which turned the machines into drones and gave the attackers access to the crown jewels of all internal corporate systems.

3. Stuck By Stuxnet

4. Symantec Buys The Stack

5. Zeus Takedown

**VIEW SLIDESHOW**

The 10 Biggest Chip Stories Of 2010

CRN.com | Dec 2, 2010

A Big Year For Chips

The semiconductor industry saw a number of significant product launches in 2010, from Nvidia’s Fermi graphics cards to AMD’s Fusion CPU-GPU platform and Intel’s 32nm chips. All the while, key acquisitions, major legal settlements, and a baffling episode involving fake processors have kept industry players and analysts on their toes. Here’s a closer look at the top chip stories of 2010.

1. 32(nm) Is The Magic Number

On January 7 at CES 2010, Intel launched its first 32-nm processors based on its Arrandale (mobile) and Clarkdale (desktop) platforms, which were the result of a huge multibillion R&D investment by the chip giant. All in all, Intel introduced four Core i3, eight i5, and five i7 chips at CES — all with Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology for multitasking. The i5 and i7 processors also come with Intel’s Turbo Boost technology for adaptive performance, which is designed to automatically accelerate performance by adjusting to the workload, providing an extra “boost” in performance when needed. The introduction of 32-nm chips was heralded by Intel as a major step forward in the evolution of microprocessor architecture.

2. Lions, Tegras And Bears, Oh My!

Another chip company made a splash at CES 2010 when Nvidia introduced its second-generation version of the Tegra mobile processor, which the company aimed squarely at the tablet market. During its CES press conference, Nvidia showed off a host of prototype and forthcoming tablet devices using its Tegra 2 platform from manufacturers such as Asus and MSI. The Tegra 2 processor, which features higher processing power but with lower energy consumption and less heat, can now be found in new tablet devices such as LG’s Star, Viewsonic’s G Tablet, and Toshiba’s Folio 100 among others.

As a result, Nvidia jumped out ahead of bigger rivals Intel and AMD this year in the tablet market, which exploded when Apple released the iPad last spring. Oh, and the company is also pushing Tegra at next-generation smartphones.

3. The Fake Intel Chip Fiasco

It all started last March when some unlucky NewEgg customers discovered they had purchased phony Intel Core i7 processors. Some of those customers took to the Internet and posted photos and videos showing non-functional chips packaged in fake Core i7-logoed boxes.

One tech blog falsely accused D&H Distributing as the source of the fake Intel chips. NewEgg eventually identified Ipex Infotech, a Fremont, Calif.-based technology distributor, as the source of fake Intel Core i7 processors.

Ipex Infotech first denied that it was the original supplier of the phony chips and issued a statement claiming it had acquired the chips in good faith from a supplier. Asked by CRN through e-mail to name the “original source” of the fake chips cited in its statement, Ipex said it had disclosed that information to Intel but could not comment on it publicly. Despite the denial, NewEgg severed ties with Ipex Infotech, and the “original source” has never been publicly revealed.

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The 25 Most Influential Executives Of 2010

CRN.com | Nov 22, 2010

CRN’s annual ranking of IT’s 25 most influential executives includes the leaders who have had the greatest impact on the IT channel and the solution provider business in the last year. Here’s a look at who made the cut in part 1 of our Top 100 Executives Of 2010.

1. Paul Maritz, President and CEO, VMware

No one — and we do mean no one — has powered more high-margin sales and profits for partners this year. Think about this: VMware virtual machines now outnumber physical servers. Virtual deployments are expected to be up 28 percent this year. VMware, meanwhile, is posting sales gains at a 40 percent-plus clip. This year, Maritz and company delivered more product innovation than some companies do in a lifetime, giving VMware market leadership in the cloud market. Maritz has the technical chops to know where the market is going and he isn’t afraid to make the necessary big bets.

2. Paul Otellini, President and CEO, Intel

He has done the near impossible: making the chip giant that dominated the PC market relevant in a world of smartphones and cloud computing. That’s what his $7.68 billion McAfee buy is all about.

