The Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA) steering committee met in Melbourne recently for two days of meetings to chart priorities for the organisation’s mission to deliver open cloud solutions. Merri Mack reports on the findings of the committee and the question of whether vendors will support interoperability for cloud solutions. [ + ]

In recent years, server virtualisation has hogged the IT industry’s spotlight. All the while, storage virtualisation has remained in the background, slowly developing and maturing. However, there are still misconceptions surrounding the technology. Adrian De Luca, Director, SNIA ANZ, dispells these myths, claiming that storage virtualisation is ready for prime time. [ + ]

Both private and public cloud storage technologies can be powerful tools, helping IT to deal with dynamic demands and floods of data. But when employing public cloud services, organisations must carefully consider the potential pitfalls in order to mitigate risk. Gene Ruth, Research Director, Gartner, explains what to look out for. [ + ]

As a technical term, ‘the cloud’ has reached a point of oversaturation, leading many - particularly government - organisations to question the value of the concept. Cloud computing is not for everyone, but it is possible to be ‘cloud-like’ without actually entering the cloud, says Wayne Allen, Unisys Asia-Pacific data centre transformation and outsourcing practice lead. [ + ]

Big data - the accumulation and subsequent mining of large data stores - carries great potential for businesses looking to gain insight into their markets or customers. But while the concept of big data is simple, the management of big data is not. Bruce Coulthard, Senior Solutions Consultant A/NZ at Quantum, argues that big data demands a complex, diversified approach from IT. [ + ]

The recent shutdown of file-sharing website Megaupload has created a sense of unease surrounding cloud-based storage. Companies are questioning the wisdom of relying on these services, which could seemingly collapse at a moment’s notice. According to Albert Y Zomaya, The University of Sydney, companies that shy away from the cloud are potentially missing out, especially given the advances the cloud is about to go through. [ + ]

Unified communications (UC) systems often consist of disparate pieces of software from multiple providers, meaning integration, management and reporting can be difficult. An alternative approach is to combine UC with business process automation (BPA), in an effort to avoid these hassles. Brendan Maree, ANZ Country Manager, Interactive Intelligence, explains. [ + ]

Big data has become big business, with increasing numbers of organisations trying to amass stores of information and subject it to analysis. But this is creating headaches for backup and recovery. Merri Mack looks at the options for dealing with this problem. [ + ]

Avaya has announced that Rob Wells, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), will leave the company on 17 February to pursue a different path with a start-up venture. Rick Seeto will assume the leadership of the business in ANZ until a permanent appointment is made. [ + ]

The panel presiding over Australia’s telecommunications Convergence Review has a tough task, one that many won’t appreciate - particularly given the Review’s recent interim report carried such divisive and controversial recommendations. John Stanton, CEO of Australia’s Communications Alliance, takes a look at the ramifications of some specific elements of the interim report. [ + ]

Remotely administering switches, servers, telecoms equipment and the like can be difficult, especially when a device locks up and requires a cold boot. In these circumstances, a ‘remote power reboot switch’ can help get that obstinate piece of kit up and running. [ + ]

NEC Australia has appointed Philip Belcher as executive general manager NECare, the company’s multivendor maintenance and support services business. Belcher will be responsible for the maintenance and support services that provision the company’s unified communications sales and channel teams. [ + ]

Desktop virtualisation is becoming increasingly commonplace in Australian organisations. Once you’ve determined that it’s the right approach for your organisation, how do you decide what’s needed to support virtual desktops from your data centre? Stephen Withers explains. [ + ]

The cloud promises to liberate organisations from the limitations of traditional IT infrastructure. Here, Oracle’s Marc Caltabiano argues that early cloud solutions have created new computing silos that actually impose new limits on organisations. He suggests that organisations must take a more nuanced view of the cloud to get the most from a cloud strategy. [ + ]

Ten years ago, business intelligence (BI) solutions were only available to large organisations that could afford to spend time and money developing them in-house. With the advent of the cloud, this scenario is changing. Adam Hawkins, Co-founder and Managing Director, Mercurial, discusses the limitations of in-house business intelligence solutions, and looks at cloud-based solutions as an alternative. [ + ]