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Murphy's Law: Can Chrome OS Beat Windows? Can Anyone?

David Murphy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:23:15 -0500

"Why don't more people use Chrome OS?"

It was an innocuous question, part of a grander lunchtime chat about life, the Internet, and The Future Way of Things. My coworker was curious about the benefits of open-source--specifically those advantages with a dollar sign preceding them--and naturally thought that the upstart Google operating system could someday attract a huge portion of Microsoft Windows's market share.

Why wouldn't enterprise businesses love the Google solution? The amount of money they would be able to save from the reduced desktop licensing requirements would be large enough to transform a CFO's eyes into saucers, Roger Rabbit-style. Similarly, entities that rely on a variety of customized programs and applications to conduct business could weave these elements into the open-source architecture of Chrome OS.

Given that Chrome OS is going to be heavily focused toward a Web-based platform for applications and file hosting, it's only fitting that it find a new home in the world of the enterprise--where one doesn't have a desktop PC so much as a virtualized environment that can be accessed using any piece of hardware in the office. A hard drive crash doesn't much matter if your data is sourced on the cloud.

So let's roll out the red carpet and prep the TV hosts for the big unveiling of Chrome OS in big busin... or not. There's one reason, and one reason only, why an open-source desktop isn't going to succeed in the consumer or enterprise markets: Microsoft was there first.

It's a funny state of affairs: When it comes to technology, we see big-name companies ping-pong between crippling failure and extraordinary success all the time. Nintendo? Completely screwed the pooch with the Gamecube--an absolutely horrendous system that was beaten back by the market faster than you can say "Luigi's Mansion." Yet, up comes the company from the bowels of its R&D labs to produce the Wii, otherwise known as, "the best-selling console of 2009."

Not a gamer? Consider Apple, then--a company that suffered setback after setback in the late 1990s after the relative success of its early hardware launches. Yet, one iMac later, and Apple revolutionized its product lines with a focus on aesthetics to become a significant market driver. Not in computing, per se--at least, not compared to Windows machines--but in its slew of i-themed devices that all borrowed the same design concepts of its initial iMac.

Yet, here sits Windows: untouched. It's arguable that Linux and OSX, and even Chrome OS, all offer features that outpace those found on Microsoft's operating systems--especially less-than-impressive revisions like Vista, which practically require a service pack before they're truly ready for desktop use. But I'm just speaking from the standpoint of someone who sits in front of the keyboard. For the person behind the ledger, it's clear that open-source is the de facto winner.

The issue is that Windows has reached, and blown apart, the critical mass it needs to ensure its own longevity regardless of the competition. Interestingly enough, it's even superseded Microsoft's own revisions to the software--a number of businesses will still use Windows XP even though two iterations of the operating system have taken place over the last four years.

How has this happened? Complacency, mixed with a touch of costs. Businesses in today's economy are a bit loathe to spend the required money upgrading systems (both in licenses and labor) when there's no prevailing reason to do so beyond security concerns. And even then, depending on the nature of the use, even a Windows XP workstation can be locked down to all but essential business functions.

As for complacency, there are enough mission-critical Windows systems that "just plain work" as to make a business uncomfortable to consider jumping even to an upgrade of Windows itself. I don't even want to fathom the potential compatibility issues and internal restructuring that would come up should a large enterprise business try to readjust itself to a cloud-based platform like Chrome OS. I'm not saying it's impossible, I just don't think IT decision makers will consider it a possibility.

It's kind of a killer catch-22: For a new operating system to gain a significant share of the market, it has to reach enough popularity to warrant an investigation (or a switch) toward porting software. But to reach this critical mass, the software has to be available and working in order to give a person or a business a reason to cross the threshold. No matter its software faults, Microsoft holds the ace: Windows is the best solution for enterprise environments because it's always been.

What is Chrome OS (or Linux, or OSX) going to do?

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software.

IT Survey: Macs Less Expensive to Manage than PCs

Paul Lilly — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:25:19 -0600

Should your IT department consider switching to Macs? Perhaps, if the only criteria is the cost of management. That's because according to a new survey by the Enterprise Desktop Alliance, IT admins feel that Macs have lower management costs than PCs.

The survey pinged 260 IT admins from large organizations with both Macs and PCs, and in some categories -- such as troubleshooting, user training, and help desk calls -- three times as many respondents said that Macs are easier on the wallet to manage.

"Administrators in organizations that have both Mac and PC platforms have the experience to determine whether managing Macs is less expensive," said T. Reid Lewis, CEO of Group Logic, and president of the Enterprise Desktop Alliance. "The members of the Enterprise Desktop Alliance provide products and services that make deployment and management of Macs easier to do."

Perhaps most surprising is that the respondents rated every category in the Macs' favor, including system configuration. You can read the full survey results here (PDF).

Are you buying the survey results? Sound off in the comments section below!

Intel Eyes up Enterprise for Atom Platform

Paul Lilly — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:34:50 -0600

Intel's Atom platform isn't just for fun and play, at least not anymore. The No. 1 chip maker on Thursday launched its first Atom processor-based platform designed specifically for home networks and small office/home office (SOHO) storage devices.