3. Leo Apotheker, President and CEO, Hewlett-Packard

He’s already reaching out to partners and has big plans to make the $125 billion company a software power. Look for him to bring enterprise-software focused partners into the HP channel fold.

**VIEW SLIDESHOW**

The 10 Biggest Software Stories Of 2010

CRN.com | Dec 6, 2010

A Wild Ride For The Software Industry

It’s been a tumultuous year in the software industry. In other words, business as usual.

There have been acquisitions, from Intel’s blockbuster buyout of McAfee to IBM’s acquisition of, well, just about everybody. There were Microsoft’s efforts to extend its Windows hegemony into mobile computing with Windows Phone 7, and growing recognition by Hewlett-Packard that having software account for 3 percent of its total revenue isn’t enough. And there was the pending sale of Novell, once a head-to-head competitor of Microsoft, now a relatively minor player.

But perhaps the biggest software-related stories in 2010 were the mega-trends, led by the growing adoption of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service, which are changing how software is delivered and managed, if not changing the concept of “software” itself.

Here’s our list of the top software stories for 2010.

1. Intel To Acquire McAfee

Intel stunned the industry on Aug. 19 when it announced a deal to buy security software developer McAfee for $7.68 billion.

Yes, the acquisition is big, probably the biggest in the IT industry in some time. (Even Oracle’s acquisition of Sun Microsystems was only $7.3 billion.) But the significance goes beyond the dollar value. As with the Oracle-Sun deal, Intel’s pending acquisition of McAfee is further proof that the line between “hardware vendors” and “software vendors” is becoming increasingly blurred.

The acquisition will help Intel develop security software and hardware products for Internet-ready mobile and wireless devices, and embedded systems in ATMs, cars and even medical devices. The companies expect to close the deal late this year or in early 2011. While the acquisition has made some partners nervous about McAfee’s future, Intel CEO Paul Otellini has pledged to operate McAfee as a wholly owned subsidiary and maintain the current business model for resellers.

2. Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Debuts

With its Windows operating system, Office applications and other products, Microsoft dominates the desktop and is a major player in the data center. But when it comes to mobile devices Microsoft is an also-ran. And that’s a problem because, as pointed out by Ray Ozzie, until recently Microsoft’s chief software architect, we’re moving to a “post-PC world” and Microsoft runs the risk of becoming obsolete.

So that’s why Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is arguably Microsoft’s most important product this year. Windows Mobile, Microsoft’s earlier entrant in the mobile OS sweepstakes, has faired poorly against the Apple iPhone, Google Android and other competitors. Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s attempt to hit the “reset” button and start fresh.

So how is it doing? Reports say only 40,000 consumers bought Windows Phone 7 devices on launch day, Nov. 8. Compare that to the 1.7 million Apple iPhone 4s sold in the first three days after its launch in June.

**VIEW SLIDESHOW**

The 10 Biggest Data Center Stories Of 2010

CRN.com | Dec 7, 2010

Data Center Deluge

Pinning down the top 10 data center stories of 2010 is a difficult job because the trends and news that impacted data centers over the past 12 months or so stem from the impacts of a wide range of technologies.

To look at the “Year in Data Centers,” one has to look at the “Year in Cloud Computing,” the “Year in Virtualization,” the “Year in Storage,” the “Year in Servers,” and more.

CRN has done the looking, and come up with some of the most important stories which impacted data centers in 2010. And, as one might expect from as fast changing an environment as data centers, these stories will continue to have their impact in 2011 and beyond.

1. Server Virtualization’s Tipping Point

Server virtualization reached a tipping point in 2010. IDC was widely reported by media outlets such as internet.com to have said at the Interop conference in Las Vegas that virtual servers deployments in 2010 should outnumber those of physical servers.

Gartner said in September that over 80 percent of enterprises now have a virtualization program or project, and that 25 percent of all server workloads should be virtualized by year-end.

This is significant to the future of the data center, as virtual servers not only reduce the capital expense and operating expernse related to buying, powering, and cooling physical servers, they also serve as the base on which other virtualized services including cloud computing are built.

