Articles


  • Tuesday 4 October 2011

    That's So 80's!
     By: Dan O'Donnell

    It is time to take a trip in the Wayback Machine. Do you remember your first cell phone? It weighed a few pounds, was as big as a brick and had no apps. But you marveled over the new invention and the clarity of the communication. That was because, compared to the pay phone, walkie-talkie or pager, it was a technological leap of unimaginable proportion. On top of that, it was a major status symbol to have that little antenna on your back windshield. So, comparing that cell phone to previous technology, it looked pretty good.

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  • Tuesday 13 September 2011

    Hacktivism Protectionism
     By: Dan O'Donnell

    Every few years, Webster updates the American lexicon by adding new words to the dictionary. Some of the recent additions have been “vlog” (a blog with video), “webisode” (a TV show episode that can be viewed on the web) and “staycation” (a vacation at home or close by). I believe that the next time Webster does an update, “hacktivism” will be on the new word list.

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  • Tuesday 16 August 2011

    Defining the Cloud
     By: Dan O'Donnell

    A study by The NPD group found that only 22 percent of consumers in the U.S. are familiar with the term “cloud computing.” The research also found that 76 percent of the same group used some form of cloud service in the past year such as email, online gaming, or tax preparation software. Businesses are spending millions on cloud computing commercials and most consumers do not have a clue what the ads are about.

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  • Friday 29 July 2011

    I've Looked at Clouds from Both Sides Now
    By: Dan O'Donnell

    If you were not in college in the 70’s you probably do not recognize these wonderful lyrics by Judy Collins; “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now and, still somehow, I really don’t know clouds at all.” This is a song where the cloud is a metaphor for love, not ubiquitous computing power. However, I found myself humming these lyrics over and over as I attended a conference on Cloud Computing in Baltimore last week.

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  • Wednesday 27 July 2011

    Cloud Pilot Architecture
    By: Dan O'Donnell

    Many Service Providers (SP) are considering plans to provide cloud computing services. This new business model allows SPs to increase ARPU, add to their service offerings, differentiate themselves from their competitors, increase their customer base and become a strategic partner to their large business customers. This move makes perfect business sense and much of the infrastructure is already in place. However, as these Service Providers moves from a model of information transit to comprehensive information management there are many new issues to be addressed.

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  • Tuesday 28 June 2011

    IPv6 RU Ready?
    By: Dan O'Donnell

    I have been using these texting acronyms when communicating with my high school daughter thinking I was being very current and cool using their language. “ru ready?” “im here” and so on. Well I was shocked when she told me the other day, “no one uses those terms anymore; everyone has keyboards and can type in English.” Of course, she was referring to their smart phones. Oh well, I thought, technology!

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  • Wednesday 6 April 2011

    Going Mobile
    By: Dan O’Donnell

    It is funny how the meaning of words can change over time. When “The Who” wrote the song “Going Mobile” they had no idea what mobility would mean in 2011. Listen to “Going Mobile” by The Who here.

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  • Wednesday 6 April 2011

    Military Communications for Humanitarian Missions
    By: Dan O'Donnell

    When you think about global military organizations what comes to mind? The first thought is probably war. Military organizations, however, are involved in much more than just bombs, bullets and battles. At a high level, the military is an organization that is highly skilled in the rapid deployment of human and physical resources under harsh circumstances.

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  • Wednesday 2 February 2011

    Keepin' it Real in a Virtual World
    By Dan O'Donnell

    The web is bursting with buzz about “The Cloud” and “Virtualization” as networking nirvana. I have no doubt that these are important developments in networking. Among other things, cloud computing goes to the heart of the old business school adage of sticking to your knitting....

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  • Monday 17 January 2011

    Sleepless in Seattle
    By: Dan O’Donnell

    I am on a plane to Seattle to talk with Network Engineers, Architects and Managers about network security. The attendees at this Net Security conference are responsible for corporate, government, e-commerce and service provider networks. If there is a job on earth that will cause sleepless nights it is Network Manager. In addition to worrying about hackers from outside while safeguarding confidential data on the inside, they also are responsible for designing and maintaining 99.99%+ reliability and consistent accessibility for authorized users.

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  • Thursday 6 January 2011

    Trends for 2011...Speed, Security, Standards
    By: Dan O'Donnell

    This is the week when everyone is predicting IT market movement for the upcoming year. Crystal balls and prognostications abound on the web. There is more fortune telling on the web then a back woods gypsy convention.

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