"NAS systems have traditionally been found in businesses to manage, store and access data," said Seth Bobroff, general manager, Intel Data Center Group, Storage. "Today, households and small offices have an ever-increasing number of computers, laptops, netbooks and mobile phones that create and consume digital content. This advancement in mobility coupled with the explosive growth of data and media are creating the need for centralized, easy-to-use network storage solutions for the home and small office."

Available in both single core (D410) and dual-core (D510) flavors, Intel says you can expect up to a 50 percent power reduction compared to the company's previous generation Atom processors.

Other features of the new platform include six PCI Express lanes, 12 USB 2.0 ports, a port multiplier function, and eSATA ports.

Image Credit: Intel

OCZ Takes Aim at European Enterprise Market

Paul Lilly — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:06:21 -0600

OCZ, one of the biggest players in the solid state drive market, said during CeBIT that the company plans to focus its attention on pushing SSDs in the European market, paying particular attention to the enterprise sector.

"There are an increasing number of applications where SSDs are quickly replacing traditional hard drives, including mobile and high-performance computing as well as numerous enterprise environments," commented Alex Mei, CMO at the OCZ Technology Group. "At CeBIT 2010, OCZ continues to expand our robust SSD lineup with the introduction of next-generation solid state storage solutions in an increasingly wide array of interfaces that truly deliver transformational capabilities when addressing the unique challenges of enterprise clients."

Part of the process includes meeting the demand for PCI-Express and SCSI (SAS) SSDs. This includes both current options -- like the Z-Drive series, now being showcased in its fourth generation -- as well as upcoming parts.

Image Credit: OCZ

LaCie Simplifies Data Access for Businesses with New Storage Line

Paul Lilly — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:38:00 -0600

SMBs take note - LaCie has introduced a line of three new data solutions designed to make data access a lot easier to manage.

The new solutions include the single-disk d2 Network 2, two-disk 2big Network 2, and the five-disk 5big Network 2. Each one serves up data access to the tune of 70MB/s and gives users the ability to share files or backup Windows- and Mac-based PCs.

LaCie's focus centers on ease-of-use, and towards that end, the company touts its Web-based administration tool, which it says is a cinch to use. With little fuss, SMBs can manage users, groups, and shares and put in place data use quotas, GearLog.com reports.

The new line starts at $230.

Image Credit: LaCie

Iron Mountain Acquires Archiving Vendor Mimosa Systems

Paul Lilly — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:40:39 -0600

Information management company Iron Mountain reached deep into its pockets and pulled out $112 million, which it used to acquire Mimosa Systems, Inc., the firm reported on Monday.

"We’re really excited about adding Mimosa Systems," said Ramana Venkata, president of Iron Mountain Digital, the technology arm of Iron Mountain. "We acquired Mimosa because we believe it offers the best archiving technology on the market, and the company shares our philosophy to help customers reduce the cost and risk of storing and managing information. By combining Mimosa’s on-premises archive with our cloud-based technologies, Iron Mountain can now store, recover and discover digital content wherever it resides. This is a great example of the type of technology acquisition that fits well within our long-term growth strategy."

The deal gives Iron Mountain an integrated archive for email, SharePoint data, and files, as well as provides the company an on-premises archiving option. In addition, Iron Mountain said it can now capture and manage a wider range of enterprise information from "edge-of-the-network" devices.

"It's a win-win situation for our customers and partners who can now leverage Iron Mountain's global reach and comprehensive information management services," said T.M. Ravi, president and CEO of Mimosa Systems.

Image Credit: Iron Mountain

Symantec: Most Enterprises Losing Big Bucks from Cyber Attacks

Paul Lilly — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:39:30 -0600

Some 75 percent of organizations have been the target of a successful cyber attack in the past year, suggests a new study by security firm Symantec. According to Symantec's 2010 State of Enterprise Security study, companies on average lose $2 million annually as a result of these attacks.

"Protecting information today is more challenging than ever," said Francis deSouza, senior vice president, Enterprise Security, Symantec Corp. "By putting in place a security blueprint that protects their infrastructure and information, enforces IT policies, and manages systems more efficiently, businesses can increase their competitive edge in today’s information-driven world."

The study also found that 42 percent of organizations rate security their top issue, especially as enterprise security becomes more difficult due to understaffing.

The study represents responses from 2,100 enterprise CIOs, CISOs, and IT manager from 27 countries, Symantec said.

2010 State of Enterprise Security Report

Image Credit: Javno

QLogic, HP Team Up to Offer 8Gb Fibre Channel Stackable Switches

Paul Lilly — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:35:15 -0600

QLogic recently announced that HP will add stackable QLogic 8Gbps Fibre Channel SAN switches to its server and storage portfolio for small and midsized businesses.

"QLogic continues to innovate and lead the way in Fibre Channel stackable switch solutions," said Jesse Parker, vice president and general manager, Network Solutions Group, QLogic. "Our 8Gb Fibre Channel switches provide industry-leading performance while allowing businesses to build scalable SANs with minimal business disruption at considerably lower costs and significantly reduced complexity."

The new switches, which come with 20 Fibre Channel ports on each one, are expected to replace Cisco's 4GB units, though not all at once. QLogic's switches can be stacked up to six per cluster, giving businesses 120 ports and up to 24 20Gbps interswitch link ports.

Image Credit: QLogic