2. Rise Of The Virtual Machine

One nice thing about all those new virtual servers is that they can do almost everything a physical server can do, including be configured for use as an appliance.

Virtual appliances in 2010 started springing up almost everywhere, including from a wide range of storage, security, and application vendors. Most are rather small and inexpensive versions of the vendors’ hardware appliances.

But not all. Silver Peak, for instance, introduced a virtual WAN optimization appliance which lists for about $70,000. It can replace part of the company’s physical WAN appliances which cost $200,000 or more.

**VIEW SLIDESHOW**

The 10 Big Stories Of 2010

CRN.com | Dec 7, 2010

The Biggest Of The Big

IT vendors continued to keep the channel on its toes in 2010 with surprise moves, hot new technology and new channel strategies (some greeted warmly by partners, others not so much). Here’s a look back at the 10 big stories that kept CRN readers intrigued.

1. HP Gives Hurd The Heave-Ho

The biggest story of the year centered on the biggest IT company in the world, Hewlett-Packard. HP took the channel by surprise on what was turning out to be a lazy summer afternoon when it disclosed on August 6 that chairman, president and CEO Mark Hurd had resigned in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal. Even more surprising was that HP’s internal investigation had actually cleared Hurd (shown) of the harassment claims, yet the company still pushed him out after finding he had violated HP’s code of conduct. Channel partners were by-and-large disappointed by the move since Hurd had made a point of supporting the channel and personally meeting with as many solution providers as he could. Their disappointment turned to puzzlement a few weeks later when HP named a relative unknown — Leo Apotheker, former CEO of SAP — to replace him as president and CEO. And then turned to a bit of jealousy when Hurd landed safely at Oracle.

2. Cisco Supply Chain Breakdown

Networking market leader Cisco Systems kicked off its annual Partner Summit in April with an apology to solution providers for year-long product shortages that resulted in a lot of frustrated customers and partners. A variety of factors contributed to Cisco’s supply chain woes, but the channel didn’t care as much about the ‘why’ as it did the ‘what now?’ Partners blamed Cisco for being too tight-lipped about details that would have helped in project planning with their customers. The lack of information, solution providers said, jeopardized their role as a trusted advisor to their customers, leaving many partners to grapple with frustration and lost sales, and leaving Cisco with some channel fences to mend.

3. Cloud Computing Impossible To Ignore

Vendor after vendor rolled out cloud computing products, strategies and partner programs in 2010, making it nearly impossible for any solution provider to avoid its implications. In one of the most visible cloud grabs, CA made six cloud-focused acquisitions throughout a 14-month stretch for a total spend of $1 billion. Microsoft, Google and Amazon.com also bet big on the cloud. Solution providers were left to wade through the buzz and try to figure out how to adapt their business models to make way for cloud. CRN spotlighted the ‘30 Cloud VARs That Get It’ to shine a spotlight on some in the channel that had figured it all out.

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Best Careers 2011: Technology Jobs

Next to healthcare, there’s no industry with greater opportunity than technology

US.News.com | Alexis Grant | Dec 6, 2010

There’s an “app” for everything these days, as technology plays an increasingly important role in consumers’ daily lives. Computer software engineers make much of it possible, while computer systems analysts and support specialists—the latter is a new addition to our list this year—get companies on the road to technological efficiency.

Information technology intersects plenty with environmental and medical science in today’s growth careers. Biomedical engineers apply the science of engineering to the problems of the human body and medical care. Meteorologists and hydrologists use increasingly sophisticated technology to monitor the earth—whether its water or its weather.

Our picks in the technology and science category this year:

• Biomedical engineer

• Civil engineer

• Computer software engineer

• Computer support specialist

• Computer systems analyst

• Environmental engineering technician

• Environmental science technician

• Hydrologist

• Meteorologist

• Network architect

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Microsoft Talks Desktop Virtualization Strategy

November 15, 2010 By Stuart J. Johnston | Datamation

As more PC managers begin, or follow through on, migrating from Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) to Windows 7, they are encountering one of the downsides of staying on an aging platform for too long.

It’s no surprise that some custom applications for IE6 won’t run on Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) new operating system. What may be surprising, however, is the scale of the problem, and the impacts of dealing with it.

In a blog post Thursday, a Microsoft manager published recommendations for how customers should deal with virtualizing the environments for those applications that are mission critical.

In its first year on the market, Microsoft sold 240 million licenses for Windows 7. While many, if not most, of those copies went to consumers, a lot of them went to corporate early adopters as well.

As adoption of Windows 7 by enterprise customers gets into full swing, though, there are inevitably bumps in the road — but virtualization solutions to aid in the migration are not without at least a bit of controversy.

In fact, researchers at Gartner recently registered their views on how much impact compatibility problems with IE6 apps are having on costs and time required to make the switch.

The Gartner study predicts that by 2014, “IE6 compatibility problems will cause at least 20 percent of organizations to run overtime or over budget on their Windows 7 migration projects.” That report made several suggestions, including that Microsoft should make some virtualization products available for free to help customers make the transition.

While not directly addressing Gartner analysts’ recommendations regarding free software licenses for virtualization products, a Microsoft spokesperson told InternetNews.com in an e-mail, that the company is working hard to ease the migration for customers.

“To help customers take advantage of the modern desktop Microsoft makes available a significant number of resources to help organizations with their migrations to Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8, including webcasts, prescriptive guidance, whitepapers, tools and temporary virtualization solutions,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, on Microsoft’s Windows Team Blog, Karri Alexion-Tiernan, director of product management for Microsoft desktop virtualization, Thursday discussed three “layers” of virtualization, and some guidance as to when to use each one.

The simplest form is called “user state virtualization” and it separates a user’s data and settings from the device and instead saves that information centrally.

Read more…

Five ways to successfully manage dynamic storage infrastructures

By Paul Turner, NetApp’s GM of SANscreen BU

Don’t look now, but the data center is transforming. Seeking greater efficiencies, enterprises of all sizes have steadily evolved from application-based silos to virtualized environments. Now this evolution is taking the next leap forward as innovative enterprises move toward next-generation cloud computing models that deliver IT as a service (ITaaS) — via both internal and external cloud services.

Delivering on-demand cloud services through a multi-tenant architecture offers attractive benefits, including greater agility, data mobility and scalability with reduced capital expenditures and greater control over service costs. But it also presents some significant management challenges, especially when it comes to managing the dynamic storage resources required by ITaaS infrastructures.

Cool Yule Tools: Storage Gift Ideas

To tap the full potential of cloud computing to drive efficiency, IT managers must maintain — and, in many cases, improve — service quality and availability. But managing storage resources in these highly complex, dynamic and heterogeneous environments can be a major challenge.

One challenge facing customers is that many simply lack the required insight into their storage environments. A prime example of this can be seen through a recent customer visit. The customer was reengineering  virtual machines within the data center to reduce server costs. Unfortunately he was unaware of the impact this change would have on storage growth over time.

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EMC Breaks Q3 Revenue Record

Kevin Komiega | Storage Blog & Editor of InfoStor

EMC has reported record revenue for the third consecutive quarter as rumors swirl around the company’s potential $2 billion acquisition of Isilon Systems.

EMC (NYSE: EMC) today announced all-time record Q3 revenue, 58 percent profit growth, record year-to-date operating and free cash flow, and substantial margin expansion. As a result, EMC increased its earnings expectations for 2010 as it now expects consolidated revenues of $16.9 billion.

All in all, EMC met analyst estimates. For the third quarter, consolidated revenue was $4.21 billion, an increase of 20 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP net income attributable to EMC for Q3 was $649.4 million, an increase of 35 percent a year ago and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.30, a 30 percent increase year over year.

EMC’s execs point to the cloud as the main driver of its growth. In a statement, David Goulden, EMC’s executive vice president and CFO, said, “For the third consecutive quarter EMC achieved our ‘triple play’ – we gained market share, invested aggressively to capitalize on the shift to cloud computing, and increased profitability. Cloud computing is driving a fundamental change in the way IT is designed and managed, represents a massive opportunity, and is happening now in various phases across the globe.”

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